I received what is only the 2nd parking ticket in many years of driving last week whilst parked outside my Mothers house in Granville Road, Hillingdon.
Granville Road operates a resident permit system, for reasons best known to the council, and parking areas are marked out on the roadway. I was parked in one of the marked areas. My Mother is severely disabled so doesn't own a car or drive, and therefore has no need for a resident parking permit. However she does have a Blue Badge ( for use when I or anyone else takes her out in a car ) and has also been issued with a special permit for use by the Carers who regularly visit her.
I could have used either of those options I suppose, but chose instead to use the ludicrous 'scratch card' permit system she is also entitled to ( at a cost ), for visitors.
I duly scratched the correct details and placed the card on my dashboard in a clearly visible position. I happened to be looking out of the l window when the low-life parking attendant was attaching the Parking Notice to my windscreen, and rushed out to question his action.
My so called 'offence/infringement' was that I had genuinely forgotten to write my vehicle registration number in the tiny box which is provided on the miniscule scratch card. A simple and genuine error which may well cost me £30-£60. I have of course appealed the decision and provided photographic evidence to back up my appeal.
What I find so annoying is the complete lack of common sense and/or discretion allowed. I had been staying at my Mums following the recent death of my Father and all the trauma that involves. The parking attendant wasn't in the slightest bit interested in the fact my attention may have been diverted by more pressing issues.
I have since discovered that my Mothers official Carer also received a PCN in the exact same parking bay just recently. Her 'offence/infringement' ?? In the approximately 1 minute it took to park her car right outside the house and walk the 15 feet to the front door to collect the Carers parking permit to place on the dashboard, a low-life appeared and slapped a PCN on her windscreen. Her appeal was successful ( quite rightly ). I trust my appeal will be as well, but in the meantime its just one more totally unneccessary hassle to try and deal with at the worst of times.
This parking permit thing has nothing to do with traffic management, its a thinly diguised money raiser pure and simple.
Moley