My day in The Smoke.

[Roboframer]

Drove to Hackney, London today - for a coreldraw/valiani presentation by our own John Cooper (Merlin) at Simons - thought about the train but I had Satnav for Christmas and wanted to play!

Big mistake No1 !!

It took me through the city; when I saw the Gherkin in front of me I was ready to hit 'home' and call it a day, the estimated time of arrival had already dropped from 0934 when I set off, to 1045 and the presentation started at 1030. (I'd offered JC a lift from Gatwick too, lucky he'd already booked and paid for public transport)

I lined myself up wrong for one roundabout and ended up on a bus route, so there could be a fine to pay there. Just paid my congestion charge on line.

Anyway, I stuck with it and parked on-street about 200m away from Simons for £4:40 for two hours, just previous to that my wife had phoned me and I said I was having difficulty finding somewhere to park, so, unknown to me, she rang Simons to see if they could help. They said they had some land right across the road, I could park there and they'd have someone outside for me to look out for. But I was already in the presentation when my wife rang to tell me this, so I went downstairs to tell the girl waiting for me. She said to go get the car and put it across the road, I said not to worry, I'd paid for 2 hours so I'd use them and move it during the lunch break.

Big mistake No2!

Lunch break came and I returned to where I'd parked the car with 10 mins to spare. It had gone!

I thought it had been stolen, but then, and only then, I saw some yellow notices "Parking Suspension - no parking or loading" It had been towed.

£260 release fee - I'll appeal, because there was no sign on the ticket machine, which was happily taking money (and giving no change) or on the sign stating "£2:20 per hour 8am-6pm maximum stay 2 hrs no return within 2 hours" That contradicted the other signs - I've got 2 chances I suppose.

That shortened the presentation for me and then the satnav got me home along a crazy route through Surrey - via the city again and it was HELL - never again.

Simons were great, 3 different people offered me a lift to the pound and Joe wouldn't hear of me using my mobile phone to sort it all out (My wife had to email my vehicle docs and photo ID to the pound - Hackney Council thank God; not the cowboy clampers)

Plus the day was not wasted at all, I learned enough to make me realise coreldraw is not as scary as I thought it might be.

I'm off to the Garmin website now, to RTFM

[Bagpuss]

Such bad, bad luck, I'm really impressed that you even attempted Central London in the car , I worked just around the corner from the Ghurkin for 15 years and not once did I attempt to drive in during that time, in fact I only attempted to drive to Simons a few weeks back for the London Branch meeting. I am glad Simons looked after you after being mugged by the Council

I've got a Garmin, they do take a little getting used to .....

[Roboframer]

I'm a bloody idiot!

We cleared the decks with the framing orders yesterday, everything done up until next Wednesday - I could have took my framer with me; he's an ex London cabbie!

A quick phone call to the insurance company and he could have even driven

I didn't study the satnav route and when I came to the M23/M25 junction I thought it a bit strange that it was telling me to take the clockwise exit and not the anti-clockwise one. Last time I drove to Simons (a long time ago) my wife, who used to run an International haulage company in the Eastend, was navigating and we went M25/A20/Blackwall tunnel.

I just thought "Ah well" and made like a satnav sheep, I think next time, if there is one, I'll just head along the route I know is right until it starts getting tricky and THEN turn the satnav on.

You read all these stories about idiots trying to drive up 1:5 bridleways because the satnav says so. That's me that is!

[Jonny2morsos]

Hi John

Sorry you had such a bad day. I was looking forward to having a chinwag with you.

I walked past the "Parking Suspended" signs when I left Simons and I have to say I would have missed them too so hope you have some luck with the towaway gang.

I contemplated driving but thought better of it however my journey was 3 hours each way! Partly because I took the option of the slow train stopping at most of the stations to Kings Cross. This was £55 return but I could have upgraded to fast service for £100 return! They say the trains are busier nowadays but who is paying these sort of fares? Must be people on business claiming back on expenses.

[Roboframer]

I'm not much good with trains either. Last time I tried, I asked for a day return - the guy asked 'where to'? and I said 'back here, you idiot'!

[prospero]

Bad Luck John.

I think I would have parked at the end of a tube line and gone from there. Last time I did that It was £1 to park all day and £3.50 for an all-day tube/bus ticket.

Anyway, stuff the satnav. Do a virtual drive-in the day before on Gooogle Maps. It's great. You can go the wrong way up one-way streets.

simons.jpg

(I bet Ray saves a bomb on delivery charges. Is he still there?)

[prospero]

BTW. Tip for if you don't want to get towed: Get a medium sized cardboard box. Poke holes in the sides. Fill with straw and make sure some of the straw is poking out the holes. Place on back seat. They won't tow you if they think there is an animal in the car.

[JohnMcafee]

If this kind of thing can happen to an urbane sophisticate like Roboframer, what horrors would await a country bumkin like myself in the capital city?

Full marks to Simons though.

[Graysalchemy]

No but the police will probably come along with the RSPCA and smash you window. Worse still they may think it is a bomb and bring down the bomb disposal squad (more likely in London).

However back to the original thread us up north have a built in system, genetically programmed so we don't make that mistake.

