[Mark07]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9r3pq2zg75o

Initially it sounds like a positive forward step, but motoring groups aren't quite so convinced.

What do you think?
Would a 10 minute grace period have stopped you from getting a parking ticket?

[Drivingforfun]

This view is probably the minority one but part of me thinks if I go onto someone else's land, it's up to them to decide what the rules are and what terms I have to agree to

If I decide those terms are unfair, then I have the option to not enter the private land

If there is a private car park somewhere like near a hospital, and the landowners are exploiting their situation, maybe it's an alternative for the hospital or government to make some kind of compulsory purchase of the land and then run the car park in house

[Zubenelgenubi]

Ten extra mins would definitely have helped 😂😂

[Rolebama]

It seemed a stretch to me that the checkouts at two supermarkets reduced staff at around the same time as they passed car park management to a company 'they have no control over'. Because of the combined 35mins waiting, I outstayed my welcome by 15mins. I received seven letters in total, during which time their demand, with threats of legal action, went from £70 to £170 for 'late payment'. I did not communicate with them in any way, but both supermarket chains did get 'interesting' emails from me.

[Santa]

The hospital at which I was based had free parking. There was a proposal to introduce a charge and I joined a small party who stood and watched as cars drove in, and parked, and then the drivers and passengers would get into one car and continue their journeys. Later on, we saw people park and catch the bus (possibly using their free bus passes) into town for shopping.

[Drivingforfun]

@Santa

A relative works for the NHS and covers several sites but one of them is a GP surgery near a Tesco and it has some free parking, and he sees loads of people park there and come back with Tesco shopping. The Tesco itself has a free car park which is closer than the GP surgery, and the GP car park is very small and chaotic with cars having to park wherever there is a small gap

We can't figure out any reason why people would choose to have this little "victory" over the system when they could have just parked in Tesco anyway?

My relative does the opposite to avoid the chaos - parks in the Tesco and walks to the GP surgery to test the fire alarms

[Santa]

@Drivingforfun

The problems at our hospital car park only started when the nearby Teso imposed a two-hour limit on "free" parking. There was some discussion about that and we established that they allowed a 30-minute grace period.

That was one of the solutions for the hospital, but there were two main objections:

• It would mean the hospital having to take people to court and that was considered to be not a good look.
• The car park was seriously in need of some expensive work and there was no budget for it.

[Mark07]

Originally Posted by Rolebama

I outstayed my welcome by 15mins. I received seven letters in total, during which time their demand, with threats of legal action, went from £70 to £170 for 'late payment'.

Over the years I have paid parking tickets which I'm fairly sure were unenforceable. The language in the letters is intentionally intimidating and enough for me to just want it to go away.

[XamSquishy]

@Mark07
Car park operators are like the wild west. Many will threaten you with court and all sorts even though they have no authority.

[Drivingforfun]

In fairness I think anyone has the authority to act on a threat to take anyone else to court

Just most people (parking companies included) don't have the funds or time to go through with it

It kind of sounds a bit like the TV license people, for anyone who doesn't have a TV and knows the fun that can be 😂

[NMNeil]

I see it as a win for the parking companies.
After all you can get sympathy from everyone if you overstay by 1 minute before getting a ticket, but 10 minutes, there's no excuse to overstay that long.

[Beelzebub]

Originally Posted by NMNeil

I see it as a win for the parking companies.
After all you can get sympathy from everyone if you overstay by 1 minute before getting a ticket, but 10 minutes, there's no excuse to overstay that long.

Not quite everyone. The parking companies are not famous for sympathy.

[NMNeil]

The same can be said for many businesses.