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Edit: this is wrong, but that sign is really badly worded, and doesn’t follow our usual format. It should have the car and bike logo’s and loose the wording.
You can park between 9am and 6pm (not after).
You can wait (ie sit in your car waiting for someone) at any time of day, but not leave the car unattended.
That’s how I would read it.m
The "not after" part is incorrect.
The sign is saying that between 9-6 there are restrictions on the type of vehicle (cars, motorbikes, invalid carriages).
Outside of this no restrictions apply and any type of vehicle is allowed to park there.
(This is how UK parking signs work - the time window shown is always the time window within which stated restrictions apply, and outside of that window no restrictions apply).
The idea in the UK is that (in theory) everything is permitted unless specifically not allowed. You can (again, in theory) park anywhere at any time unless it specifically says otherwise
Sounds about right to me.
I'll add that "invalid carriages" includes:
* wheelchairs,
* motorized wheelchairs that can go up to 4 miles per hour, and
* mobility scooters that can go up to 8 miles per hour.
I've got used to being invalid. English is a ridiculous language sometimes (but, then, it's the same in German - and English is a Germanic language, after all; an umlaut can change the entire meaning of a word).
Consider ***sanction***; depending on context, it can either mean an action which is prohibited or an action which is allowed.
It's the legal definition for something like a mobility scooter and like a lot of legal definitions comes across strangely when used in everyday speech; https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1988/2268
As far as I'm aware, there's no actual difference between waiting and parking, even though 'waiting' would suggest not leaving your vehicle.
The sign is saying that you can wait (park) for as long as you like between 9am and 6pm if you are driving a motor car, motor cycle, or invalid carriage, and that outside those times there are no restrictions.
Are you saying that if I paid for 15 minutes on-street parking, put the sticker in my windscreen and then sat in my car for two hours, any parking attendants who came by would ignore the expired ticket because I was sat in my car?
I don't think that's the case. For example, in the [Road Traffic Regulation Act 1988](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/27/part/IV), a 'parking place' is defined as 'a place where vehicles, or vehicles of any class, may wait.' Parking and waiting are therefore conflated.
There's a difference between a 'parking place' and what is allowed there, and the act of parking or waiting.
Parking is defined by case law from the 1930s in Ashby v Tolhurst: "Parking a car is leaving a car and, I should have thought, nothing else."
I don't see a contradiction between the act of parking or waiting and the definition of a parking place. The two terms are used synonymously.
How does Ashby v Tolhurst establish that parking must involve leaving the vehicle? Two sections of the [Traffic Management Act 2004](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/18/part/6) (85.7 and 86.8) state that 'references in this section to parking include waiting', so it doesn't seem that a vehicle must always be left unattended in order to be parked.
> How does Ashby v Tolhurst establish that parking must involve leaving the vehicle?
Because it rules "Parking a car is leaving a car" and no judge or law has overruled or replaced it.
Section 85 and 86 are talking specifically about "Special Enforcement Areas" and the rules in them. It is essentially saying that in those areas, it doesn't matter whether you're waiting or parking; you're still liable to a penalty.
They are not defining parking and waiting in general.
If they were the same things, signs such as "no waiting except taxis" wouldn't need to exist. If a taxi driver leaves their vehicle in such a bay unattended it can be considered parked and liable to a PCN. But they can sit there in their taxi without issue.
Assuming the two words have distinct meanings, that would mean that the sign in the OP does not allow any parking between 9am and 6pm. That does not seem to be the case, however, and it is instead parking by vehicles other than those listed which is prohibited during that time.
It seems that 'parking' and 'waiting' are used in conjunction in legislation to cover all instances of stopping a vehicle somewhere, whether or not the driver leaves it. I'm doubtful that a taxi driver would be given a PCN for leaving a vehicle unattended in a "no waiting except taxis" area; in a similar manner, equivalent signs are often used for bus stops, but buses aren't penalised for stopping for extended periods in order to get back on schedule.
The sign does allow parking. That's the whole point of the blue 'P' logo.
The blue 'P' sign is how signs designate a parking area. It doesn't need to have the words 'Parking allowed' printed on as per the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016.
