Woman's £167 fine for seven seconds of stopping car (From Southend Standard)
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Woman's £167 fine for seven seconds of stopping car
10:20am Tuesday 8th January 2013 in Echo News By Emma Thomas
Woman slapped with £167 fine by Southend Council spy car after pulling over for seven seconds
A daughter says she will fight all the way to court after she was slapped with a fine for stopping her car for SEVEN seconds.
Susan Hatton pulled over at the end of a bus stop in Eastwood Road North, Leigh, to let her 84-year-old father, Ken, out.
Southend Council’s spy car spotted her and slapped her with a £35 ticket including two pictures of her dropping her dad off - one with the passenger door open taken at 11.21am and 38 seconds and by 11.21am and 45 seconds he was completely out of the car.
Mrs Hatton, 61, said: “My father was 84 at the time and six weeks later he was in hospital with pneumonia. He has emphysema in both lungs and he can’t walk that far. I thought why get a blue badge as he only goes up the road.
“I didn’t even get out the car.”
The fine came through the post stating she had been watched for one minute pulling over in the bus stop.
Mrs Hatton, who lives in Leigh, appealed but it was rejected and bailiffs instructed to chase her for the bill which has now spiralled to £167.
She says she will take the case to court if she has to.
She said: “£167 for all of ten seconds or less.
“We are talking about a few seconds and I wasn’t parked I’d stopped to let him out. I’d like to go to court, I want to have my say. It doesn’t seem at all fair that it can go on for a year and I haven’t been taken to court.
“It must have cost them a fortune to do this.”
Derek Kenyon, Southend Council’s parking manager, said the council had rejected the challenge.
He said: “However – as with all our correspondence- when we sent our response we also included details of the next stage of the process, if the objector wished to take the matter further.
“The latest communications we have sent to the resident also give information about the procedure. If the resident wishes to continue with her challenge we would strongly advise the follow the steps given in the details provided.”
Comments(62)
Sir Peter Pantsless the 3rd
says...
10:48am Tue 8 Jan 13
.
I'm guessing you must be a product of the Anna Waite droid army legacy.
.
You must have been assimilated!
.
You have no doubt had your EPROM reprogrammed with the SBC Tory ethos of 'revenue at all costs'.
english_cj
says...
11:13am Tue 8 Jan 13
Nebs
says...
11:30am Tue 8 Jan 13
english_cj wrote:Common sense would mean getting a blue badge. She made the conscious decision not to get one, then broke the law, then complains when she was caught. If she gets away with this then the rest of the driving public, who obey the law, will lose faith in the system.
I'm all for upholding parking regulations in the interest of safety and reducing congestion, but in situations like this common sense needs to be applied otherwise the public lose confidence in the system.
Test Tickle
says...
11:30am Tue 8 Jan 13
davedobbin
says...
11:32am Tue 8 Jan 13
colsmith
says...
11:32am Tue 8 Jan 13
english_cj wrote:Glad you mentioned it and I agree with you. The words "common sense" and anything similar related to the local Authority are severely misplaced. The Council insults our intelligence by ignoring the fact that most rate payers with more than half a brain cell are quite aware that it is greed coupled with extremely poor management be the motivating factors behind the Council's "operation" to acquire as much money as possible utilising any method they are able. All Councils are "run" by people usually berift of any ability to think other than an automaton. They are in office a short period and what the ratepayer thinks is almost totally irrelevant. Do not pay the amount Mrs. Hatton under any circumstances and do not be detered by the threat of bailiffs.....Stand up to the morons and the best of luck.
I'm all for upholding parking regulations in the interest of safety and reducing congestion, but in situations like this common sense needs to be applied otherwise the public lose confidence in the system.
Rouge9
says...
11:42am Tue 8 Jan 13
Alan Jacobs
says...
2:29pm Tue 8 Jan 13
the situation is so bad in billericay now that i have fitted my numberplates with velcro.
When i take my mum up the high street i quickly whip em off and put em back on around the corner.
If a Cuntstable of the law pulls me over I would feign ignorance and say theyv'e been nicked..............
