Parking Ticket

well since you asked i was there because i wasn't riding my bike if i was on my bike my signature would explain why there wouldn't have been a problem. me and a friend were sliding around in a giant parking lot when there was ice on the parking lot it is a huge parking lot there was no cars no poles no obstruction of any sort in a parking lot that is approximately 100yds by 100yds. i was out there to improve my skills on driving on ice and i had just finished a brake job on my car and wanted to make sure everything was working properly this was at 1 am so it was safe. The worthless piece of **** cops gave us both reckless driving tickets.we got pulled over by different cops. the one pig who pulled me over said " i notice you have a lot of military stuff in your car just want to make sure you don't have any weapons" me "no you do not have permission to search my car" officer "why are you hiding something" me " no because you do not have probable cause" officer dumbest look in the world thinking holy crap this kid just put me in my place and walks away. So i get a lawyer go to court and get it reduced to a disorderly conduct. so i still have a clean driving record

[heros]

looks like i'll be giving in and paying this fine

[Stingo]

Write a letter explaining the situation - be defensive...enclose it with a cheque for the amount of the fine.


Worked for me when I got ticketed in Fareham....I parked on the pavement. The time of issue of the ticket was like 2 minutes after I'd parked up.

I mentioned this in the letter as I felt that the warden must have seen me and could have maybe advised me as to where the appropriate place to park was...as I did not know where the bike parking was.... ...ever so humble sir - forelock tug.

"We will take no further action sir, and please find enclosed a map showing where motorcycle parking can be found."

Which was nice.

(sorry gorra go now...just listening to nige Kennedy playing Czardas...superb - unmissable)

[heros]

cheers for the info stingo do you still have a copy of the letter you wrote by any chance?

Some points from my experiance

I got a ticket parking in a bus bay outside my house (before you get all uppity it's now been officially turned into parking spaces)

They got a letter in my car registration wrong. I rang the department up and asked them to confirm the details. They confirmed the wrong registration. I then asked said something to the effect of...
"The vehicle to which the ticket was attached is mine, it was parked incorrectly and I admit I am in the wrong. However the registration number on the ticket is not that of my vehicle, though it is very close".
The lady at the other end very quickly and helpfully said something to the effect of...
"No problem. That means we can't track the vehicle. Please write a letter of appeal to contest it and we'll get that cancelled".

'Wow' I thought. I went on to express concern that this was a crafty way to get my details also that if I wrote a letter and they took their time declining my appeal I would be liable for the extended fine for not paying in the first 28 days. Again it was helpfully explained that any appeal automatically paused the countdown. I still wasn't convinced so she volunteered a fax number for me to fax my letter of appeal. I did appeal and the ticket was cancelled.

The points I want to make are:
* Find out if making an appeal will pause any countdown on paying the fine (ie if you admit in 14 days they 'halve' the fine)
* If it does then you have nothing to loose by writing a very polite letter admitting your mistake and pointing out why it was made and the cirumstances. Include a photo if you think it would illustrate your points well.

I know people who have appealed parking tickets basically on the grounds of common sense and decency and been successful. (One had parked in a non marked bay in a multistory car park, they appealed on the grounds that it obstructed no access, was habitually used by people and that they had bought and displayed a valid ticket).

If you appeal succesfully try not to get caught again, they aren't keen on that.

[heros]

Thanks for the advice so far guys am very grateful

Also 2mths im gonna go down to the council offices on weds to ask about the halving of the fine if i have appealed to clarify this. Also going down to find out about the actual regulations as 1 attendant told me i could park anywhere for free yet this other parking attendant says i cannot park in a anything other than a motorcycle bay hence the confusion over the whole matter

See when I got pulled for going the wrong way down a one way street (unintentional!) I didn't realise that the copper had written down my reg. wrong, I only found out when I took my documents into the station. If I'd read this at the time I would have been tempted to contest it saying it obvs wasn't my vehicle that he saw going down there.