Is it me or is the machine in the outside part of the cark park out of order more often than not? Wouldn't it be cheaper in the long run to replace it rather than to keep having to repair it?

As wel as more convenient for users. Unfortunately there is a machine inside some distance away that one is required to use in the case of the outside one being out of order. Awkward when you have small children.

I always park in the under-cover area in order to be nearer that machine anyway as you only have to enter the digits of your numberplate, rather than the full number.

I'd like to park in the undercover area but can't because of the height restriction and our roof rack. Also it's further away from our childrens' nursery in David's Road.

I find it incredible that the outside machine requires users to have an intimate knowledge of how to text on a mobile phone in order to enter a registration number in full - with no instructions provided. I'm not sure if I prefer the version I used today (in Bicester) which has a button for every number and letter - but not arranged in any sort of conventional keyboard style (it has 3 or 4 vertical columns!). I'm not sure that was much better. It all seems to be rather a lot of overkill just to avoid a few people passing on their tickets.

On the rare occasions when it's work I just type in the numbers (as with the inside one) and take whatever comes out. Prosecute if you dare Lewisham council. I'd embarass you in court for failure to provide municipal equipment that works. I'd quote the Failure to Provide Municipal Equipment that Works Act 1965.

It says 'numerics only' on the outside one - so you only need to put on your number. Having said that I am challenging a parking ticket given because I had an old-style ticket that you had to stick to your windscreen (seen they have now ditched this) and it was very unsticky - so much so the blooming ticket fell down while I was away from the car so no longer 'displayed'. I wonder if I got the last, elderly, withered old sticky patch from a discontinued batch!

Can't find the old thread re: parking tickets in the car park behind sainsburys so this will do...

Just like to say a hearty merry Christmas to lewisham and their parking enforcers. Displaying as you did such a lack of understanding and seasonal good will when someone from horniman primary school PTA forgot to get their parking ticket in their rush to get last minute supplies for the kids's Christmas ball last night, something designed to raise funds for the school. So those funds raised are 40 quid lighter than they should be. Lewisham council taking money from people raising money for a lewisham school. Nice touch.

Appeal the ticket!

No tickets today, though - free parking throughout Lewisham for "Shop Local Day"

http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/inmyarea/shop...fault.aspx