Parking fines

[fontana]

We just got a parking fine.
My Wife went to Lidl to do some shopping, and afterwards went to some other shops without realizing they had a 90 minute car park limit.
The letter contains a photo of the car entering the car park, and leaving, with the times.
So it's an ANPR type system.
Now I'm not bothered about the actual fine.
Wife was in the wrong, so we'll just have to take it on the chin, but what I am angry about is that a supermarket can so easily get hold of anyone's address.
I've written to Athena parking with this question.
Isn't this a breach of data protection ?
What do you think.

[David_S_Walker]

Hello,

Post the circumstances of the ticket up on www.pepipoo.com where you should receive very good advice with regards "Private Parking Tickets".

Good luck.

Best regards,

David

[milleplod]

We just got a parking fine.
My Wife went to Lidl to do some shopping, and afterwards went to some other shops without realizing they had a 90 minute car park limit.
The letter contains a photo of the car entering the car park, and leaving, with the times.
So it's an ANPR type system.
Now I'm not bothered about the actual fine.
Wife was in the wrong, so we'll just have to take it on the chin, but what I am angry about is that a supermarket can so easily get hold of anyone's address.
I've written to Athena parking with this question.
Isn't this a breach of data protection ?
What do you think.

No, its not a breach of DP. 'Interested parties' can have access to the database, as long as they can show they have a genuine need for the information.

My 84-year old mum got one around 4 weeks ago from Parking Eye courtesy of the local Aldi's identical rules, enforced by ANPR and photos. I contacted Aldi on her behalf - she'd bumped into a couple of friends, nattered for ages, it takes her a fair old time to shop anyway, more nattering etc etc - Aldi weren't interested in getting the ticket written off without 'evidence of shopping on the day, plus evidence of frequent prior visits to the store'. As I pointed out to them, who the hell saves grocery receipts just in case you get a parking ticket to defend 2/3 weeks later??!

Strangely enough, it was Parking Eye who were more than reasonable! I wrote them a letter explaining what had happened - they wrote a letter back a few days later to say that they appreciated mum had taken longer than allowed and that they'd write off the ticket. To say I was amazed is an understatement - I was expecting to have to battle it out!

Pete

[Grip Fast]

So we like Parking Eye, but we're boycotting Lidl.

What do we want?
Longer than 90 minutes to do our shopping!
When do we want it?
Now!

Reminds me of the woman who was hit by a parking fine from a famous burger chain, because her son had left something behind in the restaurant, and she went back for it within the "no return" period.

It's legalised theft in my book.

[milleplod]

So we like Parking Eye, but we're boycotting Lidl.

What do we want?
Longer than 90 minutes to do our shopping!
When do we want it?
Now!

Reminds me of the woman who was hit by a parking fine from a famous burger chain, because her son had left something behind in the restaurant, and she went back for it within the "no return" period.

It's legalised theft in my book.

I hate Parking Eye on principle, on this occasion they did the right thing though. I love Aldi and we shop there all the time, on this occasion they did the wrong thing though, and showed no interest in correcting it.

I agree - legalised theft....but I think Scotland has legislation that better serves 'the motorist', rather than the parking companies.

Pete

[Grip Fast]

Boycotting Aldi as well then - I missed that your beef was with Aldi. Boycotting Lidl for fontana.

Dunno about the Scottish legislation - I'm living in exile - but it sounds about right.

[fontana]

So we like Parking Eye, but we're boycotting Lidl.

What do we want?
Longer than 90 minutes to do our shopping!
When do we want it?
Now!

Reminds me of the woman who was hit by a parking fine from a famous burger chain, because her son had left something behind in the restaurant, and she went back for it within the "no return" period.

It's legalised theft in my book.

Did you read my post.
If you did, perhaps you could point out to me where exactly I complained about the fine itself

Er no, I didn't
My grip is how relatively easy it is for these organisations to obtain personal information.

[milleplod]

So we like Parking Eye, but we're boycotting Lidl.

What do we want?
Longer than 90 minutes to do our shopping!
When do we want it?
Now!

Reminds me of the woman who was hit by a parking fine from a famous burger chain, because her son had left something behind in the restaurant, and she went back for it within the "no return" period.

It's legalised theft in my book.

Did you read my post.
If you did, perhaps you could point out to me where exactly I complained about the fine itself

Er no, I didn't
My grip is how relatively easy it is for these organisations to obtain personal information.

Did you read his?!

Anyway, griping about access to the information held by DVLA is understandable, but ultimately pointless - its legal, and that won't change anytime soon, or at all.

Pete

[Grip Fast]

So we like Parking Eye, but we're boycotting Lidl.

What do we want?
Longer than 90 minutes to do our shopping!
When do we want it?
Now!

Reminds me of the woman who was hit by a parking fine from a famous burger chain, because her son had left something behind in the restaurant, and she went back for it within the "no return" period.

It's legalised theft in my book.

