I thought this might be the worst case of idiotic people parking in the wrong place but the other day I was in Westfield and someone had parked their car in a place which wasn't even a space, partially blocking the fire exit from the car park!
I sincerely hope he was heavily fined, but I bet they didn't even notice. Yes, Westfield's car park was totally full and I drove round 8 times until I found a space, but I kept driving, it was my choice to go near to Christmas, I expected to wait ages for a space. I would never have parked my car in an unauthorised place, especially one which blocked an exit!
People like this deserve no sympathy at all. I bet while his little protest was going on someone who needed that space was forced to use an unsuitable one! >:(
Why was he parked in a disabled space in the first place? And for long enough to get a ticket and the car towed, but still around to jump in his car when it was about to be towed away. Apparently it was some kind of political protest. He is a member of a few dodgy campaign groups and plans to sue the council for distress. So I no sympathy with him.
I love the comments on there, posted by someone called David Gerrard
Surely though, once the contractors are called out, costs are incurred, and the vehicle MUST now be towed away to recover those costs? As soon as the tow vehicle is called out, I'm guessing the council now has those costs to recover.
That's my guess anyway.
The thing is they don't tend to call them out they are driving round all the time looking for vehicles on lists to tow for various reasons and to be called via mobile/radio from the wardens.
He didn't get back into it until it was on the low loader. A car cannot be placed on a low loader if there is someone in it.
They should have just unloaded it and billed him. 8 hours? what a waste of time and was the parking space unavailable all that time because of the loader truck. Bizarre
You'd have to ask Birmingham council that one. They set the rules they should follow them.
Well he now plans to sue Birmingham council.
“That’s all I wanted from the beginning,” he said, adding that he now plans to sue Birmingham City Council for loss of earnings.
“I fully intend to sue,” he told the Birmingham Mail.
“Out of principle I wasn’t going to back down. They can’t try to tow a car until it’s been there for eight hours.
“But they took my ticket so I couldn’t prove it.”
Turns out there's an 8 hour grace period before the tow truck gets called. The council screwed up.
As far as I was aware it is 30 minutes from PCN to towing , though even though it is ignored the gudelines were that towing should really only be for when the parking is causing an obstruction as opposed to when it is just contravening regulations.
They should have just unloaded it and billed him. 8 hours? what a waste of time and was the parking space unavailable all that time because of the loader truck. Bizarre
You're so right, but once he was in the car it was stalemate. They couldn't move the car, even to take it off the low loader.
As far as I was aware it is 30 minutes from PCN to towing , though even though it is ignored the gudelines were that towing should really only be for when the parking is causing an obstruction as opposed to when it is just contravening regulations.
He intends to sue the council? What an arrogant moron. He's probably going to try and sue them because he knows that he was at fault and is now doing this out of spite.
You're so right, but once he was in the car it was stalemate. They couldn't move the car, even to take it off the low loader.
Catch 22. If he got out. They would have driven off and he'd have got charged the storage fee. The simple solution would have been to give him back his car and fine him. At most bill him for the call out of the truck. But there's no way he should be paying a storage fee if he's prepared to take the car away before it gets towed away. Nobody has covered themselves in glory on this. Not him for parking in the wrong place and not the council for complicating a relatively simple matter for eight whole hours.
All stupid, the guy for doing it and the council/tow company for blocking the space(s) for 8 hours when they could easily send the fine/bill through the post and enforce it through debt collections if they need to.
What was the point in the stand off? They all likely just caused others inconvenience due to their own little battle of wills.
If people park in the wrong place, they should just pay up and park in the correct places, not whinge and complain.
For those who support him, how would you feel if a disabled member of your family couldn't park today because of this whinging by-law breaker?
My OH is in a wheelchair following a stroke 7 years ago. He has a blue badge and it can be almost impossible to park except in a disabled space. Due to his disabilities he is unable to drive and I am the main driver. If all disabled spaces are taken by disabled drivers it's just bad luck. However, if a space is wrongly occupied by an able bodied driver it is infuriating and the inconvenience it causes is much more than most people think.
Having said all that - he is now in his car. I would like to give him a good talking too and then let him go with just the parking fine.
Idiot - if he couldn't afford to pay the fine why on earth did he park there in the first place? Hopefully, he will have now learned his lesson.
