By mitchell904 - 18/04/2012 23:51 - United Kingdom - Newport

Today, I was issued with a £60 fine for being parked in a supermarket car-park for more than 3 hours. I work there. FML
I agree, your life sucks 27 346
You deserved it 2 474

mitchell904 tells us more.

I will definitely be fighting it! There's no way I'll pay it. The reason I got the fine is because the car park management is outsourced to another company, and they've just switched to an automated system which identifies the registration number of the cars when entering and leaving. Whilst I have a little permit sticker on my windscreen - which has been fine for the past 2 years - the system doesn't see it. Needless to say I'll be going in to speak to someone today... And walking.

Top comments

Are you supposed to park in an employee area or something?

forthelove82 7

Those extreme shoppers must get fined all the time if you were only there for 3 hours.

Comments

Are you supposed to park in an employee area or something?

But still, who is actually counting the time? And if OP has worked here a while, shouldn't the employer who called for a tow now what they drive? Horrible bosses.....

3, Nowhere does it say there was a tow, nowhere does it say the boss would have made such a call, nowhere does it say how close they are with their employer. FYL because you got busted, YDI for parking there. I had a similar situation in my old place of employment where the only employee parks were on the other side of the complex and there wasn't enough for all of us. It simply sucks because the place is set up as a money making machine and anything that doesn't directly make them money is ignored.

Our local Morrisons has cameras that register your plates on the way in and out, if more than 2hrs passes between you get mailed a fine. Employees are supposed to register their plate number to avoid this from happening to them.. Wouldn't suprise me if this is what happened to OP.

If it's a supermarket, you probably won't have to pay it. They send people invoices in the hopes that they'll mistake them for parking tickets and pay up. Do a little research on the subject but don't pay it until you do. My boyfriend received one for pulling into a supermarket car park to sleep a bit cause long-distance driving makes him tired and they issues him an invoice for £80. He's never paid it and they haven't persued it because they know they can't fine him for anything that would stand up in court.

forthelove82 7

Those extreme shoppers must get fined all the time if you were only there for 3 hours.

It's a supermarket, not a shopping mall. Who spends most of their day browsing groceries?

One of those people that are obsessed with savings, coupons and getting a good deal. You know, the type that stare at products and compare them as if it was a life or death choice. Lol But then again, you can do that for so long before needing to get home and back to your life. :|

Mommyof2_91 10

Well actually supermarkets can sell more than groceries... They can sell Food, household items, entertainment, clothes and lots more... So for some people it'd be possible to stay 3 hours.

mhopper 13

Actually extreme shoppers are quick when they shop. They know what they need and get out. I know because I'm one of them :)

Better than being towed? Seriously, was someone watching the car? I doubt there was a roadside meter keeping track...

I don't know where OP is from (using the app so I can't see), but over here we have this blue time indicator you have to put in your car window as soon as you park in certain places. You have to set the indicator to the moment you parked there. If 3 hours passed since then, any park guard / cop checking on it could give you a fine.

It depends on what type of parking system OP has where he works. Most supermarkets in my city have parking inspectors from the council who walk around the parking lot to make sure nobody stays too long. They'll usually mark each car's tire with chalk, and if the car is still there and the chalk is still visible after a couple of hours, a parking ticket will be issued.

thiscrazything 1

31, bullshit that you can't see it on the app. It clearly says United Kingdom next to his name. I'm on the app too.

Not on my app. I can take a picture of what it looks like if you want. (I'm on an android btw)

First of all, I apologize for the douche baggery of that comment, I was half awake at 6:30 in the morning. Second, oh ok I am on the iPod touch and it shows where OP is from next to the username.

There is sometimes a pay and display system, and parking officers or whatever they are check the times because you either pay for how long you're there for or there are time limits. Also there could be cameras to check.

Take it to the court, since you work there you won't have to pay it.

ohthebloodygore 16

Because there aren't more pressing matters to deal with in court.

8- Then maybe the law should do a better job of catching murderers and thieves instead of being all like "Well, I'll be, that car has been hur fo three hours, definitely writing this infidel up."

