Parking stories in the News/media

Trainerman

Jenni_D said:

AnotherForumite said:

Le_Kirk said:

As has been said many times before (and by me) if it was a PROPER car park and the ANPR camera tied up with the PDT, it would be impossible for a motorist to input an incorrect VRM but of course that would remove money-making opportunities.

Easier said than done, only one manufacturer (Metric) offers this functionality for outdoor car parks; and they are notoriously unreliable terminals.

Unreliable how? Because the ANPR entry cameras misread VRNs?

A shopping centre near me used to use this type of system, and I never had any problem with it. I don't recall anyone else having problems either. (This was a pay on exit system, so you paid for actual time on site [albeit not actual parking time] so you'd only risk a PCN if you didn't pay). Now they use barrier entry with a disc token dispensed on entry. You then pay at a machine when heading back to your car and use the disc to open the exit barrier - it just works.

Similar to my local hospital, which I have referred to before. You go to the machine before leaving, pay for the time used and go. It is simple and it works.

Which IMHO proves that it isn't lack of good systems that lead to PCNs, nor is it wicked drivers who love to fleece the poor land owner. It is purely that the 'business model' means that the more woolley or unfathomable or .just plain unworkable the system, the more money the PPC make.. This must be changed

Snakes_Belly

"Any issues with incorrect VRN are 100% down to user error, as is the case where the transaction is declined."

Judge Forrester did not see it this way 

https://www.timesandstar.co.uk/news/18003883.judge-rules-faulty-machines/

There were around 60 PCN's dismissed in Workington from this car park. 

In some of those cases there was only two digits reported on the log. I cannot believe that someone would just input two digits or a complete random number. 
  

Coupon-mad

We all know that 2 digits like 'QQ' and 'PP' as seen in the Excel Peel Centre cases, is a machine error code.

How @AnotherForumite sees fit to blame a consumer '100%' for machine errors is beyond me.

But believe me, I've had to sit in certain meetings and listen to some appallingly anti-consumer crap this past 2 years...

fisherjim

AnotherForumite said:

Le_Kirk said:

As has been said many times before (and by me) if it was a PROPER car park and the ANPR camera tied up with the PDT, it would be impossible for a motorist to input an incorrect VRM but of course that would remove money-making opportunities.

Easier said than done, only one manufacturer (Metric) offers this functionality for outdoor car parks; and they are notoriously unreliable terminals.

Yes you are basically agreeing with what we and the government already know, anpr is not fit for purpose in car parks, though for some reason they still allow you to use it in private car parks.

AnotherForumite

Snakes_Belly said:

"Any issues with incorrect VRN are 100% down to user error, as is the case where the transaction is declined."

Judge Forrester did not see it this way 

https://www.timesandstar.co.uk/news/18003883.judge-rules-faulty-machines/

There were around 60 PCN's dismissed in Workington from this car park. 

In some of those cases there was only two digits reported on the log. I cannot believe that someone would just input two digits or a complete random number. 
  

There may well have been a fault, however, (if there was) it does not change the fact the users should have noticed the missing digits on the screen and corrected it and/or reported the fault to the respective PPC.

Trainerman

AnotherForumite said:

Snakes_Belly said:

"Any issues with incorrect VRN are 100% down to user error, as is the case where the transaction is declined."

Judge Forrester did not see it this way 

https://www.timesandstar.co.uk/news/18003883.judge-rules-faulty-machines/

There were around 60 PCN's dismissed in Workington from this car park. 

In some of those cases there was only two digits reported on the log. I cannot believe that someone would just input two digits or a complete random number. 
  

There may well have been a fault, however, (if there was) it does not change the fact the users should have noticed the missing digits on the screen and corrected it and/or reported the fault to the respective PPC.

So let me get this right. If the driver makes a simple error, PPC says "you naughty boy, pay me £100".  If the machine is faulty, maybe even unfit for purpose the PPC says "You should have noticed, pay me £100 "

This is why these cowboys need regulating. They see everything as someone else doing something wrong and a reason to charge money. What about a duty of care to make sure systems are fit for purpose? Oh, of course, does not make PCNs, does not help with extorting another £70.

Snakes_Belly

Trainerman said:

AnotherForumite said:

Snakes_Belly said:

"Any issues with incorrect VRN are 100% down to user error, as is the case where the transaction is declined."

Judge Forrester did not see it this way 

https://www.timesandstar.co.uk/news/18003883.judge-rules-faulty-machines/

There were around 60 PCN's dismissed in Workington from this car park. 

In some of those cases there was only two digits reported on the log. I cannot believe that someone would just input two digits or a complete random number. 
  

There may well have been a fault, however, (if there was) it does not change the fact the users should have noticed the missing digits on the screen and corrected it and/or reported the fault to the respective PPC.

So let me get this right. If the driver makes a simple error, PPC says "you naughty boy, pay me £100".  If the machine is faulty, maybe even unfit for purpose the PPC says "You should have noticed, pay me £100 "

This is why these cowboys need regulating. They see everything as someone else doing something wrong and a reason to charge money. What about a duty of care to make sure systems are fit for purpose? Oh, of course, does not make PCNs, does not help with extorting another £70.

They do not see the motorists that are using their services as customers. They see them as cash cows. 

It's the only business model that I am aware of that treats customers so badly. The ex clampers are the worst because they still have that mentality.  

Jenni_D

I see someone took umbrage to my "digging a hole" post.  

Humdinger1

Jenni_D said:

I see someone took umbrage to my "digging a hole" post.  

@Jenni_D are you surprised?! The hole was already very deep but there were no signs that anyone was stopping digging....oh hang on though, that is precisely the situation we see at work here.  Truth hurts, I guess? Love Humdinger xx 

Trainerman

Jenni_D said:

I see someone took umbrage to my "digging a hole" post.  

Well I for one thought it was accurate, relevant ...... and amusing. Must have been just too accurate for some people !