Ealing Council - feckers
Discussion
So i had to drive into Northolt to visit a customer a few weeks back. Never been there before (not a nice place) and anyways I got lost. I could see the building where I wanted to get to from the main road, but it couldn't be accessed so i was trying to find a side road that would lead me there. Got the map out and found a road that would get me to where i thought I needed to be and eventually after a lot of rubbernecking (looking for roadnames) I found where i wanted to go.
One week later I get a letter from Ealing Parking "Services" whith photographic evidence i had wandered into a bus lane. - £60 fine please within 14 days or £120 after that.
I was, as you can imagine, really pissed off. I had not intentionally driven into a bus lane I was lost. The roads were clear (as shown on the photo evidence) so there was no advantage (or danger) me driving in the bus lane, I must have just missed the bus lane sign as i was looking for the road I needed.
I thought I'd write to the council to place my case and explain the cicumstances and appeal to their better nature. As you can guess I got a letter straight back stating that I had broken the law and therefore the fine would stand.
Yes I was caught on camera, but it was an honest mistake and you'd hope that there was someone who would use a bit of common sense when dealing with this, but these fecking nazi's wouldn't have any of it. We'll have your money thanks and put up more cameras and persecute more honest, hardworking people. I hate what this country has become, a £60 fine is what someone mentioned in our local paper got for assult. This country is fecking useless.
Merry Xmas you Ealing Council b
ds.
One week later I get a letter from Ealing Parking "Services" whith photographic evidence i had wandered into a bus lane. - £60 fine please within 14 days or £120 after that.
I was, as you can imagine, really pissed off. I had not intentionally driven into a bus lane I was lost. The roads were clear (as shown on the photo evidence) so there was no advantage (or danger) me driving in the bus lane, I must have just missed the bus lane sign as i was looking for the road I needed.
I thought I'd write to the council to place my case and explain the cicumstances and appeal to their better nature. As you can guess I got a letter straight back stating that I had broken the law and therefore the fine would stand.
Yes I was caught on camera, but it was an honest mistake and you'd hope that there was someone who would use a bit of common sense when dealing with this, but these fecking nazi's wouldn't have any of it. We'll have your money thanks and put up more cameras and persecute more honest, hardworking people. I hate what this country has become, a £60 fine is what someone mentioned in our local paper got for assult. This country is fecking useless.
Merry Xmas you Ealing Council b
ds. Pity they don't use the CCTV to help cut some of the crime in the dreadful Council Estates in Northolt.
I feel for you, unfortunately it's the way things are these days. I got cut up in a yellow box junction a while back, ended up with half my car in the box, I never actually blocked the box or stopped any traffic flow, still got a fine via the CCTV cameras. Just treat it as a Tax.
I feel for you, unfortunately it's the way things are these days. I got cut up in a yellow box junction a while back, ended up with half my car in the box, I never actually blocked the box or stopped any traffic flow, still got a fine via the CCTV cameras. Just treat it as a Tax.
Deva Link said:
Get your own back by never going to Ealing again.
The guy from the "Parking Services" (such a nice name - they sound really nice don't they!) wrote his name on the bottom of the letter. I'm thinking about setting up a facebook account for him and listing his interests as "pleasuing himself" and "fat girls". 
Bandit said:
Deva Link said:
Get your own back by never going to Ealing again.
The guy from the "Parking Services" (such a nice name - they sound really nice don't they!) wrote his name on the bottom of the letter. I'm thinking about setting up a facebook account for him and listing his interests as "pleasuing himself" and "fat girls". 
I stopped in the outside lane at a zebra crossing in acton and as people were crossing the road, my mate got out. I was stopped no longer than 15 secs.
£50 ticket!!!
The said i could ask for stills. as there were people crossing the road while i was stopped I thought why not.
Next letter sorry no stills, but you can come and watch the video. So i make an appointment. I get there and they faf about for half an hour. In the end i think sod this, it's not worth the agro, I'll just pay the fking fine.
I get to work phone up to pay £150.00!!!!!!
Wrote a letter and 2 emails.......no responce. bks if i don't pay it's £200. I pay. s.
£50 ticket!!!
The said i could ask for stills. as there were people crossing the road while i was stopped I thought why not.
Next letter sorry no stills, but you can come and watch the video. So i make an appointment. I get there and they faf about for half an hour. In the end i think sod this, it's not worth the agro, I'll just pay the f
king fine.I get to work phone up to pay £150.00!!!!!!
