I was a traffic warden for 25 years… here’s a mistake you should never make when you’ve been given a ticket
A MAN who worked as a traffic warden for 25 years has revealed the mistake you should never make once you’ve got a ticket.
Michael Towey, 62, revealed what motorists should do when they’ve been slapped with a fine.
While he told the MailOnline: “I would suggest pay it and take it on the head. If you don’t think you should have got it, always appeal to your local council.”
The former traffic warden warned: “Don’t try and outdo the system, if it’s genuine, then the board will see it.”
He did reveal some expert tips on how drivers might be able to get out of paying the fine.
Michael, from Blackpool, said: “You can get out of a ticket if you can prove it was wrongly issued or in some cases an emergency.”
On one occasion he said a woman’s husband had fallen ill and she didn’t have time to pay for a ticket.
He also advised motorists to never park on double yellow lines.
Michael said even though it might be tempting to just park up, thinking you’ll only be a minute or two, you can bet there will be a warden within 100 metres and it wasn’t worth it.
He also cleared up the long-standing confusion between local authority traffic wardens and those who work for a private company.
Private companies do not have the authority to issue fines but can issue charges for breaking their parking conditions.
Meaning that their ability to enforce payment is usually limited to civil action in the County Court.
The former traffic warden also revealed what he thought were the most common mistakes drivers made when parking.
He said misreading signs was the biggest error, especially during peak hours on Sundays.
While he said he had enjoyed some aspects of the job, he admitted that he didn’t miss having to deal with some irate motorists.
On one occasion, he revealed a driver had tried to mow him down after he had been handed a ticket.
Over the years, he has seen some mind-boggling acts and there was one occasion when a man who had received a ticket ate it in front of him.
In another bizarre encounter, he saw a white van parked in the centre of a roundabout.
Michael also squashed the widely-held view that traffic wardens were “the devil” and only looking for a reason to hand out tickets.
He said his job was necessary but a thankless role, saying that if an illegally parked car was blocking a road the emergency services needed to get down then someone’s life could be at risk.
Michael added: “I only ticketed cars that I thought took the mick out of the system.
“One time a lady was struggling with her children getting into the car she was about 15 mins over the time, I just turned a blind eye.”
Earlier this month, it was revealed drivers could be set for millions in fine refunds after a landmark penalty charge ruling.
This is the moment a rare Aston Martin worth a cool £765,000 is towed away after being parked on double yellows outside Harrods in central London.
In April, a cheeky traffic warden left an insulting note for a driver, along with a fine.