to feel miffed that new car park machines require registration numbers.

Completely agree rubysong. We used to have this system at our city hospital and it angered a lot of people. We couldn't buy less than 4 hours' parking and this was often far too much. And then we weren't able to pass the ticket on to someone else. As you say, if we've paid fully for the use of a space for a set period of time, then there is no loss to the hospital authority if we allow someone else to use it if we leave early. It's more a case of them screwing as much money out of us as possible.
Now the system has changed whereby we collect a parking disc on entry and pay for the time used on exit. Much fairer.

ruby - this drives my poor DH mad. Apart from the fact that it doesn't hurt to pass the ticket on if you haven't used up all your time, some of
the machines are so complicated. Our local Tesco has these machines. You have to get a ticket at the checkout (assuming you remember to ask for one, otherwise you have to go back in). The ticket has a code which you then have to tap in on a very small screen, along with the first part of your reg. You then put your money in. Then pictures of four cars come up on the screen and you have to tap on the picture of your car. It then asks if you want a receipt. DH is forever pressing the wrong digits and gets himself into a state over it. Imagine all this with a queue behind you. Ridiculous.

It was not allowed in ours, that you passed the ticket on. Very frowned upon.

It's particularly annoying when you have to run back up two flights of steps because you can't remember your registration number.
Passing a ticket on is fraud soontobe depriving whatever authority owns the car park of £2.
Bit sad really I think.

I suppose technically you're subletting the parking spot because you've paid for it and not the new tenant.

Just another way of making more money imo.

I would have mega problems because I have no idea what my registration number is.

Rubysong Lot's do now. I think in particular it's for the disabled spaces in the council car park where I shop. On several of the other machines there they is a normal ticket machine. It might be to stop commuters etc dridoineake unpthersevaral lothr

I agree with you though No one is really losing out if I choose to give someone the time I paid for.

KatyK That is a ridiculous way of running a car park and it could put people off bothering to shop there. No one wants to faff about like that.
The parking where I usually shop is council run and reasonable 70p an hour £1.10 for 2hrs and it get increasingly expensive from there. They do have to prevent the town's commuters from all day parking or it would not be possible to park for shopping at all IYSWIM.

At our hospital we pay on the way out, but my daughter`s husband has a blue badge for the disabled car park, which is £1.50 for however long you`re there. She recently passed her ticket as she was leaving on to someone just arriving, but a passing man said to be careful, they were on the lookout for people doing that.

If I can't find someone to give my unused ticket to I stick it to the parking machine. Why shouldn't someone benefit from time I have paid for .

Be warned. We recently visited of of these car parks and paid the right amount as we left. Ten days later we got a strict letter telling us we hadn't paid and demanding £70 to be paid within 28 days. The letter showed photos of our car on arrival and departure.

How many people keep these receipts? In fact the machine actually asks you if you want a receipt. Most people probably say no.

Fortunately I was able to find our receipt after rifling in our recycling bin, so I could take a photo and email it to the car park company.

Thank heavens we had proof of payment. I know it is a nasty scam and may people will be so nervous they might even pay this ridiculous charge.
Please please keep your receipt as I have no idea how widespread this nasty practice is. I am in the process of reporting them to the AA RAC and anyone else I can think of.

If I have a lot of time left on my ticket I give it to someone or leave it on the machine. The space has been paid for so I think someone else should benefit. I wouldn't want to faff with registration numbers.

It seems perfectly reasonable to me. You pay to park your car and when you leave, the space is empty for someone else to park their car for which they should pay. What does seem unreasonable is that ticket machines in car parks rarely, if ever, give change so that you often end up paying more, sometimes quite a lot more, than the fee for the time you require. (Of course, some people have the foresight to keep a heap of change somewhere in the car so that they are not caught in this way.)

I agree, it is reasonable. But it was nicer when one paid for the time rather than the space. Miff on, OP.

I went to the Park and Ride in Cambridge on Saturday which has the most complicated system- must take ages when they are busy. DH only had to pay to park as he has a free bus pass. I don't have one (I married a much older man) so had to do the process again to purchase just the bus ticket for me.! If Mr We're All In It Together Cameron doesn't abolish free bus passes I shall have one next year and then we only have to do one process.

I agree Nellie. It does put people off shopping there.

Take a photo of your car reg on your mobile as a reminder can help

I think it is quite telling that the little town where I live has lots of car parks and even some parking space on the main street. There are time limits but you don't have to pay anywhere. The nearest city – 15 minutes drive away with quite a lot more shops – has lots of paying car parks. Apparently the shops in our local mall and high street are doing very well.

I use hospital car parks quite a lot and our local hospitals have these machines too, my problem is that I never know how long I am going to be. I might be in and out in 20 minutes or I might be 3 hours. Therefore I tend to have to pay more than I need to just incase. I wouldn't mind so much if I were able to do someone else a good deed by passing on the unused time I have paid for.

One of our city car parks, mainly serving the theatre, is pay on exit. A couple of weeks ago I fed my ticket into the pay machine and nothing happened. The screen display remained the same, 'Please insert your ticket', and the ticket remained inside. Panic. Hit cancel button. Nothing happened. My DD, equally concerned, noticed the 'Lost Ticket' button and pressed that before I could stop her. What she didn't realise is that if you lose your ticket you're charged the All Day rate. She thought it meant ticket lost in machine. The screen display said "Lost ticket, payment due £12". PANIC! I pressed the cancel button again, nothing. Again. Now the screen said "Weekly pass, payment due £50". HELP!!
Then, thank Heavens, I spotted the 'help' button, pressed that and within seconds I had a real person talking to me through a speaker on the front of the machine. It was all sorted then within seconds. Phew!

I always pass my ticket on, or stick it to the machine for someone to use. To have to buy a ticket for 2-4 hours, knowing that you're only likely to just tip over the 2 hours is such a waste. Someone else may as well benefit.

Surely they do their sums on a basis of usagehours=amountreceived? If they do it on the assumption that people are going to pay for what they don't use and then someone else will pay again for their place, then they are charging twice for the same space - not ethical.

It's always better if you can pay when you leave,that way you don't have to worry about time ( just the cost!)
I hate the car reg machines, but you can have it written down on a bit of paper in your bag, or as somebody suggested a pic on your phone I suppose.
Our town has two hours free parking in all the council car parks for everyone.It encourages shoppers.

All the supermarket car parks in our area are free. I'd be miffed to have to pay. I think I'd avoid KatyK's Tesco. What a flippin faff !
The public car parks have quiet recently changed to having to entre your Reg No. Previously I would happily pass my ticket on and gratefully received a ticket too.

I hated this system at first as I was always having to go back to my car to check my reg number. Have now made a note of my number on my mobile phone and have got used to this new way of paying. Much better than having to buy a ticket in advance and trying to judge how long you will be staying.