0:00:02 > 0:00:05In the UK, someone gets a parking ticket every three seconds.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08- You can appeal against it. - Oh, I will appeal, don't worry.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10I think it's disgusting.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13With more cars than ever on our roads,
0:00:13 > 0:00:16the battle over parking has reached boiling point.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19- Is there any questions you want to ask me now? - How do you sleep at night?
0:00:19 > 0:00:23You people, you rob the general public. You're absolute vermin.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Just take your heart out and just leave it at home.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29With space at a premium, councils need parking controls.
0:00:29 > 0:00:34We've got a board that says, "Car park full," and they drive round it.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Engine's off. Door's open.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40She's got a baby and can't even park outside her own bloody house.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43I'm going to allow the appeal. You don't have to pay.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Oh, I feel great.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49But for many, parking enforcement is a direct attack on motorists.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51It's just about the money.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53In my opinion, they are bloodsuckers.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56You've got no compassion doing the job that you're doing.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58And staff are in the firing line...
0:00:58 > 0:01:00"Come back round here and we'll shoot you,"
0:01:00 > 0:01:02is the most common thing you'll hear up here.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05If you are civilised you will not tell somebody that "I hate you".
0:01:05 > 0:01:08..as they deal with parking madness.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11You might as well just stand here and nick it off of people.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13When I say I hate them, I mean I hate them.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27It's Saturday morning.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31The Civil Enforcement Officers, or CEOs,
0:01:31 > 0:01:33are patrolling the streets of Lincoln.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36This is £70.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42He hasn't realised that it's a permit-only.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44This is a resident-only car park.
0:01:44 > 0:01:45Who's just put that on it?
0:01:45 > 0:01:47Where's he gone?
0:01:47 > 0:01:50- Have you put that ticket on that motor?- I did, yes.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53- I live THERE, man. - Where's your resident's permit?
0:01:53 > 0:01:55- I ain't got a resident's permit.- Why not?
0:01:55 > 0:01:57I park here instead of on the road.
0:01:57 > 0:01:58No, you need a resident's permit.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01- Why's that?- Because it's a residential area.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03You see, "permit parking only" in this car park.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06'You are a...object of hate.'
0:02:06 > 0:02:10You get silly comments - "you evil git" or, you know,
0:02:10 > 0:02:12"how can you sleep?"
0:02:14 > 0:02:17If we worried about every ticket we did, we'd never get the job done.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21Just bear with me, sir, I'll go and get all the pieces of paper.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24When motorists DON'T pay their parking fines,
0:02:24 > 0:02:26things can get really serious.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Did you know that there was a non-payment of a fine?
0:02:29 > 0:02:32If it ain't in time, you're going to lose the vehicle.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34It's early morning in South London,
0:02:34 > 0:02:36and husband-and-wife bailiff team Debbie and Steve
0:02:36 > 0:02:39are picking out motorists who have parking debts.
0:02:39 > 0:02:40Is he paying or what?
0:02:42 > 0:02:44The bailiffs company, Whyte & Co, are using
0:02:44 > 0:02:47automatic number-plate recognition to identify their targets.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49- So have you got the Transit there?- Yes.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52They've pulled over a blue Transit van.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55The driver has an outstanding debt of £500.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57It's not my van, I ain't paying it.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59It belongs to my son, so I don't know how you'll work it out.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01But you're not having it anyway.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03You'll have to drag me to the cells screaming.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06If he doesn't pay up on the spot,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Debbie has the right to take his van and sell it.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11- I just bought the vehicle. - Sir, the warrant is in your name.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14The vehicle's not in my name, so how can you seize it?
0:03:14 > 0:03:16- The warrant is in your name, sir. - How can you seize it?
0:03:16 > 0:03:17How can you enforce it like this?
0:03:17 > 0:03:20- Sir...- Don't keep calling me sir, you're a- BLEEP- idiot.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23Steve, clamp the van.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25We're seizing the van, sir.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28You can't take a vehicle for a debt that belongs to me.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Bailiffs have got no powers whatsoever. Take me to court.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33- SIREN WAILS - They HAVE got powers.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35A court order for a parking ticket?
0:03:35 > 0:03:36Which you haven't paid!
0:03:36 > 0:03:39No, six months, I've driven the van for two days.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Right, he's saying it belongs to his son.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44He only bought the car... The van two days ago.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47But why is the warrant in his name prior to that?
0:03:47 > 0:03:50So has there been...? Can someone...?
0:03:50 > 0:03:52I think there's been swapping about.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54Yeah, that's what I think. That's what I think.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Diabolical. Absolutely diabolical.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Trying to earn a living, and you've got to put up with this.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02People try to do all sorts of things not to pay their debt.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04There's two things that would have happened -
0:04:04 > 0:04:06either the vehicle was in your name at the time of the offence.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08It's never been in my name.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10And then you've changed it and put it in your son's name
0:04:10 > 0:04:12and now you've changed it back again,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15or you were going to change it back again. That's one scenario.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Or the other scenario is that your son
0:04:17 > 0:04:21has put your name as the person who was driving the van at the time.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25We don't get your names out of thin air.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27400-and-something pound for a parking ticket.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30You people, you rob the general public all day long.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32I don't know how you get away with it.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34You're dogs, absolute vermin.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37It's not in my name! Why should they be able to take a vehicle
0:04:37 > 0:04:39that's not in my name for a debt that they say that I owe?
0:04:39 > 0:04:40They can't.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Absolute vermin.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44People earning a living, this is what you do to them.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46There's people out there raping children
0:04:46 > 0:04:49that don't get three months in jail. People out there robbing people now.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52While you're standing here, there's people getting robbed and mugged.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54- What are you all doing? Looking at- BLEEP.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57- Parking fines still have to be paid. - I ain't paying it, never. Not in a million years.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00I'd rather sit in there and you'll have to drag me out
0:05:00 > 0:05:02and deal with World War III. I'm not having it.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05No, he's just loud. He's a bully.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08It's not just in the capital
0:05:08 > 0:05:11that motorists are up in arms about parking.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Parking? Oh, too much, love, too much.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17And then these blokes are getting too much money.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Not enough work and too much money, mate.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Lincoln was built by the Romans almost 2,000 years ago.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29Now it's one of the fastest-growing cities in England.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34In 20 years' time it will have doubled in size.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Hundreds of motorists invade the city every day
0:05:39 > 0:05:42looking for somewhere to park.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51A lot of people do think the parking in most places now
0:05:51 > 0:05:52is getting ridiculous.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55You know, that's three hours, £4.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57It's a lot of dosh.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02But down in Sleaford, the first hour is free, which is a nice idea.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04I think you'd get more people then coming in.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Trying to manage the incoming tide of traffic
0:06:10 > 0:06:11are the Civil Enforcement Officers.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Can you do a check for me?
0:06:16 > 0:06:17The CEOs are on duty 24/7.
0:06:20 > 0:06:21To be honest,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25if you're not issuing tickets, you're not doing your job properly.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27Jamie, a graduate in heritage studies,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29has been a CEO for four years.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32You don't see the people, you see the vehicle.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35You know, you don't give the fines to the person,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38you give it to the vehicle for not having a ticket.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40But I have had, in the past, people say to me,
0:06:40 > 0:06:44"Oh, you've only give me a ticket because of my car."
0:06:44 > 0:06:45Yeah(!)
0:06:45 > 0:06:49"Oh, I drive a Jag and you've given me a ticket because you're jealous."
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Chris, a former milkman,
0:06:51 > 0:06:55swapped his milk round for the car parks 16 years ago.
0:06:55 > 0:07:00£4 for today, and it's only £2.50 for a Saturday and £2.50...
