Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > Fined by my employer for parking my bike in the car park!!

[chicken]

Originally posted by Derek
I am apparently liable to disciplinary action if I don't stump up.

Do they still use the cane in Scotland?

Feeling for you though Derek.

[antonye]

Originally posted by Wylie1
Derek...that's outrageous. I'm with antonye on this one. A 'nice' letter first explaining the rather obvious facts that you can only drive/ride/park one vehicle at a time & the bike takes up less space.

I wouldn't be that specific. Don't mention it was a motorbike at all but describe it as a "vehicle".

Don't write it along the lines of "I parked my bike in a car space" but more "in reference to the penalty notice, dated xxx, I was surprised to receive this as I am the holder of a valid parking permit (copy attached). I'm sure this is a simple misunderstanding, etc."

[Derek]

I have now spoken to the "Parking Police" and they have agreed to waive the fine on this occasion.
That's all very well but the real problem is they have no policy at all regarding motorcycle parking. They will fine me for "Parking a vehicle and failing to display a valid permit" but they won't issue a permit for motorcycles, only for cars!
I am not stopping at this. There are no parking facilities for motorcycles at all. When I pointed this out I was refered to a bicycle shed about half a mile away. I ask you would you park your pride and joy in shed full of student bikes with scratchy pedals and handlebars which would destroy the fairing panels in a matter of days. And as others have pointed out when I use the bike I leave a space in the car park for someone else.
The Uni is very pushed for parking spaces these days because they keep building on them and they are trying to persuade staff to use alternative forms of transport. I think it's time I introduced them to the benefits of motorcyles

[AK]

Take the head of Faculty's out for a pint & a spin at lunchtime

C - good luck

[hogfisch]

Fight the *******s to the end. I used to work for Oxford Brookes University and they decided to implement a £30 annual parking fee which would also apply to bikes. We had to fight tooth and nail to get bikes exempt, pointing out to the VC that because the charge was based on a 'green' commuter plan and because bikes are just about the greenest form of transport, it made a nonsense of charging us.

Have you tried talking to Unison or whoever your trade union is?

[Derek]

At least bikes are exempt from the fee ( at the moment ) but they don't give us anywhere to park either. The union have been made aware of the situation but they seem to be pretty ineffectual about the whole charge to park business.

[MarkyMark76]

Do they still use the super sticky window stickers to let you know you have parked in the wrong place? I used to collect them when i went to uni there!! They were nigh on impossible to remove and they liked to stick them right in the field of vision on the drivers door window...

[Derek]

Originally posted by MarkyMark76
Do they still use the super sticky window stickers to let you know you have parked in the wrong place? I used to collect them when i went to uni there!! They were nigh on impossible to remove and they liked to stick them right in the field of vision on the drivers door window...

No I think these things are getting pretty near to criminal damage. I think they used to use spray mount and white spirit is about the only thing that would shift it. They put them in a small plastic envelope with "Fixed Penalty" on it with black and yellow chevrons around the edge. It is stuck on with a less fierce glue but it still left traces on my screen which took a bit of cleaning to get off. I'm a bit wary of having solvents in contact with plexiglass or more particularly ABS. I suppose I could try to sue them for a new screen if it is damaged by their glue or maybe can I claim costs for time involved in cleaning it off?