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Former York couple vow never to return to the city after getting a £30 fine

9:30am Thursday 20th September 2007

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A FORMER York couple have vowed never to return to the city after being ticketed for parking outside the Minster - even though they had a blue disabled badge.

Edward and Elizabeth Sheriff, who now live in Newtown, Powys, say they had left their car in Deangate while they went to the shops.

"We used that marvellous facility to park and display my disabled badge, a few streets from the shops," said Mr Sheriff, a former licensee at the Shoulder Of Mutton, in Heworth Green, who was disabled in the Far East in the final days of the Second World War. "We have parked there before without any problem.

"We wished we could have had a similar place for our disabled drivers in our town. But oh dear, our admiration turned to dismay as a parking ticket was stuck over my disabled badge."

Mr Sheriff, whose wife worked as a midwife in York for many years before she retired and they moved to Newtown, where she was until recently town mayor, said: "During the past two years, we have managed to get back to our favourite city whenever we have had a free weekend, but we will not be spending any more weekends in the city of my birth, and where my wife delivered hundreds of babies. We won't be coming back again."

He said he had reluctantly paid the £30 fine after being warned he could end up having to pay £60 if he tried to fight it.

A spokeswoman for City of York Council said today that unfortunately, Mr and Mrs Sheriff had parked in a part of Deangate that was a "no loading area at any time" zone.

"This means that parking, including disabled parking, is prohibited," she said. "The information booklet that is sent out to all Blue Badge holders explains the restrictions in some detail and the area is marked with vertical double yellow lines on the kerbs. A blue badge was not a licence to park anywhere."

She added that in pedestrian areas, waiting and loading restrictions might be in force even where there were no yellow lines shown on the road or kerb. "Details of any restrictions in force will be shown on plates displayed at the kerb side of the road."

Disabled drivers were also barred from parking where their vehicles would be obstructive or cause a danger to others.

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Your Say YourYork Press

David, York says...
9:44am Thu 20 Sep 07

if they could park at the minster and walk into town for a nice stroll around the shops, why couldnt they have used one of the regular car parks. another exmpale of the blue badge scheme not really helping those who need it the most.

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Markyo, York says...
9:45am Thu 20 Sep 07

I feel great sympathy for the distress that they feel, but Blue Badges do not permit holders to park anywhere. If they parked in a "no loading area at any time" zone they deserved the ticket.
Bit of shame but we all make mistakes; the level of contribution made by these nice people to society does not absolve them from reading and obeying roadsigns.


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drs1706, York says...
9:48am Thu 20 Sep 07

They may well be entitled to it, but some of the "disabled" badge holders parking is at best terrible and at worse, abandoned. Also I think their attitude while driving in pedestrian areas is disgusting, yes I am the man who doesn't get out of your way while you rev your engne and force other people off the road...

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Captain Jack Sparrow, Strensall says...
10:08am Thu 20 Sep 07

Oh well! Goodbye to both of you.

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YORKIE, york says...
10:12am Thu 20 Sep 07

2 less tourists clogging up the footpaths of York from now on !

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Manwithaview, York says...
10:39am Thu 20 Sep 07

Be interesting to see what the fine gets spent on - the car should have been taken away and impounded - another case of blue badge holders thinking they can park anywhere they want to.

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Phantom, York says...
11:08am Thu 20 Sep 07

Surely if you are expecting to use this badge system you should first educate yourself as to how the system works. The no-loading signs are absolutely clear in that area of town and they decided to ignore this and park anyway. So they got done. Are they expected special treatment because they are disabled? Most disabled people who want to be treated equally in society would find that attitude annoying and embarrassing. So they aren't coming back, big deal. Who cares?

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Geoff, says...
11:11am Thu 20 Sep 07

They knew the rules and should have stuck to them!

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dean, says...
11:23am Thu 20 Sep 07

They could have parked just round the corner in goodramgate. If as they say they returned every weekend they had chance to then they would know this

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Romper Stomper, York says...
11:53am Thu 20 Sep 07

"We have parked there before without any problem.
Your lucky you have got away with it for so long.

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Milton, York says...
12:10pm Thu 20 Sep 07

Have you seen the state of those "no loading" signs though? The paintwork is so worn on them that you would have to know they were they in advance to actually spot them.

