Whacky Signs.

[Welly]

The white lines on a supermarket car park have no legal standing. 

There is a bloke who is so precious about his 10 year old car that he takes up 4 spaces in a Lincolnshire supermarket car park when he goes for his weekly shop!

[BG John]

There is a bloke who is so precious about his 10 year old car that he takes up 4 spaces in a Lincolnshire supermarket car park when he goes for his weekly shop!

There are farmers with a tractor and trailer who take up far more than that at my local supermarket!

[melmerby]

The white lines on a supermarket car park have no legal standing. If you need more space simply straddle two spaces.

 

Martin.

Tell that to the traffic warden who issues the tickets.

(Not all supermarket car parks are owned by the supermarket)

 

Keith

[St. Simon]

Hi,

 

I know that signalling failure gets blamed for a lot of things, but really?:

 

 

Not really a sign, but Whacky! (seen on a Signalling Facebook Group)

 

Simon

[martin_wynne]

Tell that to the traffic warden who issues the tickets.

(Not all supermarket car parks are owned by the supermarket)

 

In that case it is not a supermarket car park, it is a public car park.

 

Martin.

[PhilJ W]

In my local supermarket a couple of weeks ago I saw a BMW driver occupying two spaces by parking stradling the white line. Another drivers simple solution was to park at right angles behind him blocking him in.

[kevinlms]

In my local supermarket a couple of weeks ago I saw a BMW driver occupying two spaces by parking stradling the white line. Another drivers simple solution was to park at right angles behind him blocking him in.

But which was there first? Maybe the one straddling was trying to teach an obscure lesson!

[PhilJ W]

But which was there first? Maybe the one straddling was trying to teach an obscure lesson!

No, the one straddling was there first, I saw the other car pull up and block him in.

[TheQ]

My normal reply to some one parking with a white line down the middle of the car, is to park my land rover alongside the driver's door 2 inches from the wing mirror.

Note my land rover has heavy steel galvanised rock slider bars.

[melmerby]

In that case it is not a supermarket car park, it is a public car park.

 

Martin.

It was built with the supermarket. It has the supermarket's signs in it. It has it's trolley parks in it, but it is managed by the local council.

(I know of several like that)

 

A supermarket car park by it's very nature is open to the public.

 

There are others where the car park is managed by a third party. (NCP etc.)

They still have rules and regulations which, if they are operated by an accredited company and have the correct warning notices, can be enforced.

Illegal/incorrect parking on private land is a breach of contract and you can get an enforcement letter following up any "ticket" that you may have got (they can apply to the DVLA for your details)

It is a civil offence and if you refuse to pay (if you disagree with the ticket) you can be taken to court. If you lose you pay the penalty charge plus costs.

 

Keith

[PatB]

There is a bloke who is so precious about his 10 year old car that he takes up 4 spaces in a Lincolnshire supermarket car park when he goes for his weekly shop!

If you can't do 6 at once you're strictly amateur hour .

[martin_wynne]

llegal/incorrect parking on private land is a breach of contract and you can get an enforcement letter following up any "ticket" that you may have got (they can apply to the DVLA for your details)

It is a civil offence and if you refuse to pay (if you disagree with the ticket) you can be taken to court. If you lose you pay the penalty charge plus costs.

 

And how do you suppose Tesco, Sainsburys et al will respond to your letter explaining that you parked as you did in order to safely unload your disabled grandmother, and that as other supermarkets are available, you intend in future to use them?

 

Martin.

[Derekl]

And how do you suppose Tesco, Sainsburys et al will respond to your letter explaining that you parked as you did in order to safely unload your disabled grandmother, and that as other supermarkets are available, you intend in future to use them?

 

Martin.

 

Melmerby is correct - supermarket and other private car parks such as those attached to multi-retailer developments have terms and conditions which you are deemed to agree to by entering the ca park. These will include a provision that you park in the marked bays - quite often there are signs to that effect, and failure to do so is a breach of contract entitling the operator to issue one of their parking notices. Query to what extent the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury's would either have this sort of ticket issued and certainly whether enforced as Martin suggests. It is more difficult that the normal overstaying of time which is usually enforced automatically using ANPR cameras, whereas control of parking in the marked bay requires a person.

 

Note that I have heard of these notices being issued for this "offence" in multi retailer developments which may be less susceptible to the (legitimate) arm twisting Martin suggests. 