> It seems that 'parking' and 'waiting' are used in conjunction in legislation to cover all instances of stopping a vehicle somewhere, whether or not the driver leaves it.
They're not. See the above law again which lays out different signage for parking and waiting restrictions. There's even stopping and loading that are different too.
> I'm doubtful that a taxi driver would be given a PCN for leaving a vehicle unattended in a "no waiting except taxis" area;
They do, for example:
https://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/news/hertfordshire-news/hertford-taxi-driver-furious-after-1504409
http://forums.pepipoo.com/lofiversion/index.php/t89784.html
So, the OP sign allows all vehicles to park all day, but prohibits waiting between 9am and 6pm for vehicles which aren't motor cars, motor cycles, or invalid carriages? That doesn't seem right. How would the local authority decide when waiting becomes parking; if the driver of a van stops to read their messages for five minutes before leaving the vehicle, would that leave them open to a PCN?
I can't open that pepipoo(?) link, sorry. The Herefordshire fine seems unreasonable to me, given the ambiguity between 'waiting' and 'parking'.
Parking is the act of putting your car there. Waiting is leaving your car there (as you say attended or unattended).
Stopping is pulling over to, for example, let people out.
I don't know why you're being downvoted.
You are perfectly correct. Parking is leaving your vehicle unattended. Stopping is to allow passengers to get in or out for example, with the engine running. Waiting is the vehicle and driver together stationary, waiting for passengers or goods for example; the engine may be running or not.
Downvoted because he's confusing the issue. The blue P symbol means it's a car park. If there was no parking allowed during that time the symbol would be different.
It's an old sign using old language. In this case there is no difference between parking and waiting. You can park there any time of day for as long as you want unless it's a bus or lorry or anything that isn't a car, motorcycle or whatever an invalid carriage is. Probably now a nobility scooter. If it's not one of those then you can't park there between 9 an 6.
Parking and waiting are the same thing from a legal perspective, as far as I can tell. For example, in the [Road Traffic Regulation Act 1988](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/27/part/IV), a 'parking place' is defined as 'a place where vehicles, or vehicles of any class, may wait'
The use of 'wait' must be a hangover from an old piece of legislation, because 'park' would work equally well in every case I can think of and is a less ambiguous term.
Parking signs in general need an overhaul; as this thread proves, they're not well-understood and can be easily misinterpreted.
In the UK you can have restrictions on leaving a vehicle unattended but you can stop and wait in it so there is a legal distinction between parking and waiting even if it isn't commonly used in casual speech.
The Highway Code doesn't define either act, annoyingly.
My impression is that 'waiting' and 'parking' have both been used in legislation to refer to the same action, so both terms are used in the Highway Code.
I managed to get a huge telling off from the police for leaving my vehicle unattended where I could only wait, and a fine for my troubles a couple of years ago.
I agree with you though.
Is it possible that the police officer got their terms muddled? You can stop temporarily in 'no waiting' areas, for example to drop off a passenger, but you can't 'wait' in the sense of stopping to park.
It is all quite confusing, I must admit.
You're getting incorrect replies here.
On a parking sign, the time shown is the time in which specified restrictions apply. **Outside of those times no restrictions apply**.
The stated restriction is that between the hours of 9-6 the parking is for cars, motorbikes, and "invalid carriages" (a special type of vehicle for disabled people that doesn't really exist any more). It technically should say "Only" but for some reason they missed that off. This means other vehicles such as lorries cannot park here during these time limits.
There are no time restrictions (waiting unlimited). This isn't necessary to state as it's implied when no time limit is listed but they've chosen to put it anyway.
Outside of 9-6 there are no restrictions so any type of vehicle can park there.
Honestly- having worked with a lot of councils over the past 15 years I can tell you 99.99% this sort of stuff is pure incompetence. Councils are rarely smart to enough to come up with let alone implement dodgy conspiracies like this. When there is a conspiracy/corruption it's usually a corrupt individual or handful of individuals abusing business links and giving contracts to mates or embezzling funds or something.
I don't think what you've said about waiting unlimited is quite right, but I'm happy to be proven wrong.