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smudge, York says...
12:41pm Thu 20 Sep 07

Blue badge holders are a law unto themselves .They think the world owes them a living. Most are disabled by drinking/smoking or being over weight (self inflicted)plus a lot use badges that are not owned by them just for free car parking !! (Before you are offended you will have thought that yourself)

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the invisible man, southbank says...
12:48pm Thu 20 Sep 07

They should get in touch with Alan Shaw, Bootham. He's such a liberal minded do gooder I'm Shaw he would pay their fine for them

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Peenjay, Fromere says...
1:41pm Thu 20 Sep 07

I think it's strange that none of the following have posted their views yet.
Bemused.
Dach.
Alan Shaw.
(We all know Rust is away.....so he's excused).

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HOBBIT, at work says...
1:59pm Thu 20 Sep 07

What an incridibly lame and pointless story??

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Mike C, york says...
2:02pm Thu 20 Sep 07

"they knew the rules" - maybe they did, but when I visit my mother's town and take her out using her blue badge, I can tell the sceptics above it's not easy!! You read the town-specific booklet(each place has its local rules), then try to work out BEFORE you park whether it's allowed in that EXACT spot or you find too late another notice afew yards along that you couldn't see because of a parked van......

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hard working dad of 2, my own house-york says...
2:12pm Thu 20 Sep 07

can the council not do this to more tourists,then we may at last be able to get around our city ourselves,bring on the congestion charge for non residents,then all I have to do is avoid them on my bike.

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Diogenes, York says...
2:15pm Thu 20 Sep 07

They should know the rules about using a bvlue badge!
If no loading marks are clearly visible, as they are in part of Deangate, then parking, even for legitimate blue badge holders, is not allowed!
Quite simple!!

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Akuma, York says...
2:16pm Thu 20 Sep 07

Peenjay wrote:
I think it's strange that none of the following have posted their views yet. Bemused. Dach. Alan Shaw. (We all know Rust is away.....so he's excused).
Dachane07 had his ID deleted because JK kept on complaining to the admin.

I'm pretty sure the same fate may have fallen the others.

I'm sure they will be back, only with different usernames!!!

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GDave, York says...
2:56pm Thu 20 Sep 07

Peenjay wrote:
I think it's strange that none of the following have posted their views yet. Bemused. Dach. Alan Shaw. (We all know Rust is away.....so he's excused).
Bemused is running a seminar on 1950's policing.

Dach has been busy shapechangeing.

Alan Shaw is now out of his straightjacket again.

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coleoptera, York says...
3:07pm Thu 20 Sep 07

yet another non-story.

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jim, york says...
3:12pm Thu 20 Sep 07

if the council could charge all the residents £30 to stay out of the city i bet they would be happier than pigs rolling about in what they talk

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Gardener, York says...
4:42pm Thu 20 Sep 07

York 2 Tourists 0 now get down the Knavesmire and slap some parking tickets on Satan's holiday homes!

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Baffled, Unnkown says...
5:39pm Thu 20 Sep 07

Come on... outside the Minster of all places. Could they be a little more stupid? Tell you what, next time I'm in town, I'll photocopy a blue badge, then I won't have to queue for the castle car park, I'll park no Cliffords Tower hill, perfect!

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Bemused, says...
6:35pm Thu 20 Sep 07

Bemused is running a seminar on 1950's policing.

1980s, PLEASE!

I say book 'em Danno, as might be expected.

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Acomb Resident, Acomb says...
6:39pm Thu 20 Sep 07

What a load of Bollo**s.
What next, a story about a drunken Geordie promising not to come back to York for being refused entry to the Gallery?

Mike Laycock: This really is a NON story.

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Nimby, York says...
8:29pm Thu 20 Sep 07

Like the majority of disabled drivers are with pedestrians in Davy Gate, I have no sympathy. Stay away is the easy answer. Make room for sensible people.

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Nimby, York says...
8:30pm Thu 20 Sep 07

Like the majority of disabled drivers are with pedestrians in Davy Gate, I have no sympathy. Stay away is the easy answer. Make room for sensible people.

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Peter, york says...
9:45pm Thu 20 Sep 07

They ought to put tickets on delivery vehicles block the approach to Lendal bridge in the restricted morning rush hour.

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