0:07:00 > 0:07:02It's his first patrol of the day
0:07:02 > 0:07:05in one of Lincoln's multi-storey car parks,
0:07:05 > 0:07:07next door to the Premier Inn.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- Hello, sir, are you all right? - No, I'm not.- You're not?
0:07:10 > 0:07:13You've given me a ticket. I've been in the hotel.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15An all-day ticket lasts until 8 o'clock the next morning.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Being ten minutes late means a fine.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20I mean, there's a lot of cars here now that's got two or three tickets
0:07:20 > 0:07:22because they're stopping in the hotel
0:07:22 > 0:07:24and they purchased them all together.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26I'm surprised the reception didn't tell you.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29No, they did, but I didn't think it was a huge issue.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32- I'm really disappointed.- Yeah. - I've never been in Lincoln before.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36I've been to a hotel - usually has a car park.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Well, like I say, it don't matter what time you buy a 24-hour ticket,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42it does expire at 8 o'clock in the morning.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45- It's not a pleasant experience. - Well, I agree with you, sir, but we just go by the ticket.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47We don't know if you're in the hotel or not.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49There's been very little leeway on this.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51First time I've been to the city.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54We spent quite a bit of money yesterday - more than we wanted to,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56but I'm going to make an effort not to spend a penny today.
0:07:58 > 0:07:59It's not an easy job.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02I've heard people swear to me, I've had them grab hold of me.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Unfortunately, I've had ladies cry to me.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08It is part of our job to keep the car park flowing.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10And if people over-stay,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12unfortunately, they get a penalty charge.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15We do give every car a 10 minutes' grace.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Unfortunately, maybe not long enough for people
0:08:17 > 0:08:20to sleep in at the hotel, but that's not my problem, unfortunately.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27- Cracking day. - Their boss is Rod Williamson.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31He has to make sure the city offers enough car-parking spaces,
0:08:31 > 0:08:32and that people pay for them.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37If you go back to 125AD,
0:08:37 > 0:08:39Imperial Rome introduced
0:08:39 > 0:08:42traffic regulations for the ox carts,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46for the deliveries, because you just can't fit everything in,
0:08:46 > 0:08:48it has to be controlled.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Everybody wants to do their own thing -
0:08:51 > 0:08:56that's the recipe for anarchy, and unproductive anarchy.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06That's the sound of satisfaction.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09The money's coming in and it's being counted.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19Since the recession, budgets have been squeezed. More than ever,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22councils rely on their parking-services income
0:09:22 > 0:09:24to balance their books.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27And we can collect between
0:09:27 > 0:09:306,000 and 28,000 a day, in fact.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Tipping these boxes.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36This is where the hard work's done.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42These are all our hand-helds that are charging up.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Tasers set on stun.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46There never is free parking.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Somebody's got to pay for that land at the end of the day.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50There's no such thing as free parking.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57Last year, Lincoln made £4.3 million from Parking Services.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01But none of this revenue actually comes from parking fines.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03I've got some PCNs I need to check out.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Rod's discussing some of the PCN appeals
0:10:07 > 0:10:09with his back-office team.
0:10:09 > 0:10:14Somebody staying at the Premier Inn whose ticket had expired. Expired.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Oh, did they have a lie-in?
0:10:17 > 0:10:2021-year-old Sophie has worked in the council for two years
0:10:20 > 0:10:23and is training to be a parking assistant.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27They can buy the all-day ticket plus, say, two extra hours
0:10:27 > 0:10:30on top of that, and if they place the tickets side-by-side
0:10:30 > 0:10:33they can stay in until 10 o'clock in the morning if they wanted to.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Yeah, there it is. 8 o'clock.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40So we left him 47 minutes to get his muesli down and wander over,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42and he still couldn't make it. And we're next door.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47So she had the ticket, she'd just got it the wrong way round.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51She's proved it, and we're delighted for this woman from Mablethorp
0:10:51 > 0:10:53that we could cancel that.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55e issue about 4,000 PCNs -
0:10:55 > 0:10:58that's less than two per thousand.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03Of those two per 1,000, over half appeal,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07and we consider their appeal and waive the charge.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12So very few people end up paying for a Penalty Charge Notice.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15She's come all the way from Skegness.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18She had a ticket, and we're more than happy to say it's cancelled.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20Welcome to Lincoln.
0:11:20 > 0:11:21Are you back, my love?
0:11:21 > 0:11:25- I am now.- You're very lucky, you're well over your time, you know.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Sorry.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30It's a good job you come back then, cos you was half an hour over.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Just be more careful next time, won't you?
0:11:32 > 0:11:34- So I'll cancel it this time. - Oh, thank you.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36I'd prefer her to come back again and pay more money
0:11:36 > 0:11:39than me issuing a ticket and her not coming back.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41We do want them to come back at the end of the day.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45It's all about customer care, isn't it, at the end of the day?
0:11:45 > 0:11:47We would see it that you have changed
0:11:47 > 0:11:50the vehicle into your son's name.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52In South London there's a stand-off
0:11:52 > 0:11:54between the driver of this van and Debbie.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56You've transferred the logbook to avoid distress,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59so you do not have to pay your parking tickets.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01By rights we can still seize it
0:12:01 > 0:12:03because you have said that this is your stuff.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06I'm not letting you seize it. It's not going to happen.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10I'll sit in here for seven days and nights if I have to, you're not taking the vehicle.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13- But there's a debt that needs to be paid.- I'll get my son down here to prove it's his.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16- But, Mr Andrews...- I'm out here trying to earn a living.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19A rule of law of this land is you can't take a working man's tools.
0:12:19 > 0:12:20That's the law of the land.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23This is a company van for business and work.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Right, but if you got it two days ago...
0:12:25 > 0:12:27I can't pay that bill if I don't go to work. But two days ago...
0:12:27 > 0:12:29I can't pay that bill that you're trying to give me,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33which is astronomical for a parking ticket. £500 for a parking ticket...
0:12:33 > 0:12:36- Two days ago... - No wonder people hate them.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38The vehicle - you said you bought the vehicle.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40I haven't exchanged yet. I'm buying it off my son.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43- PHONE RINGS - No, but that's what you said. - You all right, Mum?
0:12:43 > 0:12:47You know, is it worth the aggravation for a 51 reg?
0:12:47 > 0:12:50After 45 minutes of arguments, Debbie realises
0:12:50 > 0:12:53that because there's some doubt over the ownership of the van,
0:12:53 > 0:12:54she cannot collect the debt today.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58He ain't going to pay, Steve, so you may as well just cut it loose.
0:12:58 > 0:12:59He is not going to pay.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02The insurance is not in his name. He's only a named driver.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Deb, you're in charge, you're the boss, you do what you want to do.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07If you want him to mug you off, you let him mug you off.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09Take the clamp off.
0:13:09 > 0:13:10- Eh?- Go on, take the clamp off.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15They will go to your house and they will do the removal at the house.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Them bailiffs are taking diabolical liberties with people
0:13:18 > 0:13:20all the time, and it's wrong.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23You've just seen me stand my ground, they took the clamp off.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25All they're doing is keep swapping the names about,
0:13:25 > 0:13:26it's one that's going to get away.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30But people will go to the house and they will do a removal of the goods.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36There's many a way to skin a cat, as they say.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46More and more motorists are appealing their parking tickets
0:13:46 > 0:13:49through the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52- You were the driver on the day?- Yes.
0:13:52 > 0:13:53OK.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57It's a parking court with independent adjudicators
0:13:57 > 0:13:58who are trained lawyers.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Shall we have a quick look at his logbook and see what he says?
0:14:01 > 0:14:03"Lady returned, she got very upset,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06"she started crying with a baby in her arms."
