Need help with a PCN...signage on the opposite side of the road

dirtychinchilla · 24 Apr 2024 at 10:03

Morning all,

I was annoyed to find this PCN when I got home yesterday. It turns out that I've turned left into a road that you can only turn left into outside Mon-Fri between 7-10 AM.

Obviously I did drive up the road when I wasn't supposed to, but if you look on Google Maps you'll see that the sign is on the other side of the road. I can't help but think that this signage is virtually useless; it should be on the same side of the road as you're driving on. It's incredibly easy to miss.

I've never driven down this road before. I'm not familiar with the area. I don't think it's reasonable to expect everyone to notice this sign, never mind take account of it when they're following Google Maps.

Being that I really don't want to pay it, could anyone advise on how you would fight this?

The road as you approach it:

The sign:

Thanks in advance,

dirtychinchilla

Edit: having seen the below, I'll just pay up.

VaderDSL said:
Sadly you are probably going to have to suck it up. Here is the view from further back, unless they have removed the other 2 signs.

dirtychinchilla · 24 Apr 2024 at 10:34

VaderDSL said:
Sadly you are probably going to have to suck it up. Here is the view from further back, unless they have removed the other 2 signs.

Oh that's hilarious. I didn't look further back, obviously.

dirtychinchilla · 24 Apr 2024 at 11:25

Yaayuh! said:
Vote name change to blindchinchilla

Hah. More like doesntcarebutisnowannoyedbythefinechinchilla.

I've had two fines in my life before this week, one for parking and one due to driving through another road I wasn't supposed to. This week, I've had a parking ticket and this fine!

My mind is all over the place though - health is up and down, pending surgery, wife's IVF and miscarriage...not good.

dirtychinchilla · 24 Apr 2024 at 13:48

Diddums said:
Damn sorry to hear that dude, hope you guys aren't doing too bad <3

Life's complicated. Thanks man

jpaul said:
Do car navigation systems database have that info, or, even, be able to read the sign (Mr Musk?)

e: could be a benefit of a HU display to communicate such issues effectively

I definitely could

dirtychinchilla · 24 Apr 2024 at 13:58

Rroff said:
In this case I have less sympathy as it is fairly well signed by the looks of it, but I think people underestimate how easy it is sometimes to miss even glaring signs if you are driving in an area you are unfamiliar with, especially if you take a wrong turn or something and panicking a bit.

Though my sister got done once doing a U turn right under a large sign saying no U turns, while on her phone, eating a sandwich and right in front of a cop car... and still managed to twist the cop around her finger a bit by the sounds of it as they could have got her much worse than they did. No sympathy from me.

Yeah it's completely my mistake, but as you say, if you've never driven somewhere before sometimes it can be a bit bewildering!

dirtychinchilla · 24 Apr 2024 at 15:31

Nasher said:
Google maps and Waze do. They know the correct entry points and will take you right to the doorstep, including walking up the garden path.

Apple maps is pretty flakey with this stuff. The built-in systems are never very accurate either. I especially wouldn't trust a Tesla to make the right call, their software is Bethesda grade glitchy

Yeah it's weird, I was using Google Maps so I was also surprised that I was sent down there.

dirtychinchilla · 25 Apr 2024 at 09:52

Bint Box said:
If you have never driven an area before it makes sense to be more careful in checking for cameras and road restrictions.
Also drive a little slower in order to improve the chances of observing signs rather than whizzing past them.

Again, no sympathy, still bleating like a lamb, pay the fine before it doubles and stop whingeing.

Do one!

dirtychinchilla · 25 Apr 2024 at 10:04

Diagro said:
LOL.

Just pay the fine mate. You have ZERO choice here.

Yup. I concluded that in the thread had you read it

dirtychinchilla · 25 Apr 2024 at 11:55

You have to be on your toes in London. There are loads of bus lanes, 20 mph almost everywhere but then it's sometimes 30 mph, and apparently lots of restrictions!

dirtychinchilla · 26 Apr 2024 at 08:18

adam cool dude said:
Too busy looking at sat nav more than likely.

Yup, as I had no idea where I was going

dirtychinchilla · 26 Apr 2024 at 14:03

413x said:
I could totally see myself missing that sign. There are so many signs on roads and I've never seen a sign like that for what looks like a normal junction but you can't go down it during the day?

I'll happily admit that I don't take much notice of anything other than the speed limit, to my detriment this time.

Still not got a single point in 17 years of driving, though.

dirtychinchilla · 26 Apr 2024 at 16:12

adam cool dude said:
How many miles and where do you drive a year though? Saying no points in 17 years needs a little context when say bob goes 5 miles up the same road and back every year but has a clean licence for 20 years whereas Micky who is all over the country in his van doing 30000 miles a year has 3 points for speeding.

At least now you might learn not to trust your nav and maybe scope out the area on Google maps before you leave. If you are driving to something of significance it might surprise you that the road signage will tell you where to go better than the nav will!

About 10k a year. Quite a few of those miles are up and down the A3 into central London, which is rife with cameras.