Council refuses to accept 20p debt. Options

[GMR]

Good policing by the council or just madness?

Commuter accuses West Berkshire Council of having no common sense for refusing her offer to pay 20p parking debt

A commuter has accused West Berkshire Council of having no common sense, after it refused to let her pay a 20p ‘debt.’
Deborah Clarkson, of East Grafton, who regularly commutes to work from Hungerford train station, accidentally paid the old fee of £2.20 for a day’s parking in the station car park, about two weeks after the charge had risen to £2.40 in April.

Rest of the story below:

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article...articleID=10818



What do you think? Should she have been allowed to have paid the extra 20p or were WBC right to persecute her until she pays up or suffers a public hanging; in other words... should she have been more observant?

[Andy]

She didn't read any of the advance notices, new tariff signs or published literature, so it's nobody's fault but her own if she got things wrong.

If she'd not bothered paying any of the £2.40 would it still not seem harsh being fined £75?...No. That's why the line is there and high fine amounts in place to deter non and under paying parkers. That line is set and it's no one else's fault bar the punter if they cross it.

Lesson will no doubt have been learnt and she'll no doubt read tariffs and rules more carefully in the future.

[Iommi]

She didn't read any of the advance notices, new tariff signs or published literature, so it's nobody's fault but her own if she got things wrong.

I don't think she is denying fault.

If she'd not bothered paying any of the £2.40 would it still not seem harsh being fined £75?...No.

But she did pay £2.40, so it is besides the point.

That's why the line is there and high fine amounts in place to deter non and under paying parkers. That line is set and it's no one else's fault bar the punter if they cross it. Lesson will no doubt have been learnt and she'll no doubt read tariffs and rules more carefully in the future.

The fine is savagely disproportionate to the offence. I once was caught doing 42 in a 30 and didn't get fined that much. A few years ago I forgot to by a ticket and didn't get fined that sort of amount.

Pay and display is crap; at least pay on exit, as places like the Kennet Shopping have got, avoids this sort of thing, except if you lose your ticket of course! A friend of mine lost his ticket and got charged the full day, despite it being early afternoon.

[user23]

The fine is savagely disproportionate to the offence. I once was caught doing 42 in a 30 and didn't get fined that much. A few years ago I forgot to by a ticket and didn't get fined that sort of amount.

At least it should please those that say society should get tough on crime.