Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Parking Permits - Can Haringey make life more difficult?
What a lovely council we live in. Run so well, and with such incisive decision making.
Again, Haringey have either failed to send out a parking permit renewal form entirely, or just too late to get it back to them with only ten days left on my existing one, despite me chasing them for this three times over the past three weeks.
Year upon year this happens.
Several years back, two tickets and a clamp were my only “reminder” so I’m rather cautious about letting my permit lapse – every year following this I’ve been down to the “parking shop” or whatever it’s called, right by the Civic Centre in Wood Green.
So today I drove down, V5, Council Tax bill and cash in hand, only to find that the swine are now not open on a Saturday. Since when?!
With less than 10 days to go on the permit now that I have received the “reminder” form this means I really don’t have much option but to take a day off work, or to phone Haringey and give them such a balling that they agree to help. I will opt for the latter option first thing on Monday, but who the hell do these people think they are?
If I didn’t have a job, I probably wouldn’t have a car. If I could renew online, I would, and there wouldn’t be a problem. Indeed this would give a cost saving, because they could then close the parking shop almost entirely even in the week – who actually wants to go there anyway? It’s not like the staff there have ever been very helpful or even courteous even when you are only there to buy parking permits.
If I could renew in person on a Saturday like I could last year, then I’d be OK too, but I cannot do that either, so I’m pretty cross.
Who makes these stupid decisions; why close the parking shop for business on a Saturday without making any alternate provision for the apparent few that have jobs? Come on Haringey, are you complete idiots, or is this a plan to extract yet more money; force our permits to expire so that you can ticket, clamp and tow our vehicles?
I note that the vehicle pound IS open for business today, and that the wardens ARE on patrol. So, Haringey can facilitate the enforcement of lapsed permits, but cannot facilitate the renewal of permits on a weekend. Of course, it’s all stacked in favour of them making another quick buck from us.
If it's too expensive to adminster the scheme without causing this much inconvenience, I wish they'd just scrap it entirely - I can't see that parking permits help do much more than make money for Haringey anyway - certainly I see no advantage to them as a resident.
Not happy, and am going to start phoning people to moan loudly on Monday morning. They’d better come up with a better solution than me taking a day off work – it’s quite easy to calculate the cost of this and I’ll be only too happy to send a bill in for my lost earnings!
Again, Haringey have either failed to send out a parking permit renewal form entirely, or just too late to get it back to them with only ten days left on my existing one, despite me chasing them for this three times over the past three weeks.
Year upon year this happens.
Several years back, two tickets and a clamp were my only “reminder” so I’m rather cautious about letting my permit lapse – every year following this I’ve been down to the “parking shop” or whatever it’s called, right by the Civic Centre in Wood Green.
So today I drove down, V5, Council Tax bill and cash in hand, only to find that the swine are now not open on a Saturday. Since when?!
With less than 10 days to go on the permit now that I have received the “reminder” form this means I really don’t have much option but to take a day off work, or to phone Haringey and give them such a balling that they agree to help. I will opt for the latter option first thing on Monday, but who the hell do these people think they are?
If I didn’t have a job, I probably wouldn’t have a car. If I could renew online, I would, and there wouldn’t be a problem. Indeed this would give a cost saving, because they could then close the parking shop almost entirely even in the week – who actually wants to go there anyway? It’s not like the staff there have ever been very helpful or even courteous even when you are only there to buy parking permits.
If I could renew in person on a Saturday like I could last year, then I’d be OK too, but I cannot do that either, so I’m pretty cross.
Who makes these stupid decisions; why close the parking shop for business on a Saturday without making any alternate provision for the apparent few that have jobs? Come on Haringey, are you complete idiots, or is this a plan to extract yet more money; force our permits to expire so that you can ticket, clamp and tow our vehicles?
I note that the vehicle pound IS open for business today, and that the wardens ARE on patrol. So, Haringey can facilitate the enforcement of lapsed permits, but cannot facilitate the renewal of permits on a weekend. Of course, it’s all stacked in favour of them making another quick buck from us.
If it's too expensive to adminster the scheme without causing this much inconvenience, I wish they'd just scrap it entirely - I can't see that parking permits help do much more than make money for Haringey anyway - certainly I see no advantage to them as a resident.
Not happy, and am going to start phoning people to moan loudly on Monday morning. They’d better come up with a better solution than me taking a day off work – it’s quite easy to calculate the cost of this and I’ll be only too happy to send a bill in for my lost earnings!
Tags for Forum Posts: parking permits
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by 2xip2l4mevoxa on
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I've always found it interesting though, that a small nearby cul-de-sac, just off the High Road, which contains a busy Barbers, and often has a series of illegally parked bmws, golfs, and occasionally Range Rovers, never, ever, ever, ever, seems to have problems with the our very efficient wardens. But park several feet away...
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Permalink Reply by pamish on
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This can't be West Green Road, the Tottenham end, can it?
