Should parking fines be proportionate to earnings?

We went down this route under Blair.

Although I know why it happened and know the Sun ‘did a number’ on the facts as only they can, a fine of £3000 fir dropping a crisp packet in the street imposed on an unemployed man showed the utter stupidity of the concept.

Possibly you forget how this came about.

In order to be fined the ‘correct’ amount you had to declare your income to the court in default of which you were fined the maximum the system allowed.

This is yet another example of the mechanism used by the tax authorities to deem you guilty unless you can prove your innocence

You might think serve the bastard right for not sending in the form but in reality they have committed contempt of court and should be jailed for it. Apart from assuring the unemployed free training free healthcare free additional academic education and a warm bed this would put such a strain on prison spaces the stupidity of the measure would be quickly seen.

At least one of these instances was caused by the court losing the records in question.

I am not trying to hy-jack your thread RR, But I wonder what those councils do with all the extra money they make from their car parks by not giving change or any extra time when their captive customer base put extra into their meters? It always seems as tho their prices are calculated to make extra money from their car parks ie like 90P for x amount of time most people will not have the correct amount of change so they will put a quid into the machine. Ca-Ching another 10P extra of un-earned income into council coffers.

Many of the councils money making machines now ask for your cars registration number so it can be printed on the ticket. I always put "FUCK YOU" Some jobsworth told me once after he had done his rounds to check on all the cars that were parked said you can't use that as I got into my car to drive away I just said fuck you I have already used it.

My partner has told me that Torbay council are charging people on the exits of many of their carparks now. She said she had to put her registration number into the machine on exit and that calculated the charge. So they must have number plate regognition that time stamps vehicles as they enter the car park crafty fuckers.

Ah yes, I had momentarily overlooked the fact these are just invoices the companies then try to get enforced as breaches of a contract in the small claims court.

Well they can sod right off. You don’t get charged different prices for a pound of carrots in Sainsbury’s.

You do, of course, in Egypt, where they have one price for locals, another for gastarbeiters and another for tourists

My view is after unpaid tickets say 20 then the car gets towed and auctioned-off after a month if no-one comes forward.

Of course if the culprit comes in no release of car until fines and tow charge paid.