Parking tickets

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alywin
Posts: 920
Joined: 27 Aug 2009 12:33
Location: No longer in Sydenham

Parking tickets

Post by alywin »

This probably won't affect most Sydenhamites, but I've been becoming increasingly disturbed in recent months by the procedure by which parking tickets are being issued in the Bromley part of town. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against parking tickets in the slightest where people are causing problems (although Bromley's seemingly rather excessive use of yellow lines does grate a bit), but I assumed that they would be issued by wardens operating largely or entirely on foot. Is it really appropriate for wardens to drive round the streets, "clock" offending vehicles, then drive back once the 5 minutes' grace is up and ticket them? It must be a nice little moneyearner for Bromley, and/or perhaps the subcontractors have some sort of performance-related bonus scheme going, but I think it probably offends my sense of fair play that a warden can stack the odds so much in his favour by using a vehicle to do his rounds.

Or perhaps I'm just out of touch? Perhaps this is standard practice everywhere these days? I'm not a car owner, so I don't usually pay too much attention to these things.
sparticus
Posts: 230
Joined: 25 Jan 2013 13:56

Re: Parking tickets

Post by sparticus »

Lewisham have been using parking ticket enforcers mounted on mopeds for years. I got nabbed outside Forest Hill library by one such ages ago. Not complaining, I was parking illegally. Some local authorities-Croydon for example, use covert CCTV which is really sneaky. When I lived in Bromley the lack of provision for pedestrians used to make me mad. Bone-headed refusal to introduce speed control measures, refusal to install pedestrian crossings even near schools and so on.
Eagle
Posts: 10658
Joined: 7 Oct 2004 06:36
Location: F Hill

Re: Parking tickets

Post by Eagle »

Alwyn

Of course it is correct people are fined for illegal parking.

I am surprised such a question is being asked
Rachael
Posts: 2455
Joined: 23 Jan 2010 13:42
Location: Sydenham / Forest Hill Intersection

Re: Parking tickets

Post by Rachael »

How else do you monitor the grace period if you don't check the cars at the beginning and end of it?
Eagle
Posts: 10658
Joined: 7 Oct 2004 06:36
Location: F Hill

Re: Parking tickets

Post by Eagle »

Sparticus

Why is ir sneaky to catch law breakers. I am puzzled.
mosy
Posts: 4111
Joined: 21 Sep 2007 20:28
Location: London

Re: Parking tickets

Post by mosy »

I thought there was no grace period any longer?

As long as the signpost is clearly visible and placed appropriately(*) and it clearly states an allowed time period, I have no problem with a warden standing there all day.

(*) There was a case a few years ago down in the Hove area IIRC where a long stretch had a post at either end but it looked "free" in the middle as no signpost anywhere near.

Not sure about being a money earner as warden's salaries have to be paid for. There are some obviously cash cow scams in some boroughs, but I don't think Lewisham has ever gone down that route.
Rachael
Posts: 2455
Joined: 23 Jan 2010 13:42
Location: Sydenham / Forest Hill Intersection

Re: Parking tickets

Post by Rachael »

Mosy - the grace period is actually relatively new, being introduced last year.
monkeyarms
Posts: 301
Joined: 28 Jul 2015 14:54
Location: Tredown

Re: Parking tickets

Post by monkeyarms »

This conversation has reminded me of something else I keep meaning to find out about. Namely: yellow cross-hatched boxes.
When I'm approaching the Cobbs Corner roundabout in my car, I leave the yellow box clear until there's space in front of me to get across without being on it. This is mainly because I have been fined twice in other parts of London (via being caught on camera), for being stationary on the middle of a yellow box.

But often when I wait, I get honked by cars behind me, and tons of other motorists seem perfectly happy to fill that gap. What's the Highway Code here – I could have sworn that you're not supposed to be stationary in one of those boxes?
mosy
Posts: 4111
Joined: 21 Sep 2007 20:28
Location: London

Re: Parking tickets

Post by mosy »

My knowledge is a little out of date re test cases, but basically if it's a traffic cam area and you're stationary, = ticket, no excuses however valid. Same as red-line traffic cam routes - no excuses.

