A Defiant Stubborn Old Fool! That'll Be Me Then.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! The letter has arrived. The one from the council. About my parking fine. The fine I have no intention of paying. You might recall me telling you about it in my post of 16th February 2012, 'Let Battle Commence'.

It took a bit longer to arrive than the 28 days they said. It's more like 6 or 7 weeks. Tell you the truth I thought they'd forgotten all about it. In fact I was only a couple of days ago going to tell you just that. Glad I didn't. What a fool I would have looked. Oi you, I heard that! Anyway it's here now.

My mindset is still the same as it was. I am not paying it! If I pay them the money, that would be the same as admitting guilt. I made a genuine mistake when setting the time on the parking disc. How does that warrant them charging me 50 quid?

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The next stage is that I am supposed to send them something they call 'Grounds for Representations'. These representations are then put before the Enforcement Authority for consideration. Guess who runs the Enforcement Authority? Yes, that's right. The council! Well they can bloody well whistle for my representations, cos' they ain't getting none! I'm saving them for my day in court.

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Next bit of the form they want my evidence details. They ain't getting them either. I'm saving my evidence for the court case. This is what I have written on the form.

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That bit about me being nervous and stressed, isn't true. Although it may well turn out that way. I really only added it for effect and to demonstrate to the unthinking bureaucrats in the Town Hall, that I have feelings. The bit I have put about going straight to Magistrates court, and bypassing Enforcement Authority, is just to give them something to think about too.

I would like you to look at the first photo again, and read the bit where it says what my alleged contravention is. Have you done that? OK, now look at the photos that are on the form. These pictures were taken by the parking enforcement officer. What is that in the windscreen? Why my goodness gracious me. It looks like a CLEARLY DISPLAYED parking clock.

Apart from that piece of evidence, I still maintain that a parking fine is unjust for a simple mistake in displaying the time correctly, and that if I had any nefarious intent, although for the life of me, I struggle to understand what that intent might be, why on earth would I have obtained the parking disc in the first place. Also, there were very few other cars in the very large car park, so I wasn't even depriving anyone of a space.

I realise I'm being stubborn. Possibly even foolish. But I simply cannot give them £50. I haven't done anything wrong.