A pensioner who pushed his car out of the road and tried to call for help after it broke down has been hit with a £70 parking fine.
Michael Peck was just yards away from his doctors’ surgery when his vehicle ran out of petrol. He pushed the light blue Hyundai IX20 from the middle of the road where it stalled, in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, to make sure it was no longer a danger to other motorists.
The seventy-nine-year-old grandfather-of-four went to a nearby newsagents to phone for help and was left stunned minutes later when he returned to find a £70 ticket on his car windscreen for blocking the carriageway.
He described it as 'a sad reflection of the selfish society we live in'.
“When I grew up, if the village bobby had come along and found a driver in that predicament, his instinct would have been to take off his jacket, roll up his sleeves and help move the car.
“This jobsworth clearly must have seen me struggling - yet instead of helping he was more concerned about the money that could be made.
“It is a sad reflection of the way that we live in a very selfish society - it reflects the lack of civility and common courtesy” said Mr Peck, a retired financial advisor.
Mr Peck now plans to appeal against the £70 fine, which was issued by a traffic warden employed by Southend Council.
Derek Kenyon, Southend Council’s parking manager, had this to say: “If anyone wishes to challenge a penalty charge notice, then there are set procedures to follow, laid down by the Department of Transport.
“If there is a claim that a vehicle has broken down, then we would need evidence to support that - such as the relevant repair bill or details from breakdown assistance services.”
Photo: Peter Lawson/Eastnews Press Agency Ltd
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