0:14:06 > 0:14:09In Bristol, Toby Halliwell is presiding.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11Hello, come in.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15'There's a temptation for appellants to embellish what they're saying,'
0:14:15 > 0:14:17so you have to assess
0:14:17 > 0:14:19whether or not they are telling the truth,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21and that can be a challenge.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23The vehicle in question belonged to you
0:14:23 > 0:14:25and that you were driving on the day.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30It was in a bus stop at the relevant time when the PCN was issued.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32- You say you'd had a collapse?- Yeah.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35- When the kidney stones move...- Yeah.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37..it just knocks you out, puts you on the floor.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Next up is Mr Langford.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43He is appealing against a ticket issued by Bristol City Council
0:14:43 > 0:14:44for stopping in a bus lane.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48I felt I was going to crash the car, I really did.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51- I felt so bad.- And this is at Whiteladies Road bus lane?
0:14:51 > 0:14:53- Yes.- OK.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56I just felt dizzy, really, really dizzy,
0:14:56 > 0:15:01as in white spots behind my eyes, and I could hardly see,
0:15:01 > 0:15:03and just... Just needed to pull over.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Now, is this a problem you've had before?
0:15:06 > 0:15:09I started suffering migraines...
0:15:09 > 0:15:11probably about 12 months ago.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13And I play golf at a golf club
0:15:13 > 0:15:16and I play with doctors at the golf club,
0:15:16 > 0:15:18and I've told them the symptoms I've had.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20So have you had the same problem before,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22where it's affected your ability to drive?
0:15:22 > 0:15:24I wasn't driving at the time.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Although you haven't produced medical evidence
0:15:26 > 0:15:30in relation to the happening of the migraine,
0:15:30 > 0:15:34I am going to allow your appeal on this occasion.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36The PCN and the Notice To Owner will be cancelled.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38Cases like that are difficult
0:15:38 > 0:15:40because you've got to decide...
0:15:40 > 0:15:44whether or not they're telling the truth.
0:15:44 > 0:15:45Yeah.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Got really nothing more to say, really,
0:15:47 > 0:15:49than I'm absolutely pleased, really,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51and that's pretty much it, that's it.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57In the London Borough of Barnet,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00the residents and motorists feel the council's parking policy
0:16:00 > 0:16:02has been working against them.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04It's not parking control, it's a tax, isn't it?
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Let's not dress it up, everyone knows what it is, it's a tax.
0:16:09 > 0:16:14Every week the council issues a whopping 3,250 parking tickets,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18and makes around £6 million a year from parking fines.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26Old lady here, disabled badge, on crutches, got out of her car.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30I think she was two or three inches over the white line,
0:16:30 > 0:16:32it wasn't causing a problem, and she got a ticket.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35That's the sort of behaviour you have to deal with.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37There's definitely some incentive
0:16:37 > 0:16:38to give out as many tickets as they can,
0:16:38 > 0:16:40although they'll tell you there's not.
0:16:42 > 0:16:47Most recently, the council got rid of all the cash parking metres.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50All I want to do is go and get a coffee in Starbucks.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54- Right.- It's going to take me five minutes, and I've got to do this.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56It should be straightforward, shouldn't it?
0:16:56 > 0:16:58It's just easier just to put your money in.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Yeah. In a coin metre.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Barnet Council feel that they have listened to residents
0:17:04 > 0:17:08and have reduced parking prices and introduced a 15-minute tariff.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12But the technology still takes a bit of getting used to.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Bearing in mind I've got two children,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18- so I try to save time by doing it as I'm getting them out.- Right.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22- It's really inconvenient to have to do this all on the phone.- Yeah.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25You know, sometimes I avoid it and I go to Brent Cross
0:17:25 > 0:17:27because it's free parking.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Derek Dishman is a Barnet resident.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34There's a machine there that takes credit cards.
0:17:34 > 0:17:35That's ridiculous, that.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Yeah, it IS ridiculous! Yeah.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Not everyone's got a credit card, do you know what I mean?
0:17:40 > 0:17:41No, no, I know. So you've got money.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44So I've got to go and look for somewhere else to park now.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46- Yeah, you have, yeah. - I don't think that's fair.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Yeah, it's bonkers, isn't it?
0:17:48 > 0:17:49He's got a credit card,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52but he didn't know he needed it to come to Barnet.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54It's like showing your passport at the border.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57By day he's a debt collector,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00but by night he's a full-on parking campaigner.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04My name is Mr Mustard, because I was looking in the context
0:18:04 > 0:18:09of the other bloggers who exist, like Mrs Angry and Mr Reasonable,
0:18:09 > 0:18:13so it was evident that you needed a catchy name.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17With only 1% of those issued a parking ticket appealing,
0:18:17 > 0:18:21Derek has a simple but potentially devastating plan.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25If I can get the whole of Barnet
0:18:25 > 0:18:28to rise up and appeal every ticket,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31Barnet Council Parking will grind to a halt.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43So far, out of 52 appeals, he's only lost one.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48He's about to take on his next case.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Mr Lavine is 93 years old,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55and Barnet Council fined him
0:18:55 > 0:18:58after he made a mistake in displaying his disabled blue badge.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Unfortunately, I'd put the old card on the dashboard
0:19:03 > 0:19:07instead of the new card, and I'm determined to fight it,
0:19:07 > 0:19:09because I feel that they're taking a liberty.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12I'm sorry to hear you've got this parking ticket problem.
0:19:12 > 0:19:17- Well...- But the good news is that I win over 90% of the time.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Oh, good. I'm fighting this on principle.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22I made a simple mistake.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25- Yeah.- Which was a stupid one, I admit,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28but at the same time I am the holder of a badge
0:19:28 > 0:19:31by virtue of the fact that...
0:19:31 > 0:19:34I've got a lot of things wrong with me.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38They know full well that that ticket is not valid.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41Mr Lavine's grandson, Justin, has already written to Barnet Council.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45They know all along they have no case and they're extorting money.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48But they're still demanding he pays up.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Barnet have rules for that situation.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52For a first offence, they're meant to let you off.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57A parking appeal date has been set.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Derek will be there to defend Mr Lavine.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04This is a reason to appeal already.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07These are the notes that the traffic warden made.
0:20:07 > 0:20:12If you know what NATW means then you know more than me.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16No, that's it, it's a code that the man in the street can't understand.
0:20:16 > 0:20:21Another thing that's wrong - they served the ticket at 14:47,
0:20:21 > 0:20:25but they watched your car until 14:50.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27It's what we would call a mistake
0:20:27 > 0:20:31and the adjudicator will call a procedural impropriety.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33I prefer the word mistake - it's easier.
0:20:35 > 0:20:36He's a nice gentleman, he's lovely,
0:20:36 > 0:20:39but he shouldn't have all this bother. It's just wrong.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43It couldn't be more wrong to hound elderly people for money.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45So I stop that.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53Derek's drive to end Barnet Council's power over the motorist
0:20:53 > 0:20:54began two years ago.
0:20:54 > 0:20:5870% of people will just pay up for a quiet life,
0:20:58 > 0:21:00because they're afraid of what will happen.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04But once you give them the knowledge, you're giving them power.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06And a lot of people must read my blog
0:21:06 > 0:21:09and go off and do their own appeal, and I never hear about them.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12But it was the death of his wife seven years ago
0:21:12 > 0:21:14that changed the course of his life.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Not good, that one.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22We would have been doing more coupley things that you do,
0:21:22 > 0:21:25you know, so...
0:21:25 > 0:21:28But it didn't make me sort of...
0:21:28 > 0:21:31I mean, obviously a life event like that,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33you stop and you think.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36What would Lillian think of your...
0:21:36 > 0:21:38Oh, she'd think I was nuts.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41She... Oh, she'd be going, "Dishbag,"
0:21:41 > 0:21:42which is what she'd call me,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45"what are you doing?!" you know?