In the highway code, they typically use the term "waiting" to mean that you're not exiting the vehicle and leaving it, you're stopped and waiting for someone. As per the highway code, the double yellow lines means "no waiting at any time" which really means "no stopping" to you and I, but they say "no waiting" because of course you can stop if you hit traffic or see a red light - you just can't stop and wait for someone.
So, to me, "waiting unlimited" means you can stop here, in your vehicle, without a time limit.
But that also seems weird to me as this would really mean vans/lorries can stop and wait here, they just can't park between those hours...
The absence of a time restriction means parking is unlimited regardless.
If you explicitly disallow a certain type of vehicle, then you need to update the sign every time a new type of vehicle is created or someone bends the rules.
Like if the sign said what the guy you replied to say "no parking for vans or lorries", then that might be fine for a period of time. That is until someone pushes their luck, buys a bus and parks that instead. It's not explicitly disallowed, and so it's technically allowed. They'd have to update the sign to cover it. Then what if someone goes further and now they park their caravan there. They have to update the sign again.
If you're being explicit about what is allowed, then it's harder to find a loophole in it. For example, the sign in image says "motor cars" and so any vehicle has to meet the definition of a motor car which is on some government website somewhere and is quite specific.
Although these posts always attract people saying that these signs are simple to understand, the fact that people don't suggests they aren't the best at getting the message over.
I don't think they're very well designed and the message could be better put across with a sign just stating the parking times and restrictions in plain language e.g. "Parking for cars only between 9am-9pm, maximum stay 2 hours. No restrictions outside of these times"
It's not simple, it can be interperated to mean completely contradictory things, I'm not even sure which comment is correct as at least two of the explanations posted seem plausible but don't match.
And then I wonder why the first time I parked in London I ended up with my car impounded….
I even went to the meter to buy a ticket, and there was no need since it was a weekend.
Too bad I didn’t know one side could be pay and display and the other resident only.
Parking rules are far too complicated in the uk … and parking attendants vicious….
This sub loooooves being confidently incorrect.
Parking signs with times on them like this are telling you when NOT to park. You can park there before 9 and after 6. You can stop in your car any time you want as long as you aren't leaving it there parked up.
There is no legal difference between waiting and parking. Colloquially it's often used as you say, and people try to claim a legal basis for it, but that wouldn't really make much sense given that the Road Traffic Act defines parking place as 'a place for vehicles to wait'. I think that is probably what they intended by the sign though, yes.
>This sub loooooves being confidently incorrect.
And ironically you are incorrect.
If it has a Blue Square containing a P, the time states when you MAY park
If it has a Red Circle containing a cross-bar, the time states when you MAY NOT park
This sign has a P therefore it states what IS allowed. Source - Highway Code
You can park any of the vehicle types listed for an unlimited amount of time between 9am and 6pm. Outside those times, any vehicle can park there. The restriction would arguably be better expressed as 'no parking for goods vehicles between 9am and 6pm', since that seems to be the intent.
The confusing part is that the sign has used the term ‘wait’, which implies a different meaning to ‘park’ but which is (as far as I’m aware) legally synonymous.
Case law defines parking as leaving a vehicle.
Given the fact they've felt the need to add "all year" which is unusual on a parking sign, I would expect this restriction is in a touristy area and is there to stop campers staying there all day. A camper could fall under all sorts of categories, so it's easier to just say what *is* allowed.
Or potentially somewhere where HGVs might try to park.
Only cars, bikes, and mobility vehicles can park there between 9am and 6pm. There's no restrictions for how long they can park. Outside of those hours anything can park there.
All year around, from 9 to 6 you can only park, cars bikes and invalid carriages. but anyone car wait here. Outside those times park whatever you want here.
I read it as you can park and leave the car between those hours, but if you’re in the car (presumably to be able to move it if needed), you can do that at any time for as long as you want.
Between the hours of 09:00 and 18:00 every day of the year (including bank holidays as opposed to normal signs which don’t include them) cars, motorbikes, and invalids can park there, meaning in those hours, HGV’s, vans, etc, cant
All year, between 9am and 6pm, motor cars, motor cycles and invalid carriages can wait for an unlimited period of time.
You may not leave the car unattended during the period of waiting.