.
Alan Jacobs
says...
2:32pm Tue 8 Jan 13
Rouge9 wrote:of course they are , they never speed either or drop litter..............
Keep appealing, while it is in the process of appeal, baliffs cannot be employed, and for the Trolls who say "you broke the law" I trust you are whiter than white when parking/stopping for a few seconds to let a passenger out ?
.....
volunteer driver
says...
2:47pm Tue 8 Jan 13
Displeased of Shoebury
says...
3:19pm Tue 8 Jan 13
Southend Parking Manager what is that? Tea boy in a suite
Cockle
says...
3:44pm Tue 8 Jan 13
volunteer driver wrote:Perfectly correct with regard to single or double yellows however Highway code Rule 243 states that you cannot STOP or park at a bus stop, tram stop or taxi rank. Had Mrs Hatton stopped a few yards away on the double yellows then she would have a defence, as you state, sadly, for her she didn't and STOPPED in the bus stop marked with a wide solid yellow line and has therefore fallen foul of Rule 243.
The appeal panel in the case of Gould v Shepway Council ruked that it is pemissable to stop to pick up or drop off an eldery disabled or minor which includes taking them to or from a place of safety The costs that Derek Kenyon incurrs the Council by apeals must cost thousands of pounds He could quite easily be made redunant
Incidentally, having a blue badge is also not a defence against contravention of Rule 243, although some seem to think it is a licence to park anywhere at any time.......
DogsMessInLeigh
says...
3:55pm Tue 8 Jan 13
its not worth fighting, she was in the wrong should have took it on the chin and coughed up the £30 fine and think not to park in/use the bus stop again, guess that sneaky spy car must of already been there seeing as we are talking seconds, she should have looked around first to see if the coast was clear then she may have seen it, the amount has escalated and could go further...the £30 seems a small amount now, also i thought they filmed longer than that before the issue tickets., funnily enough the other day it was raining and the spy car had a victim in its sights....but the lens must of been covered in water, so the little chap got out really fast and cleaned the lens and jumped back in before the victim escaped....he did move fast too.
AndyBSG
says...
4:11pm Tue 8 Jan 13
We're saying she should be let off because it was only 7 seconds, what if it was 14 seconds or 10 seconds or a minute?
By that logic if I go up to a stranger in the street am I allowed to punch them in the face and get away with it but if I punch them 2 times or maybe 5 times then I should be prosecuted?
The law is the law and if you break it you run the risk of getting caught.
Keptquiettillnow
says...
4:19pm Tue 8 Jan 13
You got caught Ms Hatton, pay up.
maywood
says...
4:41pm Tue 8 Jan 13
J_blond
says...
4:43pm Tue 8 Jan 13
Alan Jacobs wrote:I think when they see the velcro attached to your car they'll have something to say - for a start they won't let you drive it away, as it won't be displaying a numberplate. They'll either impound it, or let you make arrangements, but I doubt they'll leave you.
These Spy camera cars are out of hand and just there to raise revenue. the situation is so bad in billericay now that i have fitted my numberplates with velcro. When i take my mum up the high street i quickly whip em off and put em back on around the corner. If a Cuntstable of the law pulls me over I would feign ignorance and say theyv'e been nicked.............. .
If you're caught driving without numberplates that's even worse, the car will be deemed unroadworthy and will be impounded, and you'll face points and a fine...
Overthegate
says...
4:44pm Tue 8 Jan 13
Play-Off Pete
says...
4:55pm Tue 8 Jan 13
Does this work in your favour?
Carnabackable
says...
4:55pm Tue 8 Jan 13
Rouge9
says...
5:07pm Tue 8 Jan 13
Play-Off Pete wrote:No, because by paying you are accepting the guilty verdict/fine
In such circumstances - generally speaking - is it best to pay first; then appeal??? Does this work in your favour?
BIRLIS
says...
6:50pm Tue 8 Jan 13
Rouge9 wrote:No, but if you break the law you take it on the chin if you get caught, not cry to the paper.
