Crazy parking ticket in Ripon (1 Viewer)

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Jun 10, 2011
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I liked Ripon. I've been going since I was a kid. And now the wife likes it too ... well she did.

The week before last we ended up in that neck of the woods, but couldn't get on a camp site.

We drove into town in the MH, but there is absolutely nowhere to park, so we went in the three-quarters empty coach park and paid the usual fee, which lasted until 2.45pm the following day, but you were not allowed to park in the coach park between 9pm and 9am so we had to move over to the other car park over near the cathedral.

There was nobody in this car park at all so rather than park directly within the lines we ended up parking side ways as it was then completely flat.

So, whilst we are in the van enjoying a cup of tea a warden sneaks up and slaps a ticket on us.

As you can see from the photo below the car park was not exactly full. In fact, it was an hour and a half before the next car turned up.

Welcome to Ripon. Have a nice day :)

2pt2x6d.jpg
 
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GJH

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From the Harrogate BC web site (my highlighting):
Motorhomes are welcome to park within surface level car parks where the vehicle complies with any height restriction that is applicable. Where the vehicle is too big to park within the confines of one bay, [HI]a pay and display ticket must be purchased and displayed for every bay that the vehicle occupies[/HI].
 

MattR

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From the Harrogate BC web site (my highlighting):

IMHO this is a short sighted view - common sense might have suggested that the Traffic enforcer checked that they had one parking ticket paid for and only slapped a penalty ticket on the MH if the car park was becoming full. I would guess that this parking ticket is likely to have p*ssed the MH owners off and reduced the chance that they would return to Rippon so for the sake of £40 or so, they have lost customers to the City and made them look pretty sh*tty on the interweb

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Feb 24, 2013
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It sounds like a mean thing to do, what was the actual offence?

If you move car parks are the tickets fully transferrable?

Parking not within the bays in an empty car park, particularly while you are still in it, should not get a ticket for me, I would appeal

Did you get a chance to speak to the 'official' at the time?
 

Puddleduck

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It would be worth writing a note of explanation (plus photo) to go along with the cheque for the fine. Probably won't get you anywhere but worth a try.
 

GJH

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IMHO this is a short sighted view -[HI] common sense[/HI] might have suggested that the Traffic enforcer checked that they had one parking ticket paid for and only slapped a penalty ticket on the MH if the car park was becoming full. I would guess that this parking ticket is likely to have p*ssed the MH owners off and reduced the chance that they would return to Rippon so for the sake of £40 or so, they have lost customers to the City and made them look pretty sh*tty on the interweb

We all define common sense by what we see as common sense. The view could easily be taken that it is common sense when we park to ensure that we have parked in compliance with the order in force and paid the fee required.

It is hard enough convincing some councils to let motorhomes park at all. Where a council like Harrogate makes provision (even turning a blind eye to overnighting if the required number of tickets have been bought) then the least we can do is to have the common sense to work with them.

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yorkieman
Jun 10, 2011
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My wife did write a really nice letter explaining how we'd spent quite a lot of money in the shops, had breakfast in one of the cafes, gone for coffee in another place, etc, etc. Alas, it fell on deaf ears, which really upset my wife as she is a really nice person and just assumes everyone else is equally as nice.

I do have a second photo taken one and a half hours later that shows one other car in the car park, so you'd have thought the warden could have cut us a bit of slack, but alas we were just an easy target.

I'm pretty sure we won't be returning to Ripon for a long time, and maybe never. There are plenty of other places to explore.

It was noticeable on this visit how many proper shops are either To Let, or have reopened as charity shops. It seems baffling that these councils don't realise they desperately need to attract visitors (and that includes us motorhomers) as if they don't they'll end up like ghost towns.
 
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yorkieman
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We all define common sense by what we see as common sense. The view could easily be taken that it is common sense when we park to ensure that we have parked in compliance with the order in force and paid the fee required.

It is hard enough convincing some councils to let motorhomes park at all. Where a council like Harrogate makes provision (even turning a blind eye to overnighting if the required number of tickets have been bought) then the least we can do is to have the common sense to work with them.

I see your point completely. However, councils are not doing motorhomers a favour by letting us visit an area.

I remember how popular many seaside destinations used to be (Morecambe, Blackpool, etc). They used to be jam-packed, but those heady days are gone and they are desperate for visitors.

