Leeds council are largely twunts
The road that runs next to my flat was re-tarmaced a little while ago and on a section of the road about three cars long the yellow line was obscured by the new tarmac meaning that you were allowed to park there (at least I think that's what it means, surely you can't be done for parking on a single yellow if you aren't actually parked on a single yellow?)

After a while my friend who lives in the same building as me started parking there because we live pretty close to Leeds city centre which means that there's very few free parking spaces for our building and parking at the NCP car park across the road costs more than 200 quid a quarter.

She parked there for ages with no problem until one day she and everyone else parked on the unmarked bit of the road got a ticket saying they were parked on a yellow line. Obviously she wasn't so she wrote to the council saying so, but what was weird was why the traffic wardens had suddenly decided to start ticketing people for parking on a yellow line when they weren't.

We found the answer the next morning, almost every car that had been ticketed had moved and the council had taken the opportunity to try and re-draw the yellow line. The buggers had illegally ticketed people just so they could put their yellow line back again!

Now I'm not saying the council were wrong to try to re-draw their line, just that illegally ticketing people with no warning in order to do so is completely the wrong way to go about it. Fortunately my friend is a trainee barrister and went mental at the council until they agreed to retract her ticket. I'm trying to get her to keep her car parked in the single unlined car space remaining just to inconvenience the council if they try to finish their line, her letter rescinding her ticket is proof that they are wrong to try to ticket anyone parking there!

/dull council based rant
(Lord of Marzipan Fact: Clouds are worse than Hitler, Mon 21 Jun 2010, 17:05, 5 replies)

if there is a gap in the line
it probably means they haven't terminated it properly at each end (as it is temporarily 2 seperate lines) that may well mean that any other tickets given to people parking on those lines are invalid as well
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Mon 21 Jun 2010, 17:09, closed)

It doesn't work like that
It is obvious that the lines have been obscured by resurfacing and if the driver is in any doubt, they should check the plates that define the controlled area.

However, if the OP did get the ticket rescinded, then that truly is sticking it to the man.
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Mon 21 Jun 2010, 18:04, closed)

You sure?
I thought that the area had to be 1) properly designated as no/restricted parking and 2) properly signposted/marked. If signposts/markings are obscured or defaced, then it doesn't count. However, there are circumstances in which there are multiple redundant markings, and if one is obscured but the other isn't, then the rules still apply.
( Sextant goes to him is emotionally erect, on this day, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 1:53, closed)

I used to work for the car-parking fine unit in Chelsea in the post room. I saw some terrible sights:
1. the cheque that someone had literally wiped their arse on.

2. the one stapled to the ticket a thousand times to render it unusable, but the worst was

3. a fiver, with a spindley, hand-written note, that stated the owner was visiting the doctor for their friend's prescription, and that they were terribly sorry - they accepted they'd parked wrongly - but they couldn't afford the £60 fine in one payment on their pension, would it be alright if they paid in installments instead, and here was a fiver as a first payment?

Heart-breaking, that was.

Also - your signature is bloody ace.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 21 Jun 2010, 17:26, closed)

Ouch
"3. a fiver, with a spindley, hand-written note, that stated the owner was visiting the doctor for their friend's prescription, and that they were terribly sorry - they accepted they'd parked wrongly - but they couldn't afford the £60 fine in one payment on their pension, would it be alright if they paid in installments instead, and here was a fiver as a first payment?"

Stories like that really make me ashamed of the way we treat our most vulnerable.
(Obi wanker nobi Its not a bug, its an unexpected feature, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 16:41, closed)