Haringey Council - a triumph for common sense

The rather long and complicated sign - who has time to read a novella upon parking:

The PCN informal challenge:

There were obvious typing and grammar errors in Mr Mustard's submission but they didn't dilute the thrust of the challenges. Of course the sign was in two dimensions! Mr Mustard meant one sided.

There was no error in Haringey's response. They saw that they had got themselves into very hot water and would, if they denied this challenge and the next one, inevitably end up at the tribunal where they would receive six of the best.

A very nice acceptance letter followed:

So often cancellation letters are mealy mouthed and say things such as the same outcome won't necessarily be the case if the same situation occurs when it patently will so well done Haringey for owning your errors. Let's hope the sign department learn from this.

In Mr Mustard's opinion any suspension of this type in Haringey is susceptible to challenge.

The end.

Hackney Council FOI - 'Sorry' not in their vocabulary

 

Mount Pleasant Lane

Before we get to the purpose of the blog Mr Mustard just wants to say that if you drive through this gap you are an ignorant or an incompetent driver, you choose (why?, 6 signs, 6!). Remember Mr Mustard's mantra, 'planter = penalty' (probably). Still unsure? google 'flying motorbike sign'.

So here are the two responses received to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. The first one was patently wrong, there being no ambiguity in Mr Mustard's eyes.

If Hackney Council were unsure what was required they should have asked for clarification. Mr Mustard would have respected the council if they had simply said, 'sorry, we misunderstood what you wanted and here are the new figures' but instead they blame Mr Mustard for asking ambiguous questions, that is an unedifying approach.

It is very concerning that 1 in 8 PCNs have reached a bailiff. Part of the reason for this is the disaster which was DVLA in the early stages of the pandemic when they didn't have on line systems for updating the address at which a vehicle is kept.

On the positive side Hackney Council were more than fair in sending out zero value warning notices for 3 months which gave the people for whom this was a regular route the opportunity to chance their habits for free. Thereby Hackney achieved their objective of changing traffic flow without soaking the motorist in the process.

End.

Not quite the end as there is another story coming about this location, although Mr Mustard might let the newspapers have it.

Muddled of Manchester

Mr Mustard's client had paid and parked in Manchester and then wanted to visit another place about a mile away so she drove there and as there was time left on the parking receipt decided not to pay the same council any further monies. This was a misconceived idea but it turned out OK.

A traffic warden passed by and dished out a PCN for "Parked after the expiry of paid for time" as he/she didn't notice that the location paid for was not the one where the vehicle was parked (the receipt showed a code and not a street. Mr Mustard used a Freedom of Information request to identify the location paid for). Mr Mustard appealed on the basis that the contravention had not occurred. As you can see above the council agreed but they can't resist having a poke in their final sentence which rather dilutes their apology.

The council are wrong, if the pay & display ticket on display is for a different location then any PCN for being parked after paying must fail.

Mr Mustard's client won't make that mistake again but it may help anyone in the same situation.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard

Postscript from the son of the motorist concerned

Another donation heading towards the North London Hospice.