A shopper who bought a traffic warden a doughnut to thank him for letting her park for free was livid after she returned to her car to find he'd left her a parking ticket. Christine Spanner was shopping in Heanor, Derbyshire, when she arrived at a car park to find the machines were out of order. A nearby parking attendant told her that cars were only allowed to park for free for an hour, and even though the machines weren't working, he would issue tickets to anyone who overstayed, reports the Derby Telegraph . But after a brief chat, Mrs Spanner said she was told by the warden that he would use his powers of discretion and that she could take her time without worrying about a parking ticket . Mrs Spanner said: "I went down to Birds and bought him a cream doughnut. I said 'here you are, I've bought you a cake, all you need now is a nice cup of tea with that'." But when Mrs Spanner, 66, returned to her car an hour and 20 minutes later, she was shocked to find a parking ticket pinned to her windscreen. She said: "My friend thought there was a thank-you note on my car. "But it was a ticket! I was fuming, to be honest. I went driving around to find him. I was absolutely livid. I couldn't believe he had given me a parking ticket when he'd said it was OK for me to stay." Mrs Spanner, who decided to speak out after reading about another parking ticket row in her area, said she has been unable to find the warden again. The incident happened in December 2017. She said she has since heard rumours that the parking attendant moved onto another patch shortly after the incident. The retired Lloyds TSB bank worker, and Corfield Church of England Infant School administrator, who lives near Morley, reluctantly agreed to pay the £25 fine she was given by the Amber Valley Borough Council attendant. But she said if she sees him again he will be in trouble. She joked: "I'll give him another cream cake, but I won't be giving it to him nicely, it'll be in his face - like you see on the TV." Despite being stitched up by the parking warden, Mrs Spanner, who is married to her joiner husband Tony, said she had not lost her faith in humanity. She said: "I still trust people and I wouldn't like to think everyone is the same as him. You have to have faith in people." A spokesman for Amber Valley Borough Council said an appeals process for incorrectly-issued tickets is detailed on the reverse of the pay and display machines. He said: "Should members of the public find that no pay and display machines are working within a particular car park, if they telephone the number provided on the signage and give their registration number, they will be able to park in accordance with all other restrictions, such as the maximum stay." CommentsShow more comments
Shopper outraged after traffic warden she bought doughnut still tickets her car
A shopper who bought a traffic warden a doughnut to thank him for letting her park for free was livid after she returned to her car to find he'd left her a parking ticket. Christine Spanner was shopping in Heanor, Derbyshire, when she arrived at a car park to find the machines were out of order. A nearby parking attendant told her that cars were only allowed to park for free for an hour, and even though the machines weren't working, he would issue tickets to anyone who overstayed, reports the Derby Telegraph . But after a brief chat, Mrs Spanner said she was told by the warden that he would use his powers of discretion and that she could take her time without worrying about a parking ticket . Mrs Spanner said: "I went down to Birds and bought him a cream doughnut. I said 'here you are, I've bought you a cake, all you need now is a nice cup of tea with that'." But when Mrs Spanner, 66, returned to her car an hour and 20 minutes later, she was shocked to find a parking ticket pinned to her windscreen. She said: "My friend thought there was a thank-you note on my car. "But it was a ticket! I was fuming, to be honest. I went driving around to find him. I was absolutely livid. I couldn't believe he had given me a parking ticket when he'd said it was OK for me to stay." Mrs Spanner, who decided to speak out after reading about another parking ticket row in her area, said she has been unable to find the warden again. The incident happened in December 2017. She said she has since heard rumours that the parking attendant moved onto another patch shortly after the incident. The retired Lloyds TSB bank worker, and Corfield Church of England Infant School administrator, who lives near Morley, reluctantly agreed to pay the £25 fine she was given by the Amber Valley Borough Council attendant. But she said if she sees him again he will be in trouble. She joked: "I'll give him another cream cake, but I won't be giving it to him nicely, it'll be in his face - like you see on the TV." Despite being stitched up by the parking warden, Mrs Spanner, who is married to her joiner husband Tony, said she had not lost her faith in humanity. She said: "I still trust people and I wouldn't like to think everyone is the same as him. You have to have faith in people." A spokesman for Amber Valley Borough Council said an appeals process for incorrectly-issued tickets is detailed on the reverse of the pay and display machines. He said: "Should members of the public find that no pay and display machines are working within a particular car park, if they telephone the number provided on the signage and give their registration number, they will be able to park in accordance with all other restrictions, such as the maximum stay." CommentsShow more comments
0 Comments