I remember typists in the office who used to think they were the chosen people, until computers came along and they were all redundant within a decade.

Once all the shops have turned into charity shops and the area starts looking a bit shabby the tourists will soon vanish, or the ones who still come won't be as affluent as those who used to come (think Ripon and Harrogate).

I think sometimes, just a little commonsense, can go a long way. And common sense would wonder how much that motorhome is worth to the local traders.
 
Mar 21, 2010
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:roflmto:
If its not Council owned car park, ignore it as it is not enforceable. My daughter had an INVOICE! for going over time at our local Coop. Just ignore and it will go away. :ROFLMAO: DO NOT acknowledge the invoice.

colyboy

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Emmit

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Hi Yorkieman,

You wrote,
"I'm pretty sure we won't be returning to Ripon for a long time, and maybe never. There are plenty of other places to explore."

Whilst I can understand your frustration, could I point out that if you set yourself up in the "other places" like you did at Ripon, your collection of Tickets is likely to expand at a rate.

The days of "cutting us a bit of slack" have gone. The days of discretion are a thing of the past.

While you may not like it, that it how it is.
 
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Nov 30, 2009
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He could have knocked on the glass if you were in before slapping on the ticket. But why park across all the lanes like that ? Why didn't you just use one of the bays you were over, and put your over hang on the grass verge. That's what we do. So far we havnt had a fine.
 

Emmit

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Hi Ralph and Bev,

That's exactly my point.

He COULD have knocked on the glass but, and I say this with sadness, he isn't paid to 'knock on the glass'. He's paid to check for parking infringements, and, if seen, issue a notice. Nothing more, nothing less.

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Puddleduck

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Northumberland CC has scrapped a lot of their parking charges. There are strict time limits and you'll need a parking disc.

In The Scottish Borders they've gone a bit further with an official "Aire" in Hawick and an unofficial one in Jedburgh. I'm working with the traders organisation in Coldstream to see if we can get something similar there as well.

Don't stop in an NYCC area just keep going north where you will be welcomed!
 
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TheBig1

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sorry I see nothing wrong with the parking ticket

the motorhome was parked up in a council car park without making any attempt at keeping to the marked bays. nor where sufficient tickets purchased to rent all the spaces the motorhome occupied.

the carpark may have been otherwise empty. but its no different to using any other facility/business without paying for all the facilities used

you get nothing in life for free, well not these days and to expect somebody to use common sense to let you off a ticket is laughable. if the enforcement officer had let you off and this was noticed he would reasonably expect a disciplinary action or to be given his cards. him avoiding getting in trouble and ticketing your van is more like common sense to me.

you claim to love visiting the area, but because of your own actions, are considering not returning. how does that make you feel better?

just offering the other side of the argument here, and no offence intended

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I have used this car park so many times never had a problem there are lodes of spaces where you can revers park and put the over hang over the grass there for only taking up one space the problem with ripen is this happens all to often and some of the offender get very aggressive when ask to move it wont be long before the over night parking is band by Harrogate district council read the bylaws and respect them or we will all lose the facility to park over night enjoy your ticket and pay up :ROFLMAO:
 

appydaze

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we stopped in the empty car park on the seafront at lowestoft around 6pm. There is was free parking after 6 so we decided to get some fish & chips and eat them in the van. When we got back about 15 mins. later bu**er me we had a ticket on the windscreen for not parking between the white lines. It transpired that one of my back wheels was actually slightly over said white line. Guilty as charged! Welcome to East Anglia.
:Doh:

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Gorse Hill

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Yorkieman feel for u mate, I would so p*sssed off unfortuantley there are people in this country who have no common sense (GJH probably one of them) who try's to justify the action of a muppet.
Common sense would be applicable if the car park was full, but as u can see its empty, and why Is it that some people seem to think the local council are doing us a favour by letting us park in there empty car parks (for which us tax payers have paid for) and spending money in the local community where there is lots of empty shops. Who's doing who a favour
Maybe if enough funsters wrote to the council informing them of the money we bring to there local community they wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the nice letter your good lady wrote to them
It's about time council appreciate MH and the money we bring and not treat us like something they found on the bottom of there shoes
 

jhorsf

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GJH has probably forgotten more about parking motorhomes in car parks than you will ever know :Doh:
He maybe should have knocked on the van door and told you if you continue to park where you like and disregard what is common sense to park in a space he will give you a ticket.
The ticket fine system works as it has now made you stop parking in a selfish manner
 
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If I can't fit my van within the lines of a car park I won't park unless I can ask for permission. It just isn't worth the risk these days.