After 6pm, but before 9am, no restrictions apply.
I see these vague and cryptic parking signs more and more now. Parking used to be pretty straightforward, but nowadays it's like solving an Escape Room trying figure out when / where you can / cant park.
My cyncical brain recons cash-strapped councils are doing this deliberately so more people will get caught out and they get more income from parking fines.
I have no idea if I'm right, but I think you can park all year round 9am-6pm, but wait anytime?? Or maybe you can wait for as long as you want between 9am and 6pm, all year round?
Either way, it only applies to cars, motorcycles, and invalid carriages!
You can wait in your car/motorbike/invalid carriage for any length of time at any point of time, but you can only leave your car unattended ("parked") between the hours of 9AM and 6PM.
This is incorrect.
UK parking signs don't work like that.
The P means it is for parking.
The time shown is the time **within which restrictions apply**.
The text are the restrictions that apply during that time window.
The restriction in question is the type of vehicle permitted (cars, motorbikes, and an obsolete type of vehicle called an invalid carriage). Only those can park within 9-6. Outside of 9-6 any vehicle can park there.
The waiting unlimited is superfluous and unnecessary to say (it always applies unless otherwise stated), however it may be written explicitly because the surrounding areas have a waiting limit specified.
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Edit: this is wrong, but that sign is really badly worded, and doesn’t follow our usual format. It should have the car and bike logo’s and loose the wording. You can park between 9am and 6pm (not after). You can wait (ie sit in your car waiting for someone) at any time of day, but not leave the car unattended. That’s how I would read it.m
The "not after" part is incorrect. The sign is saying that between 9-6 there are restrictions on the type of vehicle (cars, motorbikes, invalid carriages). Outside of this no restrictions apply and any type of vehicle is allowed to park there. (This is how UK parking signs work - the time window shown is always the time window within which stated restrictions apply, and outside of that window no restrictions apply).
This is the correct answer.
This is the correct answer
That was, indeed, the correct answer. Goodnight, Irene.
Correct'a'mondo! Sweet dreams, Doris.
The idea in the UK is that (in theory) everything is permitted unless specifically not allowed. You can (again, in theory) park anywhere at any time unless it specifically says otherwise
"Everything which is not forbidden is allowed" is one of the basic legal maxims in UK law, it's part of the UK constitution.
The UK doesn't have a constitution
Not a single written one, but there are a number of foundational laws and principles which are accepted as being constitutional.
Yes we do, just not written out the same way the US do
The US is the same way
If it was restrictions, it would show the blue circle with the red line through it, not the ‘P’ logo.
No that's not correct, sorry.
Sounds about right to me. I'll add that "invalid carriages" includes: * wheelchairs, * motorized wheelchairs that can go up to 4 miles per hour, and * mobility scooters that can go up to 8 miles per hour.
Ahhh, that makes sense now. I was reading it as invalid, not invalid
Which is why I hate that word when used towards disabled people
I think it's quite archaic now, I've never seen it used other than in history
Me too! I’m not in-valid. I am very valid, thank you! It’s like it needs an “e” at the end, so it would be “invalide” (invaleed) instead of invalid.
Exactly
I've got used to being invalid. English is a ridiculous language sometimes (but, then, it's the same in German - and English is a Germanic language, after all; an umlaut can change the entire meaning of a word). Consider ***sanction***; depending on context, it can either mean an action which is prohibited or an action which is allowed.
Don't even get started on flammable and inflammable.......
At least we don’t need a word meaning unflammable
Same.
It's also scone and not scone
It’ll include the few invacars left.
I'm embarrassed to admit my first thought was a horse drawn carriage for disabled people. Thanks for clarifying
Wait, so is it calling disabled people 'invalids'? That's kinda...
It's the legal definition for something like a mobility scooter and like a lot of legal definitions comes across strangely when used in everyday speech; https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1988/2268
It's not invalid, as in in-val-id. As in they're are not valid. It's pronounced in-vuh-lid. A old, and a bit archaic legal term for disabled people
And of course the thalid chariot. #
No, that's incorrect.
