Parking ticket question

misterjingo

misterjingo

misterjingo

Associate
Joined
21 Apr 2006
Posts
1,476
Hi all,

I dropped my daughter off at school today for breakfast club. There is a sign saying you can park on the jagged lines before 8am. I pulled up at around 7:54, and let my daughter out of the car. I stood around 2 meters from the car and watched her go into the school. A teacher then came by and chatted to me.

I turned around and there was a traffic warden standing by the front of the car. He looked like he was going to start writing a ticket. I said excuse me, I can park here until 8. He ignored me, so I repeated it. He then stated it was 5 past 8 so he was ticketing me.

My car door was open as my youngest Daughter was still in there. I looked at the clock and it was 7:58. I started arguing with the guy, asked him to come look at my clock, which he refused to do. We argued for a few minutes, then he produced the ticket and handed it to me. He was fairly rude and said if I had issues, to complain.

Looking at the ticket, he only put my reg (no other details) at observed 8:03-8:03. This was the time after 5 minutes of arguing, and goes against his lie of 8:05.

I'm going to contest this, but where do I stand when the guy blatantly lied and hung around, issuing the ticket after we spent a few minutes arguing. It's his word against mine, so I can guess they'll dismiss my point of view.

I wish I'd have ignored him and driven off now.
 
Are you talking about the wavy yellow lines outside of schools? Was the sign a council sign or one produced by the school?
 
Yep, the wavy lines outside the school gates. It was a yellow metal sign on a post, so I presume it's from the council, but there is not logo to confirm that.
 
It's probably different for each local authority but I know where I live the ticket only becomes "valid" when it's affixed to the vehicle and parking warden takes a photo to confirm it.

If it was handed to you with only partial details I'd chuck it in the bin.
 
You should have pulled out your phone and started to immediately film him, the sign and the time. Now you have no proof that you were there earlier than he claims. Perhaps you can get the teacher you spoke with to be a witness, I'm angry just reading your story, I'd have wanted to ram the ticket down his throat, what a jobs worth!
 
Surprised nobody hasn't already asked but the clock in your car, is it set to the correct time? None of the clocks in my car are setup super accurately, what was the time on your mobile?
 
.Griff. said:
It's probably different for each local authority but I know where I live the ticket only becomes "valid" when it's affixed to the vehicle and parking warden takes a photo to confirm it.

If it was handed to you with only partial details I'd chuck it in the bin.
Click to expand...

Without the photo there's no real evidence you were ever there, so yea they need to take one. It also has to show some of the surroundings and the spot your parked in afaik (so not just a close up of the car or ticket on the window).

Should have got in and driven off :D
 
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Thanks for the replies all!

When I looked at my mobile it was 7:59. But we'd already started arguing at this point.

I wish I'd taken his photo / filmed him now. I was just angry at this point.

There is definitely no photo of a ticket on my car. I did see him take a photo of the sign with the times on, but can't recall him taking a photo of my car - perhaps he did as I was driving off?

To top it all off, he was parked on the wavy lines too!

So should I contest it and ask for photographic evidence?
 
That was probably his ploy. Start writing it out early, to get you arguing, and then when he actually issues it, hes in the right. Crafty if so.
 
ALWAYS argue it. It doesn't cost anything to appeal it and creates work for them, so there's a chance it will just get canceled off the bat.

If he took a photo of you driving off then it won't be valid. Because you could say you were never parked and they wouldn't be able to argue it.
 
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Yes. You could also ask the teacher to back you up, but you might find they don't want to get involved, as a lot of schools have terrible problems with parking.
 
Always argue it if you feel in the right. Never give an inch. If I were you I'd be proactive and make an appointment to see his boss. If we don't complain to their bosses they will keep getting away with their bs.
 
Great movie:

o-BREAKFAST-CLUB-570.jpg
 
Don't engage in conversation, just get in and drive off. Done it numerous times (even when I was in the wrong) and never heard anything of it.

I would have assumed he was just filling in details pre-emptively for when the time reached 8am, and he could issue.
 
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misterjingo said:
When I looked at my mobile it was 7:59. But we'd already started arguing at this point.

There is definitely no photo of a ticket on my car. I did see him take a photo of the sign with the times on, but can't recall him taking a photo of my car - perhaps he did as I was driving off?
Click to expand...

If he was taking the pictures before you started arguing, then they should be time stamped as pre 08:00 if there is no picture of the car that's because "the car was never there"
 
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