just had a court summons!

[Lucio]

So you know what you did was wrong and your just trying to get away with it on a technicality..

English law is entirely about "technicalities", the system we use is that we spell out what CAN'T be done under the law and everything else is assumed to be ok. The alternative system (I believe France uses it??) is to spell out what IS allowed by law and everything else is illegal.


From the point of view of civil liberties our system is vastly superior from the point of view of ensuring people don't get banged up for stupid technicalities, it does however have the weakness that the law will have loopholes, things that haven't been accounted for.

[santa claus]

There are so many urban rebels here who selectively obey the law as and when it suits them that it's no wonder our taxes are so high.

All laws have a purpose. All laws serve the community. If you break the law you should expect and deserve to be appropriately punished. Trying to wriggle out is not big and it's not clever. It is shaming. If you do avoid a fine (and all your supportive internet mates won't be in court with you) then well done on a 'successful' wriggle. It's not really the communal way to live though is it?

One day you will look to the law to protect you. We all do. Remember then how you bleated about paying a little parking fine when you knew you were in the wrong .

Sorry, had to edit my post to include this because it is hilarious!

You take your freedoms for granted.

What are you on about? lol

[yamangman]

It's not really the communal way to live though is it?

Adopting an holier-than-thou and condescending attitude seems to be though!

[finlay666]

All laws have a purpose. All laws serve the community. If you break the law you should expect and deserve to be appropriately punished. Trying to wriggle out is not big and it's not clever.

Yes, so all laws SHOULD be enforced properly, leaving shoddy markings on the road is not enforcing the law to protect the community

[santa claus]

Adopting an holier-than-thou and condescending attitude seems to be though!

There are several more significant 'attitude' statements in this thread that you may have chosen to illustrate your point. How about for example "I break the law when I feel like it and I don't care?"

Yes, so all laws SHOULD be enforced properly, leaving shoddy markings on the road is not enforcing the law to protect the community

You can't see a line. The Court may have better vision .

[floppybootstomp]

Santa Claus - you're one dimensional.

Yes, I apreciate the law in this country and yes the law have helped me sometimes.

I've also fallen foul of the law in my life, been framed and been beaten up by the police a coupla times.

But we're talking about a parking ticket here. As I said before, if I was the magistrate and I saw the pix I'd say 'You are bang out of order son, that is clearly a yellow line and you are taking the piss. Not only am I going to fine you £1000.00 for upsetting Santa Claus but I'm also going to sentence you to two months hard labour for bleeding our monetary system dry by wasting this court's time'.

All you people sucking up to the system. It's a double edged sword really, we're mostly safe, mostly have a fair judical system but on the other hand our Goverment steers us towards the little issues (Parking Tickets, fraudulent benefit claims et al) and divides and conquers.

It gets us so wound up with these petty issues we tend to forget how much money they're wasting on the really important things.

Wake up and see the bigger picture and don't lecture on right and wrong with a pious attitude.

Our hero here is wrong - so what? Who decided he was wrong? Did he hurt or inconvenience anybody? I await the outcome to this trial of the century with tremulous anticipation and wish to see our Hero spit in the direction of those faceless beaurocrats.

There are so many urban rebels here who selectively obey the law as and when it suits them that it's no wonder our taxes are so high.

A definite Daily Mail reader here folks, 'No wonder our taxes are so high'

Then don't pay your taxes, lol

[santa claus]

Sorry, I don't regard myself as 'one dimensional'. I do have one opinion on this particular issue but then so do you. I'm discussing this 'little issue' as you describe it because it is the subject of the OP.

I don't read the Daily Mail. I mentioned taxes because a previous poster had mentioned it.

I'm also not upset, not lecturing and not being pious. I'm just expressing my view.

It's not my fault I'm right .

[G4Z]

Nah, you're not right, nobody here is. Its a question of what is legal and what is not.

Just because it's the law doesn't make a thing automatically right, and further if there is a law and it's very specific then as I understand it you should be held accountable to the letter of the law. I think in this case the law is on my side because it is not a valid yellow line. That is not my attitude, its the establishments, I am just playing their own game.

