<RANT> Got a ticket yesterday evening whilst parked in a "residents only" zone in Cambridge. Thing is, we're residents and have paid for a residents' parking permit. Sadly, we had held it to the windscreen with one of those tax disc holders that stick for a while, then give up and (probably hastened by the cold) it had fallen off the screen. I have never known anywhere like Cambridge for traffic wardens (or parking enforcement operatives or c**ts or whatever they are called); they swarm around in their ill-fitting faux-nazi uniforms and allegedly even use CCTV to spot illegally parked vehicles. All of which is lovely and admirable in protecting beautiful, special Cambridge from evil parkers. However, having paid over £100 for a permit, I do rather resent the fact that the empty ball-sacks that wear their pervy caps at a jaunty angle over their lank, greasy locks can't check that our car has a permit (through the obviously baffling magic of the registration number we gave them and they recorded) and work out what has happened. They've seen the car parked legally every day for 6 months (with another 6 to go on the permit) and it is fairly recognisable, having big signs for MrsC's business on the sides.
Sorry for such a predictable rant, but sometimes there's a reason why people hate certain professions.
That is all. </RANT>

I suspect like Edinburgh "blue meanies" as they came to be known, they are conditioned on pain of death to issue the ticket for the feeblest excuse in order to show their "effectiveness". In Edinburgh the ticket issue rate is fairly alarming, but even more is the number of successful claims. This involves time-wasting correspondence and possibly a meeting with a lawyer in the end - the expense!
The instructions to employees to my my create extra expenditure and few seem bothered

My colleague who came to visit me a couple of weeks ago to share experiences of our recent "events" went back out to discover the visitor's permit I'd given him had not been "recognised" and a PCN was under the wiper. He'd scratched out the hour, minute, day, date and month but forgot to do the year - the options were 2010, 2011, and 2012!!

How on earth could the permit have been displayed fraudulently? He is appealing which I suggest you do.

Parking Patawayo and his black and white catawayo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmLczeDLaZU

Then appeal and buy a proper holder you cheapskate

What, you mean not like the FCCUK one I was using?

D'OH!

ETA: Oh, and I have appealed. As Edinburgh points out, successful appeals are not uncommon, but as a waste of time they are unsurpassed.

Aren't/weren't the Edinburgh ones on bonuses to ticket as many as possible?

I think there are more traffic wardens there than tourists!

In spite of vigorous protestations to the contrary it appears that employees that didn't issue sufficient PCN's were bottom of the list when it came to overtime, whistleblowers and former workers inform us.

Our cooncil were indignant that the whole shebang of extending parking zones was not a revenue-generating exercise, then shot themselves in the foot during that very snowy winter. All yellow lines and parking bay areas were obliterated so folk could park anywhere without needing to purchase a ticket, therefore moans in the press from said council about their loss of revenue

I'm sure you'll keep all time/date records Jim, let us know when (if) you get a reply

As I'm sure others do, I have the RinGo app on my mobile, whereby I can pay for parking in many Pay & Display car parks without the need to display any physical ticket. If this is possible, then there is surely no excuse for a parking enforcement body not to employ a system that enables them to check and discover that we were fully entitled to park where we were. I know the whole thing hinges on the "clearly visible" bit, but it gives the lie to the council's protestations about the whole shebang not being about revenue.

I feel the same about road tax having been caught out a few years ago buying the tax online but forgetting to put it on the car (which was in a bodyshop when it ran out).
If the police can check it (and insurance, etc.) from behind you surely traffic wardens can also get that info without seeing physical proof.

I got stopped by the ANPR police for driving my van which according to them wasnt taxed. After he ran a radio check on vehicle he came back to me and I have some good news and some bad news.

Good news is your van IS taxed. but the
Bad news is I am issueing you with a fixed penalty for failiure to display a current tax disk.

I explained that it was a company vehicle and I hadn't managed to get my disc from the office as I was working away, but this didnt cut any ice. I paid the fine.

For some they just dont care. ANPR squad especially, they must rate performance by tickets issued.
I am sure traffic wardens are the same, even if not officially they probably brag amongst themselves.
I thought the ANPR would of checked the vehicle tax using the registration against the database but it seems it must of just seen the colour of the disc.

I'm not sure if that's usual or not, but I believe (based on absolutely no more evidence than watching PCA a few times) that the reason the tax disk must be displayed is to provide a reason for stop and search of the vehicle.

As they say - if they're not taxed, there's likely lots more naughty things they're doing; the lack of the disk provides a valid reason to investigate them.

ANPR checks against the plates using a video camera, so the policeman must have done the visual check of the disk.

Just received the following email:

12/12/2012
Penalty Charge Notice : YA01518090
Date Issued : 10/12/2012
Contravention : 12, Parked in residents parking place or zone without clearly displaying either a permit or voucher or p&d tkt issued for that place
Location of Contravention : Maids Causeway

Dear Mr Clennell
Thank you for your representation about this Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).
The vehicle was observed parked in a resident permit holders bay without displaying a valid resident or visitors permit and so the PCN was correctly served.
However, due to you providing a valid resident permit I have cancelled the PCN on this occasion as a goodwill gesture. Please be advise that subsequent PCNs served in similar circumstances in future are most unlikely to be cancelled.
Yours sincerely
Mrs Promila Uddin

In the circumstances I'll put up with the abuse of possessive apostrophes in the email.

*Whisper to other forum goers*

Do you think he fell for it?

Does sound like a made up name

[quote=Roadking
Does sound like a made up name [/quote]

<Tony Soprano>What you going do?</Tony Soprano>

I was born with it...

Er, did I miss something or did my post get edited from "going" to "going"?

WTF???

What you gonnna do Jim?

I dunnnnnno.

Pfuck dat!

Justice, tf.