Keep appealing, while it is in the process of appeal, baliffs cannot be employed, and for the Trolls who say "you broke the law" I trust you are whiter than white when parking/stopping for a few seconds to let a passenger out ?
You make a decision to chance parking illegally, speed, whatever for your own reasons. You know the risks if you get caught.
tippy2001
says...
7:29pm Tue 8 Jan 13
jolllyboy
says...
8:00pm Tue 8 Jan 13
DogsMessInLeigh
says...
8:49pm Tue 8 Jan 13
maywood wrote:Yes maybe some of us do stop where we shouldn't...but the differance is i wouldn't cry about it if i did get a ticket, just face up be a man and cough up the fine..
Its just a case of "Go out and catch as many as possible",we all know its a cash cow,and to those of you makeing comments regarding should not have stoped there,no doubt you have never done anything wrong,no doubt compassion should have prevailed here,surely the spy car driver was able to see the man get out of the car and was not able to walk,I had a similar thing happen to me sitting in the car waiting just for another driver to pull away just seconds to take a parking space, spy camera got me,,I made an appeal and won.
Kentish Alex
says...
10:55pm Tue 8 Jan 13
woolstone
says...
11:27pm Tue 8 Jan 13
WhateverS
says...
3:10am Wed 9 Jan 13
english_cj wrote:In your view we can all brake the law just because it suit us.
I'm all for upholding parking regulations in the interest of safety and reducing congestion, but in situations like this common sense needs to be applied otherwise the public lose confidence in the system.
You muppet!!!
WhateverS
says...
3:14am Wed 9 Jan 13
Cockle wrote:Hear hear!!!!
volunteer driver wrote:Perfectly correct with regard to single or double yellows however Highway code Rule 243 states that you cannot STOP or park at a bus stop, tram stop or taxi rank. Had Mrs Hatton stopped a few yards away on the double yellows then she would have a defence, as you state, sadly, for her she didn't and STOPPED in the bus stop marked with a wide solid yellow line and has therefore fallen foul of Rule 243.
The appeal panel in the case of Gould v Shepway Council ruked that it is pemissable to stop to pick up or drop off an eldery disabled or minor which includes taking them to or from a place of safety The costs that Derek Kenyon incurrs the Council by apeals must cost thousands of pounds He could quite easily be made redunant
Incidentally, having a blue badge is also not a defence against contravention of Rule 243, although some seem to think it is a licence to park anywhere at any time.......
She WILL lose with costs against her
Brunning999
says...
5:27am Wed 9 Jan 13
WhateverS wrote:A very good return comment.
Cockle wrote:Hear hear!!!!
volunteer driver wrote:Perfectly correct with regard to single or double yellows however Highway code Rule 243 states that you cannot STOP or park at a bus stop, tram stop or taxi rank. Had Mrs Hatton stopped a few yards away on the double yellows then she would have a defence, as you state, sadly, for her she didn't and STOPPED in the bus stop marked with a wide solid yellow line and has therefore fallen foul of Rule 243.
The appeal panel in the case of Gould v Shepway Council ruked that it is pemissable to stop to pick up or drop off an eldery disabled or minor which includes taking them to or from a place of safety The costs that Derek Kenyon incurrs the Council by apeals must cost thousands of pounds He could quite easily be made redunant
Incidentally, having a blue badge is also not a defence against contravention of Rule 243, although some seem to think it is a licence to park anywhere at any time.......
She WILL lose with costs against her
ChampKind
says...
9:41am Wed 9 Jan 13
Carnabackable
says...
12:35pm Wed 9 Jan 13
DogsMessInLeigh
says...
1:29pm Wed 9 Jan 13
ly.....spooky.
Devils Advocate
says...
1:49pm Wed 9 Jan 13
This at least will mean the end of people verbally (or worse) assaulting our poor old parking officers when they return to their car and find them writing a ticket.
Also remember, the traffic officers would be breaking the law if they had started writing your ticket and then stopped because you appealed to them. So nobody here will be trying that on? Remember, the officer will get dismissed if he is caught giving favour to a law-breaker.
Perhaps, in the light of this new understanding, a few more of you will try for this job with the council?
r6keith
says...
