[Help] Motoring Fine - Do I have a defence?

LadySeagull said:

No, it does work! There is a requirement for the camera operator to capture the vehicle stationary in the 'moneybox' more than momentarily. Moving is not 'stopped' and the letter of the law applies to that contravention which contains the word 'stopped'.

Believe me, it's true, it works and that's what I'd do, 100%. Take it as a tip from me and remember i!

Either squeeze into the wrong lane (even over an edge line or gap to the left if there is space and no other lane - not on the pavement though!) or keep moving slowly to and fro. I've seen people on pepipoo talk about it for years; it's to do with the doctrine of 'de minimis' (the law doesn't concern itself with trifling matters).

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Or if you see a yellow boxed junction ahead just slow down until you are absolutely sure your exit is clear. Really don't see what's hard here.

Don't be tempted to read some of the excuses (most which i suspect are BS) on here and 'have a go' getting away with it. Unless you are telling the truth with a defence you are Perverting the course of justice which is a big deal.

Not sure what your defence is? Don't go until the space is big enough

LadySeagull said:

No, it does work! There is a requirement for the camera operator to capture the vehicle stationary in the 'moneybox' more than momentarily. Moving is not 'stopped' and the letter of the law applies to that contravention which contains the word 'stopped'.

Believe me, it's true, it works and that's what I'd do, 100%. Take it as a tip from me and remember i!

Either squeeze into the wrong lane (even over an edge line or gap to the left if there is space and no other lane - not on the pavement though!) or keep moving slowly to and fro. I've seen people on pepipoo talk about it for years; it's to do with the doctrine of 'de minimis' (the law doesn't concern itself with trifling matters).

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Not a phrase I thought I'd see on NSC. I use it quite a bit at work - but prefer the translation of 'the law is not concerned with trifles'...

Or if you see a yellow boxed junction ahead just slow down until you are absolutely sure your exit is clear. Really don't see what's hard here.

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I agree. That is best! To be clear, I've never had a yellow box junction PCN myself and have driven fairly often in London.

Don't be tempted to read some of the excuses (most which i suspect are BS) on here and 'have a go' getting away with it. Unless you are telling the truth with a defence you are Perverting the course of justice which is a big deal.

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I think posters here have realised my advice on these sort of appeals (and private parking charges) isn't BS...

'Perverting the course of justice' - LOL. TFL and London Borough Traffic enforcement, like local authority parking enforcement (in most places) is decriminalised - i.e. there is no 'perverting the course of justice!' And who said anything about not telling the truth? I've never told anyone to lie and have stopped people from doing so more times than I can count.

I just inform people how to appeal with a stance that will win and how to avoid one of these if they get caught...up to you if you believe it or not but it's not BS.

...and mainly, (off topic but this is important):

NEVER pay a private parking charge! The entire private parking (ex-clamper-led) industry is rotten and was called out by MPs unanimously, as operating an 'outrageous scam' (Hansard, 2.2.18) during the 2018/19 readings of the new Private Parking (Code of Practice) Act, designed to curb the worst rogue practices.

The public will all get a chance to make comments on the new Act's draft Code of Practice shortly and I will give posters here a heads up when I see it's up for public comments.

LadySeagull said:

The other way to avoid a PCN, as I have taught my daughter who lives in London, is if you are really caught, slowly edge forward, then slowly reverse a few inches, then forward, then reverse again.

The contravention is STOPPED and it is not a loophole to keep moving. They can't issue a PCN if you do that (carefully of course).

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I am not convinced that is great advice, even if it does avoid a PCN. No matter how careful you are aren't you increasing the chances of causing an accident with the traffic coming across the other way?

Highly unlikely because London Boroughs paint their Moneyboxes as large as possible to catch as many cars as possible.

Your car is nowhere near the vehicles coming the other way, it's like a giant cross with you stuck on the end of one arm, with all the traffic using the middle crossover.

I did say 'carefully' and I meant it!

Far better not to join the Moneybox till your way out is clear, but that's easier said than done in moving traffic. In practice you get people changing lanes in front of you and then you can be scuppered. Hence, if caught like that the advice is NOT to stop behind the car in front but instead, to look to take any safe space/lane either side of the stationary car in front, even if you end up at a weird angle, as long as you are off the yellow box.

Absolute last resort is the slow wiggle back and forth manoeuvre - but it works if you have no choice.

[MENTION=18265]LadySeagull[/MENTION] - thank you very much for your input. Sadly I'd already paid the fine by then as I was seen as Jeff Bezos the Second for driving a 20-plate van, and a pillock for entering a hatched zone. I will freely admit to the second, and I have learnt my lesson. It will never happen again, even if I have to reverse up a grass bank!