tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3867547551512887454.post5568354402240139248..comments2023-07-25T11:18:58.991+01:00Comments on Mr Reasonable: More than 5,200 people end up paying for parking which was supposed to be free. Only in BarnetMr Reasonablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496421592535949071noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3867547551512887454.post-51504441945716214662013-01-17T14:18:32.401+00:002013-01-17T14:18:32.401+00:00Pay by Phone IS unarguably discriminatory - partic...Pay by Phone IS unarguably discriminatory - particularly when it is the only means of paying as in Westminster's motorcycle parking charge. Westminster's line is that it is "exploring alternatives" and that it will review them in AFTER the various pay by phone contracts and framework agreements have gone through. They said this during the 18 month bike parking trial back in 2009 and they're still saying it today now that those first contracts have expired and are being renewed. Platitudinous? You bet! From what I gather from a letter from Westminster Council leader Philippa Roe, anyone wishing to know more about the exploration of alternatives should contact Lambeth Council. The head of parking there is Raj Mistry ( rmistry@lambeth.gov.uk ). Lambeth are currently leading the procurement process to renew its and Westminster's (plus, I believe a couple of other councils') Pay by Phone contracts. A decision is due on the contracts tomorrow (Friday 18th Jan). The only way the Pay by Phone discrimination problem will be addressed is if enough people make a noise about it and keep doing so.Legolasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3867547551512887454.post-78922482196640069682013-01-17T11:29:52.189+00:002013-01-17T11:29:52.189+00:00what can be more insulting then not celebrating xm...what can be more insulting then not celebrating xmas? Answer: writing silly responses with more then an hint of xenophobia.Ronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10650599998897942111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3867547551512887454.post-74823555501687040432013-01-15T11:29:35.432+00:002013-01-15T11:29:35.432+00:00Hmm, even worse than I thought then. I don't r...Hmm, even worse than I thought then. I don't recall any notices telling me where I could buy a scratch card (gamble on winning the lottery so you can afford parking fine??!) or where a 'paypoint outlet' might be found, whatever one of them is.<br /><br />Mass civil disobedience might be in order here perhaps. Or a few people willing to challenge fines through the courts, or has this already been attempted? Car park flash mobs? A day when lots of people turn up in a car park, park without a ticket, leave notes on their cars and then send cheques to the council to cover their parking fees, or what the parking fees used to be before the 'new improved' system came into being?<br /><br />I don't know all the ins and outs of this, but you'd think after the Brian Coleman debacle, something would have been done.visitor from walesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3867547551512887454.post-45254436344978081752013-01-14T22:54:25.367+00:002013-01-14T22:54:25.367+00:00Welcome visitor from Wales! You are absolutely rig...Welcome visitor from Wales! You are absolutely right about it being a problem for some older drivers. However I would also say it is problem for the young and middle aged as well. Recently it took 6 attempts to get the pay by phone to accept my location number simply telling me it was an invalid location. Many people just give up and drive away - I've watched them do it! You can buy a scratch card or pay at a paypoint outlet but the wardens don't allow you any time so you will get a ticket if it takes more than a couple of minutes. The total irony is that while this was meant to save money it has actually cost a fortune in reduced parking income.Mr Reasonablehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13496421592535949071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3867547551512887454.post-34396801028786347452013-01-14T22:23:01.398+00:002013-01-14T22:23:01.398+00:00Not only were there no signs about free parking, t...Not only were there no signs about free parking, there aren't any signs telling you your cash won't work in the parking machines! When I was in the car park behind the old Torrington on a visit to London recently, I spent ages trying and failing to ram my coins into the machine before someone pulled up behind me and said I could only pay with a mobile phone and plastic card. Well I don't have a mobile phone and if I did I wouldn't be using it to read out a credit card number in the middle of a car park, so basically I was excluded from the privilege of paying an extortionate amount to park for a short visit to North Finchley High Street. After taking it in turns with my sister-in-law to do a bit of shopping/guard the car from over-eager car park wardens, we drove round the empty 'residents only parking' side streets and ended up parking in Sainsbury's for free (refund of fee if you spend a fiver).<br /><br />Even if we'd paid at Sainsbury's, it would have been cheaper than paying for the same time in the council's car park. What sort of crazy logic is that?<br /><br />I can't help feeling there's an equalities case to be brought against the council on its car parking policy - it's certainly discriminating against people who don't have mobile phones or plastic money and I'm sure it could be shown that this disadvantages the elderly and poor disproportionately, also people who don't use mobile phones for medical reasons (migraine trigger for instance), maybe the Deaf Community. But maybe you've thought of all these things already.<br /><br />Good luck with your fight against bureaucrazy Barnet. You need it!visitor from walesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3867547551512887454.post-8727652308547813092013-01-14T17:42:14.919+00:002013-01-14T17:42:14.919+00:00Exactly. It was a cynical gesture from someone who...Exactly. It was a cynical gesture from someone who doesn't even celebrate Christmas! And yes, to make it all the more insulting, parking is free on Sundays. Quite often now our town car park is fuller on Sundays! The Observerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17917994484905316801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3867547551512887454.post-14848961464983808332013-01-14T17:30:16.755+00:002013-01-14T17:30:16.755+00:00It was a gesture that looked good in the media. H...It was a gesture that looked good in the media. However, by keeping it a secret on the days the Council made £9k. I wonder how this compares with a normal weekend?<br /><br />I would have expected most people to have done their Christmas shopping by then anyway.<br /><br />Isn't parking on a Sunday normally free anyway?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3867547551512887454.post-58410013602712541292013-01-14T17:29:47.021+00:002013-01-14T17:29:47.021+00:00Shame is not something these psychopathic councill...Shame is not something these psychopathic councillors understand. I fear we will have to wait until the elections before we can begin to see anything other than asset stripping by them. I don't know of any of our customers who availed themselves of the so called free parking - they were in fear of getting a ticket.The Observerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17917994484905316801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3867547551512887454.post-17681041746903148152013-01-14T17:23:35.827+00:002013-01-14T17:23:35.827+00:00Brent Cross has 8000 free parking spaces.
It isn...Brent Cross has 8000 free parking spaces. <br /><br />It isn't hard to see why the High Street is withering on the vine.<br /><br />What we need are councillors who realise they need to do something bold and positive and help to revive the High Street.Mr Mustardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12522242686839965655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3867547551512887454.post-69562124660947318952013-01-14T17:22:03.683+00:002013-01-14T17:22:03.683+00:00We need a way to stop the council pulling this sor...We need a way to stop the council pulling this sort of stunt again. Did you pay for up to 2 hours parking during that weekend? If so, write and ask for your money back. if the council get a few hundred letters of that kind which become more trouble than they are worth they might think twice about their actions in the future.Mr Mustardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12522242686839965655noreply@blogger.com