Beat the traffic warden - #1 Pavement parking

Naturally I am referring to beating in the sporting sense because if you encounter rudeness from a traffic warden the answer, in Barnet, is to make a formal complaint to NSL. One would think that on the NSL website there would be a section for complaints because people must want to complain about traffic wardens all the time, but no, there isn't. That is an odd omission but not as odd as the fact that NSL list all the councils they work for and don't include Barnet Council in the list, perhaps they don't think they are going to hang on to the contract for long enough to make it worthwhile changing the web page. It is probably best to send your complaints to barnet@nslservices.co.uk or in writing to NSL, 2nd Floor Centre Tower, Whitgift Centre, Croydon, CR0 0XB (The PO Box in Worthing is not the NSL office, that is where RR Donnelley are located who scan all the appeal letters).

So to beat the traffic warden, and avoid having to make three appeals against your ticket (informal, formal and to PATAS) it is best not to get a ticket in the first instance.

One of the favourite traps is parking on the pavement. Except where the pavement is clearly marked with bays to permit pavement parking never ever ever parking on the pavement is the best way to avoid getting a parking ticket. Don't put even the tiniest piece of tyre anywhere but on the carriageway. So stay off the pavement, off the kerb stones, off the ramped section of tarmac that lead across the grass verge to a residence, off grass verges, off central reservations etc, stay on the carriageway itself.

If the road is so narrow that parking on both sides of the road with your entire car properly on the carriageway means that a fire engine would not get through the gap, then go and park somewhere else. It is not an acceptable excuse that to avoid causing an obstruction you then parked improperly.

 

Don't think either that as it is 8pm the traffic wardens will have gone home. They are roaming about on their scooters until at least 10pm and possibly 11pm and I wouldn't put it past the council to send them out all night if that means a few more tickets can be issued. The traffic wardens drive around their patch of an evening hunting for cars parked on the pavement. They are easy to spot as the roof is clearly leaning at an angle.

It is against the law to park on the pavement in any London borough so take my advice with you whenever you go anywhere else in Barnet. The pavement is for pedestrians, wheelchairs, the blind, pushchairs etc etc, it is not for cars. Think how annoyed you would be if a person stood in the middle of the road all day and then reverse your thinking to your car being on the pavement in the way of the pedestrian. You've got the idea now I think.

 

There are limited grounds of appeal even against this contravention but it is still best to avoid getting the parking ticket in the first place.

 

Barnet Council should of course be spending some of the £millions that they rake in from parking on full page newspaper articles explaining some of the lesser known or observed rules for the benefit and education of new drivers (and old ones who have forgotten) but they won't as they want to issue more and more parking tickets every year.

If you do get a parking ticket, then appeal three times. The grounds of appeal can be the same at every stage. Just because Barnet Council reject you twice doesn't mean PATAS will do the same.

 

Yours appealingly

 

Miss Feezance