h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

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I got a parking ticket yesterday. I put my hands up, I actually did break the rules. But oh my freakin' goodness!! read on...

In my wee town, parking is free (in designated parking areas). I parked in the "multi story" (technically it is, there is an upper deck and a ground level deck - total parking about 100 cars).

Because parking is free you're limited to 2 hours. Since a slow walk (including shopping) around our town can only take 1 hour max, that's not a problem. But, here's the catch. You have to put one of those blue parking things (don't know what they're called in English: Parkuhr in German) on your dashboard to show when you got there.

I forgot. So, I got a ticket. I was in a free (what the flaming heck do you call a Parkhaus in English??? I can't believe I'm forgetting my mother tongue here) parking space, and I got a ticket.

*much wailing and gnashing of teeth*

Free car park?

How much is the fine?

no idea, it's likely to be something in the region of 5 or 10 Euros.

But I'm going on holiday on 2nd August, and the letter with the fine might not have come by then, so ...

and I can't call beforehand, because until you get your letter with a reference number, you can't have questions answered (I know that from experience helping my colleagues)

Oh well. I admit that I made a mistake in forgetting (the grey cells aren't what they used to be) but it's really annoying. Especially given that there were loads of cars parked in non-parking areas, and they didn't get ticketed (I saw the "traffic warden" walking past them)

Still, can't complain. Free parking every Saturday, and even outside of Saturday, it's not expensive.

There's only one free car park in Cleethorpes, and it's always full of lorries or taxis. And it's closed on a Wednesday, market day.

There are no free parking places in Grimsby.

My friend who works part-time at a bank, has to pay £5 for the day, because the limit is 2 hours, or all-day.

yeesh, that's harsh!

I have to admit that we have it well here, with parking, but then I live in the middle of nowhere with rubbish public transport. If they didn't do this, the town would be more empty of shoppers than it is now.

If I had a car, I'd need to pay for a permit to park in the car park behind my house, because the road is all double yellow.

Just one more reason I won't be learning to drive any time soon.

I think car ownership is overrated. (here, btw, when they build houses/flats, they have to include enough off road parking for at least one car per family - of course all the old buildings here don't have that facility)

But we need one because public transport is all but non-existant and the gruesomes can't walk to school from here.

But if we had a bus service that I could use, I'd use it and just rent a car when I really needed one.

They have this funky train deal here where kids go free if they travel with their parents/legal guardians/grandparents at the weekend. That saves a lot when I go anywhere with them.