Bus lane fine - please help!

MissisP

Well - my first post and I'm asking for advice! My sister visited Birmingham for the first time recently and had to use her satnav to find her way. As she was driving, she noticed a police officer beckoning her to one side of the road. Thinking there was an incident, she pulled over and was then told she was going to have to pay a fine due to being in a bus lane! :mad: Trying to explain she had followed her satnav and then the officer's direction was no use. Anyway, when she gets home she opens the fine envelope to find that her postcode is wrong and she's been given the wrong ethnic grouping. I think it's worth her appealing but there's no appeal address or number on the documents, so she's going to go to her local police station to find out. What do the wonderful wise folks on here think? Thanks for your help!

Sandoval

MissisP wrote: »

Well - my first post and I'm asking for advice! My sister visited Birmingham for the first time recently and had to use her satnav to find her way. As she was driving, she noticed a police officer beckoning her to one side of the road. Thinking there was an incident, she pulled over and was then told she was going to have to pay a fine due to being in a bus lane! :mad: Trying to explain she had followed her satnav and then the officer's direction was no use. Anyway, when she gets home she opens the fine envelope to find that her postcode is wrong and she's been given the wrong ethnic grouping. I think it's worth her appealing but there's no appeal address or number on the documents, so she's going to go to her local police station to find out. What do the wonderful wise folks on here think? Thanks for your help!

Always a "sister" or "cousin" isn't it!?

So the satnav told "her" to drive down a clearly marked bus lane and "she" went ahead and did so, knowing that "she" can not legally drive in a bus lane?

Why did "she" blindly follow an instruction like that with no independent thought of "her" own!?

It's as bad as HGV drivers who drive down footpaths and people who drive their cars into rivers because their satnavs tell them to!

If "she" exercised some common sense then "she" wouldn't have ended up in this situation.

Coupon-mad

Ignore unhelpful replies like the one above.

So was the ticket issued by the Police or by the Council? It's not clear from your post even though you mention a policeman - as this sort of contravention is normally a Council one.

Sandoval

Coupon-mad wrote: »

Ignore unhelpful replies like the one above.

Meany!

zartub

or else knowing the police they will try & fine you for "driving without due care & attention" anything to get there money from the motorist.

iamana1ias

MissisP wrote: »

Well - my first post and I'm asking for advice! My sister visited Birmingham for the first time recently and had to use her satnav to find her way. As she was driving, she noticed a police officer beckoning her to one side of the road. Thinking there was an incident, she pulled over and was then told she was going to have to pay a fine due to being in a bus lane! :mad: Trying to explain she had followed her satnav and then the officer's direction was no use. Anyway, when she gets home she opens the fine envelope to find that her postcode is wrong and she's been given the wrong ethnic grouping. I think it's worth her appealing but there's no appeal address or number on the documents, so she's going to go to her local police station to find out. What do the wonderful wise folks on here think? Thanks for your help!

Since when was that an excuse?! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I wish they'd ban the damn things. :mad:

iamana1ias

zartub wrote: »

or else knowing the police they will try & fine you for "driving without due care & attention" anything to get there money from the motorist.

Nothing to do with money, she was driving without due care and attention!

MissisP

Thanks Coupon-mad. It seems that the police officer who beckoned them over gave them the ticket - I will definitely check. I think that what annoyed her most was that the layby they were pulled into had about three cars in front of them all getting tickets and then another load were pulled in afterwards! Quite what was going on there I'm not sure but I bet the cash registers were ringing! As for the due care and attention, surely following a police officer's instruction indicates paying attention?? I thought it was odd that there was nothing on the envelope or ticket about what to do if you want to appeal. My hubby has had council ones before with details on, but this didn't, hence her planning a trip to the police station. Clearly I need to get more info, but thanks for your help and advice!

Coblcris

Is this an FPN ? If so there is no appeal stage, you either accept the offer on the Notice or let it expire and let the court get involved,

RobertoMoir

zartub wrote: »

or else knowing the police they will try & fine you for "driving without due care & attention" anything to get there money from the motorist.

I'd say they'd have a case too if someone was far more interested in what their satnav said than the actual road itself.

forgotmyname

I live in the midlands and when they get bored they do monitor the bus lanes for a day or 2.

Following instructions from a satnav? did it say keep left in the restricted bus lane?
I think not.

Dont pay the fine & wait for the court date, You are likely to lose unless the road markings or
signs are not correctly posted.
If you goto court the fine is likely to be much higher.

Always worth posting a copy of the ticket online & someone may spot something wrong with it.

Wrong postcode & ethnic group? doubtful that will be of any use.