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Attendants driving us round bend



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Published Date: 15 February 2008
By CHRIS MARSHALL
RESIDENTS of a city street have launched a petition to try to curb the actions of "over-zealous" traffic attendants.
Pam Strachan, 55, and her boyfriend Martin Palmer, 58, began their campaign after they and their friends received a series of tickets from parking attendants in Watson Crescent, Polwarth.

The couple, who have had five tickets between them and th
eir visitors since a controlled parking zone was introduced in July, have branded the council "miserable" for giving fines to those who fail to properly fill out visitors' permits.

A £30 penalty was given to a friend who failed to scratch off the minutes section from the card permit. Another ticket was handed out to Mr Strachan after the back wheel of his car was parked over the white line of a bay.

Now residents have started a fightback and hope to force the council to backtrack on the visitors' permits scheme.

Mrs Strachan said: "The street has gone over to being zoned and ever since then it has been an absolute nightmare. I would like to see a new system of permits. There must be something simpler than the current way.

"It's just an easy way for the council to make money."

The couple have spent £80 each on two parking permits and a further £70 on visitors' permits.

Despite this they have still received five £30 tickets in the past few months, although two of the fines were later waived for being handed out before the new parking system came into effect.

Mr Palmer has now written to the council to express his "disgust". He said: "What a mean, miserable attitude to continually capitalise on people's mistakes."

The visitors' permits allow guests to park for half the price of pay-and-display parking.

Councillor Phil Wheeler, transport convener, said: "Visitor permits have been extremely popular since they were introduced.

"Detailed and clear information about how to use permits is printed on each permit booklet. It is also made clear that they are only valid if each required box is scratched off correctly, and that any invalid permit may result in a ticket."





The full article contains 358 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

 
1

Draco Was a Wimp,

Edinburgh 15/02/2008 11:49:52
I never in my life thought I'd say this, but I ever saw one of these parking creatures getting a pasting from some irate punter, I'd walk on by. I once saw one gleefully attach a ticket to a young woman's car, TWO MINUTES before the end of the restrictions and a car being ticketed on a Sunday in a virtually empty street because it was in a motor cycle space. They're there to make money for the council, nothing else.
2

Young Gordon,

Edinburgh 15/02/2008 12:08:57
State the bleedin obvious Mr Palmer, but you've hit the nail on the head, in your own letter:
"What...attitude to continually capitalise on people's mistakes."
Doubt the council will take much notice of your letter now am afraid!
3

Alternative (High Octane) Fuel Head,

Edinburgh 15/02/2008 12:09:57
Campaign of non-payment anyone?

The simple solution here is to scrap the parking restrictions.
4

Young Gordon,

The Shore 15/02/2008 12:13:15
...so if you went through a Red Light five times in five months, and the police stop you, you just say, "sorry officer, my mistakes", and get away with it, do you?
5

David Harrington,

Edinburgh 15/02/2008 12:15:26
There is a lot of abuse of the parking regulations in Watson Crescent - while this may be a minor infringement, there are too many drivers simply trying it on to see what they can get away with.
6

Draco Was a Wimp,

Edinburgh 15/02/2008 12:33:54
#4 Young Gordon

A red light has a purpose, to protect motorists and regulate traffic. Most of the parking regulations are basically a byzantine way for the council to make dosh. If there aren't enough parking spaces, then folk will just have to walk further to their destination or not have a car. If the council brings in a bye law that levies a £30 fine for walking on the cracks in the pavement, I take it you'll be happy to pay?

7

Hibernia,

15/02/2008 12:37:06
#5 granted there may be people pushing things when it comes to getting away with tickets but the traffic wardens within Edinburgh are well known for being clowns at the best of times when it comes to handing out tickets. A wee bit flexibility both ways wouldnt go amiss.
8

Young Gordon,

Edinburgh 15/02/2008 12:45:47
#6 Wimpy, you know that's a stupid suggestion. I abide by all the laws that I'm supposed to, only very rarely faulting.
The point here is that the particular family in this article seem to have made regular 'mistakes' and expect to get away with them all.
I'm also sure if they were Lottery Scratchcards in use, they would soon work out how to scratch them off properly.
They should be glad that two have been waived already.
9

roadstohell,

15/02/2008 12:53:22
Dear Draco WW, " because it was in a motor cycle space", as a motorcyclist, this drives ME nuts. It has become endemic in the centre of town, with usually none of the various parking forces taking any action !!!!DEspite baing assured by the concil & polis that is a tow awayable offence. If a m/cycle parks in a car space, it is ticketed, with the obverse I have never had any help from enforcers or police. MMhhhh methinks this person who parked in the solo MC space was not concerned about others and parked wherever he/she felt like it, and suffered the consequwnces.
10

fresian,

edinburgh 15/02/2008 13:17:33
draco, the sea life centre at Brighton also has a purpose........or is that a porpoise???
11

,

15/02/2008 13:32:45
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
12

PaulB,

Edinburgh 15/02/2008 13:59:17
They are lucky to stay in a controlled zone - try some of the streets off Leith Walk - it's unrestricted chaos most mornings and evenings, and the Council say there are no plans to include these streets in a CZ for several years. What a joke!
13

