Threads

Here's a thread running through things at the moment. In America the fire dept often also delivers the ambulance service for their patch. ArtistAnnie's friend Rick was also in the fire dept and an EMT. Today was a court day for me (as a JP) and I learnt that Wakefield Magistrates Court building was originally the Wakefield Fire Station. Apparently there are firemen carved into the masonry and some of the now windows were where where the fire trucks entered and left their garage.

It has also served as a police station too but I couldn't spot any coppers in the stonework.

In other news, the business of the court I chaired today was Private Prosecutions, as opposed to ones brought by the Crown Prosecution Service. It can be a varied lot with cases brought by such as RSPCA, TV Licensing, Local Authority and so on. Today there were a couple of Dept' of Work and Pensions fraud cases and a G4S curfew breach trial. The main body of work was parking fines, brought by WMDC, where vehicle owners have refused to identify the driver of an illegally parked vehicle or else refused to play the Standard Charge where e..g time has expired on a ticket.

The penalty would go something like this:-
£175 fine (in the absence of evidence of a means form)
£15 Victim Surcharge
£50 Prosecution Costs.

Its basically an admin procedure but there is judicial input to make sure people are treat fairly. Especially when they provide some mitigation or at least proof of earnings. Most people choose to ignore it until they get the notice of the penalty imposed though.

The what's called 'Standard Charge' is £45 That's the option you get on the sticker that is attached to your windscreen. In other words it's easier in the long run to accept the Standard Charge than let it go to court. Assuming you have been incorrectly parked etc.

There isn't a car park at court so Her Majesty's Court Service have an agreement with WMDC to use a nearby car park and we are given permits to exempt us from charges.

Imagine, then, how ticked off I was to return to my car to find an over zealous Parking Operative (for want of a better title) had ticketed me with a £45 Standard Charge notice!!

Oh the irony! LOL