Student outraged at receiving parking ticket after pulling over to help elderly lady lying on pavement
Drew Hollinshead, 21, who was given a £70 parking fine for pulling over in a disabled space to help an elderly person who had fallen over. First published 05:20 Monday 13 April 2015 in Bournemouth A STUDENT from Winton was given a parking ticket as he rushed to help an old lady who had fallen over.
Drew Hollinshead, 21, was driving along Wimborne Road when he noticed an elderly lady lying on the pavement in nearby Wycliffe Road and swiftly pulled over to help.
When the woman was safely back on her feet, he returned to his car where he found a Bournemouth Council parking warden issuing a £70 fine for stopping in a disabled parking bay without a permit.
He said: "I saw an old woman fall down and stopped for around 30 to 45 seconds at the most to help her.
"I went back to my car and there was a parking officer who was giving me a ticket. He must have seen what was happening and that I was helping the old lady.
"I asked him why he was still giving me the ticket and he said: 'It gives me no great satisfaction to give you this ticket'.
"Any normal person would have turned a blind eye when they saw why I had stopped as I just got out, helped this old lady to get up and went back to my car."
Drew said that he ripped the ticket up half in the heat of the moment and threw it in the bin, but later went to fetch it to show Daily Echo.
"It says that it costs £70 if paid within 28 days of the date that it was issued or £35 if paid early, within 14 days, but it's not the cost that matters, it's the principle of it.
"I tried to do something good and then something bad happened because of it.
"I stopped in the disabled bay as it was the nearest place to where the old lady was. There was space for about four cars and it was completely empty, so it wasn't like somebody was waiting to use it and I was blocking the space.
"Under the circumstances, I think it's ridiculous."
A spokesperson for Bournemouth Council said that they are not able to comment on individual cases.
Margaret Leslie, Operations Manager for Parking Services, said: "Any motorist receiving a fine can appeal against a ticket through the contact details given on their Penalty Charge Notice. We give full consideration into all individual cases and take mitigating circumstances into account."
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/bournemouth/12885060.Student_outraged_at_receiving_parking_ticket_after_pulling_over_to_help_elderly_lady_lying_on_pavement/
