Possible parking fine.

tallaghtmick

Hi Guys,

Not sure if im posting in the right place but here goes, I was bringing my Mother to the credit union in Tallaght village today and as she has bad arthritis and with no disabled spots available I went up onto a kerb to let her out so she wouldnt impede traffic(Im still in the car engine running,I know its not ideal but I would rather go up a kerb than have my mother in the sight of oncoming traffic), before I could even move off a APCOA warden threatened to fine me, I simply asked was it ok to sit there for a few mins with the engine running, I kid you not he rolled his eyes and walked to the front of my car, at this point I drove off to find parking further on while my Mother went to the credit union.

I approached the warden and told him he was rude and that I only asked a question to which he replied I asked you a question you were rude, I got annoyed at this point as he kept interrupting me and asked for his and his supervisor details, he threw his shoulder around and said there's my badge you're not getting my supervisor details, I said grand Im putting in a complaint for how rude and unprofessional he was....This is what I got....Eh no Im putting in a complaint against you I laughed and said who to he replied well you're getting a fine then.

I assume Im getting a fine but Im not sure if he had time to get my reg, also should I have been issued a ticket there and then and that he needs photographic evidence?

Sorry for the long winded post but Im at a loss tbh, are APCOA private as I was sure Tallaght had their own guys in brown coats doing the job.

Any help/advise is well appreciated.

Skatedude

Parking partially or wholly on a pavement is an offence. You asked if it was ok to break the law, a lot of people would have rolled their eyes at that. Then you drove off as he was getting your details?

tallaghtmick

Skatedude wrote: »

Parking partially or wholly on a pavement is an offence. You asked if it was ok to break the law, a lot of people would have rolled their eyes at that.

I wasnt parked I was staionary, anyway thats not the question, I need to know whether he should have issued a ticket there and then and took photographic evidence.

tallaghtmick

Skatedude wrote: »

Then you drove off as he was getting your details?

Forgot to say he asked me to move so I done as requested.

Sobanek

He was stopped, not parked. It's a difference between a fine and no fine. Most traffic wardens don't know the difference...

CiniO

Sobanek wrote: »

He was stopped, not parked. It's a difference between a fine and no fine. Most traffic wardens don't know the difference...

Is there actually any difference between stopping (for purposes of f.e. letting off passenger) and parking in Irish law?

Sobanek

CiniO wrote: »

Is there actually any difference between stopping (for purposes of f.e. letting off passenger) and parking in Irish law?

Yes, it's somewhere in the Rules Of The Road. I remember when I was in Transition Year in school and we had a learn to drive day and they told us the loophole that allows you to "park" on the double yellow line.

tallaghtmick

CiniO wrote: »

Is there actually any difference between stopping (for purposes of f.e. letting off passenger) and parking in Irish law?

Im not sure tbh, I was letting a disabled passenger off, really shows how desperate APCOA are.

CiniO

Sobanek wrote: »

Yes, it's somewhere in the Rules Of The Road. I remember when I was in Transition Year in school and we had a learn to drive day and they told us the loophole that allows you to "park" on the double yellow line.

I would love to see law allowing for that.

tallaghtmick

Sobanek wrote: »

Yes, it's somewhere in the Rules Of The Road. I remember when I was in Transition Year in school and we had a learn to drive day and they told us the loophole that allows you to "park" on the double yellow line.

But as the first reply said I was up on the kerb, surely its the same for parked and stationary? I would have thought only a Garda could do something about that for a running car.

Sobanek

Here's a bit I found on double yellow line, but no clue about a kerb.

Double Yellow Lines

No parking on a double-yellow line at any time.

Exceptions

You can park on a double yellow line for a maximum of 30 minutes while actively loading or unloading a vehicle.

corktina

same traffic obstruction whether you are in the car or not...and same offence I believe.

Sobanek

Usually asking them to quote the exact regulation / act works wonders.
After all, you want to be informed!
Never got a parking ticket in my life.

CiniO

tallaghtmick wrote: »

Im not sure tbh, I was letting a disabled passenger off, really shows how desperate APCOA are.

Parking is problematic everywhere.

In Dublin region, the problem seems to be that parking enforcement workers are taking things too strict, not taking thing reasonably.
Your case shows the best example. Indeed it's illegal to park on pavement, and people doing so should be fined - that's the law. But stopping there for a minute to let disabled passenger off looks like reasonable behaviour where law shouldn't be strictly enforced.

Last year I was picking my mother from Dublin Airport, and I know there is this "drop-off" place on departures level, so I asked her over the phone to walk there and I'll just pick her up. I arrived there, and airport police officer told me to leave straight away. My mother was 2 metres from my car, and all it would take me was to stop for literally 10 seconds. He saw my mother, and I told him I just want to pick her up, but he said no - rules are rules.
I understand rules are rules, but this rule of "drop-off only" is there to stop people parking their cars there and running to the terminal to find person they are picking up, and taking space for 20 minutes. Drop off might take a minute so it's allowed. Surely then my pickup which would take 10 seconds, wouldn't do any harm to anyone, especially that place was empty.
But no - rules are rules...

Then as opposite you have west of Ireland where parking rules don't exist.
In my town, everyone parks right on double yellow lines, just next to the garda station. Garda itself parks there. People block the whole road for minutes because they run to the shop, causing 50 vehicle tailbacks.
In bigger town nearby, everyone parks everywhere, especially on supermarket parkings - yellow lines together with disabled spots and parent and child parking spaces are the favourite and they are always first to be taken.
Absolute carnage happening.

tallaghtmick

I know I shouldnt have parked there Im not debating it, I'd love to know whether APCOA need photgraphic proof and to issue a ticket there and then.

Guy:Incognito

Sobanek wrote: »

Here's a bit I found on double yellow line, but no clue about a kerb.

Double Yellow Lines

No parking on a double-yellow line at any time.

Exceptions

You can park on a double yellow line for a maximum of 30 minutes while actively loading or unloading a vehicle.

Letting someone out then waiting there is not actively loading or unloading.is that the full section of it? Does it say anything about it being from a commercial vehicle?

Either way the op was on the kerb. The answer to the question can I park on the kerb" is always no.