#8 That doesn't mean she can't. There's different levels of court, and one designed for this kind of thing.

ohthebloodygore 16

9- yes, that makes sense. We all know how killers and thieves like to go show off their "accomplishments". The two aren't even remotely alike. Car parked in the same place for 3 hours = obvious. Killer hiding = also obvious, according to you. Also I'm not sure if it's just England, but I do believe profession for "catching bad guys" and giving out tickets aren't the same one.

ohthebloodygore 16

10- wasn't the point. If everyone believed they were given a ticket for false reasons (and let's face it, everyone believes they don't deserve the ticket) court would be overflowed as it currently is. Should only be taken to court if they charged you a lot and you actually didn't deserve the ticket.

12- No. That's not what I was saying. What I was saying was that I don't think the po-po should be taking the time to go after the generally law-abiding citizens when it could be better spent actually solving the real problems in society. I'm no police officer, but that's just my take on how this BS generally goes down.

ohthebloodygore 16

15- As I said, different professions. People who hand out tickets to cars and cops are two different jobs. Some cops give out tickets for speeding and whatnot but for staying in a spot for too long? Nope, there's an actual profession for that.

16- A professional spot-watcher? Lol that seems like one of those bitchy d-bags who never quite grew up and just wants a legal excuse to ruin to someone's day as an adult. the British thought of everything. :D Jokes, but anyways yah I guess I didn't understand that part. I apologize, but I still say my argument holds true for how these situations generally end up working out, in America at least.

ohthebloodygore 16

What a shame it is that this was in the UK then. Actually I've been to America and some states have it as well. Yep your case holds up if it was a cop who gave the ticket.

16, I'm also from Australia we have police and parking inspectors!

#16 i agree, there are different departments in law enforcement agencies for a reason, not every cop in uniform is out there to chase bad guys or to right tickets. The one that wrote OP that ticket was doing his job

This was on private property, the police wouldn't give two ***** how long you parked there. Any business like this has their own paid personnel go around and give tickets to people who park too long - and I highly doubt that falls on the shoulders of the police even in the US. 5, You clearly don't know how the world works. That ticket wouldn't get overturned and now you'd have to pay the court fees. Congrats.

Yea the meter maids. Their profession is to **** up peoples day. I got a ticket two weeks ago for being 3 minutes over at a two hour parking

melibear89 7

Coming from a cop; yes there are officers who WILL go out of their way and ticket someone parked in the same spot for too long in some law enforcement agencies. Most places have it posted that you can only be parked in an area for so long and do have people (private personal) go around and mark the tires of the vehicles in their lots. If that vehicle with the chalk mark is still there three hours, five hours later they will get a ticket. There are also meter maid that go around booting and tickets vehicles that have unpaid tickets and are over their time limit. There is a separet court system for tickets and such it's called traffic court. You take the ticket to court present your case to the judge listen to the officer who issued the ticket then the judge will decide if the ticket was justified or not. In most cares you end up paying the plus the court fines. My guess would be that who ever (be it an officer,meter maid or private personal). Did not know OP was an employee of the store.

The police don't. Parking inspectors give out parking tickets. The police can, but they don't usually bother with it.

Not true. Employees often have to park in longer term car parks that are further away. It's totally normal. The short term parks are for customers.

22- You're a special kind of stupid Aren't you...

22- You're a special kind of stupid aren't you...

Nvm.. only read one of your earlier comments.. I'm sorry

Not all employers have parking spots designated for employees. Several supermarkets will have the closer parking spots for lazy customers. But OP shouldn't worry. He can dispute the fine and not worry about anything.

60 pound ticket? Sounds heavy :D Ok all jokes aside. Fight it man... if you don't win tell your manager about it.

Seems like you have a good case for not having to pay.

But it's not even nearing the end of the month yet...

Buy a poster board. In big caps, write "I work at the supermarket." Put the poster board on your windshield. Watch for cops, wait with donuts in hand. Make a new friend. Day is better.

N9ne_ZxxZxxZ_ 3

how do you expect op to be making friends with cops when he needs to be working?

thiscrazything 1

Right, maybe OP should just leave the doughnuts on the hood. Oh, wait, forgot about hungry birds, nevermind.

40- by casually checking outside the window every once in a while

melibear89 7

That really sucks OP. I hope you can fight it (this coming from a cop). It sounds like that ticket wasn't a justified ticket. They should of figured out that you might quite possibly be an employee of the super-market if you had not left.