0:21:45 > 0:21:48So... There we are.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51But I am doing it, so I just have a little voice in my head.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Now, I think there's some more courgettes on the other plant,
0:21:56 > 0:21:57you know.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01They hide. They're like traffic wardens, actually, courgettes.
0:22:01 > 0:22:07They hide and then suddenly they pop out and surprise you.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09Ben, are the details coming over?
0:22:09 > 0:22:10Yeah, I've got details.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12It's rush hour in Croydon.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Bailiffs Debbie and Steve are strategically placed
0:22:15 > 0:22:17on one of the main roads into town
0:22:17 > 0:22:20to capture as many motorists as possible.
0:22:20 > 0:22:21I've got it now.
0:22:25 > 0:22:26It's gone.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31They saw a car, but it turned off, so it's not coming this way.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34You've got Lima Victor 56.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36OK. That one.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40- There you are, it's going.- That one!
0:22:40 > 0:22:41- This one?- Yeah.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43We've just pulled another one over,
0:22:43 > 0:22:45so we're now going to speak to that person.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47To avoid losing your car,
0:22:47 > 0:22:51the bailiffs offer two methods of payment - cash or credit card.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Non-payment of a parking fine.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57It was on the Retreat in Thornton Heath on the 10th of the 10th 2012.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00At the moment there's an outstanding debt of £434.44
0:23:00 > 0:23:01that needs to be paid.
0:23:01 > 0:23:02Right.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05If you can't make that payment, we will remove the vehicle
0:23:05 > 0:23:07at a further cost to yourself.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09Yeah. How can I make that payment?
0:23:09 > 0:23:11You can pay it now by debit card?
0:23:11 > 0:23:13- Ooh.- Quick thinking.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19I don't carry nothing on me, that's what I'm saying.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22- I can't... We can't let you go unless the payment's...- How much?
0:23:22 > 0:23:23£434.44.
0:23:30 > 0:23:31Have you got money with you?!
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Yes, he has! He's lied to you!
0:23:33 > 0:23:35He's got money in his pocket. He's holding out!
0:23:35 > 0:23:38No, I'm surprised, because I didn't take my purse or anything.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40I'm thinking...
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Do you want to come to the van?
0:23:42 > 0:23:46By neglecting to pay his £65 parking ticket on time,
0:23:46 > 0:23:50this motorist has ended up paying seven times that amount,
0:23:50 > 0:23:52with the lion's share going to the bailiffs.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55400. I need £34.44.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58You haven't put any charges on it?
0:23:58 > 0:24:00- Oh, I have, yeah.- What?!
0:24:00 > 0:24:04Yeah, because that's what they tell us to charge, so that's what we do.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08Right, the GL420 paid in full. Cash.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12Well, he knew he had the ticket, he just hasn't paid it
0:24:12 > 0:24:15and, obviously, now he thinks he should have paid it
0:24:15 > 0:24:20X, Y and Z, so... It's all done. Another happy customer.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Parking skirmishes are happening all over the country.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32This is Balcombe in Sussex.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40- There's a car park down there. - I know, but it's very expensive.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44- Yeah, that's the only reason you come up here?- Yeah.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47I think this guy flies,
0:24:47 > 0:24:49or he's something to do with the airline,
0:24:49 > 0:24:51because it's normally here overnight.
0:24:51 > 0:24:52Ex-military man Bob
0:24:52 > 0:24:56has been living on the Newlands Estate for 30 years.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59It's cold, so that's been here overnight, that one.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05But this time the enemy isn't the council.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07There's one just popped in.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09It's the commuter.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13I'm sure they come from all over. Burgess Hill, Cuckfield.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Every day at dawn, the invaders start arriving.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30I'm afraid the commuters are, "I must get to the train,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33"I must get to the train, so where can I park?"
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Anywhere will do. So that's part of our trouble that we have.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Morning.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Just off to the office. Must be a train due.
0:25:45 > 0:25:476:50, Victoria.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52I used to get myself in a little bit of trouble by talking to them.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Morning.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58'They are so arrogant - they think they're the big people from London.'
0:25:58 > 0:25:59And who are you?
0:25:59 > 0:26:01I just live here.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06We are a tiny rural village, not too many houses,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10and all we want to do is park outside our own house.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17The car-parking war began six years ago,
0:26:17 > 0:26:21when the railway company contracted the car park out
0:26:21 > 0:26:24to a private firm who started charging.
0:26:25 > 0:26:30We're going down now to the car park, the official car park,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34and as you can see there are cars parked outside -
0:26:34 > 0:26:38on the main road, virtually - so they don't have to pay.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41There are 63 parking spaces in here,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44and you can probably count about 22 cars.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48You can see on the board there
0:26:48 > 0:26:52that the cost of parking is £4 a day.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56It costs over £3,000 to commute from here to London.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59They're expecting them to pay another £591 to park their car.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07She's a regular commuter, this one.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10- It's about £3 a day, I think.- It's £4.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13- Is it?- Mmm.- Which, you know, adds up over a week
0:27:13 > 0:27:14when you're paying £3,000...
0:27:14 > 0:27:17Over £3,000 a year for commuting as well.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19- Yeah.- You know, it really adds up.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23Yeah. We have put notices on your windscreens to say...
0:27:23 > 0:27:26- Yeah, I've seen them. - ..that you can park down there.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29I've also had people very pleasantly chucking grass on my windscreen,
0:27:29 > 0:27:31lifting up windscreen wipers,
0:27:31 > 0:27:35leaving quite an abusive note on my windscreen as well.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39Look at this four-wheel car in the narrowest part of the road.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42The residents are hoping to persuade the commuters
0:27:42 > 0:27:43not to park in their road
0:27:43 > 0:27:46by educating them in the finer points of the Highway Code.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50I've just got to do two here, put some leaflets on cars
0:27:50 > 0:27:53to remind them that there are Highway Code implications
0:27:53 > 0:27:55of parking like this.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58The Highway Code instructs people
0:27:58 > 0:28:02not to park near the brow of a hill or on a bend.
0:28:02 > 0:28:03So visibility is an issue here.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Some residents believe there are more obvious solutions.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09They should make that car park free
0:28:09 > 0:28:11for people who want to park in the station.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13- At the station, yeah.- OK?
0:28:13 > 0:28:16And they should have special parking places
0:28:16 > 0:28:18- for all the people who live here.- Right.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22Forget people who are living in London, or go to London every day.
0:28:22 > 0:28:23- Yeah.- That doesn't come in to it.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26That's their business, isn't it, really? Why should we suffer?
0:28:26 > 0:28:28But I was sorry for your daughter.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31- Yeah.- You know, why should they park all the way up there,
0:28:31 > 0:28:36when she's got a baby and can't even park outside her own bloody house.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Well, I'm sure if Mr Cameron had this problem...
0:28:39 > 0:28:41it would finish next week.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44They've got a bloody station down there.
0:28:44 > 0:28:49Why should we, you know, have all the bloody traffic up here?
0:28:49 > 0:28:51For the commuters, it's a no-brainer.
0:28:51 > 0:28:57Er, because I can't afford to pay parking down at the main station
0:28:57 > 0:28:59at £600 a year or so.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03Yeah, it's a public road, I pay my road tax, so I figure I can park.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05It is just getting... DOG BARKS
0:29:05 > 0:29:07No, stop it.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10It is just getting beyond a joke. DOGS BARK
0:29:13 > 0:29:14No!
0:29:21 > 0:29:24Debbie has caught another unsuspecting motorist.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28SLK CK52.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31Former boxing champ Bruce Scott has been stopped on his way to the gym.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34He's got some guns on him, ain't he?
0:29:34 > 0:29:36Walking around with shorts on!