Wrote a letter and 2 emails.......no responce. b
ks if i don't pay it's £200. I pay. s.Bandit said:
Deva Link said:
Get your own back by never going to Ealing again.
The guy from the "Parking Services" (such a nice name - they sound really nice don't they!) wrote his name on the bottom of the letter. I'm thinking about setting up a facebook account for him and listing his interests as "pleasuing himself" and "fat girls". HRG said:
Bandit said:
Deva Link said:
Get your own back by never going to Ealing again.
The guy from the "Parking Services" (such a nice name - they sound really nice don't they!) wrote his name on the bottom of the letter. I'm thinking about setting up a facebook account for him and listing his interests as "pleasuing himself" and "fat girls". Edited by Langweilig on Wednesday 10th December 09:40
Reminds me of my fine with sheffield city council, bought a pay-and-display ticket and displayed it incorrectly, face-down on my dashboard (i recently passed my test and this was probably my first one i bought). The machine i bought it from logged registration and the time i was parked there, but the council didnt want to know, i failed to display the ticket correctly, and for having the audacity to try and mitigate my crime they quadrupled my fine to £300 with the threat of sending me to court. They also "lost" the original ticket i foolishly sent them in the hope common sense would prevail. I was so pissed off i was happy to let them take me to court but the mrs pleaded with me to cave in to save any more trouble. bds.
ds.Edited by scorp on Wednesday 10th December 09:36
Pferdestarke said:
Their problem is that if they make exceptions with such letters then they would end up with an influx of sob stories from people abusing the system.
Nevertheless, I agree with you and I too hate the revenue-generating monster this country has become.
My issue was that their picture showed me being the only car on the road. Why would I knowingly drive in a bus lane when the regular lane was empty?Nevertheless, I agree with you and I too hate the revenue-generating monster this country has become.
What have I got to gain - clearly it was a mistake!
Bandit said:
Pferdestarke said:
Their problem is that if they make exceptions with such letters then they would end up with an influx of sob stories from people abusing the system.
Nevertheless, I agree with you and I too hate the revenue-generating monster this country has become.
My issue was that their picture showed me being the only car on the road. Why would I knowingly drive in a bus lane when the regular lane was empty?Nevertheless, I agree with you and I too hate the revenue-generating monster this country has become.
What have I got to gain - clearly it was a mistake!
What annoys me is the people monitoring these cameras are not Policeman, or even Met police Traffic Wardens, they are council officers. For some crazy reason these civilian, non professional people are able to send out fines for offences as they seem fit. This is totally wrong and is just a way of generating revenue.
aussiebruce said:
I stopped in the outside lane at a zebra crossing in acton and as people were crossing the road, my mate got out. I was stopped no longer than 15 secs.
£50 ticket!!!
The said i could ask for stills. as there were people crossing the road while i was stopped I thought why not.
Next letter sorry no stills, but you can come and watch the video. So i make an appointment. I get there and they faf about for half an hour. In the end i think sod this, it's not worth the agro, I'll just pay the fking fine.
I get to work phone up to pay £150.00!!!!!!
Wrote a letter and 2 emails.......no responce. bks if i don't pay it's £200. I pay. s.
Ealing are indeed £50 ticket!!!
The said i could ask for stills. as there were people crossing the road while i was stopped I thought why not.
Next letter sorry no stills, but you can come and watch the video. So i make an appointment. I get there and they faf about for half an hour. In the end i think sod this, it's not worth the agro, I'll just pay the f
king fine.I get to work phone up to pay £150.00!!!!!!
Wrote a letter and 2 emails.......no responce. b
ks if i don't pay it's £200. I pay. s.s - second only to Brent in my experience.I was stopped with one wheel on a zigzag outside Ealing Broadway station.
Fought them for 18 months and got it cancelled eventually.
Mandy Stevens is the head of parking services (or was until a couple of months ago when they wrote saying my ticket was being cancelled).
I'd be emailing and writing to her directly - its lesshassle for her to cancel it.
Vipers said:
Why not try, "My engine started missing, so I pulled over safely to fix it".....
If the engine was missing, Shirley they would see sparks, or something, as it bumped down the road? 
These bus lane fines are rubbish. I was always taught when looking to enforce them as a BiB that some element of "advantage" had to be shown... Ie someone shooting up the inside of a line of stationary traffic. If that does not apply, then the offence is essentially meaningless.
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