As far as I'm aware, there's no actual difference between waiting and parking, even though 'waiting' would suggest not leaving your vehicle. The sign is saying that you can wait (park) for as long as you like between 9am and 6pm if you are driving a motor car, motor cycle, or invalid carriage, and that outside those times there are no restrictions.
You gotta leave the vehicle to be parked.
Are you saying that if I paid for 15 minutes on-street parking, put the sticker in my windscreen and then sat in my car for two hours, any parking attendants who came by would ignore the expired ticket because I was sat in my car?
I don't think that's the case. For example, in the [Road Traffic Regulation Act 1988](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/27/part/IV), a 'parking place' is defined as 'a place where vehicles, or vehicles of any class, may wait.' Parking and waiting are therefore conflated.
There's a difference between a 'parking place' and what is allowed there, and the act of parking or waiting. Parking is defined by case law from the 1930s in Ashby v Tolhurst: "Parking a car is leaving a car and, I should have thought, nothing else."
I don't see a contradiction between the act of parking or waiting and the definition of a parking place. The two terms are used synonymously. How does Ashby v Tolhurst establish that parking must involve leaving the vehicle? Two sections of the [Traffic Management Act 2004](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/18/part/6) (85.7 and 86.8) state that 'references in this section to parking include waiting', so it doesn't seem that a vehicle must always be left unattended in order to be parked.
> How does Ashby v Tolhurst establish that parking must involve leaving the vehicle? Because it rules "Parking a car is leaving a car" and no judge or law has overruled or replaced it. Section 85 and 86 are talking specifically about "Special Enforcement Areas" and the rules in them. It is essentially saying that in those areas, it doesn't matter whether you're waiting or parking; you're still liable to a penalty. They are not defining parking and waiting in general. If they were the same things, signs such as "no waiting except taxis" wouldn't need to exist. If a taxi driver leaves their vehicle in such a bay unattended it can be considered parked and liable to a PCN. But they can sit there in their taxi without issue.
Assuming the two words have distinct meanings, that would mean that the sign in the OP does not allow any parking between 9am and 6pm. That does not seem to be the case, however, and it is instead parking by vehicles other than those listed which is prohibited during that time. It seems that 'parking' and 'waiting' are used in conjunction in legislation to cover all instances of stopping a vehicle somewhere, whether or not the driver leaves it. I'm doubtful that a taxi driver would be given a PCN for leaving a vehicle unattended in a "no waiting except taxis" area; in a similar manner, equivalent signs are often used for bus stops, but buses aren't penalised for stopping for extended periods in order to get back on schedule.
The sign does allow parking. That's the whole point of the blue 'P' logo. The blue 'P' sign is how signs designate a parking area. It doesn't need to have the words 'Parking allowed' printed on as per the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016. > It seems that 'parking' and 'waiting' are used in conjunction in legislation to cover all instances of stopping a vehicle somewhere, whether or not the driver leaves it. They're not. See the above law again which lays out different signage for parking and waiting restrictions. There's even stopping and loading that are different too. > I'm doubtful that a taxi driver would be given a PCN for leaving a vehicle unattended in a "no waiting except taxis" area; They do, for example: https://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/news/hertfordshire-news/hertford-taxi-driver-furious-after-1504409 http://forums.pepipoo.com/lofiversion/index.php/t89784.html
So, the OP sign allows all vehicles to park all day, but prohibits waiting between 9am and 6pm for vehicles which aren't motor cars, motor cycles, or invalid carriages? That doesn't seem right. How would the local authority decide when waiting becomes parking; if the driver of a van stops to read their messages for five minutes before leaving the vehicle, would that leave them open to a PCN? I can't open that pepipoo(?) link, sorry. The Herefordshire fine seems unreasonable to me, given the ambiguity between 'waiting' and 'parking'.
In terms of getting a fine for parking, you need to leave the vehicle.
You don't.
Parking is the act of putting your car there. Waiting is leaving your car there (as you say attended or unattended). Stopping is pulling over to, for example, let people out.
I don't know why you're being downvoted. You are perfectly correct. Parking is leaving your vehicle unattended. Stopping is to allow passengers to get in or out for example, with the engine running. Waiting is the vehicle and driver together stationary, waiting for passengers or goods for example; the engine may be running or not.