0:29:37 > 0:29:41Today, he's got a different sort of fight on his hands.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44- Are you Bruce Scott? - Yes, I am.- Right, OK.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48There's actually a non-payment of a parking fine on your vehicle today.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51- Whoa.- Yeah. - Well, that should be sorted,
0:29:51 > 0:29:54because I...paid the money.
0:29:54 > 0:29:59What's the query about, is about the money paid...late.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02Yeah, that's it. It looks like you've paid part of the payment.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04- Well, I paid. I paid it. - Because you paid it late...
0:30:04 > 0:30:06No, no, no. No, no, no.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10'The details for CK52 are on the iPad.'
0:30:10 > 0:30:13Do you know where he got the ticket from, Ben?
0:30:13 > 0:30:15- 'Yeah.'- Was that in Purley?- Yeah.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18That's... This is... This is done. This is done.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21- This is done. - Yeah, they're saying it's not.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23They're saying it's not been paid in full.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26- That's why there's a warrant still out.- It's paid in full!
0:30:26 > 0:30:28I think what they're saying is it was paid late.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30No, no, it didn't pay late,
0:30:30 > 0:30:33because they sent me a letter saying it's finished, it's done.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35This is wrong. This is wrong.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37Honestly, you're wasting my time stopping me now.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39I checked on the 15th, I wrote a letter to the manager,
0:30:39 > 0:30:42I said I need compensation, and they sent me back a letter
0:30:42 > 0:30:46that said we're not going to give you no compensation, due to whatever.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48It's done. It's done. It's done.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51So I don't know why they're running me down now.
0:30:51 > 0:30:52My hands are tied.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55We've got a warrant for a non-payment of a parking fine.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57- No, no, no.- If it's not paid, they're going to take your car.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00- OK, take the car. Take the flipping car.- That's fine. That's fine.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03But what I'm trying to say to you, I'm not going to be looking like a mug here
0:31:03 > 0:31:06- because they say the case is done. - Well, they're saying it's not,
0:31:06 > 0:31:09so it's either paid or we're going to remove the car at a further cost.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12It's your choice. It makes no difference to me.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15I'm just working on behalf of the council on a warrant of execution.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20This is wrong.
0:31:20 > 0:31:21So it's either pay it,
0:31:21 > 0:31:23or we're going to have to charge you more
0:31:23 > 0:31:26because we're going to have to get a removal truck.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29Yeah, I know, I know, I know, I know, that's fine, that's fine. I'll pay.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31- OK, are you paying by card or cash?- I'll pay by card.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34Right, I'll go and get the machine.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36Bruce owes nearly £500.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41I only go out to buy a sandwich,
0:31:41 > 0:31:42and I pay £500 now
0:31:42 > 0:31:45for a parking ticket for five minutes,
0:31:45 > 0:31:47which is wrong, man, this is so wrong.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49This is so wrong. This is so wrong and unfair.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54For motorists who wish to appeal their tickets,
0:31:54 > 0:31:57tribunals happen all over the country.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03In Manchester, Maggie Kennedy is presiding.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07- I'm Maggie Kennedy. You and I have met before, haven't we?- Yeah.
0:32:07 > 0:32:08And we've got the video here.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11This is the bus lane on Wilmslow Road.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13Instead of going into THIS lane,
0:32:13 > 0:32:15you wander into the bus lane instead.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17People certainly get very het up about it.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20Part of my evidence is based on my own personal testimony.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23I wanted to have my integrity and credibility as a witness
0:32:23 > 0:32:25to be tested.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27Well, that's what we're doing at the moment.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30It's only a parking ticket, and it's one of thousands that I see.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33Well, I've nothing more to say than I've already said.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35Do you want me to say it again or...?
0:32:35 > 0:32:37I suppose it's our own little empire, the car, isn't it?
0:32:37 > 0:32:40That's ours, we're king in there, and how dare you tell me
0:32:40 > 0:32:42I can't do what I want to do with my car?
0:32:42 > 0:32:45Mahindra Singh, a taxi driver,
0:32:45 > 0:32:48was given a £35 ticket for parking in a disabled bay
0:32:48 > 0:32:52whilst assisting his disabled passenger into the station.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55The council saw you on 6th April
0:32:55 > 0:32:57outside Victoria Station in the disabled bay.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00There's a picture of you coming back towards your taxi,
0:33:00 > 0:33:03- and you're sort of going, "What?" - Yeah, "what's happening?" Exactly.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06The implication that they're making is that you'd come out of the shop
0:33:06 > 0:33:08and that there was no disabled lady, and you just parked up
0:33:08 > 0:33:11because you wanted some chewing gum or whatever it might be.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13- Well, that's untrue. - That's not true?- No.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17- Where did you pick her up from, Mr Singh?- Portland Street rank.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19So she was on the street already at that point?
0:33:19 > 0:33:22I picked her up. She came to the rank.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24Yes. How did she get to the rank, do you know?
0:33:24 > 0:33:26I don't know how she got to the rank.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28Yeah, she might have come out of the hotel,
0:33:28 > 0:33:29cos it's outside the hotel.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31I was actually wondering
0:33:31 > 0:33:34whether you're allowed to stop in a disabled bay
0:33:34 > 0:33:35to let a passenger alight or not.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38I think if you're quick about it, yes, you can.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42Because the restriction is no parking or no waiting.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44- Right.- Not no stopping.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46So I'm going to allow the appeal.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48You don't have to pay on that ground.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50Oh, I feel great. That's great.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52I'm glad common sense has prevailed,
0:33:52 > 0:33:54because that's what I was hoping for, you know,
0:33:54 > 0:33:56helping a disabled passenger.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58It's all part of our duty,
0:33:58 > 0:34:01and that's all I was doing - my job.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06On average, the appeal process can last up to six months.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11It's the day of 93-year-old Mr Lavine's appeal.
0:34:11 > 0:34:16They should call themselves Shylock Council,
0:34:16 > 0:34:19not Barnet Council,
0:34:19 > 0:34:22because, in my opinion, they are bloodsuckers
0:34:22 > 0:34:24in every shape and form.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28I'm determined to carry on with it, regardless.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32If they want to, they can send me to prison.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36A 93-year-old man sent to prison. Very good.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42Fighting alongside him is his grandson, Justin.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45He's got to take it to court, we've got to file the paperwork.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48There doesn't seem to be too much common sense any more.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51And with this, the council could say,
0:34:51 > 0:34:53"Look, this is the first time you've done this -
0:34:53 > 0:34:56"please don't do it again or we'll fine you."
0:34:56 > 0:34:59It's another form of taxation.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03I'd say 80% of people probably don't even bother fighting their case
0:35:03 > 0:35:06when they've even got a valid reason to, you know?
0:35:06 > 0:35:08They probably just can't be bothered.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13Helping with Mr Lavine's defence
0:35:13 > 0:35:17is campaigner Derek Dishman, AKA Mr Mustard.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20It's always a little bit unpredictable.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24But, um, we'll find out in 30 minutes.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35After a hearing lasting 45 minutes,
0:35:35 > 0:35:38the tribunal fails to reach a decision.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42He wants to talk to the Council more,
0:35:42 > 0:35:44regarding all the points as well,
0:35:44 > 0:35:47and that's where it's left, so we haven't got a decision today.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50I am actually more hopeful than Justin is
0:35:50 > 0:35:52that the ticket will get cancelled.
0:35:52 > 0:35:57I just feel that the whole thing is unfair.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00You know, it's just not right.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06It's not just the councils who have spotted an opportunity
0:36:06 > 0:36:09for making a few bob from parking.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12Costas Constantino is a parking entrepreneur.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14His road to success began as a clamper,
0:36:14 > 0:36:18until last year, when clamping on private land was banned.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22All the people that were employing clamping firms and towing firms
0:36:22 > 0:36:23could no longer use them,
0:36:23 > 0:36:26so, you know, who was the alternative solution?
