Parking fines - Why so expensive ?

[Behemoth]

Ok, I'm going to have a moan, mainly because I got caught out the other night when I went out with a mate, when I say caught I made the innocent misstake of not seeing the pay and display machine.

I'd parked in that very same carpark before, and I didn't see the pay and display machine then either yet I didn't find myself with a ticket, the only thing I can think of was that it was during Christmas and most car parks run by the local council will generally let you park for free.

So for my innocent misstake of not seeing the pay and display machine and so therefore not parting with £1.10 for an evenings parking they see fit to slap a £60 fine on me, or £30 if paid within 7 days (it's paid now I didn't want it going up to the £60)

I know for a fact that I wasn't the only one in that car park who hadn't paid after I'd found my ticket as there was a good two other cars not displaying a pay and display thing anyway.

It just winds me up for the sake of £1.10 that they ask for such a high amount of money for a simple misstake. Fine ask me for the £1.10 and if I don't cough that up within say 7 days then ask for say £30 and if thats still not paid then ask for the full £60.

I can hear people saying that the car park attendant has to be paid for his time and effort. The paper used to print the ticket on will have cost money and so will the sticky sleave they stuck on my windcreen will also have cost money. BUT in reality how long did it take the car park attendant to look at my registration, type it into his little machine print the ticket, sign it and then slap it onto my car ? 60 seconds, maybe 2 minutes if your a slow typer and they have the brass neck to ask for £60, or £30 in this case.

Sorry my rant over.

[Funkstar]

Although I do sympathise with you for not realising it was a Pay and Display parking spot, I don't really see what the problem with the fine is.

A fine is a fine. End of. £30 is not an unreasonable amount.

If you had the opertunity to pay for your parking to avoid the fine, no-one would pay for parking up front and hope they wouldn't get spotted by the attendant. Then it would cost the operators of the car park a vast amount of money to collect the payments. The costs don't just relate to the issuing of the fine, you have processing of the payment, keeping track of late payers, chasing unpayed fines, etc.

[schmunk]

The whole point is that it's a penalty and a deterrent - if the standard charge is £1.10 and the penalty's £2.20, but they only catch you one in three times, why bother methodically paying each time?

[Sinizter]

£30 for a parking fine seems fine. Any less and people wouldnt even bother paying it if they knew.

[TeePee]

Are they still £160 in London?

[kalniel]

Are they still £160 in London?

It's just about to change (march 31st) to:

Band A: Higher charge: £120, Lower charge: £80 (previously it was £100)

Band B: Higher charge: £100, Lower charge £60 (previously it was £80)

Band C: Higher charge: £80, Lower charge £40 (previously it was £60)

And they'll be able to ticket you even if you drive away during the issueing (to prevent people driving off while a warden is attempting to attach the ticket )

[Agent]

And they'll be able to ticket you even if you drive away during the issueing (to prevent people driving off while a warden is attempting to attach the ticket )

Means I'll just have to start running over them then

[MadduckUK]

if you kill someone in band A do you get a longer sentence than band C too? :s

i don't see why it wouldn't be the same everywhere

[kalniel]

Turn over I guess - if you've got a very busy inner city carpark that normally has a high turnover then the penalty for occupying a spot without paying should be higher as its preventing more people from using it properly.

[TeePee]

So if the warden sees your car from across the street and starts walking towards it, while you get in and drive away, without seeing him, you still get a ticket?

[kalniel]

So if the warden sees your car from across the street and starts walking towards it, while you get in and drive away, without seeing him, you still get a ticket?

If you've committed an offense, yes. I think they'll also allow CCTV to be used to spot offenses, so a warden might not need to be involved at any stage.

[vicar]

Its all about revenue collection, cheaper for local authorities to make money this way with minimal fuss from the public.

[Dreaming]

According to the law, there has to be a sign within three carlengths at a visible height stating it's a pay & display area. This isn't like 'official' law but it's been tested in court that otherwise it's unreasonable to force someone to pay a fine because there is a fair chance they were not aware it was a pay & display area. Can't remember where I read it but it's established fairly well.

They're always going to say 'only 1/2 price if you pay now' so you don't contest it. Wrong imo, diminishes your right to a fair trial / justice.