2:13pm Wed 9 Jan 13
Like above you might not be happy about this ticket but laws are laws you should have bitten the bullet and paid. Sorry.
drofmor1
says...
3:29pm Wed 9 Jan 13
Nebs
says...
5:24pm Wed 9 Jan 13
Kentish Alex wrote:Why don't you stand. See how many votes you get. A lot of motorists are fed up with the small minority that think the law doesn't apply to them. If you get voted in then make it free parking everywhere and get rid of all parking restrictions and let people park anywhere they like, then watch the town grind to a halt.
SBC are nothing more than fatcat uncaring bullies. Time for a pro motorist candidate to get voted in and knock some humanity into them.
Shoebury_Cyclist
says...
5:59pm Wed 9 Jan 13
Sir Peter Pantsless the 3rd wrote:But it's only taking revenue from those ignorant drivers who think they're above the law.
Derek Kenyan do you have an any common sense, or even a functioning braincell?
.
I'm guessing you must be a product of the Anna Waite droid army legacy.
.
You must have been assimilated!
.
You have no doubt had your EPROM reprogrammed with the SBC Tory ethos of 'revenue at all costs'.
That's all good with me.
stopmoaning1
says...
6:50pm Wed 9 Jan 13
Set down and pick up on broad yellow line = illegal
Pay up, shut up
paulatepc
says...
6:55pm Wed 9 Jan 13
http://www.horncastl
enews.co.uk/news/cri
me/tattershall-man-f
ined-after-assault-1
-4613310
I thought we were supposed to be a compassionate society.
paulatepc
says...
6:58pm Wed 9 Jan 13
davedobbin wrote:--and yet in Wickford there is a bus stop actually on the zebra crossing zig zag lines!!!
If there was a single broad yellow line alongside the bus stop then she should not have stopped there even for 7 seconds unless she was driving a bus.
Lesson - even the rule makes break the rules sometimes...
Likesalist
says...
7:03pm Wed 9 Jan 13
Anna Waite
says...
7:43pm Wed 9 Jan 13
Sir Peter Pantsless the 3rd wrote:I opposed the spy cars and refused to introduce them, preferring instead to put the 'wardens' onto mopeds or bikes and to use static cctv in particularly dangerous black spots. It was my successor Cllr Flewit who brought them in. I still oppose them and think they do the image of Southend no good at all.
Derek Kenyan do you have an any common sense, or even a functioning braincell?
.
I'm guessing you must be a product of the Anna Waite droid army legacy.
.
You must have been assimilated!
.
You have no doubt had your EPROM reprogrammed with the SBC Tory ethos of 'revenue at all costs'.
As for 'droid army' how little you really know.
Devils Advocate
says...
8:19pm Wed 9 Jan 13
tippy2001
says...
9:20pm Wed 9 Jan 13
stopmoaning1
says...
10:17pm Wed 9 Jan 13
tippy2001 wrote:Couldn't agre more. Yes enforce the rules but don't break them in doing so. In response to the broken down car receiving a ticket, a broken down car is a lawful reason for a vehicle to stop on zig zags at crossings so should be the same for the wide yellow line, i would certainly appeal that as it must be the same. I wouldnt bother for the second one that stopped to help though
But it is ok for the traffic wardens to break the law as I saw at about 7:45pm tonight I drove past 3 traffic wardens giving just 1 car a parking ticket that was parked in a proper parking bay & guess where the traffic wardens car was parked if you haven't guessed it was in a bus stop so it looks like one rule for one & another rule for the other & I thought they were punishing the people breaking the law when they break the law themselves so who is going to punish them then ????
aspokesman
says...
12:40am Thu 10 Jan 13
aspokesman
says...
12:40am Thu 10 Jan 13
Rich"Carol
says...
8:51am Thu 10 Jan 13
Shoebury_Cyclist
says...
9:27am Thu 10 Jan 13
tippy2001 wrote:Certain vehicles are exempt from parking rules in the execution of their duties, this includes police, ambulance, fire, and parking enforcement vehicles.
