Was Link worker deserving of fine?

[Clevercat]

Fine way to treat a charity


A LINK scheme volunteer is furious after he received a parking ticket while waiting for a client to collect her prescription from Preddy’s chemist in Westbury High Street.
Derrick Dyer has been a volunteer driver for the Westbury and District LINK scheme since March and has completed well over 200 journeys for clients, taking them to doctors and hospital appointments and other such health related matters.
Whilst volunteering on the morning of Wednesday 24th September, Derrick had parked his Jaguar as close to the chemists as he could as his client had to pick up a prescription and found walking painful.
Although Derrick saw the single yellow line on which he was parked, he did not spot the small plaques mounted to the wall adjacent to the parking bay which stated there is to be no parking between 8.00am and 6.00pm on any day except Sundays.
He was fined £70, which was reduced to £35.
Derrick left his car shortly while his client visited the chemist. He said, “I actually wandered down the main high street and saw the traffic warden working her way through all the parked cars and thought nothing of it. I honestly didn’t think I was doing anything wrong.
“The loading bay is grossly inadequately signed. I go to a lot of towns and there’s usually a metal post on the edge of the pavement with clear instructions.”
A response from West Wiltshire District Council to Derrick’s appeal against the fine said “regarding your comments concerning the time plates on the wall, the single yellow line that you parked on would indicate the street has restrictions. The time plates are additional information.”
Derrick didn’t see the parking ticket until he got home because it had been placed in front of a 9” x 4” ‘hospital car’ sign which was stood up alongside his tax disc.
He said, “When I found the ticket I couldn’t believe it. I initially thought it was a joke because - like hundreds of other Westbury people - I’ve parked there for years.”
Derrick said that the signs which forbid public parking in the loading bay are not clear as they blend in with the brickwork and shop paraphernalia which surrounds them.
“There’s nothing written on the loading bay surface either, there’s just no obvious sign,” he said.
The fine was paid promptly but Derrick appealed to West Wiltshire District Council. He was told that “after careful consideration” the district council “found no grounds for the cancellation of the charge.”
Derrick - who drove 1,121 miles for the charity last month - said, “I’m sure they could see a hospital car sign and give us the benefit of the doubt. I’m really upset about the fact that they booked a charity car that was doing exactly the same service as an official ambulance car.
“Every step my client took was painful, and for her to walk from the main car park to the shops was ridiculous.
“I was really upset. It wasn’t the money, it was the principle of the thing. It was a charity doing a damn good job for the local townspeople.
“Yes i know that in a black and white, cold blooded world I broke the law. You can’t argue about that, but I’m driving for a charity. I drive unpaid, I’m in the caring business. I think the whole thing was cold hearted and completely unnecessary.”
Derrick suggested parking attendants should be allowed to act with more discretion which would allow them to review each case in turn.
Town councillor Charlie Finbow said, “He is a volunteer driver for a local charity that is a life-line for a lot of people in Westbury. In view of that fact the penalty, I feel, is rather harsh.
“My question would be: Can anyone clarify the difference between loading or unloading people and loading or unloading goods because I’m quite sure if Derrick had had a taxi sign on his car instead of ‘hospital car’ he would not have received the penalty.”
Town clerk Les Fry said that the town council would be highlighting the issues regarding the parking signs in an upcoming review of West Wiltshire’s town centres, but was unable to confirm a date that this review might occur.

 

Whitehorsenews.co.uk

I agree entirely with Charlies comments above.  People like Link workers should be given a bloody pat on the back not a parking ticket.

[cuthbert-murray]

in fairness to the traffic wardens,the guy was parked on a yellow line and it is very clearly marked now no parking between 8am till 6pm monday to saturday.
without sounding really horrible every day outside the shops we can not get our deliveries in the loading bay as it is always packed solid with people just parking there and this then means the delivery lorries have to double park and then cause mayhem to the flow off traffic inthe high street and beyond.
really this gentleman does a great job for charity and one i support fully, bur perhaps he should use a disabled blue badge on his car which most of the other link drivers do which the people they drive around mostly have, avoiding this scenario again.
on the traffic warden side they are extremley polite and very helpful and always pop in the shop to ask whos car is outside and if its one of our customers they always explain your not allowed to park there and advise them to move the car,otherwise they could and will get a fine.
speaking to and listening to the traffic wardens outside they always wait a tleast five minutes before they issue a ticket and are not acting like the media likes to percieve although they could if they where inclined to , i asked in preddies as well about this and the same thing with my shop the traffic wardens pop in and ask if anyone is parked outside,this to me is very helpful and reasonable, and although this guy has recieved a ticket he would have been well over the 5 minutes and if he was in preddies he would most certainley been aware of the situation.

another point i would like to say is all the staff in our shop when we pop out for a ciggy break tell people parking up they could get a ticket by parking there and we ususaly get ignored .just a different point of view  on my part but i do understand this gents frustration considering his great charity work he does

[MissyD]

I agree entirely with Charlies comments above.  People like Link workers should be given a bloody pat on the back not a parking ticket.

I agree that they do a fantastic job, both my in laws are part of the scheme....however this does not make them above the law. Single/double lines are there for a reason and people shouldnt be surprised if they get a ticket if they are caught.
I see it every day at work (not with link drivers) where people complain about getting a ticket for parking where they shouldnt. It causes traffic chaos and makes life very difficult for delivery drivers who genuinely need to stop in front of the businesses, not only that but cars regularly pull up onto the pavement causing an obstuction to pedestrians. For the most part it is just sheer laziness.

[Clevercat]

I could never be a parking Warden, I would have to let off all the old people for a start, just because they are normally so lovely, hahaha, I would have to let off anyone with so much as a hint of a sob story too............


I could never be a judge on something like X Factor either, could not be responsible for shattering someones dream.

[charlie finbow]

I think Mike has slightly got it wrong.  Link Drivers are mostly able bodied personal who give up their time generously to help the citizens of Westbury and as such, because they themselves do not have a dissability, do not qualify for a blue badge, however if the client has a blue badge then the driver, whilst transporting that client, is entitled to display the clients blue badge.  I still stand by what I say the fine was a bit harsh.   Secondly why should that rank of shops have exclusive rights to a loading bay when those shops have rear access.  A service road leads round by Preddys to the other shops on that side of the high street, why cant the shops who seem to have this exclusive right to accept their delivery's via the front door have it via their rear access to their shops.   It would free up 6 more short time parking spaces say 20 Min's parking no return within 2 hours, the shops would still be able to accept delivery's without them coming through the front door and causing disruption to customers.   People are quick to say we are losing spaces from the market place so this could be a solution, the only downside is that delivery drivers would have to walk a few steps further.   Food for thought.