You're never supposed to be stationary in a yellow box and that is how people fall foul (ticket) by anticipating a space will clear ahead but for whatever reason it doesn't materialise. Oops. I'd let them honk or overtake, then it's them not you caught in the box. Not just re ticket of course since they're intended to avoid disruption to crossing motorists.

The ticket-by-cam examples I hate are when only front or back wheels (or a bit of the boot) are in the box, so access is easily clear enough in reasonable terms, The trouble with those is that the law is the law in black and white terms so almost impossible to appeal.
parker
Posts: 564
Joined: 26 Mar 2009 21:15
Location: Sydenham Wells

Re: Parking tickets

Post by parker »

If you don't want a parking ticket why would you park where you are not permitted? As much as I don't really agree with Lewisham's backward way of thinking in general I can agree that they're in their right to ticket vehicles whose owners are blinkered when it comes to parking.
bensonby
Posts: 1655
Joined: 18 Jun 2008 12:28
Location: Kent

Re: Parking tickets

Post by bensonby »

mosy wrote:You're never supposed to be stationary in a yellow box

Unless you are turning right.

Interestingly (if you get interested by this sort of thing) the Police in Lewisham (and many other boroughs) lost the power to enforce this and several other offences a few years back. (2010 I think it was).
Manwithaview1
Posts: 2162
Joined: 21 Jan 2012 21:23
Location: Sydenham Hill Estate

Re: Parking tickets

Post by Manwithaview1 »

bensonby wrote:
mosy wrote:You're never supposed to be stationary in a yellow box

Unless you are turning right.

Interestingly (if you get interested by this sort of thing) the Police in Lewisham (and many other boroughs) lost the power to enforce this and several other offences a few years back. (2010 I think it was).
TFL police box junctions on their red routes.

Remember people if the yellow lines are broken and you get a ticket take a picture of said broken lines, inform the council of the broken lines immediately then dispute the ticket.

Westminster Council had to cancel 268 tickets I received in Upper St Martin's Lane WC2 circa 96-97. :lol:
JRobinson
Posts: 1104
Joined: 5 Jan 2010 12:40
Location: De Frene Rd

Re: Parking tickets

Post by JRobinson »

yes, yellow box junctions, you can be stationery, but only if you are turning right, and only if you stopped from continuing by vehicles approaching from the opposite direction (ie your route out of the box will be clear when you can cross traffic). Otherwise you must not stop in/on a box junction. I try not to, and I've never had someone toot me for it - that seems harsh, though I have had people toot me when I used to stop at pedestrian crossings until the light was green - when in actual fact if there are no pedestrians, you can go across it on a flashing yellow.

nothing wrong with civil enforcement officers driving round streets to check, and issue parking fines.
I wish more people would get tickets for parking on double yellows - there are certain roads that just don't get monitored, and it's very difficult to drive out of them because of the cars parked illegally either side of the junction (turning right out of De Frene onto Perry Rise, for example)
broken_shaman
Posts: 149
Joined: 20 Nov 2013 21:08
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Parking tickets

Post by broken_shaman »

Well I'm quite shocked, as here in Lewisham, it would appear you can park on pavements, in bus stops and on double yellows without getting any tickets. It's almost as if they just patrol parking bays or something...
Eagle
Posts: 10658
Joined: 7 Oct 2004 06:36
Location: F Hill

Re: Parking tickets

Post by Eagle »

I am also shocked that more people are not booked. The number that , for instance , park right to the corner of a road where it joins another road , ignoring the number of yards one should not park.

If Lewisham claim to be short of money they could make a fortune policing their roads better.
broken_shaman
Posts: 149
Joined: 20 Nov 2013 21:08
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Parking tickets

Post by broken_shaman »

Eagle wrote:If Lewisham claim to be short of money they could make a fortune policing their roads better.
Well said, although I believe such revenue has to be spent on road stuff. Still...

They could make a killing just outside the Livesey Tudor Halls, several times a week. For a while at least. :lol:
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