THE driver of an £80,000 Audi told cops that he shouldn’t be fined for parking on the pavement because it was “wide”.
Officers were so stunned by the motorist’s excuse that they took to their local force’s Twitter account to share the unusual encounter.
Soho Road PoliceThe driver of this £80,000 Audi complained about being given a ticket for pavement parking as he said the footpath was too ‘wide’[/caption]
The man apparently told Soho Road Police that he gets “so many tickets” for the offence but doesn’t believe that he should when they confronted him in Birmingham, West Midlands.
Police said that he had left his pricey Audi RS6 on the footpath but argued that he shouldn’t be prosecuted for it.
However, they were quick to reassure social media users that his ticket was “on the way” for parking up on the footway and within ten meters of a junction, which is also an offence.
Soho Road Police tweeted: “Handsworth driver said to me he gets so many tickets for parking here and he shouldn’t as it’s a wide pavement.
“The pavement is not for parking & within ten metres of a junction is also an offence.
“Tickets on the way.”
Commenters were equally bewildered by the driver’s argument.
One wrote: “Imagine getting loads of tickets for the same offence but still not working out what the problem is.”
Others questioned whether the man had passed a driving test, with one saying: “I suspect not.”
It comes after people across the country have posted clips to platforms like Instagram and TikTok to complain about the issue of pavement parking.
One woman in Norwich, Norfolk, said she was left unable to walk on her own street because so many “selfish” drivers stopped on the curb.
Meanwhile, a man in Nottingham, East Midlands, said he feard that someone would get hurt if motorists weren’t slapped with fines for the habit.
However, despite all the frustration it causes, it is not actually illegal to park on the pavement outside of London.
Rule 244 of the Highway Code says: “You must not park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it.
“Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs.”
Outside of the capital, you are permitted to partially park on the pavement, as long as it doesn’t cause an obstruction.