Adrian Catania, Mosta
Unjust parking fines
Just in case you are a family with small kids, a single parent, grandparents, or even a couple, think twice before deciding to park your car in Howard Gardens, just outside Mdina, if all parking spaces have been taken.
Do not use your common sense, as I did when my child started acting restlessly to get to the playing field nearby and, knowing that my stay would last for a brief period, decided to park my car in a spot where I was blocking no one. I actually wondered why there was no parking box there as there easily could have been one. I had no other choice and not a few other unfortunate people decided to do what I did.
On my return from the playing field, I found two wardens doing their usual tax collecting exercise. And, wow, the Exchequer must have done well that night, thanks to the Mdina local council, a council known for its loyal support to the guys entrusted with piloting this almost sunken boat.
So, once again, I appeal to all to heed my advice. If you are in need of a restaurant, find some other place. If you need to buy a take-away, look elsewhere. Take your children to a different playing field. Let your thirst or urge for an ice cream pester you for a few more minutes and drive on.
Popular Stories
In Discussion
15 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
DVella
Jul 25th 2008, 15:04
Oh and incidentally, Adrian Catania . . . of course the Wardens have to carry out their daily tax-collecting exercise . . . how else would the Government afford to subsidise public transport, Malta shipyards and dozens of other entities?? How else would the bungling dillettantes manning our local councils afford the refreshments at their council meetings . . .? It should be patently obvious by now that the expertise in financial management of most of our local councils could be described in details on the head of a pin!!!! On the other hand, their efficiency in making life hell for people with their bungling and extracting money from them is akin to that of the Mafia!
DVella
Jul 25th 2008, 15:00
Paul Galea . . . Just for your information, there is no legal definition of a parking zone. The white lines or 'boxes' painted on the ground are merely an indication and their presence or absence do not legally define a parking zone or a non-parking zone. The only thing that can define a non-parking zone is a specific sign stating precisely that! Use your head, if this were not the case then thousands of Maltese citizens are breaking the law every day because it would be illegal to park on 80% of all the streets in Malta!!!!!
Adrian Catania
Jul 24th 2008, 18:44
Mr. Mallia, I am not trying to deter people from visiting the Saqqajja facilities. Please try to understand the first paragraph of my letter: "if all parking places have been taken".....in that case I will not decide to park there for sure , for I do not want to be fined a second time. And that is what everybody should do. I stand to my point, and reaffirm that the way I was treated (and many others) was unjust. I blocked no one, and was not grossly irresponsible or stupid as many would like to have me been. I blocked no push chair or wheelchair passages either. There are roads leading to various levels in this car park that can be managed better. In one instance, where I was parked to one side of such a road, there is space for at last 2 more parking bays. There is no yellow line here, neither no parking signs.The warden did not contest this. Erin I do not like the anarchy you mentioned, but neither haphazard planning, or that which meets certain interests, and which unfortunately continues to characterise living on this island!
Adrian Catania
Jul 24th 2008, 17:23
No, Paul. I am not referring to those no parking zones you mentioned. Putting a car there would be grossly irresponsible. I am not so stupid as somebody here would like to say I am. There are zones in this car park that can take more parking bays. That is what I am saying. Erin, I wouldn't say going back to the times of anarchy! I'd say still living in times when planning is done haphazardly! Or as meets particular interests.
Adrian Catania
Jul 24th 2008, 17:01
Mr Mallia you did not get my point. I am not telling people to avoid outlets in Rabat, but that they should look for these elsewhere if all parking spaces have been occupied. What do you want , then? That I repeat what I did? Park my car outside a parking box and get fined another time? What I tried to imply is that there was ample space for my car to be parked without blocking anybody, so why was there no parking box there? For example in one of the little roads that lead towards the lower level of the car park, three cars can drive along each other. Do we need to have all this space taken to reach the lower level?
Joe Tabone-Adami
Jul 24th 2008, 16:42
What, may I ask, was so unjust about your being penalized for flouting the law? If you think you have a justified case to defend, resort to the Complaints Tribunal. If not, remember that all of us are responsible for our actions - even if being punished for our misdeed certainly do make us angry.
David Buttigieg
Jul 24th 2008, 16:03
Mr Catania,
If you were not an obstruction AND there was no yellow lines etc then you should argue your case because you will win it. Parking bays are just an indicator of parking spots. Most wardens haven't got a clue about the law or bank on their victims not knowing it and simply paying up!
Paul Galea
Jul 24th 2008, 14:28
As i remember, the no parking boxes near the Rabat swing park are placed in front of the entrances, is that the one that is being referred to? If so you might not have been blocking any cars but you may have blocked someone with a pushchair or wheel chair.
If it was a no parking zone, don't park. That is whats called common sense. Not parking there and then complaining about getting fined!
Erin Ciantar
Jul 24th 2008, 13:44
Probably the silliest letter this paper has ever printed. If everyone reasoned like Adrian we would have no purpose for wardens and we'd go back to the anarchy we knew on our roads before their introduction.
Children acting restlessly in a car because they want to play is not a good enough reason to park badly.
O. Sant' Angelo
Jul 24th 2008, 13:14
If you were blocking no one, did you take a couple of photos of the scene with your mobile and contest the fine?
Andy Towler
Jul 24th 2008, 12:15
In fact, simply drive down under the Greek Gate, about 150m from where you got your ticket, and you'll usually find plenty of parking spaces. If you then walk through Mdina to the main gate, it's only about 5 minutes walk to the kiosks and playground.
B Agius
Jul 24th 2008, 11:03
What about that tract of land used for parking which is near the Roman Villa-has that been ashphalted yet? If not it's an absolute disgrace that has been left there for years. It is used by many trying to park over the rocks and of course , seen by many tourists on buses when visiting the otherwise worthwhile area.
Alfred Mallia ,Rabat
Jul 24th 2008, 10:32
You said yourself that it was a no parking zone, so why did you park there. Do you think you are above the law?
I am sorry sir but you have no case as obviously it was clearly marks as off limits. How dare you try and deter people from using the saqqajja facilities for a stupid mistake YOU made.
I can't believe stupid letters like this are even printed!
By the way, I AM NOT A WARDEN!!!!
joe felice pace
Jul 24th 2008, 10:15
Write to the Petitions Board. I recall a court decision saying although there might be parking boxes in a street, if one parks in a section that does not have any but there is no "No parking" sign or yellow lines, then there is no offence. Wardens are abusing the law, as they are doing in the case of "Residents Only" parking in so many localities in spite of a Court decision to the contrary and the Petitions Board refusing to endorse such parking tickets.
L Galea
Jul 24th 2008, 09:19
Mr Catania,
was there a no parking sign?
Were you parked the required distance from the end of the street?
If there were no no parking signs and you wrer not parked at the end of the street and were not causing an obstruction then contest the ticket by sending a registered petition to the Board for Petitions, POBox 41 Valletta.
Do not submit to arrogant local councils and warden companies by paying the fine.