Chester Council Shenanigans

[Fiddlesticks]

So a couple of weeks ago we arrive at Little Roodee Car Park, Chester for a mooch around. Park the bike up, and check the website for restrictions.

 

"Oh yes", says the website, "motorcycles can be parked at any of our pay and display car parks without paying if they're outside the marked bays, and not getting in anyone's way".

 

Jolly decent of them, thinks I.

 

Imagine my surprise when, upon returning to the bike there's a ticket wrapped around the brake lever. Must be a misunderstanding. Right?

 

Get home, appeal online. Simples.

 

Appeal gets rejected. "We've considered exercising our discretion and waiving the fine, but have decided to be bast*rds instead..." (Or words to that effect). "The problem is, this is not, technically speaking, a Pay and Display car park. It's a Pay on Foot car park. See. Totally different."

 

They very generously offered to let me pay the reduced amount. If I was quick about it.

 

Ignoring their mafiosa-like overtures, all that could be done now was to wait for the generosity period to end. Then a letter to arrive with the increased amount.

 

Appeal #2 was a bit of a War and Peace affair, which cast no aspersions as to the parentage of the enforcement team, but simply went through, in meticulous detail, the absolute inanity of their previous rejection. It ended with a screengrab of the relevant Traffic Regulation Order, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that bikes can park outside of marked bays at all council car parks. [EDIT: It turns out the .gov website I got this from was out of date.]

 

Today, I received the most mealy-mouthed pathetic, rear-end-covering response: "On this occasion we're going to be nice and cancel the ticket... Don't do it again."

 

Nothing gets me quite as fuming as self-serving petty bureaucracy wrapped up as public service.

 

Screw it. Not good enough.

 

Put a complaint in. They thought it would be an easy £25. It'll cost them at least that by the time we've done.

 

Edited November 19, 2024 by Fiddlesticks
Correction

[Simon Davey]

Sue the barstewards for the stress related illness you're about to get

[S-Westerly]

Well done you. Today I found that what used to be a free corner for parking motorbikes has been acquired by the next door NCP and turned into space for 2 cars. There was nothing in the space and according to shop next door in the 2 months it's been like that there's hardly ever a car there. The nearest official bike park is now a half mile away on the other side of town and not an area with a lot of footfall. I think I'll be looking for alternatives as the only reason I go to Gloucester is it's got the nearest Barclays bank to me having been shut in Stroud. 

[Fiddlesticks]

3 minutes ago, S-Westerly said:

... the only reason I go to Gloucester is it's got the nearest Barclays bank to me having been shut in Stroud. 

Any use?

https://www.barclays.co.uk/ways-to-bank/post-office-banking/

[S-Westerly]

Thanks but I do virtually all my banking on line. However after each trip away I have about $2000 US in cash which I need to physically pay into the bank. If it wasn't for that I'd never step into the wretched place.

[bonio]

40 minutes ago, Fiddlesticks said:

They thought it would be an easy £25. It'll cost them at least that by the time we've done.

Them? If only.

The truth is, the costs are paid by the tax payer. Sadly this includes you

 

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

1 hour ago, Fiddlesticks said:

So a couple of weeks ago we arrive at Little Roodee Car Park, Chester for a mooch around. Park the bike up, and check the website for restrictions.

 

"Oh yes", says the website, "motorcycles can be parked at any of our pay and display car parks without paying if they're outside the marked bays, and not getting in anyone's way".

 

Jolly decent of them, thinks I.

 

Imagine my surprise when, upon returning to the bike there's a ticket wrapped around the brake lever. Must be a misunderstanding. Right?

 

Get home, appeal online. Simples.

 

Appeal gets rejected. "We've considered exercising our discretion and waiving the fine, but have decided to be bast*rds instead..." (Or words to that effect). "The problem is, this is not, technically speaking, a Pay and Display car park. It's a Pay on Foot car park. See. Totally different."

 

They very generously offered to let me pay the reduced amount. If I was quick about it.

 

Ignoring their mafiosa-like overtures, all that could be done now was to wait for the generosity period to end. Then a letter to arrive with the increased amount.

 

Appeal #2 was a bit of a War and Peace affair, which cast no aspersions as to the parentage of the enforcement team, but simply went through, in meticulous detail, the absolute inanity of their previous rejection. It ended with a screengrab of the relevant Traffic Regulation Order, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that bikes can park outside of marked bays at all council car parks. Turns out they're liars as well as thieves.

 

Today, I received the most mealy-mouthed pathetic, rear-end-covering response: "On this occasion we're going to be nice and cancel the ticket... Don't do it again."

 

Nothing gets me quite as fuming as self-serving petty bureaucracy wrapped up as public service.

 

Screw it. Not good enough.

 

Put a complaint in. They thought it would be an easy £25. It'll cost them at least that by the time we've done.

 

There is still free motorcycle parking near the Registry Office in Goss Street. It's a bit of a pain to find. Use the Registry Office postcode and the parking bay is right opposite.

[Nick the wanderer]

1 hour ago, S-Westerly said:

Thanks but I do virtually all my banking on line. However after each trip away I have about $2000 US in cash which I need to physically pay into the bank. If it wasn't for that I'd never step into the wretched place.

Open an account in the nearest banking establishment, pay it into there and then transfer it online. Nationwide have plenty of branches open for instance.

[S-Westerly]

18 minutes ago, Nick the wanderer said:

Open an account in the nearest banking establishment, pay it into there and then transfer it online. Nationwide have plenty of branches open 

True but I've got enough bank accounts already. I can struggle on with a visit to whatever Barclays I go to once every 6 months. Also I'm picky where I change the money as commission and exchange rate on offer can make quite a difference. 

[Pie man]

Such a shame, designated motorcycle parking is on the decline, although the Groves in Chester still has 10 bays allocated for bikes on Sat & Sun from 1st March until 31st Oct, albeit 1hr  

[onesea]

I stopped shopping by car many moons ago unless essential, one thing I enjoy about bikes is free accessible parking.

If they remove that I will reduce my shopping trips further.  When It’s cheaper to get delivered and return than go to a shop, the local shops are going to close.

When the common answer is we can get one in for you there is no point visiting a shop in the first place. I can order to my door.

When I go to the shop I want to look touch, not order in virtual online manner.

[Mawsley]

I went to a shop on Sunday, it was hell, it was full of idiots. This is why I’ll only ever shop online. Unfortunately both frames were damaged so I’ve go to go back and suffer humans a second time in a week.

[bud]

The crazy thing is, where my brother lives in Aldershot. It actually costs more a year a year to collect the parking fee, than it brings in. 

There was a debate about it a few years ago. Can't have free parking. It will bring too many people in. Surely that's what a ghost town needs?

These are the same idiots who closed down half the shopping precinct, to refurbish it. Kicking out loads of big name stores. Who have never returned.

[Fiddlesticks]

In this case the signage and website are misleading, but the website I got the Traffic Regulation Order from seems to be out of date. Looks like bike parking has been removed from one version to the next. Poor show, really.

[Fozzie]

YES! Give em hell!  

 

I've had my own run ins at Chester in regards to parking. Shame as it's relatively close by and a nice place to visit. In my case, they referenced a sign that wasn't even up in the carpark due to vandalism. Apparently, this was still my problem. I did not see it that way, and neither did the 3rd party who cancelled the fine. 

 

I think most people roll over and pay the £25, and it causes them to get more emboldened. So complaining and driving up their overheads is always a good move in my book.