Creative writing submission from the Rest Less community – submit your entry here.
An item popped up on Google the other day about a parking company in Derby who were fining parkers for taking more than five minutes to log on to pay for their parking. So now I’m wondering whether I’m about to get a fine since last month when my husband and I were taking the tube into London, we parked in what seemed like the last space in the world at Theydon Bois and it took me nearly 30 minutes and three missed trains to log on and pay.
But, this is not the only parking company trying it on… So, here’s my tale of woe and winning.
Back in December 2022, my husband had a routine eye test with our family optician and was alarmed to be told that the pressure in both his eyes was so high that he needed an immediate hospital appointment at the Eye Unit. Luckily, our optician is so well regarded that even before we’d arrived home, the hospital had booked him an appointment in the next couple of days.
He was given eye drops to bring the pressure down and a further appointment was booked for just after Christmas. Luckily, the drops did the trick and the pressure began to come down, but it transpired that he had a cataract that needed operating on.
Parking at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow is an absolute nightmare. It’s totally inadequate and you can drive around the various car parks for what seems like hours before spotting somebody leaving and grabbing their space. It’s pay on exit with a complicated machine that has potential payers standing in front of it, trying to work out which buttons to press.
However, with his cataract op booked for early July and his eye pressure being constantly monitored, we became regulars at the Eye Unit (I really can’t fault their treatment). The Eye Unit was in a separate building from the main hospital block, with a car park seconds away, and we became adept at arriving early so that we could find a space and have a coffee. Then, after each appointment, we’d pay our £2.90 on exit.
Operation day was a Sunday (who said the NHS doesn’t work over the weekends?) and parking quite easily, we walked over to the Day Unit at the very back of the main building. Nearly four hours later, after I’d walked into town, had a coffee, a sandwich, and a browse of the shops, I was called to collect him.
Walking over to pay, the machine was totally greyed out and no amount of bashing, thumping, or shouting could get it to reboot. So I tried to pay by phone, but the number to call was positioned so high up that I simply couldn’t read it (remember, I’m only four feet 11!), and there was nobody around to ask.
By now, my husband was in a lot of pain and we just wanted to get home. So that’s what we did, figuring that if I got a ticket, I’d just appeal it and that would be that. How wrong can you be?
Yes, of course, I got a ticket and yes, of course, I appealed. But, apparently, their machine never malfunctions so my appeal was refused and I was invited to pay the fine. Reader, I dug my heels in – the machine had malfunctioned and I really objected to being called, in essence, a liar.
Sometime later, I received a letter from the Small Claims Summons Court sent from the Northampton Claims Centre (who bulk process and rubber stamp the majority of the thousands of parking fines issued throughout the country). By now, the amount claimed was nearly £300 and the paperwork invited me to put in a defence. So I did.
I outlined exactly what had happened, complete with photographs (since at a subsequent appointment the pay machine had again malfunctioned). Luckily, my husband had been so exasperated that he’d videoed himself trying to get the machine to work.
The next stage was a phone call asking if we’d like to go to arbitration to which I very reasonably agreed. I had a phone call with a very nice man and told him what had happened. He then had a phone call with Parking Eye (the plaintiff) but they were adamant – it was the amount claimed or it’d go to court.
I was equally as adamant – I wasn’t paying. So, the court process drifted on with forms to fill in and evidence to submit. I even changed the Court from Northampton to our local Chelmsford Court, since that was good for us and hopefully inconvenient for them.
Whilst this was all going on, I’d been talking to my cousin at our weekly crochet session and she told me that exactly the same thing had happened to her husband – the machine malfunctioned and since he was in a great deal of pain following an operation on his arm culminating in dozens of stitches, he also gave up. He too received a fine and appealed, but, again, it was refused. However, because he’s self-employed and literally run off his feet, he just paid the fine. Though, he wrote me a letter explaining his machine malfunction.
In November this year, I received a very magnanimous offer from Parking Eye offering me a reduced payment of nearly £100! I replied, “Thanks but no thanks – the only offer I’m prepared to accept is to pay the original parking cost.”
My court date arrived on Tuesday 3rd December 2024. I’d spent three hours the previous day putting my files in order and preparing for their questions. I also arranged for a dog sitter since my dog, Rollo, obviously wasn’t able to attend court with us (much as he’d like to!).
We arrived at court at 10 am ready for battle – I was wearing my best armour (perfume and mascara since you’re asking). I dashed to the loo after having been thoroughly scanned airport-style with even my glass perfume bottle being confiscated (to be given back later).
Checking in, the ushers couldn’t find our case on the list. They disappeared into their office, only to come out looking puzzled. “It’s been discontinued,” they told us. “Didn’t you know?” I replied, “Well no, because otherwise I wouldn’t have turned up”. And so we left.
Stupidly, I forgot to ask them when it had been discontinued since we’d received no Notice of Discontinuance as the Court demands. And, unfortunately, there’s no scope to contact the Court to ask questions like this.
Sitting in a rather nice coffee shop a few doors down, we were perplexed. Well, yes, I’d won, but I’d had no contact with Parking Eye since they’d sent me that expensive offer of settlement, which I’d rejected. As we left the Court an Usher said, “I think you need to invoice them.” And dear readers – that’s exactly what I’ve done.
I’ve charged them an hourly rate for my three hours of court preparation, the all-day parking charge (because we had no idea how long we’d be), mileage at the Inland Revenue rate of 0.45p per mile, and subsistence (coffee and bacon butties). I’ve sent it by Recorded Delivery and have given them seven days to pay.
It’s now one week following the abandoned court case and I still haven’t heard a word. Rest assured that if I don’t receive a settlement, it’ll be me going to the Small Claims Summons Court.
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