0:36:26 > 0:36:28Me, Costas. Well, got it.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32Yeah, the phone's never stopped ringing, we've done really well.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35As the law changed, so did Costas' business.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39He now hires out parking deterrents to private landowners.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42It's got to look professional. People are going to open them boxes
0:36:42 > 0:36:44and that's an image of our company straightaway.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47Listen, that's fine, but from now on just put them in the box like that.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51Private landowners can enforce parking regulations
0:36:51 > 0:36:55with the correct signage, and even issue parking tickets.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58You know, residents' parking only, unloading, customers and visitors.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02Disabled badge. Customers and permit holders only, authorised parking.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04So there's quite a variety.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07There's 800 people using us, but most of them do not issue tickets.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10No. We send them the signs, we send them a few nasty stickers -
0:37:10 > 0:37:11bang, problem solved.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13And they pay us a rent every year.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16Costas' real passion is inventing,
0:37:16 > 0:37:20and he's come up with a friendly parking deterrent.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24I've got, like, this talking parking ticket I invented.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28'Dear motorist, this vehicle is parked on private property,
0:37:28 > 0:37:31'where parking regulations are enforced.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33'A photograph has been taken as evidence,
0:37:33 > 0:37:35'and your numberplate recorded.'
0:37:35 > 0:37:37So they're able to leave a message for the motorist.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40They can pile it on a little bit - "You've blocked our fire exit,
0:37:40 > 0:37:43"you caused us all sorts of problems, we can't take a delivery."
0:37:43 > 0:37:47And sometimes you can play with the motorist's conscience as well.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51It could change the face of enforcement as we know it.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53Let's say 75% of churches have got car parks.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56They don't want to be issuing a ticket -
0:37:56 > 0:37:59it's just not the Christian thing to do or the Muslim thing to do, is it?
0:38:01 > 0:38:04It's just a polite request - look, I'm really sorry,
0:38:04 > 0:38:05but don't come back.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Thank you very much. Thank you for co-operation.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Completely different from what we're used to.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16A talking parking ticket?
0:38:22 > 0:38:23No way, Jose.
0:38:23 > 0:38:28In Lincoln, the CEOs are sticking to the tried and tested methods.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31This fine is £50.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33You attach it to the window.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38Then walk away.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42It's Friday morning, a busy day for shoppers,
0:38:42 > 0:38:45and Jamie's patrolling one of the city's largest car parks.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47Only a fool will stick around a vehicle
0:38:47 > 0:38:50where there's a chance of confrontation.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54Don't worry about the car you just booked, you just get on with it.
0:38:54 > 0:38:55I've just got back here
0:38:55 > 0:38:58and I've found out I've got a ticket on my windscreen.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01That's it, I mean, what can you do?
0:39:01 > 0:39:05I think if they park there once, they go, "Oh, I'll try that again."
0:39:05 > 0:39:08The ticket was actually on the seat, and it's when you've paid,
0:39:08 > 0:39:10you know, it's whether they believe you
0:39:10 > 0:39:12that your ticket was actually in there.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15When they're caught out, they get really annoyed for being caught out.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23You don't pay for disabled.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25Do you know the concession rate we have here now?
0:39:25 > 0:39:26I know it's a two-hour.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29Yeah. It's quite recent we've started charging disabled.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31I think it's wrong to charge disabled. It's wrong.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35- OK.- I'm not getting at you. I'm getting at the system.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38I'm getting at the system. It's wrong for charging disabled people.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41What's the point in saying that? What do they expect me to do?
0:39:41 > 0:39:43People complain about the car-parking prices -
0:39:43 > 0:39:45what do they want ME to do?
0:39:45 > 0:39:46CAR HORN BEEPS
0:39:46 > 0:39:48I've got one of them!
0:39:48 > 0:39:51Why do you think Lincoln want to charge disabled people
0:39:51 > 0:39:53who've got a blue badge?
0:39:53 > 0:39:55Money.
0:39:55 > 0:40:00It's the whole question of WHY they think it should be free.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04You know... Everybody pays for parking.
0:40:07 > 0:40:08I think it's fair.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16Being a CEO isn't all about giving out parking tickets.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18They're also there to help.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22Because the job is quite stressful
0:40:22 > 0:40:24and we deal with difficult situations,
0:40:24 > 0:40:28we need some sort of outlet and, you know, we like to mess around.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33The machine isn't... Well, I've had to go to the other one,
0:40:33 > 0:40:36- because I put £5 in...- Yeah.
0:40:36 > 0:40:37And only four came up.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40I don't know whether it'll do that again for somebody else.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43- I'll go and give it a kick. - Or whether it's less coinage.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45When the coins get wet,
0:40:45 > 0:40:49and as water gets inside the coin chute, they tend to stick.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53Are the coins sticking? Just give it a smack - they should drop.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57I'll try it again.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59People tend to be in a rush to put the money through.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01It's just a wet chute, that's all.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03Is it sticking?
0:41:03 > 0:41:04Yeah.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08See what I mean? It's sticking.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11That's 50p again I've wasted.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16No, we don't - we don't have nice covers.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18I don't know why.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25Good morning, Parking Services.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27Back at HQ, parking assistant Sophie
0:41:27 > 0:41:30has passed her CEO exam with top marks,
0:41:30 > 0:41:33and will soon be going out on her first patrol.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37It's probably not seen as the most popular job,
0:41:37 > 0:41:40but it is good and it's really varied.
0:41:45 > 0:41:46Ooh, brute force for this.
0:41:46 > 0:41:51These are machine covers for the Pay & Display machines,
0:41:51 > 0:41:54so if there is ever a problem with them,
0:41:54 > 0:41:58then hopefully we'll be able to put proper signage on them
0:41:58 > 0:42:00and, obviously, they're waterproof.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02Try this one out.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11So...there we are.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15Yeah. I like it.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26If I was young, I wouldn't come in to a job like this.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29It's one of the lowest-paid jobs in the city council,
0:42:29 > 0:42:31not one of the highest.
0:42:31 > 0:42:36This job is more for a non-career person, I should say,
0:42:36 > 0:42:38cos there's nowhere to go.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46It's quite physical. You're on your feet a lot.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48If you get a multi-storey,
0:42:48 > 0:42:51you're talking about an hour-plus or more before you get a break.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57By the time I get home, the wife will have a big tea cooked for me,
0:42:57 > 0:43:01because I don't really eat a lot at work now, no.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04Just normally a roll and a bit of fruit.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17In Balcombe, Bob's had enough of the commuters
0:43:17 > 0:43:19dumping their cars on his doorstep.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26This is Victor, 96 years old.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29Victor is Bob's father-in-law.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31He moved to the village 50 years ago.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33The estate was originally built
0:43:33 > 0:43:35for servicemen and their families after the war.
0:43:35 > 0:43:40At that time I was working down at the station then, and at that time
0:43:40 > 0:43:44if you took a rail ticket you could leave your car there for nothing.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48In 1953, nobody in this estate had a car,
0:43:48 > 0:43:53so that lay-by was not made for the purpose of people parking.
0:43:53 > 0:43:57It was only there for lorries and delivery vans
0:43:57 > 0:44:01to come and deliver the goods in this area, you see.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04That's what it was made for.
0:44:04 > 0:44:08Over the last few decades, the privatisation of the railways
0:44:08 > 0:44:11has led to the privatisation of station car parks.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14People have tried to contact the railway.
0:44:14 > 0:44:19They have sub-let it to another company, an outside company,
0:44:19 > 0:44:21so the railway are not interested.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24We've contacted the company, who are not interested.