And to be honest the wheels of most motorhomes will fit within the box of a standard car parking space. It is only the overhang that needs to find a home. I can't remember the last car park where I couldn't find somewhere to put mine.:winky::ROFLMAO:

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Puddleduck

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I can see both sides to this.

It was an empty car park and so no real harm was being done but it was an infringement of the parking regulations, which is what the official is charged with upholding.

Yes, he/she could have asked for the vehicle to be parked in accordance with the regulations but to do so he would run the risk of verbal abuse or worse..... parking wardens aren't the most popular of people after all.

The person who enforced the fine and didn't have the courtesy to reply .... Just a note with the receipt explaining why the ticket could not be rescinded would have made you feel a bit better. Perhaps that's why I wasn't a council employee for very long.
 
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Gorse Hill

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Jhorsf your another one of these jobs worth, I bet your one of these people when on an empty motorway in the middle of the night never goes above 70
Maybe if a few more funster were to get a spine instead of acting like a load of jellyfish the councils wouldn't exploit MH's. Yorkieman paid to park, however some jobs worth decided to give him a £60 fine because he didn't park in a single bay (empty car park) a bit like the official (empty)
Instead of backing a fellow funster in what is clearly an absurb ticket most seem to agree, maybe that's why councils exploit MH, because they know they can get away with it. If we stuck together then maybe councils would provide suitable car parking facilities for over 500.000 MH in this country instead they just see us easy money and weak
And before anyone goes on about rules just ask yourself this have any of u ever exceeded the speed limit (law) and got away with it and if u did break the law why didn't you hand yourself in for a £60 fine because common sense kicks in which is what should have happened in this case
 

jhorsf

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Jhorsf your another one of these jobs worth, I bet your one of these people when on an empty motorway in the middle of the night never goes above 70
Maybe if a few more funster were to get a spine instead of acting like a load of jellyfish the councils wouldn't exploit MH's. Yorkieman paid to park, however some jobs worth decided to give him a £60 fine because he didn't park in a single bay (empty car park) a bit like the official (empty)
Instead of backing a fellow funster in what is clearly an absurb ticket most seem to agree, maybe that's why councils exploit MH, because they know they can get away with it. If we stuck together then maybe councils would provide suitable car parking facilities for over 500.000 MH in this country instead they just see us easy money and weak
And before anyone goes on about rules just ask yourself this have any of u ever exceeded the speed limit (law) and got away with it and if u did break the law why didn't you hand yourself in for a £60 fine because common sense kicks in which is what should have happened in this case



So not only do we have no common sense we are jobs worths with no spine :ROFLMAO:

If the OP had have parked in a sensible manner in one space overhanging the grass I would have as you called it "backed him" but as his photo proved he parked obstructing 3 bays and would probably require another 1 or 2 to be left clear to get out of the car park.
The reason councils do not want you in a motorhome is inconsiderate people like you who want to park where they like .
With regard to your assumptions about me I am not prepared to have a battle of wits with someone who is clearly unarmed.
 

Enword

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Can I get a refund on my subscription Because I was under the impression that this was Motorhome FUN. Cant believe the job worth & holier than thou replies, We've come back from meetings with a LWB Sprinter & 6mt trailer pulled into car parks & been told "go park under the trees Mr nobody parks up there" & other area's to park in even been told to park across bays (when its not busy) no prob,
 

TheBig1

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Techno

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Can I get a refund on my subscription Because I was under the impression that this was Motorhome FUN. Cant believe the job worth & holier than thou replies, We've come back from meetings with a LWB Sprinter & 6mt trailer pulled into car parks & been told "go park under the trees Mr nobody parks up there" & other area's to park in even been told to park across bays (when its not busy) no prob,

That's a bit like paying for a holiday in the SUN and it rains :ROFLMAO:
 

Gorse Hill

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Fair comment will try to be nicer in future, but still think my point is valid

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