Parking bikes...

[Toby Stokes]

As a motorbike owner, what's the deal with parking regulations?
I've been stopped on areas which need Pay & Display for cars, and the wardens have completely ignored me...is that cos they can't be arsed, or are we exempt?

Sinlge yellows and double yellos...do we get lee-way cos I keep stopping in places I wouldn't stop at if I was driving a car, but I never seem to get any hassle from the wardens...what's the deal?

Can anyone fill me in on the rules?
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Big, bad and beautiful...the bike, dammit the bike!

[Lee_367]

I always thought that as long as you park in a designated motorcycle parking bay in a pay & display car park, it's free.
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?It?s mercy, compassion, and forgiveness I lack?not rationality.?

[Komp]

aint gotta clue mate i alwy's go on the pavement outside the shop lol got a ticked tho once.
Yer they have weird rules for parking now!

[hellkat]

Annoyingly, Different councils have different rules. I can park in Residents Bays in Fulham and in Wandsworth without getting a ticket, but I cannot do so in K&C or Westminster. (Could it be that Westminster parking attendants are wellknown for being wankers) . . . but READ every single sign before you park up and leave your bike for an indefinite period.

I was forced by an attendant in Camden to put a pay and display sticker on my bike, despite the fact that it would most likely have been stolen the minute I walked off into the market

You can't park on redroutes at all (although I have been known to do so just to nick into the shops for a pint of milk or something) ... or double yellows, and single yellows are questionable, although they usually let you get away with it (unless you get captured in a queue at the bank of course)

And READ the bus lane times on the signs. Some you can go in occasionally, some have motorbike symbols on them so you can use them all the time, and some you are not allowed in AT ALL.

Rule of thumb: Never trust a parking attendant.
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[Toby Stokes]

So true about those parking attendants.

So, "free parking" on motorcycle bays only applies to certain councils?

Pay and Display is a weird one obviously, its just I've walked past so many bikes that have no sticker on them, but still heard stories about bikers getting ticketed, but how can you put a sticker on when you know some pikey bugger will just sharp off with it...you're doomed to be busted for no reason...
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Big, bad and beautiful...the bike, dammit the bike!

[hellkat]

No, motorcycle bays are all free (currently) - provided you can actually get in them theres usually more peds than "proper" bikes in them these days, but thats the effect of the Congestion Charge for you!

But its the residents bays and other parking type bays (cos not all councils have "enough" motorbike bays) that have different rules at different councils.
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[hellkat]

[Toby Stokes]

Good news about those bays.

By the way, that congestion charge thing applies to bikes up to 125 or all bikes?
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Big, bad and beautiful...the bike, dammit the bike!

[Kris]

I always buy a ticket myself. Even when parking in designated bike bays I find it much easier to pay the 80p or so. If you're worried about the ticket being stolen, keep it on you. If you get a ticket just send off the form with the ticket saying that it fell down behind the clocks or something.
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[hellkat]

[NickD]

When parking in places where I know I have to pay, I tear the ticket in half (top to bottom), stick half on the bike, and keep the other half with me. If the attendant queries this on my return I show him the other half and explain the 'Getting it nicked issue', and if the half on the bike gets nicked (unlikely, what use is half a ticket?), at least I have the other half to back up my story. I read this years ago, can't remember where, but I've not had any problems with it.
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I was only doing what it said on my licence officer....
Tear along the dotted line!

[hellkat]

[Bendy]

If you're in a pay & display, look on the machine, it might tell you if bikes are free - the ones near my work do anyway.

It's no urban myth about Westminster wardens and their sweepstake, that's 100% true. I used to live there and was issued with 19 parking tickets because they were too stupid to grasp the concept that a motorbike could have a resident's parking permit.

I also saw one ticketing a CG that was parked at the end of a bike bay and had been knocked over so part of it was now outside the bay.

[map]

Taking the bike into York is very useful with all the tourist traffic around. Motorcycle parking in the car parks in York used to be free. I'm not sure if it still is. Then signs appeared with motorcycle charges and little bays for locking the bike into. Trouble is these always appear not working to me. So I think you have to pay if you use one of the locks. I think the ticket comes in 2 parts for bikes, one for you, one for the bike so you can prove you've payed if the bike one gets taken. Not really sure what happens if you don't use the locks. I park on the raised bit where they put the lights so I'm not taking up a parking slot and I've a nice post to chain the bike to.

Not really sure what other councils do. Most are bike friendly. In Hull it's free in marked bike bays with nice bars to chain the bike to
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...and the whirlwind is in the thorn trees, it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks...
Gibbs, what did Duckie look like when he was younger?

[JonB]

I never bother paying for parking, if I see a designated area for motorcycles I'll pop it in there, put my disc lock on and away I go.

As for double yellows, thats a no, no. I was down Lyme regis last week and there was a moped on double yellows and it had a letter wrapped around the throttle in elastic bands.
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[dipsy]

To be safe I'd get a ticket but keep it in my pocket just in case. I don't see the point of paying £25.00 for the sake of 50p.

I got a ticket for parking outside the lines of a parking space in Crewe once in my car. I didn't pay it as its not my fault the spaces are yoo small
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MY life is just one long blonde moment

[fazed]

I always wondered is it legal to park on a pavement if there is no obstruction to the actual pathway eg on a bit slightly wider next to a building?

[T.C]

[Minky_monkey]

Whether or not this is absolutely true I wouldn't like to say, BUT if you place a cover over your bike, the warden cannot under any circumstances remove it in case they damage your bike.

So if they can't read a number plate or tax disc, how can they issue a ticket.......

[Minky_monkey]

There was also the issue of yellow lines not being finished with a T-bar. Without the bar at either end, the line isn't valid and therefore the ticket should be squashed.

[Kris]

[Minky_monkey]

[T.C]

[Bendy]

[Kris]

I also used the same tactic as Bendy when parking next to the railings on the pavement, so it used to work
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NSR125RR - ZXR750H1 - ZX9R E1 - GSF600S - GSF600SK3 - VFR400-NC30 - SV1000N - ST1100-R - CBR900RR-R - GSF1200SK5 - GSF600SK1 - VFR1200FA - GSXR1000K2 - ZZR1400 D8F
www.prisonplanet.com