0:44:24 > 0:44:29Bob isn't a lone voice in the battle for space in the street.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32Parish councillor Rodney thinks he's come up with a solution.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34- Rick, have you got a moment? - Yeah, yeah, come on in.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36Yellow lines.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39The cost of painting a single yellow line
0:44:39 > 0:44:42would be of the order of £10,000.
0:44:42 > 0:44:44Clearly the majority of this
0:44:44 > 0:44:47is not the actual cost of the man with the pot of paint,
0:44:47 > 0:44:50but it's the cost of the process that has to be gone through
0:44:50 > 0:44:52to legitimise what he is doing.
0:44:52 > 0:44:56People have been talking about white lines, yellow lines,
0:44:56 > 0:44:57resident's permits.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00I mean, for heaven's sake, this is a Sussex village,
0:45:00 > 0:45:03a little Sussex village. You have a duty to preserve it.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06We are conscious that, for some people,
0:45:06 > 0:45:09yellow lines are the end of life as we know it.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12People get so obsessed with it that they go for extremes
0:45:12 > 0:45:14that are quite unrealistic
0:45:14 > 0:45:16and just not what you want in a village.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18You know, if you want suburbia, go and live in it
0:45:18 > 0:45:20and take your garden gnomes with you.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24This is a Sussex village, respect it. That's what I feel, anyway.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27Probably be stoned to death for that.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33Frustrated by the lack of progress,
0:45:33 > 0:45:35Bob's taking direct action.
0:45:37 > 0:45:42He's come up with a simple strategy that requires military precision.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47That's Rick putting his daughter's car there. One hole filled up.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51What we're planning to do is to park the cars in such a way
0:45:51 > 0:45:54that no other car can get in,
0:45:54 > 0:45:56no commuter can get in tomorrow morning.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58Keep going, stop. And again.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01My neighbour's supposed to be coming, he's got two to bring out.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04Oh, yeah, yeah. Well, all right. Can you stick this one in here?
0:46:04 > 0:46:06Well, I think it's bloody disgusting.
0:46:06 > 0:46:08With the final car in place,
0:46:08 > 0:46:12the residents of Newlands are ready for the daily commuters.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15I mean, you know, you try getting flaming cars up here
0:46:15 > 0:46:17and lorries, and it don't work, does it?
0:46:41 > 0:46:44It's great to see the commuters in the morning
0:46:44 > 0:46:46dashing down three minutes before the train,
0:46:46 > 0:46:47trying to get a parking space,
0:46:47 > 0:46:50and realising, "Oh, it's full - where am I going to go?"
0:46:50 > 0:46:53So I don't know where they go, but they disappear somewhere.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58They're creatures of habit.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01They come here, they find they can't park, they miss the train,
0:47:01 > 0:47:04that upsets the whole routine of their day,
0:47:04 > 0:47:08and so you've only got to do this a few times, not at regular intervals.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12The whole point is to have it at spasmodic and irregular intervals,
0:47:12 > 0:47:15and they will realise that parking here is a no-no.
0:47:18 > 0:47:22Parking tycoon Costas Constantino is in Devon,
0:47:22 > 0:47:25spending time at his holiday home with his family.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28Yeah, this is the weekend pad, if you want to put it that way.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31It is a nice place. I do like the sun.
0:47:31 > 0:47:32I've got my boat round the corner.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35His eldest son is 11-year-old Xavier.
0:47:35 > 0:47:37Well, you know, you have to come up with ideas.
0:47:37 > 0:47:40You know, if you can come up with one simple idea
0:47:40 > 0:47:44that stops people parking where they shouldn't, you've made a fortune.
0:47:44 > 0:47:45You've really done it.
0:47:48 > 0:47:49Costas has been on the hunt
0:47:49 > 0:47:52to find a business to try out his talking parking ticket,
0:47:52 > 0:47:55and he's found one on his doorstep.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59Sustainable restaurant Cafe ODE is owned by Tim Bouget.
0:48:01 > 0:48:04It sits behind a car park in the village of Sheldon.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06So we've got two pulled pork.
0:48:07 > 0:48:11Tim needs to keep the two bays clear for electric-car owners.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14The problem is we've got two electric bays
0:48:14 > 0:48:18and we want to keep them clear for people who drive electric vehicles.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20I mean, you can see there's just not enough spaces for people to park.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26But these motorists are also his customers,
0:48:26 > 0:48:29so he needs a deterrent that won't scare them off.
0:48:33 > 0:48:37- Bearing gifts of elderflower! - There they are.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39- Audio parking tickets.- This is it.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42He said, "I'm developing this talking parking ticket,"
0:48:42 > 0:48:46and I thought he was mad, and it was an audio ticket and it talks to you.
0:48:46 > 0:48:50And I kind of went, "Ooh, OK, right, that sounds interesting."
0:48:50 > 0:48:53- It'll be nice to see what the reaction of people is.- Absolutely.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57Somehow looking at a piece of paper isn't going to make it more...
0:48:57 > 0:48:59You would kind of more ignore it.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02But if I had one of these, for example, if I drove,
0:49:02 > 0:49:05I would find I would take more attention to it,
0:49:05 > 0:49:07and I'd take more notice to it.
0:49:08 > 0:49:12Like father, like son. See, there we go, Costas, he's just brilliant.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19On a busy weekend, Tim gets to test Costas' talking parking ticket.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24I feel dreadful putting a ticket on a car.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27Now I know what it feels like to be a traffic warden.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31I will put it on the front, so you can see it.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33Let's just check it works.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35INDISTINCT RECORDING PLAYS
0:49:35 > 0:49:36It definitely works.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38It's not a real ticket.
0:49:46 > 0:49:48So they're pulling off the ticket.
0:49:48 > 0:49:50Well, it's not working at all!
0:49:50 > 0:49:54They haven't seen the message. They're opening it up!
0:49:54 > 0:49:56HE LAUGHS
0:49:56 > 0:49:58Oh, here we go. No, no. Oh, no, no.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03'Dear motorist, your vehicle is parked in a space
0:50:03 > 0:50:05'reserved for electric vehicles.'
0:50:05 > 0:50:07Fantastic. So they did think
0:50:07 > 0:50:09there was going to be a parking fine in there.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11- We've got a ticket. - You've got a parking ticket.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14Well, no, you didn't get a parking ticket, you got a parking notice.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17- A parking notice.- A parking notice. And did you get to hear it?
0:50:17 > 0:50:20- Yes, I did. It's very good. - After he'd dismantled it!
0:50:20 > 0:50:22Sorry about that!
0:50:22 > 0:50:24I think it's a much better idea
0:50:24 > 0:50:26than ones that tell you you've got a horrible fine.
0:50:26 > 0:50:28Yes, I think that's a good idea, yes.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35If I can get it on. These ones are so small.
0:50:35 > 0:50:38In Lincoln, Sophie's getting ready.
0:50:38 > 0:50:40Nothing wrong with having meat on your bones.
0:50:40 > 0:50:43She's going on her first parking patrol.
0:50:43 > 0:50:44Got it on.
0:50:48 > 0:50:49It's just a clip-on,
0:50:49 > 0:50:53so that if somebody yanks it I'm not going to go with them.
0:50:53 > 0:50:54I'm scared!
0:50:56 > 0:50:58She's being shown the ropes by Jamie.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00Let's check.
0:51:01 > 0:51:02It's expired.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04Now, initially we'd always check the car,
0:51:04 > 0:51:07- make sure he hasn't bought a ticket in the interim.- Right. OK.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11So there's none on the back. None on the seats.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15And there's none on the dash.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19Right. OK.