As soon as we cross the Watford Gap we come out in a cold sweet, here voices in our heads and are compelled to turn around and head for home. That of course is if you get that far, you have plenty of warning signs before you get that far south, like no gravy on chips and flat pints of beer, there is also a lack of flat caps and whippets (thought I would get that one in first) .

On a more serious not at least you learnt something which perhaps you will be able to convert into money so perhaps it won't seem such a bad day after all.



AG

[Jonny2morsos]

I too made a mistake but thankfully not an expensive one.

Did my research like Prosero advises - looked along the street using google Streetview, printed off a map from Hoxton station so had my route planned.

Once on the tube I realised I could save a change of trains and two more tube stops by getting off at Bethnal Green and walking from there. Then found out it was not on the map I had printed so looked on the sation wall for a street map. Found Hackney Rd which looked a fair distance and set off at a fair pace. Sometime later I found myself outside the Hackney Empire and town hall where a very nice lady told me it was 20mins walk back the way I had come from.

I had gone past the Hackney Rd junction within a few minutes of starting to walk.

Lesson to be learned - take the SatNav out of the car and switch to pedestrian mode!!!

By the way Prospero - Ray the Framer is not the only one saving on delivery. Take a look further up the street in the direction your pic. is looking and there is another framer on the opposite side.

[Merlin]

what horrors would await a country bumkin like myself in the capital city?

Absolutely totally agree. That is why I flew up and back. 70 Minutes on a plane well it was 55 minutes on the return journey against 7 hours in a car, then the stress of a Big City at the end of it.
Mind you.... Getting from Gatwick to Simons and return to Gatwick put and easy £80 on the expense sheet.
Yet it was such an easy journey to make - No stress at all. Car > Plane > Gatwick Express > Taxi => Simons.

[Bagpuss]

If anyone finds themselves on a Train to "The Smoke", make your way to Liverpool Street station, walk out the front to Bishopsgate, turn left and look for one of many Bus Stops, jump on a 26 or 48 bus and 10 minutes later you can jump off directly opposite D & J Simons

I used to collect half a dozen lengths of moulding, jump back on the bus and then walk into 155 Bishopsgate, into the fancy Marble lined foyer up the escalator then into the lift to my office, I did this for about 6 years before I started getting it delivered, no one ever asked me why I was carrying lengths of wood into the office ..... I miss that place ...

[Roboframer]

This isn't my first trip through the centre of London, the first was coming home on leave to Milk 'n Beans from W Germany in my brand new export model Austin Allegro 1100 DL in 'sandglow' (a sort of diarrhea colour).

The M25 wasn't completed then - well, neither was Milton Keynes - it was Bletchley I wanted. I looked at my road map ....Dover, M2-A2-A1-M1 - how hard could that be - just 4 roads to remember. I think I crossed the Thames about 6 times and saw Buckingham palace twice. It was actually the first time I'd driven in the UK apart from my driving lessons/test.

[Jonny2morsos]

I could have took my framer with me; he's an ex London cabbie!

How come he ended up south of the river then?

[Roboframer]

Well, he always lived South of it - Surrey somewhere, then his two daughters moved down here and he followed.

Anyway, I've got my letter of appeal together, the gist of which is that the facts are that their 'parking suspension' signs, had they been placed over the existing sign and/or the ticket machine, would have been impossible to miss. It follows that as they were not, it was possible to miss them, which is what I did. It's not like I saw them and chose to defy them or hope for the best. They left room for the error I made - I've conceded I made that error and have asked them to concede that they left the room for it - it's what happened, I didn't see the signs because I saw the ones I was looking for and looked no further, those other signs may as well have been for someone's lost cat.

In the event of them seeing my point and giving a full refund, once the money is safely in the bank I'll demand a refund of my fees and expenses, which I'll double but give them the option of only paying 50% if they cough up within 10 days.

What do you reckon, dreaming or in with a chance?

[Jonny2morsos]

Talking with a customer today who I think works for the local council. She says the ticket machine should have been covered or had a notice on not allowing you to buy a ticket and so you would have aclear cut case.

Good luck but I bet you will come across a "Jobs worth" or two.

[silvercleave]

Robo

Did you take a picture? that then proves your position

Ian

[prospero]

For what it's worth John, I think you have a good case and you ought to get your money back. There should be a guy who arbitrates all these appeals and they are usually reasonably fair.
As for claiming expenses, I wouldn't hold your breath. You'll need a good lawyer if you want to go down that route. Could go on for years. The standard tactic is to stall as long as they can and see who runs out of money to pay the lawyers first.

[AllFramed]

Bagpuss, that conjures up a great picture. How did you manage at Fenchurch St? I worked at 55 Bishopsgate for 5 years, I miss it too! I was trying to imagine walking across London Bridge and climbing on to the (always rammed) 18:34 with half a dozen lengths of 9ft moulding. It was bad enough with a rucksack some days!

[Bagpuss]

Bagpuss, that conjures up a great picture. How did you manage at Fenchurch St?

Ha ha, I did get some funny looks at Fenchurch Street Station, and that was when I wasn't carrying my moulding ...