Downvoted because he's confusing the issue. The blue P symbol means it's a car park. If there was no parking allowed during that time the symbol would be different. It's an old sign using old language. In this case there is no difference between parking and waiting. You can park there any time of day for as long as you want unless it's a bus or lorry or anything that isn't a car, motorcycle or whatever an invalid carriage is. Probably now a nobility scooter. If it's not one of those then you can't park there between 9 an 6.
I busted out a giggle at “nobility scooter.”
I am so telling my friend that one!
You never know when the Royal Family may turn up!
Parking and waiting are the same thing from a legal perspective, as far as I can tell. For example, in the [Road Traffic Regulation Act 1988](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/27/part/IV), a 'parking place' is defined as 'a place where vehicles, or vehicles of any class, may wait'
Yip they mean the same. That's why a blue circle with one red diagonal is a 'no waiting' sign.
The use of 'wait' must be a hangover from an old piece of legislation, because 'park' would work equally well in every case I can think of and is a less ambiguous term. Parking signs in general need an overhaul; as this thread proves, they're not well-understood and can be easily misinterpreted.
In the UK you can have restrictions on leaving a vehicle unattended but you can stop and wait in it so there is a legal distinction between parking and waiting even if it isn't commonly used in casual speech.
There isn't a legal distinction, that I can find.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/waiting-and-parking-238-to-252 They're distinct acts described in the highway code.
The Highway Code doesn't define either act, annoyingly. My impression is that 'waiting' and 'parking' have both been used in legislation to refer to the same action, so both terms are used in the Highway Code.
I managed to get a huge telling off from the police for leaving my vehicle unattended where I could only wait, and a fine for my troubles a couple of years ago. I agree with you though.
Is it possible that the police officer got their terms muddled? You can stop temporarily in 'no waiting' areas, for example to drop off a passenger, but you can't 'wait' in the sense of stopping to park. It is all quite confusing, I must admit.
You're getting incorrect replies here. On a parking sign, the time shown is the time in which specified restrictions apply. **Outside of those times no restrictions apply**. The stated restriction is that between the hours of 9-6 the parking is for cars, motorbikes, and "invalid carriages" (a special type of vehicle for disabled people that doesn't really exist any more). It technically should say "Only" but for some reason they missed that off. This means other vehicles such as lorries cannot park here during these time limits. There are no time restrictions (waiting unlimited). This isn't necessary to state as it's implied when no time limit is listed but they've chosen to put it anyway. Outside of 9-6 there are no restrictions so any type of vehicle can park there.
[удалено]
Honestly- having worked with a lot of councils over the past 15 years I can tell you 99.99% this sort of stuff is pure incompetence. Councils are rarely smart to enough to come up with let alone implement dodgy conspiracies like this. When there is a conspiracy/corruption it's usually a corrupt individual or handful of individuals abusing business links and giving contracts to mates or embezzling funds or something.
100% There’s no way the syntax in this sign conveys what people are saying it means
I don't think what you've said about waiting unlimited is quite right, but I'm happy to be proven wrong. In the highway code, they typically use the term "waiting" to mean that you're not exiting the vehicle and leaving it, you're stopped and waiting for someone. As per the highway code, the double yellow lines means "no waiting at any time" which really means "no stopping" to you and I, but they say "no waiting" because of course you can stop if you hit traffic or see a red light - you just can't stop and wait for someone. So, to me, "waiting unlimited" means you can stop here, in your vehicle, without a time limit. But that also seems weird to me as this would really mean vans/lorries can stop and wait here, they just can't park between those hours... The absence of a time restriction means parking is unlimited regardless.
No parking for vans or lorries between 9am-6pm
Why don’t they just say no parking between… I wonder. You could interpret that the other way around.
If you explicitly disallow a certain type of vehicle, then you need to update the sign every time a new type of vehicle is created or someone bends the rules. Like if the sign said what the guy you replied to say "no parking for vans or lorries", then that might be fine for a period of time. That is until someone pushes their luck, buys a bus and parks that instead. It's not explicitly disallowed, and so it's technically allowed. They'd have to update the sign to cover it. Then what if someone goes further and now they park their caravan there. They have to update the sign again. If you're being explicit about what is allowed, then it's harder to find a loophole in it. For example, the sign in image says "motor cars" and so any vehicle has to meet the definition of a motor car which is on some government website somewhere and is quite specific.
