Nice Little Earner

[ChorleyBee]

On arriving at Stoke this afternoon by car I decided to follow the recommendation on GPG and the official Stoke web site and head for Bookers cash and carry car park. When I got there it was closed and locked.

I then followed the example of dozens of other drivers and park on the grass on the opposite side of Campbell Road, not obstructing the road or pavement in any way nor as far as I could see causing any problem for anyone I looked carefully but saw no signs saying this wasn’t allowed.

After the match I found that I, along with everyone else who had parked on the grass area had been given a parking ticket. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that supporters, especially away ones are suckered in to parking there and the resultant fines are a ‘nice little earner’ for the Council every other Saturday afternoon. The cars on either side of mine were Brentford, did any of you get caught?

Are there any legal brains out there who can advise if there is any basis to contest this what seems to be a blatant fund raising scam?

 

[Hungerford Bee]

I got one too - almost exact same story as you.

I am not going to pay mine on the basis of:

- No warning signs
- I was not on the pavement or road - I was on a verge not blocking the traffic or pedestrians.
- There was was no date or time on the outside of the ticket.

I will write to the council and tell them this in the nicest possible way.

There were dozens if not hundreds of cars ticketed. If everybody refuses to pay then I can't see that there is much they can do. Maybe that's why theey offer 25 quid to pay quick and shut up?

 

[Isleworth Bee]

Last year "away" cars in the Bookers Car park were broken into.

This year it is closed without warning and everyone gets parking tickets.

Something is not right here.

I would suggest a letter by the club to Stoke and the Football League might be appropriate.

 

[Bedfont Bee]

The two cars either side of mine belonged to Stoke fans, one of whom always parked there and has never been ticketed before. It's not as if there was anywhere else to park. The Stadium car park was already full.

Looks like a real con, a bit similar to the time when people who parked along the A4 got done a couple of seasons back.

They can whistle for my money.

 

[AB]

Listening to the phone in on BBC Radio Stoke it sounded like there were some Stoke fans also hit by this and as annoyed as you lot.

I noticed a similar thing happened at Reading, with cars which had been parked partly on the kerb (presumably in order to keep the road clear- ie not cause an obstruction) on roads without yellow lines were all ticketed (presumably because they were causing an obstruction on the pavement!).

I thought that the parking arrangements at Stoke were a million times better than at Reading though. Admittedly I did arrive quite early (about 1.40) but I managed to park at the astroturf football club just by the away end. If I had had a bit more patience (gave up queuing after 15 mins) I also could have got a bottle of Carlsberg for a quid at the club house there! It also only took about 10 mins to get out of the car park (unlike the 40 mins at Reading).

 

[ChorleyBee]

From the Stoke On Trent Council website, e-mails of complaint should be sent to:

mailto:[email protected]

 

[Andy Cooper]

Yep I got one as well. The Stoke fan next to me said that he always parked there and had never got a ticket before. There was no obstruction to the road or pavement and no indication that it was an offence. Also, my car is red, not purple as stated on the ticket. Does that mean I don't have to pay?

 

[Hungerford Bee]

My letter is in the post - I urge everybody else who got one of these rip off tickets to write and complain too. I am certianly not paying without a fight - that's what they are counting on people to do I reckon

 

[8 Bee]

Its not only Stoke plod that make money out of football fans

A few weeks ago I parked in my usual ( for the last 20 years!) spot in a cul de sac off the A4. I returned after the game to find a 60 quid parking ticket on the windscreen. Apparently the front of my car was about a foot in front of one of the new red route signs for the A4.

When I asked Brentford police station why I was nicked I was told to contact a separate agency - however they also said
"you won't get hold of them on a Saturday afternoon as they are very busy when Brentford are at home"

Watch out - park on a line, on a verge, on a cycle track or on a traffic warden when the Bees are at home and they will be out to get you. The only right of appeal is to argue it out in court - and then pay the extortionate legal expenses if you lose (which you probably would)

 

[Dragonfly]

Parking illegally is a strict liability offence. If your car was parked illegally (and those on the grass verge were), you are liable; the cicrumstances are not relevant. I spend a good deal of time trying to get a client of mine out of parking tickets issued by London Boroughs and, believe me, unless you can provide categoric proof that a statutory defence applies (e.g. car had been stolen, I had sold car, I was not parked illegally) you have no chance and the mill will just grind on and on, at each stage the fine getting bigger and bigger.

I could not, of course, advise anyone to invent some circumstances which would satisfy a statutory defence....

 

[ChorleyBee]

For your interests, contents of e-mail received today from Stoke Council in response to mine asking them to waive the ticket:

The no-waiting restrictions on Campbell Road were enforced following numerous
requests from local residents to take action regarding the problems being
caused by illegally parked vehicles on the footpaths/verges on match days. The
double yellow lines and signs make it quite clear that parking is not permitted
"at any time", and are applicable both on and off the road. In other words
they also apply to the grass verge and footways.

Whilst the Potteries people are indeed rightly well known for their
"friendliness and goodwill", regrettably, in view of the above, I am unable to
waive the Penalty Charge Notice. I regret having to disappoint you in this way
and can only advise you to accept the situation and pay the discounted rate of
£25 whilst it is still available. Finally, I will contact Stoke City Football
Club and request them to update their Website.

Yours sincerely,


Steve Tams (Assistant Director (Highways & Transportation)

 

[Hungerford Bee]

What local residents? I can't remember any houses that I could see from where I was parked! I never saw any signs either.

I'm not giving up that easy!

[This message has been edited by Hungerford Bee (edited 16 November 2001).]

 

[BoroBee]

Sorry to gloat, but I too followed the signs towards the Booker Car Park, spotted people parking in a grass/ layby area and dived in there. No ticket when I got back, car intact - no probs.... apart from a w*nker in an astra (a Bee unfortunately) who cut me up like a good un and having to walk back to the car amongst fat-arsed stokies discussing how "their keeper" was the only thing that stopped the game being a massacre :-S