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In October 1999, Call Sign led a successful battle through DaC driver Roy
Martin (R42), who told this magazine how he was fighting against the issue
of a parking ticket that had never been left on his taxi. Eventually taken
up by the Evening Standard, few complaints now come in regarding
"issued" tickets that are not attached to the windscreen. On 14 August 2000 a parking ticket was issued to DaC driver Ken Crawford (B40). He had stopped in Endell Street to pick up a radio job and because of the single lane traffic, Ken pulled onto a suspended bay and waited there. The passenger came out quickly and was explaining through the luggage window where they wanted to go, when a Parking Attendant from Camden Council came up to the cab and started writing out a ticket. Ken asked what he was doing and the warden responded with the classic line: "I cannot talk until I have finished writing the ticket." Ken explained that he knew the bay was not operational, but that he was with his cab and picking up a passenger. He also explained to the warden that if he really wanted him to move, then he would. Ken told Call Sign that both he and the passenger were astonished by the wardens actions. Ken phoned Camden Council but was just told how the Appeals Procedure worked, so he detailed the above story to Camden Council in a letter. Four weeks later, Camden Council wrote back via Angela Papamichael, the Senior Investigations Officer. She agreed that the warden was right to issue the ticket and that because Ken knew the bay was |
Parking Ticket battle -
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 Ken Crawford (B40): Battle aganst Camden not operational, the onus was on him not to park rather than the warden
telling him to move. She also confirmed that wardens do not speak whiles
issuing tickets! |
appeals procedure. There was no leaflet enclosed. Ken phoned on three
occasions asking for the leaflet before finally writing again on 5 December.
Almost 4 months have now passed. Nothing further was heard until December
2001 by which time Ken had assumed that the matter had been dropped by
Camden Council, but on December 10, Ken received an order for an unpaid debt
which was now £125 including a £5 court charge. Ken told Call Sign that having a court charge added, seems to mean that he has been taken to court and found guilty without being informed. His phone calls and letters seemed to have been ignored. On 12 December, Ken went to see Alan Fleming, the Chairman of the LCDC. Alan contacted Camden Council who promised to phone Ken, which they did via a Mr Drick. Ken tried to discuss the situation but claimed that he could not understand the points Mr Drick was making. Ken then went back to Alan Fleming and the LCDC. Ken later found out that none of his phone calls to Camden Council nor his letter asking for a leaflet had been logged. Returned again to the LCDC where Alan Fleming contacted a law firm. Ken went there 30 minutes later and swore out a Statutory Declaration. He was charged £5. On December 18, one year and four months later, Ken received a letter from the court cancelling the parking ticket! Next issue: |
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