Parking ticket - how civilised

bompington
bompington Posts: 7,674
edited July 2012 in MTB general
Out in the forests with Bompette last weekend, and I feel I have to record this as I think credit is due:

Arrived back at the car in the (FC run) car park to find the dreaded envelope on the windscreen. Oh ***** forgot to pay'n'dismay, etc.
Opened it to find a very politely worded note asking me to get a normal ticket from the machine and post it to them.

A bit unusual for this day and age when heavy handed bureaucracy is all around, I think.

Comments

  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    edited July 2012
    I almost had the same at Cannock. The car next to me had a note but I didn't because I'd left a note in the windscreen saying I had no change but I'd buy a ticket once I'd bought something from the cafe and had change. It's a good approach, but unfortuantely some plebs will take advantage.

    Edit: I'm not a pleb, so I did of course buy a ticket once I'd spent some money in the cafe and bike shop.
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  • Twelly
    Twelly Posts: 1,437
    Nice to see not everyone is out to rinse everyone else! I hope you bought a ticket after reading the note?
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  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    TwellySmat wrote:
    Nice to see not everyone is out to rinse everyone else! I hope you bought a ticket after reading the note?
    Certainly did. Note says "Please do not ignore this notice. To ensure that we are able to continue to maintain these facilities and in fairness to all paying users, we may pursue payment of these sums". Can't argue with that, and like I said, a long way from the heavy-handed bureaucracy we're used to these days.
  • 1mancity2
    1mancity2 Posts: 2,355
    bompington wrote:
    TwellySmat wrote:
    Nice to see not everyone is out to rinse everyone else! I hope you bought a ticket after reading the note?
    Certainly did. Note says "Please do not ignore this notice. To ensure that we are able to continue to maintain these facilities and in fairness to all paying users, we may pursue payment of these sums". Can't argue with that, and like I said, a long way from the heavy-handed bureaucracy we're used to these days.

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  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    bompington wrote:
    A bit unusual for this day and age when heavy handed bureaucracy is all around, I think.
    There's erm... a reason for that....
    So to speak.
    Probably best not say though.
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  • anj132
    anj132 Posts: 299
    similar thing at Haldon as well
  • snotty badger
    snotty badger Posts: 1,593
    I may be wrong but I don't think the FC ever do anything other than give out warnings over parking?
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  • adrenalinemunki
    adrenalinemunki Posts: 213
    snotty badger wrote:
    I may be wrong but I don't think the FC ever do anything other than give out warnings over parking?
    I don't think so... At Cannock I've heard two accounts, one mate got a £3 fine (same as the parking fee) ages ago and more recently another mate got one for £30... Probably due to people taking advantage...

    I just shell out my £40 for the year, get a nice shiny pass with a hologram 8)
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  • grenw
    grenw Posts: 804
    I think the reason they do this is most car park fines can't be enforced, only the council ones can be. So they can threaten all they like but you can throw most demands in the bin.

    This way they get some cash off you even if its not as large as the fine and you go away with a warm fuzzy feeling that there are decent people out there.

    Everyone's a winner :D
  • cazmotron
    cazmotron Posts: 161
    They have recently started doing this at Glentress. From the amount of the bright yellow envelopes I noticed I recon there are a fair few people who just don't bother paying the measly £3. The ranger Andy did seem to be pretty decent about it, if you went and got a ticket he voided the fine
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  • DodgeT
    DodgeT Posts: 2,255
    Always pay in the hope that the money does actually contribute to the trails / facilities etc.

    Not sure if this is always the case, but would hope so. For instance, the trails at cannock are volunteer run / maintained aren't they? So where does the money go to here, or do they get some?
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    DodgeT wrote:
    the trails at cannock are volunteer run / maintained aren't they? So where does the money go to here, or do they get some?
    Probably a similar system to Penmachno's donation/honesty box.
    They still need some money for buying tools etc.
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  • DodgeT
    DodgeT Posts: 2,255
    Found the machno box (and donated) second time there.
    First time unknowingly parked by the crossover point of loop 1 and 2, thought it was a small car park :)
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Isn't the crossover point just a road? And how do you even GET there? :lol:
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  • DodgeT
    DodgeT Posts: 2,255
    Yeah, all I remember is that there was a barrier across and some signs saying it was going to be closed for rallying. There was room for a few cars to pull in without blocking gates etc.

