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Parking Attendant On Speed
17 April 2006
This is not the first time I have found it necessary to dispute an inappropriate parking ticket issued by Westminster Council, and in view of the press and TV coverage this very week, I am inclined to accept the common view that there are rogue parking ticket attendants in Westminster.
This is what happened.
I stopped in a side street near Selfridges to pick up Mrs Monk who was not where she said she would be and there is nothing particularly unusual about that.
I called her on my Mobile phone and told her that I would drive around the block since parking attendants were about, Nothing particularly unusual about that either.
As I made this call a particular parking attendant was nearby and in conversation with a lady motorist. I was in this place for about 1 minute while I made my call to Mrs Monk, and as I drove off to make my way around the block, the traffic warden interrupted his conversation with the other motorist and tossed a parking ticket into the air and onto the windscreen of my moving car.
I was shocked by his cavalier method of delivery which I understand to be illegal.
But also because he was able to write a ticket in less than a minute of me being there and at the same time conduct a conversation with someone else about another matter.
At no time did the parking attendant approach me, or my car, the engine was running for the whole minute of time, and I remained in the driving seat with my seat belt fastened, all the while.
Because of the bizarre and unusual actions of the parking attendant, I stopped the car, got out and of the car and had an exchange of views.
I learnt that other lady motorist had been similarly treated by the same parking attendant. Meanwhile, the parking attendant started to take photographs of my car which was now in a different position to where it was when he issued the ticket. I asked him for his identification which he refused to show me, so I took this picture of him.
The parking attendant took great pleasure in these exchanges and goaded me with the challenge that he would “see me in court”. I exchanged details with bystanders who saw the entire episode and agreed to be a witness to the events on my behalf.
This predatory parking attendant was not at all motivated by any interest in freeing the streets of congestion, since there was none in this quiet side street on a lazy bank holiday Monday. However, he was clearly motivated by the expedient issue of parking tickets, irrespective of reason, in order to meet his target for the day.
Shoestringonline.co.uk
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