Parking Ticket - Fight or Pay?

[cheesyleps]

Stopped off in Blackpool for a meal with some friends this afternoon. He parked in a small council-run pay and display car park. I had a look at the information board and there wasn't a single mention of motorbikes on there so I parked up and didn't buy a ticket.

Come back two hours later and there is a fixed charge notice stuck to the handlebars.

Ok, the way I see it I have 3 options:

1: Pay. Expensive meal.

2: Argue that I paid and displayed but the ticket was either stolen or blown off the bike.

The ticket was issued about an hour after I parked, so the warden wouldn't have seen me parking up and I didn't see any CCTV in the area. They could potentially check how many tickets were issued by the machine at the time, but since there were other cars there at the time I can argue that the driver of one of those vehicles took my ticket and stuck it in his car.

Also, the warden in the section that is supposed to contain the tax disc number and expiry date has left it blank. Could I use this as an argument that he obviously couldn't find the tax disc and therefore can't be trusted to find the pay and display slip if, for example I had placed this within the tax disc holder?

3: Argue about the deficiencies of their signage.
I scrutinised the board before deciding not to pay. There was not a single mention of the words motorcycle or motorbike. The NCP next door specifically says on their signage "motorcycles pay charges as a car" where theirs says nothing.

Also, the sign has a small box with the list of charges which is entitled "Cars / Light goods vehicles" of which my motorbike is neither as evidenced by the categorisation on my tax disc.

Gonna have a look tomorrow and take pictures of the signs and look for cctv cameras.

However, if everything is as I suspect, and as outlined above, what would you do or recommend I do?
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"Son, some day you will make a girl very happy, for a short period of time. Then she'll leave you and be with new men who are ten times better than you could ever hope to be. These men are called Sailors."

[MaybeGuy]

i never thought bikes could get tickets in pay and display parkings. send a letter to them saying fuckoff.

i got one for parking in a residents only parking, and stupidly paid it, whereas on the ticket it said ''make/model: suzuki visordown'' as i had a visordown sticker on my old 400
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Blue_SV650S wrote: it was a sh1te wheelie, but it proves that he can get it up in 3rd and can do angles. In summery, mattsprattuk is a gobby little sh1tebag, dopehead tw4t, but sadly for all of us, he probably isn't THAT full of sh1te!!
Kickstart wrote: Hi I tend to agree with Matt. All the best Keith

[Scotsman37]

If I remember correctly a motorcycle is NOT supposed to take a designated car parking space because you can fit several bikes into a single car space, unless allowed to do so, otherwise you MUST park in a designated zone for motorcycles.

Here's Blackpools official guide to parking within the town centre to help you;

https://www.blackpool.gov.uk/nr/rdonlyres/dc406713-2e62-46a9-b275-7b53682b400f/0/towncentreparking1.pdf

Here's a section of it;


MOTORCYCLES.

Designated bays for solo motorcycles are available in Clifton Street. These bays should not be used to park any other type of vehicle. Parking for motorcycles in all Municipal off street car parks is free of charge in designated bays.

So the question is did you park within a designated bay?

[Stoo]

Fight it. Blackpool council rolled over on a ticket I got issued for parking a minibus in a car only section a few years back.

[cheesyleps]

The car park didn't have any motorcycle bays, I looked first. Also, the sign mentioned charges for parking outside bays and across bay lines etc. which was why I didn't tuck it in the corner between two cars where there was no bay.

The "offence" on the ticket is "Parked in a pay and display car park without clearly displaying a valid pay and display ticket" so the issue isn't taking up a car bay.

Definetly fighting it on signage grounds then. Will send a letter tomorrow.

Thanks guys. If anyone else has any suggestions, do let me know.
____________________
"Son, some day you will make a girl very happy, for a short period of time. Then she'll leave you and be with new men who are ten times better than you could ever hope to be. These men are called Sailors."

[Scotsman37]

Yeah, do print off that PDF file and stipulate that they state on on their own user guide about free parking at council run parking lot, but where is it and it's supposed to be free for motorcyclist's to park and if there is no designated bay then you should be able park any where within that off-street car parking lot.

[EddyJones]

Can you not use your mates ticket stating that it was attatched to the tax disk holder?

Ergo he cant find the tax disk to write the number on the ticket, and thus would not of seen the tiket attatched to the tax disk holder

[cheesyleps]

Why didn't I think of that? Will have to check he hasn't chucked it away.
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"Son, some day you will make a girl very happy, for a short period of time. Then she'll leave you and be with new men who are ten times better than you could ever hope to be. These men are called Sailors."

[Kwaks]

Sod that, fight it or you will have the same trouble in the future
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Fallen Angel "Nae sniffing my seat now!!!!! "
www.cliqueycuntsmcc.co.uk
I AM NOT A FAST RIDER!!!!!!!!!

[cheesyleps]

If he still has the ticket I will fight it on signage grounds anyway. If it looks like I'm getting nowhere I will produce the ticket. Take a stand on principle.

It's the one area where the impracticality of bikes works in our favour really. Nowhere secure to place the ticket so most places don't bother charging. Same with most toll roads. They know we will need to spend 10 minutes faffing around with helmets, gloves, leather jackets etc.and holding up the queue for the sake of £1... except the M6 toll.
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"Son, some day you will make a girl very happy, for a short period of time. Then she'll leave you and be with new men who are ten times better than you could ever hope to be. These men are called Sailors."

[The Disapproving Brit]