Re: Parking rules 'could spell chaos'

gustavfenk@googlemail.com wrote:
> On Jan 12, 6:31 am, Doug <jag...@riseup.net> wrote:
> 
>>Oh dear! Even more problems for motorists?
>>
>>"New parking rules coming into force in England on 31 March will cause
>>"some chaos" for drivers and see the number of fines soar, the AA has
>>warned.
>>
>>Under the new system, there will be different levels of fine depending
>>on the offence and where it is committed.
>>
>>In some areas, the penalty for the most serious breaches will rise by
>>20% and the body which adjudicates on fines says it is expecting more
>>appeals.
>>
>>But the government insists the system will be fairer and "more
>>transparent".
>>
>>In 2005, the most recent year for which figures are available, 3.4m
>>parking tickets were issued at a cost of £200m to motorists..."
>>
>>More:
>>
>>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7184510.stm
>>
>>--
>>UK Radical Campaignswww.zing.icom43.net
>>"The car, more of a toilet than a convenience".
> 
> 
> One important part of these new rules which hasn't been discussed is
> that penalty notices can be issued by post to the vehicle's registered
> keeper and no longer have to be stuck on the windscreen. The first
> thing that you will know is when a parking fine demand arrives in the
> post one week after the alleged offence. Surely this is open to
> massive abuse by unscrupulous wardens and gives the accused driver no
> opportunity to gather evidence in his defence.

I have to agree that I don't like that bit at all.

In some towns (particularly Oxford and Brighton, both of which appear 
to be run by misanthropic lunatics - though I am well aware that they 
are not the only ones), I have taken to photographing the position of 
my car (using my camera phone) whenever it is left in any sort of 
on-street space, in order to avoid any arguments about "over the 
line", etc. It may now be necessary for more or less everyone to do 
the same.