But it is ok for the traffic wardens to break the law as I saw at about 7:45pm tonight I drove past 3 traffic wardens giving just 1 car a parking ticket that was parked in a proper parking bay & guess where the traffic wardens car was parked if you haven't guessed it was in a bus stop so it looks like one rule for one & another rule for the other & I thought they were punishing the people breaking the law when they break the law themselves so who is going to punish them then ????
I don't see anything to complain about, if you don't want a parking fine then don't park illegally. It's pretty simple really.
Essex Medja
says...
10:11am Thu 10 Jan 13
Rich"Carol wrote:That's good then, because the drivers of those so called spy cars are paid by us the taxpayer to enforce the laws we the voters have signed up to.
I wont say what I feel about the spy cars and the drivers of them because if I did I would be kicked off of this site and would be terrorised by the mongrels that agree with spy cars, so I will say nothing.
.
Win win all round as those who fail to abide by the majority view get fined and contribute to the common good.
Rouge9
says...
10:42am Thu 10 Jan 13
Essex Medja wrote:I don't ever recall being asked to vote or even for my agreement on some of the "laws" we have. However by voting people in, we say you do the job for us. If they do what we don't like and stay quiet, then we are complicit in its execution upon us.
Rich"Carol wrote: I wont say what I feel about the spy cars and the drivers of them because if I did I would be kicked off of this site and would be terrorised by the mongrels that agree with spy cars, so I will say nothing.That's good then, because the drivers of those so called spy cars are paid by us the taxpayer to enforce the laws we the voters have signed up to. . Win win all round as those who fail to abide by the majority view get fined and contribute to the common good.
It is only by challenging rules that we can get any change. This fine the woman had, while "correct" is wrong (imo) as discretion could have been used. By draconian enforcement we end up with a them/us state where we become too scared to do anything. The Labour government started this with their banning of politcal protest. And we now live in a socielty fearing a minor transgression.
tippy2001
says...
11:13am Thu 10 Jan 13
Shoebury_Cyclist wrote:Traffic wardens are not allowed to park there own personal cars while working to issue a ticket to someone as this makes the ticket void cause for example it would be like a fireman starting an illegal fire to do there jobs & as a matter of fact I've seen tv programs & newspapers where police cars have had a parking tickets for breaking the law where they have parked illegally
tippy2001 wrote: But it is ok for the traffic wardens to break the law as I saw at about 7:45pm tonight I drove past 3 traffic wardens giving just 1 car a parking ticket that was parked in a proper parking bay & guess where the traffic wardens car was parked if you haven't guessed it was in a bus stop so it looks like one rule for one & another rule for the other & I thought they were punishing the people breaking the law when they break the law themselves so who is going to punish them then ????Certain vehicles are exempt from parking rules in the execution of their duties, this includes police, ambulance, fire, and parking enforcement vehicles. I don't see anything to complain about, if you don't want a parking fine then don't park illegally. It's pretty simple really.
stopmoaning1
says...
11:37am Thu 10 Jan 13
tippy2001 wrote:All emergency vehicles - including Coastguard, are exempt from parking rules in 'the execution of their duty' which is why you woud have seen tickets on police vehicles if they had just gone to get some chips. The key here is EMERGENCY vehicles. 'Traffic Enforcement' vehicles? I don't think so
Shoebury_Cyclist wrote:Traffic wardens are not allowed to park there own personal cars while working to issue a ticket to someone as this makes the ticket void cause for example it would be like a fireman starting an illegal fire to do there jobs & as a matter of fact I've seen tv programs & newspapers where police cars have had a parking tickets for breaking the law where they have parked illegally
tippy2001 wrote: But it is ok for the traffic wardens to break the law as I saw at about 7:45pm tonight I drove past 3 traffic wardens giving just 1 car a parking ticket that was parked in a proper parking bay & guess where the traffic wardens car was parked if you haven't guessed it was in a bus stop so it looks like one rule for one & another rule for the other & I thought they were punishing the people breaking the law when they break the law themselves so who is going to punish them then ????Certain vehicles are exempt from parking rules in the execution of their duties, this includes police, ambulance, fire, and parking enforcement vehicles. I don't see anything to complain about, if you don't want a parking fine then don't park illegally. It's pretty simple really.
stopmoaning1
says...
