I am quite keen on traffic wardens. Even the nicest person is inclined to become pathologically selfish when driving and motorists are inclined to do the most outrageously anti-social things if they get the chance. So if I ever do get a parking ticket I just accept it and pay it as soon as possible without complaining. Same goes for speeding tickets, I don’t think there’s ever a justification for speeding. So when I came back to my car in Brixton last week and saw the ticket on the window I went through the five stages of grief (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance) in record time. I had parked in a parking bay on a Red Route and didn’t notice that it was only a parking bay until 13.00, I should have been more careful. By the time I got home I was keen to pay the £50 and get it over and done with. I went to the TFL payments site and typed in my details and that’s when it got difficult. The parking attendant had put the wrong registration number on the ticket. She had got one letter wrong.
So now I’m in a conundrum. I was quite happy to pay the fine but now that I think I don’t have to, I don’t want to. Since the wrong registration number is on the ticket and that number doesn’t exist, according to www.mycarcheck.com, they can’t send me a Notice to Owner or pursue me for the fine because they don’t know who I am. But if the traffic warden took a photo of my car then they will ultimately still be able to track me down and I may have to pay the full £100 fine. Double or quits. And what about the karma thing? Surely if I think parking tickets are fair enough I should pay anyway. I have until 8 August to decide. What do you think?
Recent Comments