Parking ...

[Devo McDuff]

Legally is a scooter exactly the same as a car in terms of parking restrictions?

Got a ticket in Inverness the other day for 30 notes..

Offence code 24A - Your vehicle was parked on a pedestrian zone during a loading ban which waiting was prohibited.

There was no sign and it was right near a (full) bike rack and not really in any ones way. Most expensive brekkie I've ever had!

[elviswasamod]

are local traffic warden told me several weeks ago it was ok to park on double yellows for bikes then the other day he pulled me up and said remember what i told you about bikes and double yellows its all changed as of the other week hope this helps

[Spence]

Forum member afscmik got a ticket in Scarborough on the way back from Whitby, because he parked on the pavement and a local shopkeeper complained to one of these council-employed parking Nazis.

I asked Mik if he'd been given the ticket for driving on a pavement, or obstructing the pavement. He said the latter. I asked him how wide the pavement was and he said it was about 10-15ft wide. I told him to challenge it in court.

In my previous life as an officer of the lieurrr, even when I was a probationer, I wouldn't put a ticket on a car, let alone a scooter, for being parked on the pavement unless it was taking up so much of said pavement that a wheelchair couldn't get past (which was the general rule of thumb for issuing such a ticket).

Sadly, it seems that in this day and age of councils employing parking Nazis for the sole purpose of raising revenue, that anyone is fair game.

What I would say to you is this:

If you get a ticket on your scooter, VERY CAREFULLY read the offence you are alleged to have committed, which should be written on the ticket. If you feel that it is unjustified, take as many photographs of the scene as you can: in particular if the offence is obstruction, and you are causing no more obstruction than a pushbike parked in the same place. Or, for driving on the pavement, and you pushed it there. Then, take the f**kers to court. They rely on people backing down and paying the fines like good little citizens. If you are in any doubt, most solicitors will give you a half hour's free consultation, so discuss it with them, or go to the Citizen's Advice Bureau.

[Devo McDuff]

I suppose they rely on a bit of apathy as well as fear. The 2 options given are a 30 quid fine or a potential right load of hassle. In this day and age it just isn't worth the stress of pursuing it, especially with the risk of ending up with a bigger fine or whatever.

[Feed Your Head]

Varies from council to council. Also town to town. Here on the I.W. it's a mixed bag. Also, why are Motorcycle bays so small? if one goldwing is parked in it then there's no room for the rest. Mind you, my mirros sometimes take up some of that room too lol.

[Spence]

Aug 3, 2008 23:02:34 GMT Devo McDuff said:

I suppose they rely on a bit of apathy as well as fear. The 2 options given are a 30 quid fine or a potential right load of hassle. In this day and age it just isn't worth the stress of pursuing it, especially with the risk of ending up with a bigger fine or whatever.

That's exactly what they rely on. It's up to us whether we want to let them get away with it or not.

Incidentally, I went into Norwich on Saturday morning to pick up some trousers I was having altered. I was sitting at a red traffic light, right outside the shop, waiting to carry on up the road to a designated motorcycle parking area. I looked to my left and saw that there were two of those steel railings for locking bikes to right next to me. So I thought b*ll*cks to this, popped my scooter in between them and went into the shop. I was in there about half an hour, came out, then rode away and no one batted an eyelid. Maybe I was lucky, but my scooter doesn't take up any more room than a pushbike with panniers on it, and that's what I'd be saying in court if I'd got a ticket.

I think this topic could run. Maybe another Facebook pressure group is in order.

[Devo McDuff]

Yes, I suppose I should put the effort in. Just priorities sometimes eh, a week on Tuesday and I might have had time for a spot of Citizen Smithing

I regularly use those pushbike spots for the same reason, not had any trouble yet, at least not in this country.

Congrats on your 100th Facebook group member btw

[Spence]

I reckon if you were parking next to the bike railings specifically so that you could chain your scooter to them, you'd have an even better case, as you'd be actively trying to reduce the area's crime statistics.

[Spence]

Interesting article in Andy's editorial in this month's Scootering on this subject.

[Big Al]

Re Spences bicycle railings advice: I've also never been done for leaving the T5 chained up next to the pushbikes - regularly use railings in Lewisham and Brockley with plenty of wardens around. In the absence of any notices specifically prohibiting motorcycle parking in these areas, a ticket should be pretty easy to worm yer way out of.

Re the ticket advice, I wouldn't even go so far as a threat of court action. In my past life as a delivery driver in central London I recieved 2 parking tickets for some fairly blatent pavement/bus-stop parking combos, both of which were dropped after writing angry, lengthy (at least 2 sides), anally detailed letters to Camden council protesting my innocence and the lack of reason shown by their foot-soldiers. I'm guessing they were so bored/confused by ther end of page 1 of each letter that the ticket was thrown out the window to avoid ever having to hear from me again!

[jaz]

Aug 4, 2008 8:35:19 GMT Feed Your Head said:

Varies from council to council. Also town to town. Here on the I.W. it's a mixed bag. Also, why are Motorcycle bays so small? if one goldwing is parked in it then there's no room for the rest. Mind you, my mirros sometimes take up some of that room too lol.

It pays to ask sometimes, I nipped into Leeds one Saturday only to find that some halfwit had parked an A-class Merc in my usual motorcycle bay While I was looking for somewhere else to park up, a attendant from the nearby council car park signalled me over, and he explained that it was fine to park in the corners of the city car parks with the pushbikes.

Oh, and the nob in the A-class got a ticket. Sometimes there *is* justice

[rivierarob]

Tell 'em you broke down and stuck a sticker on the scoot which must have blown away whilst you went to get help.........see if your local friendly scooter/bike shop will give you a letter.....did this with the car the other week (after the barstewards changed parking restrictions without telling residents!) and got away with it.

Worth a try!