📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Pavement Parking

1235

Comments

  • trinidadone
    trinidadone Posts: 3,377 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Combo Breaker
    I am really surprised by the many "rightous" people who have placed responses on this thread, A small minority have provided the correct answer.

    If you parked within the white lines painted on the pavement then you parked legally. If your wheels parked outside the broken white lines then the ticket has been issued correctly, i have not read the entire thread because some of the things I was reading about pavement parking (noithing to do with this his thread or your question) what diverting else where.

    Please let me know how you get on with the challenge
    Trinidad - I have a number of needs. Don't shoot me down if i get something wrong!!
  • lady64
    lady64 Posts: 10 Forumite
    Hi

    I posted a message about my getting a parking ticket for parking on the pavement and boy did I get a shock re responses.

    Some of these assumed I had parked right across the pavement blocking it entirely - no one bothered to ask how far on the pavement!!! in order to ascertain the situation

    To make it clear I had parked barely on the edge and not only could you get a buggy through but probably a horse and cart to boot - still it's good to know that one is tried and judged simultaneously without all the facts being ascertained.

    Only one reply was positive.


    Thought I'd leave you with quote from another forum I visited re this subject


    "However, I live in Moscow and believe me, UK pedestrians and motorists do not know how lucky they are. here there are no car parks at all in a city with a population of 10 million plus and the fastest growing market for car sales in the world. Here motorists not only park on the pavement, (often several cars deep) but often drive on the pavement"
    I always look forward to the sanity of UK roads on my visits home.

    Understand the bold bit!!!!
  • lady64
    lady64 Posts: 10 Forumite
    PS

    To those who saw it from my point of view not only do I salute you but also thank you.
  • Stu666
    Stu666 Posts: 147 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    You know, since I last posted in this topic, I have been paying more attention to pavement parking. Believe me, some streets I have driven down it is downright impossible NOT to park on the pavement, because the road would be unpassable. I see ENTIRE streets pavement parked. Some of you need to come off your high horses and realise that you cannot always follow rules right down to the letter of the law.

    Going off topic here slightly, but a solicitor friend of mine recently told me a story that I think is apt for this thread. Many years ago he was driving to Wales on his honeymoon when a numberplate fell off his car and broke. Being late on a Saturday afternoon in rural Wales, he had no chance of getting it replaced the same day, but made arrangements with a local garage to have it fixed first thing Monday. Monday comes and he drives to the garage where he is told the usual numberplate guy is ill, but to come back in an hour and they will have it ready. As luck would have it, he gets pulled over driving away from the garage and the officer, whilst sympathetic to the background of the problem, issues a ticket anyway because "rules are rules". "Well," said my solicitor friend, "I happen to know a thing or two about rules, and I know it is an offence to leave a vehicle unattended with its engine running, which is exactly what you have just done." "Um...uh..your right...", said the officer, "It has a problem starting up, you never know if it will fire again". "Yes," said my friend, "But rules are rules!"

    Happy to report the officer saw sense and my friend got off with a letter of caution instead.
  • lady64
    lady64 Posts: 10 Forumite
    Hi

    I posted a message on her last November concerning the a ticket I got for parking on the pavement on the street where I live.

    I remember the response I got to this, and was it wake up call! Only a few members had given me some advice. All the rest were ready to hang draw and quarter me.

    Anyway FYI I WON MY APPEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and had the parking charge notice cancelled despite what some members may think about the nature of footway parking.
    I won because I had taken the time and effort to study the law about footway parking which showed me that an Enforcement Authority has legal obligations under the Traffic Regulatory Signs and General Directions 2002. If these obligations are not met then it is impossible for this authority to force any motorist to pay up no matter what.

    I say this if you've had bad experiences with footway parking where you live then the experience should NOT be used to judge others. As each case, given that I won my appeal, is based upon individual circumstances.

    All those who quote Highway Code Rule 244 at me failed ask whether I lived in a street that was exempt from the London wide ban. As it happens I do and it was how these exemptions were applied that tripped up my local authority.

    Also those who were quick to give their few farthings worth of views, regarding this subject I say this if you get a ticket and believe me never say never, don't bother to appeal pay the money why not!!
  • Dizzy_Ditzy
    Dizzy_Ditzy Posts: 17,471 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 25 March 2010 at 5:22PM
    park on the pavement outside my house (which incidentally- there are single yellow lines on the road and a sign stating parking restrictions) and get in my way when I have shopping, or acompanied by children or a wheelchair user, the driver will need to adjust their wing mirrors. on both sides.

