Motherfk..ers......!

[Captain Jack]

OK as you all know, I have been off the road for nearly 2 months now because of the injury to my hand. So my car was kept outside my house, but not on the drive way. My tax disc was running out at the end of December so I got a new over the Internet (as you do with new style MOT docs). I received it several days later (I think it was 27th Dec) but I didn't fit it simply because I didn't drive the car and I wasn't at my parents half the time to do anything about it (where the car is).

I get the call from my mum today saying that I had a fixed penalty notice on my windshield for failing to display a tax disc!!! What fking cheek is that?! I have paid for the already overpriced tax and now I have to pay some ridiculous "fine". I have phoned the twats at the local constabulary and explained to them that I bought the disc before it ran out but went on holiday before I received it and so was unable to fit it (well it's a very likely story!) and that the car was off road (which is true). They were having none of it and simply said I should have "arranged" for someone to fit it... Who? My dog?

I will write them a nasty letter because there's simply no way that I am paying them for something as stupid as that. It's robbery in plain daylight. Don't they have better things to do than walk around a residential area and look for out of date tax discs??? I've asked my dad to put the disc in my car now, but it's not going to be driven for a few weeks anyway so even that is a waste of breath on his part.

Has anyone else had similar dealings in the past?

[neildavies]

That is ridiculously harsh. Must've been a traffic warden, as the police could've just checked the dvla computer. Definitely get a letter in explaining your circumstances.

[Welly]

I get my dog to tax my car every year.

Here he is at the filling station, when I sent him to fill up 'her indoors' BMW recently, (notice he likes the sunshine roof open)



Tonight, he will be rustling up a full sit down meal for us when we get home, followed by a light desert, and some fine wine.

Really captain, get with the times man.

[Captain Jack]

Blimey... gotta get myself one of these!!!

[Welly]

Blimey... gotta get myself one of these!!!

Well, be careful Captain, the other week I came home early and I caught him (pounder) wearing a pair of my wifes knickers. He also had a selection of Horse & Hound mags spread out around him and some tissues.

He said he had a cold, was doing a bit of reading, and the knickers must have got wrapped around when he was doing the laundry. I didn't believe him.

[Captain Jack]

Have you got a new Beamer then Welly?

[Welly]

Have you got a new Beamer then Welly?

No.... just the usual.

My puggy just passed it's MOT without a single problem, yes it did.

Where you been anyway? we have missed you on here. Miniman has done a runner, and Supa is struggling for spare time and we've not heard from Foggy for months

[Captain Jack]

Have you got a new Beamer then Welly?

No.... just the usual.

But this one's E46 and black 4 door, yours is blue E36 with 3 doors

My puggy just passed it's MOT without a single problem, yes it did.

Where you been anyway? we have missed you on here. Miniman has done a runner, and Supa is struggling for spare time and we've not heard from Foggy for months

Well I haven't really had a lot of reason to come here. I am not driving at the mo (but will probably pick it up from my parents' tomorrow) and been busy preparing for the new job, which starts a week on Monday... Oh and I broke up with my girlfriend of many years which REALLY didn't help anything.......

But I'll be back to my normal self at some point soon

[Welly]

But this one's E46 and black 4 door, yours is blue E36 with 3 doors

You got me there, it's not my car, or dog

been busy preparing for the new job, which starts a week on Monday... Oh and I broke up with my girlfriend of many years which REALLY didn't help anything.......
But I'll be back to my normal self at some point soon

Big changes then, well I suppose we could forgive you, and the best of luck with everything chap.

Welly.

[turbolag]

Don't they have better things to do than walk around a residential area and look for out of date tax discs???

Well, I'm usually patrolling on foot or on me mountain bike, so I'm not specifically looking for them, but when I do, I deal. Some forces issue hand held PSS devices which have a built in ANPR system which scans the cars automatically as the user walks along (we have them, but they're a bit bulky for my liking so I don't carry it) so you might have been pinged that way.

The 2 options are a CLE2/6, which is simply a notice telling the owner that the DVLA is to be informed, or a FPN. Certain officers, such as specialist road crime unit pilots, have the power to issue £200 FPNs for this. Personally, I don't bother unless it's expired by at least 2 weeks because people do go on holiday/fall ill/wait for xmas post to resume etc, but when it comes down to it we all have responsibilities as owners of cars to do certain things in accordance with the law and the circumstances in our mans case are mitigation, not a defence.

[niz406]

Don't they have better things to do than walk around a residential area and look for out of date tax discs???

Dude, I can't believe you actually had to ask that question.... of course they have nothing better to do! I mean its not like they actually SERVE and PROTECT... when was the last time you saw the police do something constructive for the community??? Oh they installed road safety cameras along our 1 mile road......

Hummm 4 cameras along one strip of road, now thats a bit of a waste of the tax payers money... but the exercise isn't without its rewards!

Consider This:

They catch a criminal... this leads to too much paperwork time and too much processing and in the end costs them too much money, what with over nighters and then offenders institues!

They catch a motorist..... Well this is a quick on the spot FPN and a stern warning - and/or a court date depending on circumstances --- Drink Driving / Driving without due care and attention! They make money!

It's common knowledge that the police force generates its yearly budget from motorists and not from Tax / national insurance contributions, Last year alone over 3,000,000 parking tickets were issued... and @ £30 a pop or more in some places its clear to see that they are on to a winner.

Then just look at the fine amounts for things like a worn tire below the legal limit... upto £2000 per wheel if I'm correct? And speeding tickets and fines... £60 - Unlimited fine ?? @ Least 10,000,000 motorists a year are issued fines for one thing or another.

