Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Fixed Penalty Notice Spitting
I was coming out of Poundland and was sucking on my vaporiser. A couple of drops formed in my mouth as I was crossing the road I spat them out. Like a tongue spit, not a chest one.
So I get across the road and this bloke in uniform stops me. Excuse me sir I saw you spitting in the street. I'm like, did I? Yes sir I saw you spit. I asked him for evidence. Well its a busy road and about 6 buses and twenty cars had been over the spot. So he carries on with his thing. I must tell you sir that you are being filmed by my body cam. OK cool. I'm expecting to be told off for spitting.
He starts asking for my name and address, birthday whatever and I comply with everything. Here he presents me with a fixed penalty notice for £80 to be paid in 14 days. I was just plain shocked. I told him that exactly where we're standing they sell weed at night. Stabbings take place across the road quite regularly. Plus you've got people fly-tipping and dumping waste on the street. Litter, cigarette stubs and chewing gum all over the pavement. My droplets landed in the street. But no these blokes are on the case now. Spitting is littering. Hey I hate people spitting on the pavement and bus stops, or anywhere I have to walk around it. But my few drops surely isn't going to upset anybody?
I said to the bloke and his friend who joined in. Don't you think this is all a bit draconian? They didn't know what that meant. To be honest I was pretty much shocked. Being treated like a common street thug. I've obviously sent a lengthy email to the council about this. Hopefully the notice will get squashed. Otherwise I swear I'm taking this to court. Purely because they don't have any physical evidence. And they have me using the vaporiser on their body cam. I cooperated with them the whole time. Now I'll ask the judge if its reasonable to prosecute someone who spat a few drops of liquid off his tongue onto a disgusting street. This enforcement is surely aimed at gangs loitering on street corners and spitting in front of people? And leaving visible evidence behind.
These guys are on a par with parking police attendants whatever they're called. Going around meeting quotas so they can get their commission. £80 is a lot of money for me. I'd been on benefits for the past 6 months, after getting injured and losing my job. I've even had to ask for a voucher for a food bank. Fact is if you use a vaporiser you're going to get a few drops in your mouth, and you don't want to swallow it. No I should have spat into a tissue.
There's serious crime in this area, but no pick on the 42 year old lifeguard with no money. I'm taking this pic with to court to ask exactly how much damage I've caused. The highlighted area is where the drops landed. Nearly 18 years in the UK and this is my first fine. Joggers, football players, cyclists beware. Apparently its illegal to rinse your mouth in public now. Any thoughts on this, I'm quite stressed out.
I've been contacted by a representative and they are taking a zero tolerance approach to this issue. There simply is no excuse for spitting no matter what the reason. And they are relying on the witness statements from the officers, not actual evidence of the spitting. My action did no affect any person and was only visible to the two officers. As much as I tried to explain that it was a few drops from my tongue, the more aggressive the person became. I even asked her who was affected by my action. She claimed a child could have slipped on it, or I could have given someone TB. Well I should have been fined for crossing the road away from the zebra crossing. I surely hope that a child wouldn't cross there or inhale my TB infected saliva. There is no discretion involved here. Spitting is spitting. I asked if I spat out an apple seed if this was considered an offence. The answer is yes. Its littering. Be warned its fine to stab people in Wood Green, but don't spit out something distasteful in your mouth.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by PaulG on
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My thoughts would be that spitting in a public space is disgusting; that they should crack down on it more; that eighty pounds is rather steep; that there should be exemptions in certain cases; and that it's not recognised by anyone as "fine" to stab people in Wood Green or anywhere else. I would suggest you forget going to court and ask if you can get a discount for prompt payment.
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Permalink Reply by michaela rourke on
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Sorry but spitting in the street really is nasty - am glad the council are cracking down on this. If you spat in front of me I would think you were disgusting, vaporiser or not.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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Crossing the road away from the pedestrian crossing is entirely legal in Britain. Please correct your post.
You do have my sympathy though. Read this: http://bastardoldholborn.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/survival-guide-for-...
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Permalink Reply by Helen kirk on
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I guess you won't be doing it again seeing as the fine is so steep?
Spitting in public is vile.
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Permalink Reply by Maddy on
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I wish they'd fine the guy who blew his nose almost onto my car the other day and only afterwards got out a tissue to delicately wipe himself.
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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You spat in the street which is an offence. You have admitted it. You will have to pay a fixed penalty. End of story.
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Permalink Reply by Protheroe O'Shea on
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Mark I feel your pain. It does seem quite petty to fine you. Particularly as I am sure whilst fining you about 5 other people will be hacking up massive greenies within a 10 metre radius. If you go to court tell them your ecig backfired and you were spitting out hot poison as a reflex action.
I appreciate you're getting little sympathy here but I genuinely appreciate your post and honestly empathise. Please don't knock the middle classes some of us do a tremendous job. I dare say it was working class folk who fined you? Good luck mate :)
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Not sure how your class defines how offensive you find someone gobbing in the street. I'm South Wales working class through and though and live just a minute from Turnpike Lane station. Im sick of the blatant drug dealing and the general dump the place is. Perhaps they were a bit ott with you, if, like you said it was a couple of drops of spit but they saw you spit something out. You can't expect them to get out a vial and measure how many millilitres people spit in order to determine whether to prosecute.
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Permalink Reply by Rebecca on
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All of the above. We used to be closest to Wood Green and it actually feels a whole lot safer than TL in comparison; its such a dump and I generally feel unsafe walking home when its dark.
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It's not at all related to the £2 billion gamble. No...
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