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A Disabled Parking Bay, but park there, and you'll get a
ticket.
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Park
here if you dare...
Nobody likes getting parking tickets of course but
disabled drivers should be warned that traffic wardens are
now issuing parking tickets to disabled drivers that park
their cars in designated disabled parking spaces in many
towns around the country, oh yes, its true, it happened to
me. |
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We
regularly take our little Springer spaniel for a walk along
Worthing Seafront, and park near the local swimming pool.
The road has a single disabled parking bay, and when free I
always park there, as I have done for five years or more,
but on May 3rd 2008 I returned to my car to see
that I had been left a parking ticket issued by NCP who now
control the parking in
Worthing
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Well you can imagine
my bewilderment; my car was clearing displaying my blue
badge, the clock showing the correct time and it was in a
designated disabled parking space, so why the ticket??
Later I went onto the
Worthing website to check the local regulations, and as you can see
if you read this link,
I was perfectly entitled to park there. |
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A strong letter
was called for, so I wrote off
to the appeals officer in Worthing with my complaint and my
fingers crossed..
Meanwhile I managed to have a chat with my
good friend Peter, who is himself a traffic warden in the
Horsham area, and he told me that if I park my car in a
designated disabled parking bay in a residents only parking
area, then the residents restrictions come into force above
the rights of the disabled driver, unless a separate sign is
posted near the bay to say that the disable bay was for all
disabled drivers to use......, well I had never heard of
this before and this also contradicts the information on
their own website. Anyway, letter sent, and now I wait to
hear from the NCP appeals board.
A couple of weeks on
and a letter from NCP accepted my explanation, and cancelled
the £35 penalty ticket, but they hadn’t addressed the contradictions
I had pointed out, and I have now emailed the borough
council for an explanation.
I will keep you
posted.
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Robin Stephens 6th
June 2008
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Buddy and Karen |
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If
anyone else has a similar story, I would love to hear it. |
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Thanks to Joy
from Peacehaven for the following email:- |
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Hi Robin,
Thanks for your email, what ever your
camera type, the taking of such good photos as you take
must be down to the photographer - yourself.
Reference parking conflicts I have
experienced, the last incident I had (not on a disabled
bay) but in a side road with yellow lines and a plate
on a pole that permitted parking which I used
every Friday displaying my orange badge as per usual, when
I went to have my hair done at my usual little
hairdresser. I was never ever parked there more than 40
minutes and when I returned to my car there to my surprise
was a PARKING TICKET! While pondering what to do next a
couple came up to me and said ''we saw your car
booked by a rather full of herself attitude young
woman'' who appeared to be trying to impress a couple of
brewery supply drivers further up the road. However, I
went straight to Seaford Police Station and reported
the situation. I was told that I would have to write in to (can't
remember where it was now) and they would take appropriate
action. This I did, and in the fullness of time they wrote
to me and rescinded the parking ticket.
On another occasion I was parked on a two
hour no return I think it was right outside the Arndale
Centre at Eastbourne, when I returned to my car I found a
parking ticket on my windscreen.
I called in to Newhaven police station on
my way home only to be told by the official on the
desk that the registration on the ticket was not mine
(which I had not noticed) and he insisted that I would still
have to write in and enclose the ticket even though it was
nothing to do with my disabled vehicle.
These two accounts may not be of much use
to you but have recorded them for you in case!
The incident that really got to me was
recently I received the usual reminder that my Blue Badge
was due to be renewed (three years up end of May) I
completed their form and sent them a copy of the exemption
from road tax form etc. About three weeks later
I receive my new badge made out for only 6 months. I
telephoned the issuing office at Eastbourne who
informed me that my benefit (The mobility allowance)
expired at end of April! The jobs worth lady
also added that I would have to send her proof from
the Benefits Office to confirm that it had not
expired before she would send me the correct badge!
I sent a email and complained to the head
place in London as well as contact the Benefits Office in
Blackpool. Finally, I received the new correct badge.
The thing about this latter palaver Robin is that it
is on record that I have had polio since age 6 months old
and post polio syndrome for the past 10 to 15 years which
has reduced my mobility to nigh on zero. Would imagine
that the bods at the issuing office have access to any of
this information - wouldn't you? I find it all quite
demoralizing as if one was ''coming it'' Enough said!
Sorry if I have warbled on and this
information probably useless to you, but I will conclude
and mention when out on my scooter in super market and
else whereI have encountered some hostile folk,
who say ''you shouldn't be in here on that'' and quite a
bit of antagonism directed at scooter users.
If they only but knew.
Referring back to your photographs I would
be jolly grateful if you could put a tip or two my way as
I try very hard to produce nice pictures and never really
pleased with results.
Be happy and keep well - love to Karen.
Joy
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Thanks to Jim
from Worthing for the following email:-
Dear Robin,
I have read with interest
your article on parking issues with your blue badge
in Worthing. Just like you, we are going through the
same problem. My wife, holds her blue badge because
of severe rheumatoid arthritis. We parked over the
Xmas period on a disabled road marked bay,
displaying her badge and correct time of parking. On
return, just over the hour we found a ticket placed
on our vehicle. Also included in the PCN was a multi
tick box that said we were parked in a residents
restricted bay. Like you I have not heard of this
with regards to disabled bays and have submitted an
appeal. Also I have enclosed photo's and a Worthing
guidelines to parking for Blue badge holders issued
by Worthing Borough Council with the relevant
disabled bay points underlined
As I have researched,
there appears to be only two types of disabled
parking bays in force. The first is the standard
disabled parking bay. the second is a dedicated
disabled bay that will have the registration number
of the dedicated vehicle on a post next to the bay.
If worthing believe that
there is a third type, I.E., one that becomes
residents only at certain times of the day, then
they will have to prove to myself and the judge that
this is legal.
I will keep you informed
as to how this pans out. I will fight this one all
the way to court if required to do so.
Regards,
Jim Clarke.
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