Did you read my post.
If you did, perhaps you could point out to me where exactly I complained about the fine itself,

Er no, I didn't
My grip is how relatively easy it is for these organisations to obtain personal information.

Can you point out in my post where I said you complained about the fine? I'm complaining about the fine. I'm offering to boycott Lidl (I've never, to my knowledge, shopped in Lidl, so it's no biggie) in support of what I see as a gross injustice (even if you don't), and that's the gratitude I get.

[fontana]

Can you point out in my post where I said you complained about the fine?

What do we want?
Longer than 90 minutes to do our shopping!
When do we want it?
Now.

No
As I said, my Wife made the mistake.
The time restriction was clearly displayed.
She just didn't see it.
I don't have a problem the fine.
If they didn't impose restrictions, people would just use it as an all day car park, losing them business.
I completely understand the need to use a deterrent to stop this from happening.
What I don't like is that the DVLA will just hand out personal information to whoever is prepared to pay for it.
I am working on the assumption that they get their cut.

[Herb]

Can you point out in my post where I said you complained about the fine?

What do we want?
Longer than 90 minutes to do our shopping!
When do we want it?
Now.

No
As I said, my Wife made the mistake.
The time restriction was clearly displayed.
She just didn't see it.
I don't have a problem the fine.
If they didn't impose restrictions, people would just use it as an all day car park, losing them business.
I completely understand the need to use a deterrent to stop this from happening.
What I don't like is that the DVLA will just hand out personal information to whoever is prepared to pay for it.
I am working on the assumption that they get their cut.

Whether we like it or not, we are all products now, to be sold and bought as and when required.

DVLA sell your details to all and sundry, including some unsavoury types, at least in the past.

Insurance companies, banks, supermarkets, social media, the list goes on and on, all selling you to the highest bidder.

[Grip Fast]

Can you point out in my post where I said you complained about the fine?

What do we want?
Longer than 90 minutes to do our shopping!
When do we want it?
Now.

No
As I said, my Wife made the mistake.
The time restriction was clearly displayed.
She just didn't see it.
I don't have a problem the fine.
If they didn't impose restrictions, people would just use it as an all day car park, losing them business.
I completely understand the need to use a deterrent to stop this from happening.
What I don't like is that the DVLA will just hand out personal information to whoever is prepared to pay for it.
I am working on the assumption that they get their cut.

So, you don't mind the fine, but object to them being able to deliver the fine notification to the owner of the vehicle? I still don't see where I said that you objected to the fine. I completely understand your original post. I did read it. I find the fine objectionable (even if you don't). I don't understand how you expect them to deliver the fine if they don't get your address from somewhere. When I go shopping, I want to get it over and done with. I don't spend my time looking at notice boards. I assume the company will be joyfully grateful for my business and won't go issuing me with totally unjustified fines for using their car park for a few minutes longer than they deem permissible, the ungrateful... (stuck for words). Anyway, I'm still angry about the fine.

[fontana]

So, you don't mind the fine, but object to them being able to deliver the fine notification to the owner of the vehicle?.

The thing is, parking fines are usually issued to people who park on the public roads.
In those circumstances, it's perfectly acceptable for address details to be obtained, in this case by local authorities.
They do after all hold the same information in relation to your community charge, electoral register etc.
I do not think that that private car park owners should have the same right to access this information.

[milleplod]

So, you don't mind the fine, but object to them being able to deliver the fine notification to the owner of the vehicle?.

The thing is, parking fines are usually issued to people who park on the public roads.
In those circumstances, it's perfectly acceptable for address details to be obtained, in this case by local authorities.
They do after all hold the same information in relation to your community charge, electoral register etc.
I do not think that that private car park owners should have the same right to access this information.

The car park is privately owned. You're allowed to park in it when you agree to the rules set by the owner. The 'fine' is actually a bill that you've already agreed to pay should you break the rules. The car park owner's agent needs access to the registered keeper's info to chase payment of the bill. Its a pisser, but the flip side of it is to ask yourself if we should be allowed to park on private land as and when we choose, for as long as we want. Common sense says the answer has to be 'no'....in which case there needs to be some way for the land owner to enforce his conditional usage rules.

Pete

[fontana]

but the flip side of it is to ask yourself if we should be allowed to park on private land as and when we choose, for as long as we want. Common sense says the answer has to be 'no'....in which case there needs to be some way for the land owner to enforce his conditional usage rules.

Pete

I live on a private road.
It's clearly marked as such, but yet people park there to go shopping all the time.
Do you think as residents, we would stand a chance of being able to impose fines on these people ?
I somehow think not.
Actually one of the residents did try, but got nowhere.
When I worked in security many years ago, we used the threat of clamps and an £85 fine,
Only once did we have to fit one.
The driver tried to take the company to court for the inconvenience caused, but got nowhere.
I don't like this ANPR business because I think that the offenders information is being sold by the DVLA.
I mean I don't suppose for a moment that they supply the it out of kindness to private land owners.