Worthing parking bosses say spelling mistake was not reason for ticket
WORTHING parking bosses have insisted a ticket given to a elderly woman had nothing to do with her mis-spelling the name of a hotel.
The Herald revealed how Anne Pride was appalled after being given a 50 penalty charge notice (PCN) despite using a half-day parking permit provided by the Ardington Hotel where she was having lunch with friends.
It was when Mrs Pride, 83, returned to her car on Wednesday afternoon (February 25)she found a ticket on her windscreen.
After discussing it with the hotel manager, they could only deduce the ticket had been given because she had made a spelling mistake and written Adlington Hotel instead of Ardington on the permit.
Ticket cancelled
Mrs Pride, of Mill Road, Slindon Common, called the decision to fine her "petty" and appealed against the ticket – and yesterday (Thursday, March 5) she received a letter to say the penalty charge notice had been cancelled.
But Worthing's parking manager, Mandy Ainsworth, said today (Friday, March 6): "The reason the PCN was issued had nothing to do with a spelling mistake.
"The permit that was used was a 'scratch card permit' and the terms and conditions clearly state that a pen must not be used and that the markings should be made by scratching off the silver coating appropriately.
"The driver had used pen and not scratched off the silver."
Scatch permit
Mrs Ainsworth said the wardens – civil enforcement officers (CEO) – had to be strict on the matter as a small majority "is ruining it for the rest".
She added: "The problem with pen markings on these 'scratch permits' is that some people have 're-used' the permits in this way.
"If they mark a day and date by pen, they can scratch off the silver coating on another occasion and the CEO is none the wiser.
"This opens the permit system up to fraud and we have to draw the line very clearly – using the appeals process to determine the genuine cases."
Innocent mistake
Mrs Pride said she had made a "perfectly innocent mistake" and that there was no way the dates could be scratched off and re-used. She said she was pleased the ticket had been cancelled but called for more "discretion" to be used.
Mrs Ainsworth said: "As is always the way, the discretion is applied through appeals and this particular PCN has already been cancelled with advice on how to avoid a PCN for this in future having been given.
"The PCN was valid and there was a genuine reason for issue.
"Additionally, the car was actually parked in the wrong road – the permit was for Steyne Gardens but it was parked on The Steyne (different hotels have permits for different roads)."
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Tuesday 29 May 2012
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