I think the council go overboard with the number of disabled parking spaces they create. It's disproportionate to the number of disabled people. So I don't blame the guy for parking there and in fact don't think he should of even got a ticket.
I think the council go overboard with the number of disabled parking spaces they create. It's disproportionate to the number of disabled people. So I don't blame the guy for parking there and in fact don't think he should of even got a ticket.
Well he did.
He was in he wrong.
Where do you get the 'disproportionate number of spaces from?
My OH is in a wheelchair following a stroke 7 years ago. He has a blue badge and it can be almost impossible to park except in a disabled space. Due to his disabilities he is unable to drive and I am the main driver. If all disabled spaces are taken by disabled drivers it's just bad luck. However, if a space is wrongly occupied by an able bodied driver it is infuriating and the inconvenience it causes is much more than most people think.
Having said all that - he is now in his car. I would like to give him a good talking too and then let him go with just the parking fine.
Idiot - if he couldn't afford to pay the fine why on earth did he park there in the first place? Hopefully, he will have now learned his lesson.
Your life must be difficult enough without selfish idiots like him.
Comments
You'd have to ask Birmingham council that one. They set the rules they should follow them.
If there is, then it should be changed. A £35 fine for 8 hours parking in a nice spot will be snapped up by people on a decent income
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-30591166
Paragraph 7.
I sincerely hope he was heavily fined, but I bet they didn't even notice. Yes, Westfield's car park was totally full and I drove round 8 times until I found a space, but I kept driving, it was my choice to go near to Christmas, I expected to wait ages for a space. I would never have parked my car in an unauthorised place, especially one which blocked an exit!
People like this deserve no sympathy at all. I bet while his little protest was going on someone who needed that space was forced to use an unsuitable one! >:(
He didn't get back into it until it was on the low loader. A car cannot be placed on a low loader if there is someone in it.
I love the comments on there, posted by someone called David Gerrard
The thing is they don't tend to call them out they are driving round all the time looking for vehicles on lists to tow for various reasons and to be called via mobile/radio from the wardens.
They should have just unloaded it and billed him. 8 hours? what a waste of time and was the parking space unavailable all that time because of the loader truck. Bizarre
Well he now plans to sue Birmingham council.
As far as I was aware it is 30 minutes from PCN to towing , though even though it is ignored the gudelines were that towing should really only be for when the parking is causing an obstruction as opposed to when it is just contravening regulations.
You're so right, but once he was in the car it was stalemate. They couldn't move the car, even to take it off the low loader.
Honestly, you couldn't make it up!! I hope he does try to sue, the case gets thrown out and he has to pay costs.
I'm not normally vindictive, but why should he break the law and get off with it? >:(
I guess he was obstructing the Disabled bay.
He intends to sue the council? What an arrogant moron. He's probably going to try and sue them because he knows that he was at fault and is now doing this out of spite.
Catch 22. If he got out. They would have driven off and he'd have got charged the storage fee. The simple solution would have been to give him back his car and fine him. At most bill him for the call out of the truck. But there's no way he should be paying a storage fee if he's prepared to take the car away before it gets towed away. Nobody has covered themselves in glory on this. Not him for parking in the wrong place and not the council for complicating a relatively simple matter for eight whole hours.
Then to me they were attempting to steal his car
Which says that's his understanding that an 8 hour grace period applies. No word on whether his understanding is correct.
:-D Good luck with that!
Crikey, how heavy must he be that the crane can't handle both the car's and his weight? :-D
What was the point in the stand off? They all likely just caused others inconvenience due to their own little battle of wills.
My OH is in a wheelchair following a stroke 7 years ago. He has a blue badge and it can be almost impossible to park except in a disabled space. Due to his disabilities he is unable to drive and I am the main driver. If all disabled spaces are taken by disabled drivers it's just bad luck. However, if a space is wrongly occupied by an able bodied driver it is infuriating and the inconvenience it causes is much more than most people think.
Having said all that - he is now in his car. I would like to give him a good talking too and then let him go with just the parking fine.
Idiot - if he couldn't afford to pay the fine why on earth did he park there in the first place? Hopefully, he will have now learned his lesson.
He intends to sue? What arrogance! This makes my blood boil.
Well he did.
He was in he wrong.
Where do you get the 'disproportionate number of spaces from?
Your life must be difficult enough without selfish idiots like him.