0:51:22 > 0:51:25God, there's so much you have to carry, you don't realise.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27- Just windscreen? - No, it's on the driver's side
0:51:27 > 0:51:31so they see it when they get in, so they're not driving off with it.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34- So about there? - Yeah, anywhere there.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36There's all sorts of loopholes - CEO not wearing their numbers,
0:51:36 > 0:51:39if you wear a hat, the CEO not wearing a hat, not wearing the tie.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42It's not a definite that you have to wear a hat,
0:51:42 > 0:51:44but it is that you have to wear your epaulettes with your numbers on,
0:51:44 > 0:51:46or else you can't issue.
0:51:49 > 0:51:54Parking manager Rod has managed to lease some land from the Co-op
0:51:54 > 0:51:58and is building a brand-new car park, bang in the middle of town.
0:52:02 > 0:52:04And there we are underway.
0:52:04 > 0:52:07Hopefully, we'll soon see some tarmac and parking signs
0:52:07 > 0:52:09and get some cars in.
0:52:09 > 0:52:13But it's right next to the train station, surface car park,
0:52:13 > 0:52:15the public like surface car parks,
0:52:15 > 0:52:17they don't like going into multi-storeys, generally.
0:52:17 > 0:52:22This one's going to cost 75,000 to get in to a place as a car park,
0:52:22 > 0:52:25and then we're going to put some signage and machines on.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28So you're looking 80,000 to get that one up and running.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32I can see a ticket on the floor.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37Obviously it's not clearly displayed, so I don't know.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44It is difficult, but it's given me such an insight
0:52:44 > 0:52:48in to what I'm actually dealing with in the office.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50Can you just check a registration for me, please?
0:52:50 > 0:52:52'You have to check a ticket to see if it's valid,
0:52:52 > 0:52:54'it's a Pay & Display car park.'
0:52:54 > 0:52:56You wouldn't walk in to Sainsbury's
0:52:56 > 0:52:59and expect to take your shopping and just not pay for it.
0:52:59 > 0:53:02It's a service that you provide, and it's a parking bay.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04But, you know, people don't see it like that.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11It's been six weeks since Mr Lavine's parking appeal,
0:53:11 > 0:53:13and the adjudicator has sent the decision.
0:53:16 > 0:53:18Well, I'll let you know
0:53:18 > 0:53:22if I feel or I find that justice has prevailed.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27Here we go.
0:53:29 > 0:53:31Ah, he has allowed the appeal!
0:53:31 > 0:53:34- Excellent.- You've won! Well done, Pops!
0:53:34 > 0:53:37Well done. "A procedural..."
0:53:37 > 0:53:40..impropriety on the part of the enforcement authority.
0:53:40 > 0:53:41Thank you, Mr Mustard.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43That's all right.
0:53:43 > 0:53:45To all honest motorists.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48Honest motorists everywhere, Ruben, and that's you.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51It's one small victory for the motorists.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53Cheers.
0:53:53 > 0:53:55In Lincoln, Rod and local dignitaries
0:53:55 > 0:53:59are at the grand opening of his new city-centre car park.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02It's a great site, just next to the train station.
0:54:04 > 0:54:06It looks pristine.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09Can I just say, then, thanks for everybody coming today.
0:54:09 > 0:54:10Thanks, Mr Mayor.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13And we've got Ursula Lidbetter, Chief Exec of Lancashire Co-op,
0:54:13 > 0:54:16and a very big thanks for being our landlord.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19Please provide us with a few more car parks
0:54:19 > 0:54:21that we can operate for the city of Lincoln.
0:54:36 > 0:54:39Build it, and the cars will come - that's our philosophy.
0:54:43 > 0:54:48They hope the new car park will make the council a tidy £140,000 a year.
0:54:51 > 0:54:54Oh, that's my first pay-by-phone customer.
0:54:57 > 0:54:58That's where the money goes
0:54:58 > 0:55:02when you park in a city-council car park - stays in Lincoln.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05Private-sector operators owned by foreign banks -
0:55:05 > 0:55:08their money's flowing abroad, ours is staying right here in Lincoln.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10That's a good message.
0:55:17 > 0:55:19Bailiff Debbie has spent the morning
0:55:19 > 0:55:22pulling over motorists for unpaid parking fines.
0:55:22 > 0:55:24We're working on behalf of the council
0:55:24 > 0:55:26for the non-payment of the fine.
0:55:26 > 0:55:29She's stopped a 28-year-old woman on her way to work.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32I was backwards and forwards with Croydon Council, me, myself.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35They clamped my car, they removed it because they knew it was unlawful,
0:55:35 > 0:55:39and now you guys are telling me again that you're going to seize my car.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41The driver has an ongoing dispute with Croydon Council.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44If there was an issue, why didn't they just take my car?
0:55:44 > 0:55:46Now I'm driving to work, I'm late, I'm stuck,
0:55:46 > 0:55:49I haven't even got my Oyster, and now you guys are taking my car.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52No, what we're asking you to do is make a payment.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55- I'm not paying for something that I haven't done!- No, listen to me.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57I've paid a parking fine before in my time.
0:55:57 > 0:55:59If I'm in the wrong, I will pay it.
0:55:59 > 0:56:01Right, so it's whether you want to lose the car...
0:56:01 > 0:56:04If I lose my car, I will be taking Croydon Council to court.
0:56:04 > 0:56:06Whatever. What I'm saying is they've issued the warrant,
0:56:06 > 0:56:08so what I'm trying to say is
0:56:08 > 0:56:11what you're trying to do is stop any further action.
0:56:11 > 0:56:12So you can either pay it,
0:56:12 > 0:56:15and you go on your way and then you sort it out with the council.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18Yeah, I haven't got 500-something pounds, and it's also not even right.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20You know what, I detest to pay...
0:56:20 > 0:56:22I understand that. I understand that.
0:56:22 > 0:56:25- But what will happen... - You just don't understand.- I do.
0:56:25 > 0:56:27I deal with this day in and day out, so I do.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29I understand the grievances that people have.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34You've got to understand that she feels she's got a dispute going,
0:56:34 > 0:56:36but, as far as we're concerned there is no dispute,
0:56:36 > 0:56:38so she's got to pay.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41If I see her put her keys in her ignition,
0:56:41 > 0:56:44then I'll just try and jump in the vehicle.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46SHE KNOCKS THE WINDOW
0:56:49 > 0:56:52Sorry, if there's anyone who can help you pay,
0:56:52 > 0:56:55they can pay online if it makes it easier.
0:57:05 > 0:57:08I understand that, but it just needs to be sorted out.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13You're paying by debit card?
0:57:13 > 0:57:15- Yeah.- Right.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18Can you get me a credit-card machine, please?
0:57:18 > 0:57:20Can you get me a card machine, please?
0:57:26 > 0:57:28So how much was the parking ticket initially?
0:57:28 > 0:57:31I can't even remember. It was, like, £60 or something.
0:57:31 > 0:57:33And how much have you just had to pay?
0:57:33 > 0:57:35£548.84.
0:57:35 > 0:57:37Daylight flipping robbery, mate.
0:57:37 > 0:57:39She's now on her way to work.
0:57:39 > 0:57:41She might be a little bit late,
0:57:41 > 0:57:44but pay your tickets and we wouldn't have to do this.
0:57:49 > 0:57:52It's £517.84.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55Next time, Debbie hunts down more unpaid parking fines.
0:57:55 > 0:57:57Can I have the figures, please?
0:57:57 > 0:57:59I haven't got any money - I'm broke.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02If the bailiffs have to go back to your mum's address,
0:58:02 > 0:58:05they will do a house removal of your mum's goods.
0:58:05 > 0:58:08Residents battle police over parking.
0:58:08 > 0:58:11You don't face the problems we are facing.
0:58:11 > 0:58:15And new CEOs descend on a small market town.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18The minute anybody parks at the back, they're diving on them.
0:58:18 > 0:58:21If customers have a £60 fine, they ain't coming back here.