Draco Was a Wimp,

Edinburgh 15/02/2008 14:18:22
#9 roadstohell

I can appreciate your frustration at car owners parking in m/c bays but my point was it was a Sunday and the street was nearly empty. The car driver in question could have parked anywhere else on the street without penalty. Similarly, a motorcycle could have been parked anywhere else on the street without penalty. Noone was inconvenienced by that car driver at that time. There was no need to ticket other than to get the money for the council and that's the issue.
14

Lins,

Edinburgh 15/02/2008 15:29:52
This is a nightmare that they have received that many tickets but if their guests are parking even a little bit on the white lines, and failing to fill out the visitor permit properly then it is no wonder they are getting tickets. I don't mean to be harsh but it seems as though, annoying as it is, the wardens are only applying the rules to the situation. They don't make the rules and rules is rules is rules!! Shame for the people though - this is my neighbourhood too and I get really annoyed that we don't even have bins (in some of the near area) yet the cooncil are happy enough to treat us as though we are city centre by putting in the parking regulations!!
15

Gogzy,

15/02/2008 17:32:54
screw paying to park outside a friends while visiting them? most wardens are too willing to give out a ticket for the stupidest of things.

i have to fight wih wardens everyday while doing my job, im just lucky i usualy have a second body with me who can drive the lorry.they need to get tough on cars parking in loading bays and not going straight ot the lorry just because it cant get parked in a loading bay, not on friends visiting friends and parking maginally over a white line, wooppidy doooo
16

The Sheriff,

15/02/2008 19:29:11
Regarding parking in motorcycle bays......Who ever ticketed a car on a sunday parked in a solo m/c bay was wrong to do so,the solo m/c' bays are only enforceable during the parking zone hours which are:

Central Zones 1-4 Monday - Saturday 08:30 - 18:30
Peripheral zones 5-8 + the new zones introduced within the last 18 months - Monday - Friday 08:30-17:30

REGARDING THE NEW ZONES- Due to the fact the council made a balls of up of not providing solo m'c bays, motorcycles are allowed t park in pay and display bays,NOT zones 1-8 which do have solo m'c bays!
17

The Sheriff,

15/02/2008 19:31:08
Might I suggest the folk in this stroy apply for a disabled badge due to their disability in reading and understanding the visitor permits,it's no fecking rocket science.
18

Gorgie_Tony,

Edinburgh 15/02/2008 19:31:24
They totally have themselves to blame for incurring parking fines - if they parked according to the regulations they would not get a ticket - I have no sympathy for them whatsoever. As for those stating the old traffic wardens gave a warning - lets say it didn't work - thats why the parking attendants are giving out so many tickets. Warning car drivers is a waste of time - the only thing that makes them think twice is a parking ticket. Car drivers are selfish, ignorant, and arrogant - they think they should be able to do what they like, when they like, at whatever time. I applaud the parking attendants in Edinburgh - you are doing a really worthwhile job. Traffic wardens and the police who should uphold the law are space wasters - they do not do their job at all - thats why the car driver thinks he can do as they please.
19

Reckless,

Lev 18:22 15/02/2008 19:36:01
Why aren't we allowed to comment on the noofters' football? Scotsman censoring, again.
20

Reckless,

hffu 15/02/2008 19:36:50
"Pam Strachan, 55, and her boyfriend Martin Palmer, 58"

Urgh!
21

Gorgie_Tony,

Edinburgh 15/02/2008 19:46:47
#19 - what would you like to say about the team? Anything derogatory and homophobic?
22

Ghost Of Scotland Past,

15/02/2008 19:58:59
I Know Let's Ban Parking.
23

Reckless,

hffu 16/02/2008 00:04:36
#21 No. I'd just like to discuss the comic aspect of two teams of homosexuals dressed in pink strips, mincing around a football pitch.
24

Aslan,

Edinburgh 16/02/2008 00:50:37
I love how these basically benign parking threads bring out all the grumpy 'Top Gear' junkies (#3 et al).

I am SO sure that, the minute their Daewoos are impounded, they will be greeting into the sticking plaster cushioning the bridge of their NHS gegs. Where's yer homoerotic Hamster now, eh?

Ooh, a boycott from all the boys with one exhaust too many - surely the Castle rock must fall?!
25

COLINTON.MAINS,

Oakville Ontario 16/02/2008 03:23:07
LETS GO BACK TO THE HORSE AND CART GREAT DAYS
26

Dismayed Old Soldier,

celle 16/02/2008 06:24:20
Some years back I visited Edinburgh driving a foreign licence plate and mistakenly put my parking cash into the wrong side meter of which I was parked. Returning well within time there was a female Parking Attendant issuing me a slip. I pointed out the mistake. Where I had paid for was an empty space with a good few minutes time to elapse on the meter. It was to no avail. I pointed out the futility of issuing a ticket for a foreign registered car and got a response somewhat to the effect that she did not give a F...,she was doing her job. No doubt she was! That was the end of the matter. I put the slip in the bin.
27

wolfette,

Edinburgh 17/02/2008 11:28:40
I'm familiar with Watson Crescent. A street so choked with illegally parked cars (usually double parked) that the fire brigade can't get through to attend incidents.

 

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