I was done for parking on the grass verge of a dual cariageway at the weekend (A3 south, at a car boot sale nr Guildford). £30 fixed penalty which takes the shine off my bargain hunting.

OK, not a fortune, and I accept it wasn't a great place to park, although there were at least 30 other cars parked there and the layby was full, but I didn't think I'd committed an offence. I was clearly off the cariageway well inside the verge side of the solid white line.

The offence code is 499, which as far as I can see from the internet applies to designiated parking places - not obvoiusly relevant?? The description given is illegible but the bits I can read say "Stopping on ?????, parking on verg ??? to layby.

Anyone shine any light on what offence I've committed.

was it a clearway ie no parking and dod your parking obscure the view of a bend?

U DUN BAD

quote:

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Originally posted by Benzine
U DUN BAD

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I don't think its an offence as long as its not a clearway or theres any sign of parking restriction signs... Camera vans do it quite regular round here so next time you see one report him.

I would challenge the over zealous bastards. Its simply a money making scam. If you had been a hazard to other road user or the like I'm sure the nazi traffic department or worse, Vosa would have been there to physically remove your car.

At last a question I actually know the answer to!
The offence commited is deemed to be very serious and the police should spend many man-hours sorting out the scum that carry-out such evil deeds.
The offence is known as "Car Booting" and it applies to the sellers, who get up at stupid o'clock to sell their rubbish, and equally, the buyers who fight over a chipped ornament of a chaffinch, a metal bodied Black and Decker drill from the 70's and some old paperbacks.
The only mitigating defence applicable is if you find some good old tools for 30p.

Pay your ticket and vow never to do it again!!

[Edited on 17/7/08 by owelly]

oh and they have most likely taken a photo so don't start claiming you were attacked by a flying saucer and hiding behind a rock from the ray gun...ie don’t say

well then prove it didn’t happen…

[Edited on 17/7/08 by Mr Whippy]

I know on normal road situations that you can't park off the road when there are double yellow in place. wonder whwther it is seen to be a simular situation.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069860

Isn't a Dual Carriageway classed as a Clearway anyway (ie no parking) ?

I came back to my car the other day to find a note taped to my windscreen.

It said "Parking Fine" - well, it's always nice to get a compliment, isn't it...

Did you break one of these rules?

rule 239
do not park facing against the traffic flow

rule 240
a road marked with double white lines, except to pick up or set down passengers

rule 243
DO NOT stop or park opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction, except in an authorised parking space

rule244
You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London

rule 249
All vehicles MUST display parking lights when parked on a road or a lay-by on a road with a speed limit greater than 30 mph

rule 250
... at least 10 metres (32 feet) away from any junction, close to the kerb and facing in the direction of the traffic flow

[Edited on 17-7-2008 by smart51]

The scene of the crime...

http://www.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=51.276562,-0.519844&spn=0.002832,0.003535&t=h&z=18


In the bottom left 'grids' you can see where the sellers park. The car park is left of this. Some people choose to park along the dual carriageway though....



To be fair, there are loads of spaces inside the farm, it's just that there's a queue to get out and so people park all along the dual carriageway.

Whole thing's a bloomin nightmare when you drive past as there's no sliproad onto the A3 from the farm so people who've so recently purchased their chipped porcelain chaffinch are suddenly in front of you doing 5mph when you're doing 70!

God knows why they don't force the farm to have some sort of slip road!

Cheers,
James

[Edited on 17/7/08 by James]

jail

Thanks for your feedback, although I still don't know what I did wrong - I certainly was not doing any of the things you've suggested.

Anyway, I phoned the police to see if they could tell me and they've agreed to ask the police officer who issued the fine to call me. I didn't know they did that.