On December 15th last year I got an £80 parking ticket in Westminster. I thought it was massively unfair, because I had spent 12 minutes in the dark and drizzle attempting to pay for my parking by phone, and the system simply wouldn’t work.

I blogged about it in fury here. I wasn’t happy at all. I felt it was an unjust, unfair, and heavy-handed penalty, a cynical revenue-raising exercise. So I was determined to fight it.

27 letters and several emails later, I received this morning (Wednesday April 4) a letter from the Parking Appeals and Traffic Service telling me that the City of Westminster will not contest my appeal against the penalty charge notice (a.k.a. parking ticket). “You are not liable for any further charges and any amounts already paid will be refunded by the Enforcement Authority.”

I should think so too. The fact that I tried to pay for my parking, failed in my three attempts by phone, and then offered to pay by cheque has been ignored.

So I got to park for free. But at what a cost.

My celebration was muted when Yvonne told me that on the same day, December 15th:
1) finding we couldn’t turn right into Lisson Grove from Marylebone Road, I had turned left into Wyndham Street, right into York Street, right into Seymour Place and straight on into Lisson Grove. That took us into the Congestion Zone for 45 seconds. Fine: £80.
2) on the way home we paused outside our local Budgens for me to pop in for 2 litres of milk. Von was at the wheel, lights on, engine running; I was gone for three minutes max. Fine: £65.

An expensive hospital visit. Von didn’t tell me about these last two because I was so agitated about the parking fine. She just paid them.

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