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Plain-clothes traffic wardens trapping motorists
http://www.x404.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=11145		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Sun Oct 24, 2010 11:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Plain-clothes traffic wardens trapping motorists
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/new ... rists.html

Quote:
A London council has been using the covert tactics despite the Parking and Traffic Appeals service overturning fines issued by non-uniformed officers.
Merton council is spending more than £4,000 a month on privately hired cars for traffic wardens in a move they claim is “normal practice”.
However, the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service called the methods “underhand”.

Unless you see the officer do it many will not be in a position to appeal. This is clearly wrong.
Author:  veato [ Mon Oct 25, 2010 9:07 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Plain-clothes traffic wardens trapping motorists
If you've parked illegally I dont see why it matters if the traffic pig has a uniform on or not.
Author:  EddArmitage [ Mon Oct 25, 2010 9:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Plain-clothes traffic wardens trapping motorists
veato wrote:
If you've parked illegally I dont see why it matters if the traffic pig has a uniform on or not.

This.
Author:  bobbdobbs [ Mon Oct 25, 2010 9:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Plain-clothes traffic wardens trapping motorists
veato wrote:
If you've parked illegally I dont see why it matters if the traffic pig has a uniform on or not.

+infinity
You park illegally and you get a ticket. Boo hoo! deal with it!
Author:  Spreadie [ Mon Oct 25, 2010 9:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Plain-clothes traffic wardens trapping motorists
veato wrote:
If you've parked illegally I dont see why it matters if the traffic pig has a uniform on or not.

+1

But it doesn't stop me hating their existence. ;)
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Mon Oct 25, 2010 10:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Plain-clothes traffic wardens trapping motorists
bobbdobbs wrote:
veato wrote:
If you've parked illegally I dont see why it matters if the traffic pig has a uniform on or not.

+infinity
You park illegally and you get a ticket. Boo hoo! deal with it!

Yes but they were not all parked illegally, they may have over stayed their permission by a few minutes.
Author:  EddArmitage [ Mon Oct 25, 2010 10:04 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Plain-clothes traffic wardens trapping motorists
Amnesia10 wrote:
bobbdobbs wrote:
veato wrote:
If you've parked illegally I dont see why it matters if the traffic pig has a uniform on or not.

+infinity
You park illegally and you get a ticket. Boo hoo! deal with it!

Yes but they were not all parked illegally, they may have over stayed their permission by a few minutes.

In which case you're still in the wrong and should expect to be done for it. You may be Iucky, but there's no reason you can argue if you're done for it.
Author:  jonbwfc [ Mon Oct 25, 2010 10:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Plain-clothes traffic wardens trapping motorists
EddArmitage wrote:
Amnesia10 wrote:
bobbdobbs wrote:
You park illegally and you get a ticket. Boo hoo! deal with it!

Yes but they were not all parked illegally, they may have over stayed their permission by a few minutes.

In which case you're still in the wrong and should expect to be done for it. You may be Iucky, but there's no reason you can argue if you're done for it.

Small distinction - you don't have to be parked illegally. There are a small set of circumstances when this is true (obstructing the highway for example) and most parking tickets are not issued due to these reasons. Most are issued by private contractors or local councils on the basis that the parking is in breach of an agreed or implied contract. This is a civil matter, and not at all 'illegal' in any form.

It will of course actually be illegal for private companies to continue issuing 'tickets' after November. After that, only a police officer or council official will be able to issue tickets. I suspect it would be a viable legal argument to suggest that a 'plain clothes' person was not, or could not be identified as, either of those so it will be very hard to pursue tickets issued in this manner through the courts.

The solution to the accused is as it always is unless actually parked illegally - offer 'reasonable recompense for minor breach of contract' in writing - say a cheque for a fiver - and then wait to see if they take you to court. As you've made reasonable efforts at recompense with an amount commensurate to the harm/inconvenience done, it would be almost impossible for the party on whose behalf the ticket was issued to get anything else even if they did go to court, so in practice they don't.

Jon
Author:  l3v1ck [ Tue Oct 26, 2010 7:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Plain-clothes traffic wardens trapping motorists
This is why I like car parks with ticket and barrier systems.
1) You only pay for the time you use, you don't over pay "just to be safe".
2) You don't have to worry about being one minute late so some parasite (on a bonus scheme) who's been stood by
your car for the last ten minutes, slapping an unreasonable fine on you.

Pay & Display sucks arse.
Author:  l3v1ck [ Tue Oct 26, 2010 7:44 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Plain-clothes traffic wardens trapping motorists
A few years ago my make parked his car legally for two weeks while he was out of the country. In that time, they put flyers on all teh cars saying they had to be moved in one week so double yellow lines could be painted. Obviously he was still away, so they towed his car across the road, charged him for it, then fined him for being parked where they'd towed him to.
I know he was fighting it, but I don't know what the out come was.
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