A Car Park Payment Pedant Writes

1 October 2009
By

My favourite car park is Brunel Street car park (new library look-alike, red cage), and it’s even just got a lick of paint. My other half says it’s “too scrapey” (tight corners, lots of pillars), but I love it. I always park there when I’m in town. It’s run by the Council, I’d rather support the city than NCP or someone.

But today, I had a terrible problem. I stayed 3 hours 40. The machine charged me £3.00:

Receipt.jpg
Uploaded with plasq‘s Skitch!

Whereas the sign tells me “up to 4 hours for 280p”:

IMG_0624.jpg
Uploaded with plasq‘s Skitch!

They owe me 20p (and how many other people…?). I’ve sent a stern email, I’ll let you know how I get on.

I’m thinking of writing another to ask why they count in hundreds of pennies.

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  • chrisivens

    For the record, yesterday I went to trinity street car park (the one with the crushed cars as the entrance). It has a fee of 90p for up to an hour. I had a pound on me and needed to get more change (another story completely about the incompetence of banks etc and cash machines in Digbeth). After printing the ticket I realised that I had only been granted 1 hour, 90p's worth. That machine now owes me 10p and I don't doubt it is shortchanging many other people too. Is this happening all over Brum?

  • http://www.jonbounds.co.uk Jon Bounds

    That's the 'no change' policy of private car parks – no doubt almost
    exactly for that reason.

    If it weren't against the prevailing ethos of discouraging car use I'd
    be campaigning for 'post pay' only systems (that take debit cards so
    you don't keep having to buy packets of polos to get change).

  • http://www.jonbounds.co.uk Jon Bounds

    Here's the response:

    “Unfortunately, the tariff board next to the Pay Station that you used was
    vandalised meaning that some old tariffs were left on display. A new tariff
    board was erected as soon as we became aware of the problem.

    The £3 that you paid (receipt not attached) was the correct charge for 3
    hours parking.”

    Hmm, “vandalised” very tidily indeed

  • Anonymous

    Those pesky vandals, printing out a new set of figures and sticking them over the existing ones.rnrnWhatever happened to vandals who would find a metal box containing money, smash it open and run off with the contents

  • Anonymous

    Those pesky vandals, printing out a new set of figures and sticking them over the existing ones.rnrnWhatever happened to vandals who would find a metal box containing money, smash it open and run off with the contents

  • Anonymous

    Those pesky vandals, printing out a new set of figures and sticking them over the existing ones.rnrnWhatever happened to vandals who would find a metal box containing money, smash it open and run off with the contents

  • Anonymous

    Those pesky vandals, printing out a new set of figures and sticking them over the existing ones.rnrnWhatever happened to vandals who would find a metal box containing money, smash it open and run off with the contents

  • Anonymous

    Those pesky vandals, printing out a new set of figures and sticking them over the existing ones.rnrnWhatever happened to vandals who would find a metal box containing money, smash it open and run off with the contents

  • Anonymous

    Those pesky vandals, printing out a new set of figures and sticking them over the existing ones.rnrnWhatever happened to vandals who would find a metal box containing money, smash it open and run off with the contents

  • Steve_Nicholls

    Those pesky vandals, printing out a new set of figures and sticking them over the existing ones.

    Whatever happened to vandals who would find a metal box containing money, smash it open and run off with the contents

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