[santa claus]

I was joking. Duh.

Look G4Z, go to Court instead of paying the 50 quid fine or whatever it is. It's your risk to take. You may win, you may lose more than you need to.

Gung-ho is fine for those not going to Court. You'll be the one justifying the misdemeanour with your wallet (possibly) so use your own judgement.

I've taken quite a bit of flak to get you to think about this (even from you). I think it might have been more to your benefit if the comments you have had were more measured toward your plight and not targeted at discrediting my views.

Good luck.

[floppybootstomp]

I was joking. Duh.

Ultimate copout, that line.

Roughly translates as 'Omg I'm losing, how do I back pedal out of this?'

At least have the courage of your convictions.

[G4Z]

To be honest, I don't feel the risk is very large. I will be pleading not guilty and take my chances, as I have already said.

[JK Ferret]

Ultimate copout, that line.

Roughly translates as 'Omg I'm losing, how do I back pedal out of this?'

At least have the courage of your convictions.

Possibly Santa's most unbiased post this thread.

Cut him some slack will ya?

I may not agree 100% with him, but I don't agree 100% with you either, I can see both the arguments, and both are equally as valid.

[santa claus]

Ultimate copout, that line.

Roughly translates as 'Omg I'm losing, how do I back pedal out of this?'

At least have the courage of your convictions.

Sorry, let me clarify. I was joking about the "I am right" statement in my last but one post. I stand by everything else I have said.

Losing? Only one person is the potential loser here. But you have agreed to bail him out have you not? I hope you have the courage of your convictions.

I will willingly fund your triviality, lol

[steve threlfall]

Santa does make a good point. It may end up costing you more and there is all the extra hassle involved to consider. For those reasons, I would have just paid up.

I dont think that you're wrong to go to challenge this however. The line has to be drawn somewhere (no pun, honest) and if you take this lying down the council will just keep on taking the pee. You can bet that the council would quite happily screw you over on a so called technicality. The line certainly looks to be less than 50% of what it should be.

If anyone is to blame here, its the traffic warden

Best of luck with it and im sure you will let us know how it turns out.

[floppybootstomp]

Sorry, let me clarify. I was joking about the "I am right" statement in my last but one post. I stand by everything else I have said.

Losing? Only one person is the potential loser here. But you have agreed to bail him out have you not? I hope you have the courage of your convictions.

Of course, of course....

A trivial matter only merits trivial funds, so who do I make the transfer to?

Listen up, only thing that grates with me here is blind acceptance. And that's about it really.

Anybody who pushes the norm has my admiration.

But it's getting harder and harder.

The accused acknowledges it may be a losing situation and as far as I can see it's only the absurdity of our law that makes this situation viable.

I still love it when the little man wins though.

How much are we spending on keeping our troops in the Middle East btw? Quite a lot I'd imagine and they still don't get decent body armour or reliable weapons.

That doesn't matter though, a parking fine dispute is much more important.

Of course.

[santa claus]

Of course, of course....

A trivial matter only merits trivial funds, so who do I make the transfer to?

Listen up, only thing that grates with me here is blind acceptance. And that's about it really.

Anybody who pushes the norm has my admiration.

But it's getting harder and harder.

The accused acknowledges it may be a losing situation and as far as I can see it's only the absurdity of our law that makes this situation viable.

I still love it when the little man wins though.

How much are we spending on keeping our troops in the Middle East btw? Quite a lot I'd imagine and they still don't get decent body armour or reliable weapons.

That doesn't matter though, a parking fine dispute is much more important.

Of course.

Aww come off it, you're broadening the argument and G4Z might rightly feel his OP is hijacked. I also think you are reading me wrong. I know there are bigger things to discuss but that's not the way a forum works - the mods will censure off-topic discussion.

G4Z is opening the door to the dreaded system that could take him for even more. On a brighter note, there does appear to be a high percentage of successful appeals so way to go G4Z.