I got a parking ticket and I'm furious

By Steve Bax on Jun 8, 09 02:08 PM in Out and about

At least Dick Turpin had the decency to wear a mask, my dad likes to say when confronted with a rip-off price.

Today the highwaymen are gone only to be replaced with a far more ruthless and relentless lot, the traffic warden! And where they go misery is sure to follow.

Yes you guessed it, I got a ticket! And a very expensive one it was too.

My 'crime' was to visit Murray Park in Twickenham on a very hot Saturday recently and stop for 25 minutes while my two-year-old son enjoyed the park.

I set down in an inviting spot on the edge of the park in Kneller Road, without realising that it is a residents permit area. I was oblivious to a sign advertising that fact (admittedly a small one) and pottered off unawares.

Less than half an hour later I spotted a humourless bloke in dark glasses and a riot police-style helmet dishing out tickets. Fear and panic gripped me and I ran back to the car only to find... to my horror... the sickening sight of a yellow parking ticket.

Now I've had a couple of parking tickets in the past, although thankfully not too many, and I expected to be hit with a fine of £40 or £60 reduced to half if paid within 14 days.

So I almost fell over when I read that the fine for this momentous offence was a whopping £120!

I know residents need and deserve to park close to their homes, but this was an honest mistake and the punishment seemed to me to be totally out of proportion to the crime.

In the end I was able to pay the lesser amount of £60 within 14 days but even then, this it's still a fair dent in a monthly budget when you've got a mortgage and two kids to support, plus bills and all the other expenses involved with a home.

Moreover where are people supposed to leave there cars if they want to use the park? There is nowhere that I could see and I telephoned Richmond Council and they weren't able to tell me the proper place to park either.

So the choice seems to be to park some distance away (probably outside somebody else's house) and walk, or only use the park if you live very close, or park illegally and cop for the fine.

Speaking of which, I asked Richmond Council whether it would agree that its £120 fines are exorbitant. Its spokesman denied that it was profiteering at the public's expense and said that this is a standard charge across London.

I've also heard on the grapevine that traffic wardens are particularly vociferous on rugby days (Murray Park being a mile and a half from Twickenham stadium) when I got caught on May 30th.

So everyone, unless you want to dole out your hard-earned money to Richmond Council heed my cautionry tale and be careful where you park!