What's made you smile today?

[StevenRB45]

Many years ago, while living in Dorset, I met a guy with a Sierra, who carried a diary around, and every morning and afternoon, got someone to sign as a witness to his car's location.
He'd been getting parking tickets from a London borough, and despite denying them all, he was then being petered and threatened with prosecution. All the tickets were within a small area, but his suggestion that next time they find it, they call the police, was ignored.
Eventually, when the court summons arrived, he had to act. With all the ticket locations marked in his A-Z, he set off to London. Took a few hours, but found the car bearing 'his' plates. So he parked near it, and called the police. Armed with his registration document, VIN was checked, and at last the errant car was impounded. The council still refused to cancel the tickets, but the magistrate gave them a good telling off when he appeared, and was awarded costs. A lot of work though.

That's kinda the point of adding a little identifier beyond the plates.

It being the modern era, there will be literally no human input beyond perhaps taking the photo of the car in the process.

A lot of it is just a camera reads your plates on entry and exit and you get a nice photo of your car caught in the act.

But that photo is the easiest place to start when it comes to contesting it so adding a few bits to make your life easier and theirs harder is probably wise.

Obviously if you did it then it works in reverse...the police have been known to use exactly same things to prove the car they are prosecuting is not a clone.

 

[irc]

It being the modern era, there will be literally no human input beyond perhaps taking the photo of the car in the process.

A lot of it is just a camera reads your plates on entry and exit and you get a nice photo of your car caught in the act.

Even before you start contesting plates etc, double check the photo "evidence". We got a Parking Enforcement Notice for a red Panda Sporting, but the photo clearly showed a black Corsa. The plates looked the same at first glance, but SD... looks a bit like SB... especially when some numpty has used a black number plate screw inside the D.
Despite the company claiming to "always review" the evidence using a "skilled technician" before sending out their "invoices", they sent out the demand for £130, leaving it up to me to prove it wasn't our car in their car park.
I did return the form with the "it wasn't me" box ticked, with a note pointing out their mistake, explaining that I would be happy to provide proof at their expense, and in the meantime I would be reporting them to the relevant data protection office for obtaining my details without justification - they have the legal right to request information for cars that use their car park, but as this car had not, then they had technically made an illegal access to DVLA to obtain details they had no right to access.

If their skilled technicians are colourblind AND can't tell the difference between a FIAT badge and a Vauxhall badge, then it does raise the question of what they are supposed to be skilled in...

You may have noticed that I don't like private parking enforcement companies much.

 

[Cheest]

I did enjoy the 70s, young , free and single.

For half of it, anyway. 50th in November.

 

[portland_bill]

At just after 10pm, I'm outside, in the dark, filling the bird feeders ready for their early rise.
Clearing up the mess below, is a hedgehog. And I'm talking to it.

 

[The Panda Nut]

That's kinda the point of adding a little identifier beyond the plates.

It being the modern era, there will be literally no human input beyond perhaps taking the photo of the car in the process.

A lot of it is just a camera reads your plates on entry and exit and you get a nice photo of your car caught in the act.

But that photo is the easiest place to start when it comes to contesting it so adding a few bits to make your life easier and theirs harder is probably wise.

Obviously if you did it then it works in reverse...the police have been known to use exactly same things to prove the car they are prosecuting is not a clone.

If its me Mr Policeman, I will face the music! Better this way round.

 

[The Panda Nut]

At just after 10pm, I'm outside, in the dark, filling the bird feeders ready for their early rise.
Clearing up the mess below, is a hedgehog. And I'm talking to it.

Hedgehog says...

"Hes clearly quite mad. Not only does he fill bird feeders in the dark, he talks to hedgehogs. If thats not enough, he drives a Fiat!! A Fiat. I ask you"

 

[The Panda Nut]

For half of it, anyway. 50th in November.

Blimey, I dont even keep Pandas that long..

(45 years this month.)

 

[bugsymike]

At just after 10pm, I'm outside, in the dark, filling the bird feeders ready for their early rise.
Clearing up the mess below, is a hedgehog. And I'm talking to it.

More to the point, is it replying.

 

[FiatMatt94]

New pressed plates put on this morning after a quick clean & to my surprise the only holes for the plates were the 4 original factory holes so I just used the top 2 as I hate drilling new holes if theres no need to, also someone in the past decided to paint the exhaust tip black & it's bugged me ever since I viewed the car so out came the wire brush & a tube of Autosol metal polish, although it hasn't come up like new it's better than patchy black paint

 

[vexorg]

Playing with a new toy we are buying for work, just a demo of it today:

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Though of @Pugglt Auld Jock today when an episode of ‘Bangers and Cash’ came on where they picked up a Daf 33 variomatic for their auction.

 

[porta]

Playing with a new toy we are buying for work, just a demo of it today:


View attachment 447663

View attachment 447664

You going into armed combat or mercenary work?

 

[portland_bill]

More to the point, is it replying.

It did, sort of. It snuffled a lot, usually after my speech. Then it sneezed. Such a big sneeze for such a tiny nose, I really felt for it.

 

[The Panda Nut]

It did, sort of. It snuffled a lot, usually after my speech. Then it sneezed. Such a big sneeze for such a tiny nose, I really felt for it.

Hay fever.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Though of @Pugglt Auld Jock today when an episode of ‘Bangers and Cash’ came on where they picked up a Daf 33 variomatic for their auction.

Great. What did it fetch?

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

It did, sort of. It snuffled a lot, usually after my speech. Then it sneezed. Such a big sneeze for such a tiny nose, I really felt for it.

when young, down in the borders, there were lots of hedgehogs. Mum, an animal lover, always seemed to have at least one orphan in a box (The A7 went right past our front gate).

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Great. What did it fetch?

About £2k I forget the exact figure but it was less than £3k

Was in basically as new condition with a low mileage and everyone was struggling to explain what was so different about it and how the variomatic transmission worked.

It was one of those cars that was described as rare but nobody wanted them

 

[StevenRB45]

Can I get a sad trombone?

Volvo EX30 owners refunded over software issues | Autocar

Issues range from screens going black and steering-wheel buttons not responding to cars not charging

www.autocar.co.uk

Touchscreens...the future. Actually no, hopefully not.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

About £2k I forget the exact figure but it was less than £3k

Was in basically as new condition with a low mileage and everyone was struggling to explain what was so different about it and how the variomatic transmission worked.

It was one of those cars that was described as rare but nobody wanted them

Glad I didn't see it. One day I may just buy one, 'specially if it was the van or Combi version. Then I'd really have some explaining to do!

 

[StevenRB45]

Glad I didn't see it. One day I may just buy one, 'specially if it was the van or Combi version. Then I'd really have some explaining to do!

"But it's a bargain dear not even the price of a replacement gearbox for a Seat!"