The police force is nothing more than a large money making corporation, the officers of the law should be renamed... in stead of %$&? it should be Sales Assistant, and instead of Sargent it should be Area Sales Manager and so on and so forth.. I am no fan of the police, in fact I think the whole organisation whould be shut down, restructured and operated as it is suppose to be, not used as a way for police chiefs to buy expensive gifts at christmas for their families when they reach their sales targets!

Has anyone seen the film V for Vendetta? Well I truely believe that a revolution will occur in this country and the government and police force will be destroyed and the english people will take back their country... I believe that this will happen and if its during my generation I can assure you I will be sat on the front row gettig the best view of the action as possible..!

I have no respect for the police officers around here, because they are all cocky and think themselves above the law... 9 out of 10 times they are and thats wrong... yes I understand there are perks to every job, but law breaking isn't one of them... when you join the force I believe you swear an oath to queen and country.... this holds you to every letter of the law, and yet the officers run around breaking it all the time, which shows me that they are not in the job for the good of the country, but more for what they can get out of it!

It really boils my blood to see the younger chavtasitc generation joining the police force, be it special %$&? or fully fledged %$&?... they have no respect and just use it as a power trip!

Anyway RANT OVER FOR NOW!

With regards to your ticket, if you had purchased the tax disk prior to the date of the ticket and have proof of this, i.e. internet reciept then they cannot enforce the ticket on you and they have to cancel it... I do believe that you are given a grace period for internet tax disc purchases and that regardless of the outfit that issued the ticket, warden or %$&? they should have followed the correct procedure of checking the vehicle first on the DVLA's DB!

They cannot issue a FPN on a vehicle that has paid DUTY! This is why access is given to the forces so that should your circumstance be a factor then they can, confirm that you have or do not have a valid duty disc! Obviously it will have been some immagrant traffic warden that still does't understand the rules of this country! They prolly took a opicture of your car as well, which they do now! For towing and confirmation reasons!

Bunch of Cock Jockeys !

OK REALLY I HAVE TO STOP NOW THIS IS WINDING ME UP AND ITS GOING TO RUIN MY WEEKEND!!!!!

[mjb]

Round here the traffic wardens have it sorted. There's a marked parking area on a quiet side road near a co-op with a cash machine. Lots of people see the designated parking are on the empty road, park up and quickly use the machine - totalling about 90-120 seconds away from their cars. This is near the doctors surgery where there's similar parking areas marked out with signs granting you 1hr max parking.

The thing is by the co-op there's actually a small 'permit holders only' sign that's bent (so it's not really visible) and more often than not obstructed by trees. So as soon as you've left your car the traffic warden comes out from his little hidey hole where he's parked just round the corner and walks towards your car behind your back. as soon as you're around the corner using the cash machine he's got the FPN on your window and he's gone.

Wankers.


And don't get me started on the amount of blatantly drunk drivers that I saw getting done by the cops over xmas... NONE! All the time I spend driving around (3-6+ hours/day) and I didn't see a SINGLE car stopped on the hard shoulder with a copper by it during the last 2 weeks of december. Come to think of it I can't say I noticed any patrol cars on the motorways over xmas either. I did see plenty of camera vans though. Obviously anything more than operating a camera system is too much work eh?

It's really bad when you see an obviously drunk driver on the motorway, call 999, give them your exact position, speed and details of the car, then follow them for 40+ miles without seeing a copper intercept it! Disgusting

[Captain Jack]

OK, here's a letter that I drafted up for them... any thoughts?


****
Dear Sir or Madam,

Upon returning home on the 10th January ‘07, I was appalled to find a Fixed Penalty Notice stuck to the windscreen of my car outside <address>. The car’s registration is <reg>. The “penalty” is, apparently, for failure to display a tax disc.

The original disc’s expiry date was 31st December ’06. A new one was bought from DVLA’s website on the 23rd December 2006. I have included the confirmation email for the purchase. I have also included a photocopy of the current valid tax disc from where you can see that it’s dated 23rd December ’06.

The reason for not putting the disc on my car’s windshield is simply because I could not drive at the time due to an injury to my finger on my right arm. It was operated on in late November and have been given explicit instructions not to drive (among other things) until at least 8-10 weeks after the operation as part of rehabilitation process. This can be confirmed by my operating surgeon, <name> in Taunton’s Musgrove Hospital and by my GP, <name> in Vine Surgery, Street, Somerset – phone 01458 841122.

Considering the car was also kept off road outside my parents’ house, I felt there was no need to display a disc – but as you can see, it has been taxed for the next 6 months since 23rd December ’06 – eight days before the original was due to expire.

For reasons above, I am refusing to pay the given fine as there’s no justification for it.
****

What do you think?

[niz406]

Not sure they will go for the "didn't see the point in putting it on display" excuse, as its your responsibility to ensure you vehicle when kept on a public road is taxed and the disc is on display.. so you would do better with the holiday excuse lol

If you want to try your luck with your original excuse be my guest just not sure whether or not it will pay off!

[DaiRees]

Cap'n. Was the car parked on private property, i.e. your parent's driveway / graden etc, or was it just "outside their house" but not on private property?

If it's the former, fight it all the way. As long as the car is parked on private land you can do what you want with it. If the tax had expired and you hadn't declared SORN, then you could be issued with an automatic fixed penalty, but you had bought the new tax so they can't penalise you! The fact that it wasn't displayed is immaterial. That's like saying that if my car's parked on my drive with the wiper blades removed they could do me for not having any wipers, even though the car isn't being used in that condition, crazy!

However if it's the latter pay the fine and chalk it down to experience. If the vehicle is parked on the public road (or indeed anywhere that isn't private property) then it has to display a current valid tax disc.