[unclesomebody]

This morning I was delighted to open a letter from TFL informing I had a £100 fine for being stopped in a box junction from 3 weeks ago when I was in London. There are 2 photos which were taken 6 seconds apart showing me how long I had been stood in the box for.  6 seconds! I did not obstruct ANY traffic, I didn't cause anyone a problem, I had about 1/3 of my car in a box junction for 6 seconds. Now I am expected to pay £100. That's nearly £17 a second. It blows my mind...

However, I will be appealing on a small but fair technicality. I just hope it works because otherwise I'm going to have to shell out to the bastards.

So be warned everybody!!! STAY AWAY FROM LONDON!
//rant over

[fatboySlimfast]

I got done so many times for forgetting to pay the congestion charge, 40 notes for the bastard as well! I wouldnt of used the car so much if there was a viable alternative!

[Paul B]

What kind of camera was that? just one the same as the red light ones.. seems pretty shite.

[chappers]

down here they have cameras for everything, work mate got done crossing a tram line.
what i hate is how they treat it like a nice little earner for them, totally unnecessary.

[Paul B]

at least theyre nice and yellow here not like the ones theyve put after that main roundabout in font, little and grey...

[unclesomebody]

These camera's that caught me are not your average camera. Firstly, they are tall and white with a little cctv type camera on the top. They look like traffic monitor's or something, but really they are yet another stealth tax. On top of this, they move. So they can track you as you move which is how they get your number plate or your photo.

What's shit is that people are being forced to pay TFL who are doing God knows what with the money. Tube fares are on the up, bus fares are on the up, and fines are on the up. Where is it all going? I would be in favour of all the camera's and a tax system that fined the violators but paid the people who were inconvenienced, with a small portion going to TFL to cover costs. If I had actually blocked anyone from turning by being in that yellow box for 6 seconds it would be a different matter...

I'm still pissed about this. Some climbing should help though.

[runt]

What's the score with those little font ones? Got zapped by similar on the E17, anyone had nasty letters from the gendarmes?

[Johnny Brown]

However, I will be appealing on a small but fair technicality. I just hope it works because otherwise I'm going to have to shell out to the bastards.

I'll be impressed if you can get away with it. 9toez got hit with the same last year  and tried, and failed, to get off. All that happens is you get a letter saying 'be quiet little man, pay us today or we double the fine'

Serves you right for having such a long car I reckon.

[lorentz]

Simply robbers? Agreed - and also c++ts. I got fined 50 sheets for going about 20 yards up a bus lane to filter left onto the A40 at white city at lights cos the straight on option was jammed solid. The bastards sent me a photo of me commiting said atrocity. No sodding bus around. Went back to look for camera and from angle of photo worked out it's on the BBC white city building. I work for the BBC so feel doubly stitched up. Fucking wankers! It's all part of Ken Livingstones master plan to get us to take one of his bendy buses. That man is a prick!

[fatboySlimfast]

Having basically driven for a living for the last 3 years I am amazed there hasnt been some kind of mass protest in London, it seems to me that there sticking it to the motorist(and we all know about enviro concerns) with a policy of reducing trafffic when in reality all there doing is taxing extra and doing fuck all with the money to alleviate congestion!. Like I said in an earlier post, it would of been easier for me to travel sometimes to London by train...but at £90+(more like120+ on monday morn) it wasnt going to happen. It winds me up

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Forget Road Angel, this is what we'll need soon... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4968338.stm

[Bonjoy]

Don't go there: Five places to avoid

1. London

All year round, it is the European capital with the worst cuisine, worst traffic, highest prices and most unwelcoming natives, as well as being burdened with a service industry that has only the most tenuous connection with the concept of service or, indeed, industry. Don't go there. If you hanker after the London experience, sit in a bathful of your own sweat in a room full of exhaust fumes and pale sneering people in shorts, and burn twenties with a lighter.

....about sums it up.

[squeek]

That article is rubbish though (although I don't particularly like London myself).  For a start it's supposed to be 10 great british holidays and there's only 9, which indicates to me that someone isn't too bright.  Secondly another of the places not to go in Britain is the Lake District.

It is, however, surprisingly accurate on Yorkshire and it's inhabitants:
"They make Londoners look like Hawaiian greeter girls."  ha ha

Article here:
http://travel.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1767997,00.html

[widdop]

the Shetland isles have just had a massive sales hype job done , the place is depends on the oil funds   that wont last for ever,   shure its a lovely place ,but ,the cost of getting here , and if the weather is having a off month, boy ,,it can be shite   big time.

[Soxs]

Reading that article has made me rember a few things; first why I have only ever bought the Guardian once and secondly how much I hate london and the pretentious  wannabie liberal wankers who infest the media there. Who the fuck were they writing that piece of shit for anyway? surely no one would take any of the points seriously.

As for driving in London well I recon you've only got yourself to blame, what else could you have expected from the moment you turned left off the M25. 

[Sloper]

I got 'done' by a CCTV camera for driving 50m in a bus lane.  I hadn't realised that crime in HAringey was now so low that driving in a bus lane was now the priority.

Ahh well bust not vote for new labour as they've privatised parking services and allowed councils to behave like this.

[unclesomebody]

The verdict; My appeal has been rejected after they have reviewed the video evidence. I am not that suprised since my case was weak. However, I have since learned that all speeding fine/penalty charge notices need to be issued within 14 days of the incident. I am trying to get in touch with a motoring barrister to confirm this because as it turns out they sent the letter 15 days afterwards. If anyone knows anything more about this or knows a motoring barrister please contact me! Thanks

[tommytwotone]

Yo Uncle, that 14 day flava is certainly true for speed camera stuff. Not sure about fines here in London, there might be some kinda local borough-level exception, check the relevant gov.uk site...

[Houdini]

Where is it all going?

To pay for our British Murder Boys in  I R A Q !