Unenforceable, as some Community Groups can't be touched.
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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*the uniforms would do credit to a South American army
Verging on a Godwin there Clive :-)
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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Listen, don't mention the war! I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it all right!
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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Yes, please, 'E' Would you could copy me the papers. I'm sending you a message with my email address if you can scan these. And my postal address if you can't.
My advice to anyone with firm evidence of abuses by staff in the Parking Service or its contractors, is to write a formal complaint. Here's the link to the page about complaints on the Council's website. But I do mean evidence; not just speculation.
The same applies to suggestions. Write in asking for a formal response.
So, taking the examples given by the anonymous 'E' from an unidentified road, I'd suggest:
(1) About the fallen notice of suspension in your street, please write to Ann Cunningham, the Head of Parking, explaining what you saw personally; complaining that the wardens did not pick up the sign, and suggesting that PCNs for that bay are cancelled. If you have a camera or cameraphone, a few photos would have been very helpful.
(2) About the late reminders for permit renewal you might give Ms Cunningham the names and ask why these were not sent out in good time.
(3) If there's a street where no enforcement seems to be happening, and you think it should, write and ask.
Posting on a website with complaints, criticisms and even helpful suggestions to improve the Parking Service may feel like a constructive approach. My experience is that it makes not the slightest difference. Believe me, I've been doing this for several years. ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ).
The only way to make any change is to go formal and write or email in.
I've made many criticisms of Haringey's Parking Service (and the parallel Highways staff who don't always get the lines and signs right.) But I also have praise for many of them. It's deeply unfair to lump everyone together.
I also know some of the pressures they are under. But this isn't just Haringey. Parking Services across the country have lost their way and become mainly a means to raise revenue. With Council Tax capped and deep cuts, I'm sure it won't be long before charges for PCNs and parking permits are raised by hundreds of councils.
(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)
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@ Joe:
As I'm a professional layabout, I'd be happy to take your documents up to the Parking Office for you and get your new permit. 07931 785 313
To be fair - I believe the Parking Office is not obliged to send out renewal reminders - it's more of a courtesy - and, with the cutbacks, this could end.
And again, to be fair - I've always found the staff there to be pleasant and efficient.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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If you were a proper Conservative, you'd see this as a business opportunity.
1.) manage people's renewals for them for an annual fee.
2.) just do the renewal at the office for a one off fee.
3.) lobby the council to stop sending reminders ;)
john
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I think its the amount of money in this business that gets people's goat. Alan has candidly admitted that this is mainly about revenue raising. Some years ago a friend once admitted that she parked wrongly in Muswell Hill – and her car was hoisted up and away. Charge to recover: £250!
She should pay a fine in those circumstances. But £250 seems disproportionate to the level of offence, which can sometimes be no more than forgetfulness or distraction.
It also seems disproportionate compared to the levels of fines levied in courts for theft, assault etc. There is a general feeling of unfairness about the costs and fines. Parking has come to be perceived as a legal, council-racket.
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That's very kind of you indeed Sir, however I've been assured that the turn-around will be quick on this occasion... Fingers crossed, but names noted!
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Permalink Reply by BBU on
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Ohh don't get me started again!
Yesterday we or *I* made the mistake of parking on Turnpike Lane to buy some food at about 6:15, after spending 4 days trying to decode the parking sign we thought it was ok. I was in the shop collecting the food when I get a call from my sister saying she's moved the car because apparently we weren't allowed to park there and she said the conversation went like this:
Sister: *Sees lady in front talking to ticket warden and getting very angry so she steps out to investigate*
Sister: Excuse me, can we park here?
Lady: Apparently not and I just brought a ticket (why the hell does the machine issue tickets if you can't park?)
Parking warden: I have seen you been parked here for a long time
Sister: For how long?
Parking warden: 2 minutes and the camera would have issued a ticket by now
Sister: So you watched us park and didn't bother telling us that we can't park here?
Parking warden: *walks off*
* Spite? What do these people get out of it? I'm completely fed up of Haringey and its stupid parking attendants. I'm also fed up of how the staff treats you when you go to their offices to sort out mistakes THEY'VE made! I've witnessed how they speak to my parents when they go to their offices to sort out problems and they get treated like crap and spoken to really rudely on the offset, which leads me to believe most Haringey council staff is racist. *
HOL needs rant tags!
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Don't get mad, BBU, get mailing. And emailing.
Everyone is entitled to be treated with courtesy and professionalism by Haringey Parking staff. And that includes some people who will be upset and angry that they've been - as they see it - treated unfairly. (Though I'm not in any way excusing a tiny number of individuals who abuse, threaten and even assault Parking staff.)
But managers can't be everywhere and see everything. So write down the facts of what happened; where and when. Give the managers the information and therefore the opportunity to solve or resolve a problem. And to deal with any staff who are not up to standard.
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