Thank you Biker GOD! (a.k.a. Illegal Parking Tickets)

[Flyingpony]

My heart moved into my throat when suddenly beside me stood a true blue Chch parking warden ... third time luck I suppose. This was the third illegal parking I'd done down town in a under 1/2 hr. First time I exceeded the 5min parking zone, 2nd time parked in a very large but empty taxi bay and third time parking with bicycles. In all cases I was within 5m of the bike and in plain sight of it.

He gave me a 30 second speech which basically told me that there is free bike parking around town and parking on the foot path attracts an instant $40 fine.

... my mouth went dry ... I was BUSTED!

But since he hadn't unhooked his ticket writing machine I thought there's a slim chance I'll be lucky ...

Then he smiled and said but today's your lucky day ... I'm not as mean as the other parking wardens and since I a !!BIKE!! too, I understand ... just don't do it again!

Yes sir , thanks for the heads up!

So BIG THANKS to that parking warden. Sorry I couldn't catch your name off your badge since I couldn't see it and we got interrupted by some tourists asking directions to the post office before I could ask! And I most definitely wasn't going to hang around and wait for him to change his mind

So there it is. The official WORD.

We're NOT allowed to park on the foot path, even if we are not obstructing in any manner (I was parked between the N-Shape tie bars with the bicycles which easily could've held two bicycles or me)

[sunhuntin]

i only ever use the footpath in one part of town, and thats cos theres never any parks, im less than 5 mins in the shop, and theres major roadworks all around as well. never been ticketed yet, but its a block up from where most of em wardens hangaround.

did see one older bike leaning on a tree surround about a year ago. cos he didnt have a kickstand. warden came along, looked at me admiring and said she could give him a ticket, but understood why he was there and kept walking.

your lucky day i think!!

[Steam]

We're NOT allowed to park on the foot path, even if we are not obstructing in any manner

It's up to the individual city or district councils what the actual rules are. Sucks to be in Chch then!

Here in Wellington you used to be allowed to park on the footpath out of the way, but they have been putting warning notices on bikes recently, so perhaps that is ending.

[GR81]

just do what i do... proudly park in a full car park. the big f-you to those who dont supply bike parks! haha

[kev4eva]

just do what i do... proudly park in a full car park. the big f-you to those who dont supply bike parks! haha

U mean we are suppose to park in full car park??? i park in full car park all the time coz there are'nt many bike parks here in dunedin..

[Ixion]

I always park on the footpath (or similar). have done for 40 years. Never had a ticket yet, though I've no doubt it's strictly speaking illegal.

But then, I did get a ticket years ago ,in Newmarket, for not parking parallel to the curb. On a motorbike! An irate Ixion stormed the offices of the Chief Snake and ranted enough for the ticket to be cancelled.

BTW - one trick to remember. Around the central city quite often footpath isn't. What I mean is, quite often the bit of "footpath" up against the walls of buildings isnt legally footpath. It's actually private property , the property of the building. Cos large old buildings often had bits of building sticking out, buttresses, dormer windows, stairways etc . And the building had to be sited so that the most prominent "sticking out" bit was still not actually encroaching on the footpath. Which means that the "sticking in" bits between the "sticking out" bits are not legally footpath. And parking wardens can't do you for parking there. I had a big argument with the Auckland City Council about this a few years ago and won. That was actually parking a cage! They are more useful on bikes. Look for those little 'bays" or recesses and park with impunity.

[imdying]

Car parks are part of the road, I buy petrol, and therefore pay road tax, I'll park in a carpark if it pleases me.

[imdying]

Cos large old buildings often had bits of building sticking out, buttresses, dormer windows, stairways etc . And the building had to be sited so that the most prominent "sticking out" bit was still not actually encroaching on the footpath. Which means that the "sticking in" bits between the "sticking out" bits are not legally footpath. And parking wardens can't do you for parking there. I had a big argument with the Auckland City Council about this a few years ago and won. That was actually parking a cage! They are more useful on bikes. Look for those little 'bays" or recesses and park with impunity.