    After going the second time, where it actually is is... just as you pop up out of the singletrack and see the 2 signs showing directions of loop 1 and 2, going to loop 2, you go right down a fireroad, then across a road straight onto another fireroad. This is where we parked.

    Think if you take the road down to the right, you end up back in penmachno. We got proper lost getting there though, actually went several miles through the forest on the fire roads :)

    Was a lot easier the second time, actually finding the car park.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Oh, if there was a rally there, they may well have had signs directing you to spectator car park.
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  • DodgeT
    DodgeT Posts: 2,255
    Poss, but I can get lost in my back garden and it aint that big :)

    Anything changed in the past year? Hopefully getting back over soon for a re-visit, was last May that I last went..
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Erm, no, I don't think so.
    I hear they were doing some much needed weed-whacking there on Saturday. I think they've filled in a few holes, sorted some standing water on some areas, but no major trail overhauls as far as I know.
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  • gezebo
    gezebo Posts: 364
    DodgeT wrote:
    Found the machno box (and donated) second time there.
    First time unknowingly parked by the crossover point of loop 1 and 2, thought it was a small car park :)

    I quite often park here too as it saves a big pull up the hill from cold!
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    DodgeT wrote:
    Always pay in the hope that the money does actually contribute to the trails / facilities etc.

    Not sure if this is always the case, but would hope so. For instance, the trails at cannock are volunteer run / maintained aren't they? So where does the money go to here, or do they get some?
    The FC still do some work, and obviously the machinery (and the people to operate it) and materials cost money. The volunteers do a lot of work though, but can't lift massive rocks out there on their own.
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  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    gezebo wrote:
    DodgeT wrote:
    Found the machno box (and donated) second time there.
    First time unknowingly parked by the crossover point of loop 1 and 2, thought it was a small car park :)

    I quite often park here too as it saves a big pull up the hill from cold!
    But it does mean you don't finish on one of the best descents around.
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  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    As has been said, private parking penalties have not yet been shown to be enforceable in the civil courts. They are in theory an invoice against a contract, which they must establish you were a party to. Alternatively, they may seek damages for trespass.

    http://www.ticketfighter.co.uk is a really good source of info for this.

    A penalty charge notice is different and issued under the Traffic Management Act 2004, The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) General Regulations 2007 and The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) Representations and Appeals Regulations 2007
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  • karlbrewster
    karlbrewster Posts: 48
    Went to a place once where they clamp yer wheels if you park without a ticket.
    You'd have to pay 5 or 6 times the price of the ticket to have the clamp removed.
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    If there is no clear and obvious signage regarding the clamping, prior to you parking then you are free to remove the clamp, with reasonable protection from prosecution. Alternatively you place a note on your car in advance stating your "terms" for clamping. I've seen a few variations of this, my favourite is "Wheel Clamp Testing Service" which states fees due if they attach a clamp for the service of busting the clamp off. Since clamping on private land operates under the general terms of contract law your terms might equally be as valid as theirs.
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  • Roostoids
    Roostoids Posts: 128
    I'm a Forrestry Commission member at my local trail centre, and when joining I was advised it enabled me to have free arking at all FC sites.

    However the actual car badge only has my local trails name on it. I recently displayed it at Cannock anyway, and didn't get any kind of ticket. Same at Seven Sisters in Brighton.

    Have I been lucky or am I indeed entitled to parking on all FC sites.
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  • thistle_
    thistle_ Posts: 7,218
    I've had one of the envelopes at Cannock - it was snowing, I had no change and they hadn't bothered opening the cafe because of the weather.
    When I got back the ranger guy was in the car park so I explained, he went into the office and changed me a £10 note so I could get a ticket and put in the envelope. Pretty helpful guy.

    I think the soft approach is a good way, especially when they probably can't enforce a fine and when they say the money is for a good cause. You'll always get people who take advantage but they (and maybe more) probably wouldn't pay anything if they got given a 'fine'.

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