    Glad you won your appeal, but that doesnt make it right for people to just park on pavements as and when they see fit
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Health & Beauty, Greenfingered Moneysaving and How Much Have You Saved boards. If you need any help on these boards, please do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com

    All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert
  • woody01 wrote: »
    It amuses me no end when i actually see someone in a car parked on a pavement and i walk by with either my daughter in a pushchair and scrape the side of their car or do not alter the direction i am going to accomodate them and push the wing mirror back.

    They are dying to have a go at me, but when you are over 6ft 4ins and nearly 16st, staying in their car and being quiet is the safer option for them :T
    i had a problem similar when DD was a baby, a car was parked on the pavement leaving very little room for us to squeeze past, there happened to be a policeman walking behind me, once i had passed he actually turned around and said next time i should hold my keys in my hand as i walk past, a bit extreme for me cause im only 5 foot so they probably would get out and shout at me :D
    Can you see the mountains through the fog?
  • marleyboy
    marleyboy Posts: 16,698 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 25 March 2010 at 8:07PM
    There are some cases of pavement parking that infuriate me, mainly its down to obstructing the pavements to such a degree, mums with buggies or wheelchairs, are forced to negotiate the main road to pass the vehicle in question (white vans are the main culprits). However, there are some streets, that are obviously too narrow for vehicles to park out onto the road without causing an obstruction to passing vehicles.

    Parking is permittable if there are no double yellow lines, generally as its a street of terraced houses, possibly built prior to motor vehicles.

    In those cases most vehicle's parked outside the owners home, on a street where drivers try to satisfy both road users and pedestrians by parking half on, half off, I as a pedestrian or a driver, class it as reasonable.

    It can become even more of a problem, if two cars are parked on either side of the street, directly opposite each other, this causes a major obstruction to both the road and the footpath, generally you notice that the owners either side of the narrow street, share a staggered parking effect, (allowing cars to S bend around them), this of course means the car is not parked directly outside their premises, still showing a sign of courtesy for other road users, as well as pedestrians.

    Its narrow streets like these, that residents find impossible to please everyone simultaneously, but they do try their best, so fair dues to them.
    :A:dance:1+1+1=1:dance::A
    "Marleyboy you are a legend!"
    MarleyBoy "You are the Greatest"
    Marleyboy You Are A Legend!
    Marleyboy speaks sense
    marleyboy (total legend)
    Marleyboy - You are, indeed, a legend.
  • lady64... very interesting

    I have just been issued with a pavement parking ticket big-brother style via CCTV (check this... ok I can't post links so... http scienceandresearch.homeoffice dot gov dot uk/hosdb/publications/cctv-publications/Parked_Vehicle_Evaluation_S12835.pdf?view=Binary)

    It was 1am outside a petrol station (no-one around), there was an articulated lorry blocking the entrance, so I drove around it and parked on the pavement. For safety - parking in the road (quite a main road) is clearly dangerous - I didn't realise it was illegal and the lorry was blocking the footway anyway.

    I'm going to appeal but of course they're probably not interested in any of this. What I really need is a good technical appeal, something like this...http www dot consumeractiongroup dot co dot uk/forum/parking-traffic-offences/139627-bus-lane-pcn.html)

    But, I can't imagine there's much to go on in this case, unlike the bus lane. I think my best argument is I was not parked - the engine was still running, lights on, with my friend in the passenger seat of the car, and I was only gone for 2-3min. But can you be this picky over the wording of the offence "parked on the pavement at camera 130 wandsworth road"?

    What is the definition of being parked?

    I know if I was in the car in that same place, engine running, same situation, on my mobile phone, and the police came over they would certainly be giving me 3 points for "using a mobile while driving"

    How do you ascertain whether a street is exempt from the London pavement parking law?

    And is it really acceptable in law for me to somehow know about this law despite the fact I grew up all my life in a village where everyone parks on the pavement everywhere, not just narrow roads so I had no idea it was illegal...so imagine then it's just London to add insult...

    But is there any legal merit to an argument "a reasonable person in the same situation could with the same experiences could not be expected to know this"?

    David
  • lady64
    lady64 Posts: 10 Forumite
    As I said before regarding this subject each case is based upon it's own merit. If there is is problem regarding the footway parking:
    First check with council to see if the area is exempt from the London wide ban if it is then complain to the council telling them that the statutory 1.5 metre pavement clearance for the use of pedestrians has been breached by the parked cars.
    Secondly complain to your local councillor, they've been elected to represent the concerns of the residents within their ward. If they're are unaware of the problems regarding pavement parking how can anything be done to change it!
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 351.3K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.2K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.7K Spending & Discounts
  • 244.2K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 599.4K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 177.1K Life & Family
  • 257.7K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.2K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.