The only time I've ever been nicked for parking on the footpath in Christchurch was when I was well wedged up against a building with the large dormers you describe (this piece of road is between central and the courthouse). Cost me $8 iirc... I got on with my life.

[hXc]

I use their own rules against them when getting told to move off the footpath.

Technically, a footpath is a public road, as it has no gates to stop motorists from using it. Therefore, as long as you are not impeding the flow of traffic (be it foot or otherwise), you are doing nothing illegal when parking on it.

Shuts the little Nazi parking bitches up.

[Jimmy B]

I
BTW - one trick to remember. Around the central city quite often footpath isn't. What I mean is, quite often the bit of "footpath" up against the walls of buildings isnt legally footpath. It's actually private property , the property of the building. Cos large old buildings often had bits of building sticking out, buttresses, dormer windows, stairways etc . And the building had to be sited so that the most prominent "sticking out" bit was still not actually encroaching on the footpath. Which means that the "sticking in" bits between the "sticking out" bits are not legally footpath. And parking wardens can't do you for parking there. I had a big argument with the Auckland City Council about this a few years ago and won. That was actually parking a cage! They are more useful on bikes. Look for those little 'bays" or recesses and park with impunity.

Perzwackely,

Several living examples of this fine practice around where I work in the CBD, If the conciege doesnt have a problem then no worries (and they dont seem to), Motor cycle couriers use this technique to good effect as well.

[Swoop]

just do what i do... proudly park in a full car park. the big f-you to those who dont supply bike parks! haha

Damn right!!!

I was backing the VFR into an angle park, a while back, and some woman in her 4x4 road-whale decides she would prefer to park there instead... VFR was happily parked right in the centre of the parking space when she realised I was actually going to park there! Said lady had an expression like I had just shat in her handbag, then drove off.

If ever I need a quick pick-me-up, I just remember back to her expression and having to find somewhere else to park... that does the trick every time!!!

[hXc]

Witty story about cage driver

Had something similar happen late last year. Had to go to the dairy after an exam and the park in front of it was empty...

I was going the other way but there was nobody coming so I used the skills of a light bike and u-turned into the park (parallel parking). I'm taking the helmet off and putting the gloves inside as some guy in a Ford Falcon double parks next to the van behind me, flicks his indicator on and signals for me to move up in the park.

I shake my head, wave my hand and go into the dairy and another couple of shops. I'm coming back to the bike, to see this Falcon parked a couple of parks back and someone with a pissed-off-look on his face walking towards me.

He says, "Oi, I was only asking you to move up in the park mate. You're on a bike ffs, plenty of room."
I said, "Is that so? Well it's arsehole cage drivers like you who'd just drive into the bike. Legally, I don't have to move up, so I don't. Have a nice day." And I proceeded to walk off.
He stops me and says, "If you're going to be cheeky about it then don't come into my shop then."
"What one's your shop?"
"The dairy."
"Ok then. I'll make a point to tell my mates too. Wanker."

He was not a very happy chappy.

[Indiana_Jones]

u'd have to be a cunt of a warden to give a ticket for parking ur bike on the footpath

-Indy

[Steam]

u'd have to be a cunt of a warden to give a ticket for parking ur bike on the footpath

"Cunt" is part of the job description Indy, why else would they do a job which just pissed people off all day? They'd have to be some kind of sado-masichist to be one I reckon, getting abused all day, you have to be a nut to put up with that.

[sunhuntin]

while i was in invers for the burt-fest, i stayed with a friend who worked in windsor. on that street [with the new world] there were 4 tightly wedged together bike parks. i always parked in the end one and still took up two. pissed me off no end to see a car parked in there. and as it was right next to a driveway, no way could park in front without being hit by something.
ended up parking outside the shop my friend works in, and while straightening up, had a few cages wave for me to come out. slight shake of the head and back to my work. lol.

if some fuckers gonna take my park, im gonna take theirs. simple.

EDIT: watched a parking warden the other day writing a ticket here in town; got the kid [as he turned out to be] for being over the time limit, and also no rego or warrent. lmfao. sat there cackling. lololololol