11:37am Thu 10 Jan 13
tippy2001 wrote:All emergency vehicles - including Coastguard, are exempt from parking rules in 'the execution of their duty' which is why you woud have seen tickets on police vehicles if they had just gone to get some chips. The key here is EMERGENCY vehicles. 'Traffic Enforcement' vehicles? I don't think so
Shoebury_Cyclist wrote:Traffic wardens are not allowed to park there own personal cars while working to issue a ticket to someone as this makes the ticket void cause for example it would be like a fireman starting an illegal fire to do there jobs & as a matter of fact I've seen tv programs & newspapers where police cars have had a parking tickets for breaking the law where they have parked illegally
tippy2001 wrote: But it is ok for the traffic wardens to break the law as I saw at about 7:45pm tonight I drove past 3 traffic wardens giving just 1 car a parking ticket that was parked in a proper parking bay & guess where the traffic wardens car was parked if you haven't guessed it was in a bus stop so it looks like one rule for one & another rule for the other & I thought they were punishing the people breaking the law when they break the law themselves so who is going to punish them then ????Certain vehicles are exempt from parking rules in the execution of their duties, this includes police, ambulance, fire, and parking enforcement vehicles. I don't see anything to complain about, if you don't want a parking fine then don't park illegally. It's pretty simple really.
stopmoaning1
says...
11:40am Thu 10 Jan 13
tippy2001
says...
11:57am Thu 10 Jan 13
stopmoaning1 wrote:That's my point & im not too sure about the spy car if they have been given that rule & I've even seen the spy car miss a few cars out when they have been in loading bays & double yellow lines even when they could of parked up safely themselves & other days I've seen them parking illegally to take photos of cars that where there back wheels have just been on the loading bay or double yellow lines
tippy2001 wrote:All emergency vehicles - including Coastguard, are exempt from parking rules in 'the execution of their duty' which is why you woud have seen tickets on police vehicles if they had just gone to get some chips. The key here is EMERGENCY vehicles. 'Traffic Enforcement' vehicles? I don't think soShoebury_Cyclist wrote:Traffic wardens are not allowed to park there own personal cars while working to issue a ticket to someone as this makes the ticket void cause for example it would be like a fireman starting an illegal fire to do there jobs & as a matter of fact I've seen tv programs & newspapers where police cars have had a parking tickets for breaking the law where they have parked illegallytippy2001 wrote: But it is ok for the traffic wardens to break the law as I saw at about 7:45pm tonight I drove past 3 traffic wardens giving just 1 car a parking ticket that was parked in a proper parking bay & guess where the traffic wardens car was parked if you haven't guessed it was in a bus stop so it looks like one rule for one & another rule for the other & I thought they were punishing the people breaking the law when they break the law themselves so who is going to punish them then ????Certain vehicles are exempt from parking rules in the execution of their duties, this includes police, ambulance, fire, and parking enforcement vehicles. I don't see anything to complain about, if you don't want a parking fine then don't park illegally. It's pretty simple really.
Firestormgjc
says...
1:21pm Thu 10 Jan 13
stopmoaning1 wrote:As well as the SEVEN Seconds bit
Anyway, another misleading Echo headline. The woman was NOT fined £167 for stopping for seven seconds. She received the standard penalty which SHE has now escelated by refusing to this amount by not accepting she had stopped illeagaly
>>including two pictures of her dropping her dad off - one with the passenger door open taken at 11.21am and 38 seconds and by 11.21am and 45 seconds he was completely out of the car
r6keith
says...
1:59pm Thu 10 Jan 13
HK9597
says...
3:45pm Thu 10 Jan 13
She's always stopping for 7 seconds.
Calculate it over a year, and she has parked illegally for hours... :-)
Essex Medja
says...
8:17pm Thu 10 Jan 13
troopdogg says...
10:39am Tue 8 Jan 13