Free parking !

[wallis1007]

I have been told on more than one occasion that in any pay and display car park that you have upto 10 mins. free parking. Has anyone else heard of this?

[Toureman]

You do not get free parking in a pay and display! thats why it is called pay and display!

If you have to park your car and then get the ticket the warden will wait for the length of time it would take you to do this then he will ticket your car.

[Buenchico]

It's possible that some councils (or other owners of P&D car parks) may have given their staff instructions to wait for 10 minutes before issuing a ticket so that, for example, people can seek change from local shops. This, however, would only be an informal concession and certainly not an automatic right.

I've used P&D car parks all over the UK. Many of them have signs specifically warning that parking charges apply from the moment a vehicle arrives and making it clear that there will be no leeway given for seeking change.

Unless you're really sure that you can get away with not paying the fee, it's not worth trying to avoid payment. (I once went to pay in a P&D car park. My father, who was with me, said 'Don't bother. It's ten past five". When I pointed out that the car parking charges applied to six o'clock, he just smiled and reminded me that he worked for the council. "I've been processing the warden's time sheets for the past ten years, he said. "He knocks off at five and never works overtime". When you've got that sort of inside knowledge, don't bother paying. Otherwise, always pay!).

Chris

PS: I know of at least two car parks, in different council areas, where the wardens sit, out of sight in their vans, waiting to spot people who use a non-expired ticket given to them by someone leaving the car park. They then wait to the new arrival has just walked away from their car before writing out �60 penalty notices. So be very wary of accepting a 'freebie' from someone who's got an unexpired ticket.

[Harveypool]

I know that car parks with barriers ,say , in a shopping mall/centre do give you 10 mins grace before charging.

I'm pretty sure that the little Hitlers that control pay and display car parks are not so forgiving!!!

[wallis1007]

Pretty much what I expected to hear. By the way I wasn't trying to get out of paying, it just sounded quite sensible to give people a few minutes to get change if needed, without been hunted instantly. Thanks for the answers anyway.

[ayjaykay]

I imagine you are allowed a fe minutes to go and buy a ticket from the machine in a Pay and Display car park.

I have often got up to 20 minutes free in NCP (non-Pay & Display) car parks though. You get a ticket from the barrier on the way in but then when you put the ticket in the pay machine up to 20 minutes later the balance to pay is zero and you can then use the ticket on the 'out' barrier to get out of the car park.

[Toureman]

When I went to France for the day a few years ago I parked in a car park I had used before where you paid at a kiosk when you left the car park. Unknown to me it had changed to a pay and display! so I had a ticket on my car. I looked at the ticket and one digit of my number plate was wrong, I ignored it and felt sorry for the owner of the car that had the next number plate issued after mine!

[Coobeastie]

haverypool thats because you might get into the car park and then find no spaces....

Why are attendants given so much stick...if you park illegally you've only got yourself to blame if you get booked. They are after all only doing a job, to compare them with hitler beggars belief.

[aurora83]

I know a pay and display that gives you your first two hours free, then it's something like 20p and hour.

Wardens shouldn't be given stick if they do their job properly. I got fined 40 quid (80 if not payed with in 2 weeks) for parking infront of an auto electric shop to book an appointment to get my electric windows fixed. I couldn't get to the customer carpark at the back because there was a van blocking the entrance, and I had to pull over because traffic was building up behind be. I was in there for no more than 2 minutes.

I appealed but the council didn't want to know. They are happy as long as they get there money.

[Coobeastie]

Aurora sounds like the attendant in your case was doing his or her job.What restrictions were in place outside the store.

Sorry you got booked but just because you need to visit a shop and can't get into a proper parking place is not a reason to park wherever you want.

[tali122]

as someone who once patrolled car parks to issue tickets (boo hiss i hear you say) indeed 10 mins grace is allowed - i always tried to give 15 mins grace -only for the recipient of the the ticket to moan that i had only given them 5 mins grace!

[Jack Maude]

My two personal bests for complaints against parking attendants is one where I got fined for parking with my wheels two inches ove the white parking line. I was in church with my elderly mother at the time.

The second was being three minutes away from the car while I delivered a donation to the local charity shop.

Yes, I know that a fine for illegal parking is a risk I take and no, I'm not knocking the attendants for doing their job. But, hey, it'll teach me to do good works in future. I'll probably get a ticket for parking outside the gates of St Peters!