[martin_wynne]

terms and conditions which you are deemed to agree to by entering the car park

 

So what would be the legal difference if I put a sign on the front of my car saying "By allowing me to enter this car park you are deemed to agree that ..." ?

 

Martin.

[Derekl]

So what would be the legal difference if I put a sign on the front of my car saying "By allowing me to enter this car park you are deemed to agree that ..." ?

 

Martin.

 

You could try it, I suppose - it is likely to cause sufficient confusion/obfuscation to make it not worthwhile pursuing you. On the other hand, it might just be evidence that it was your clear intention to breach the terms and conditions.

 

Best of luck if you do try it....

[Tim Dubya]

[Dunsignalling]

And how do you suppose Tesco, Sainsburys et al will respond to your letter explaining that you parked as you did in order to safely unload your disabled grandmother, and that as other supermarkets are available, you intend in future to use them?

 

Martin.

If I have to "unload" anyone of limited mobility, I do it right outside the front door and park the car afterwards.

 

John

[martin_wynne]

If I have to "unload" anyone of limited mobility, I do it right outside the front door and park the car afterwards.

 

This topic is "Whacky Signs". I don't believe we are intended to be taking it seriously.

 

Martin.

[BG John]

If I have to "unload" anyone of limited mobility, I do it right outside the front door and park the car afterwards.

 

John

 

 

This topic is "Whacky Signs". I don't believe we are intended to be taking it seriously.

 

Martin.

It depends how he "unloads" them whether it's funny or not .

[kevinlms]

If you can't do 6 at once you're strictly amateur hour .

Picture if you will an almost empty shopping centre car park, it is built on a slope and is in the now rarer format of a herring bone pattern., with a one way laneway and 30 degree angle parking to the left and right.

 

What happens next is a car slowly approaches, going the wrong way to the arrows. It turns at 30 degrees and stops. If you think about it the car is out by 90 degrees, with the car across the lines. My apprentice and I sitting eating in our car found this highly amusing. After a long delay, they've realised something is wrong.

 

So remembering there is a slope, the handbrake is taken off & the vehicle rolls back, while turning a full lock.

If you've kept up, you'll realise that this will take them into the next row and yet, the lines are still running the wrong way. Of course we thought this was hilarious!

 

But the best was yet to come. After a 5 minute delay, just when we thought they were going to leave it as is. Suddenly and simultaneously, both doors opened wide and a nun peered out to look at the ground from each side.

 

As you can imagine, we just about wet ourselves laughing. However, they must have heard us, because they shut the doors and drove off, still going the wrong way of course. An empty car park and they still couldn't park!

 

Never laughed so much in my life. Naturally, we went back the next day, hoping for an encore , but no such luck!

[melmerby]

So what would be the legal difference if I put a sign on the front of my car saying "By allowing me to enter this car park you are deemed to agree that ..." ?

 

Martin.

Won't work

It's their car park and they set the conditions of entry.

You cannot vary them without prior approval from the owner/operator.

Applies to any contract.

 

Keith

[martin_wynne]

It's their car park and they set the conditions of entry.

You cannot vary them without prior approval from the owner/operator.

Applies to any contract.

 

It's my car and I set the conditions for allowing it on their car park.

They cannot vary them without prior approval from me.

Applies to any contract.

 

 

Martin.

[melmerby]

It's my car and I set the conditions for allowing it on their car park.

They cannot vary them without prior approval from me.

Applies to any contract.

 

 

Martin.

Therefore you can't use their carpark. QED

 

Keith

[martin_wynne]

Therefore you can't use their car park. QED

 

And therefore I buy my cornflakes somewhere else.

 

 

Martin.

[kevinlms]

And therefore I buy my cornflakes somewhere else.

 

 

Martin.

I'm sure they're bothered about that. Probably they sub-contract out the car park management anyway. So they have no control.

 

 

I know of a car park that used to be free with time restrictions. They changed to a model, where everyone used to have to get a ticket. If you parked for less than 3 hours IIRC, it was free, those parked for longer had to pay.

 

There must of had too many people confused, by either not getting a ticket & getting booked, or over staying and not paying - no barriers. The car park has now got rid of the ticket machines & they've reverted to 3 hour restrictions & manual fines for those beyond 3 hours.