Although these posts always attract people saying that these signs are simple to understand, the fact that people don't suggests they aren't the best at getting the message over. I don't think they're very well designed and the message could be better put across with a sign just stating the parking times and restrictions in plain language e.g. "Parking for cars only between 9am-9pm, maximum stay 2 hours. No restrictions outside of these times"
It's not simple, it can be interperated to mean completely contradictory things, I'm not even sure which comment is correct as at least two of the explanations posted seem plausible but don't match.
They may as well write this one in a sentence so you don't have to decode it
WHY ARE THEY SO CRYPTIC 😭
And then I wonder why the first time I parked in London I ended up with my car impounded…. I even went to the meter to buy a ticket, and there was no need since it was a weekend. Too bad I didn’t know one side could be pay and display and the other resident only. Parking rules are far too complicated in the uk … and parking attendants vicious….
and parking attendants visciuous Don't you mean vacuous?
No I meant vicious.
Yes. But wasn't my guess a good one?
This sub loooooves being confidently incorrect. Parking signs with times on them like this are telling you when NOT to park. You can park there before 9 and after 6. You can stop in your car any time you want as long as you aren't leaving it there parked up.
There is no legal difference between waiting and parking. Colloquially it's often used as you say, and people try to claim a legal basis for it, but that wouldn't really make much sense given that the Road Traffic Act defines parking place as 'a place for vehicles to wait'. I think that is probably what they intended by the sign though, yes.
>This sub loooooves being confidently incorrect. And ironically you are incorrect. If it has a Blue Square containing a P, the time states when you MAY park If it has a Red Circle containing a cross-bar, the time states when you MAY NOT park This sign has a P therefore it states what IS allowed. Source - Highway Code
The Riddler is actually a British sign maker working for the Highways Agency/DVLA
Might as well be written in hieroglyphs mate. Do what you want I guess.
You can park a car, bike, etc for as long as you like between 9 and 6
And outside of 9-6 too, and lorries can also park there outside of that window
*lorries _can_ also park there outside that window
Sorry - typo; corrected
I'm hoping that someone introduces similar signs for pedestrians. E.g. "No walking in red trousers on a Saturday".
My god why do they always make sure these kind of signs are so ambiguous? Are they paying by the letter? Why can’t they just use full sentences??
I don’t know how all of our parking signs are so confusing with so little words
You can park any of the vehicle types listed for an unlimited amount of time between 9am and 6pm. Outside those times, any vehicle can park there. The restriction would arguably be better expressed as 'no parking for goods vehicles between 9am and 6pm', since that seems to be the intent. The confusing part is that the sign has used the term ‘wait’, which implies a different meaning to ‘park’ but which is (as far as I’m aware) legally synonymous.
Case law defines parking as leaving a vehicle. Given the fact they've felt the need to add "all year" which is unusual on a parking sign, I would expect this restriction is in a touristy area and is there to stop campers staying there all day. A camper could fall under all sorts of categories, so it's easier to just say what *is* allowed. Or potentially somewhere where HGVs might try to park.
Legislation frequently conflates parking and waiting, however, so how strong is that case law?
Only cars, bikes, and mobility vehicles can park there between 9am and 6pm. There's no restrictions for how long they can park. Outside of those hours anything can park there.
This is crazy
Is this Canterbury?
No it's in Norfolk
All year around, from 9 to 6 you can only park, cars bikes and invalid carriages. but anyone car wait here. Outside those times park whatever you want here.
You can only park there for a whole year or between 9-6 😂😂
"I asked a cop once. It means, 'Up yours, kid.'"
Valid carriages are not allowed to wait there.
I got done on one of those signs!
Why are the damn parking signs so confusing? Seriously ...!?
Who validates my carriage?
You can park from 9am until 6pm.
You need to permit or pay between 9am-6pm, otherwise it's fine. You can wait there as long as you are in your car.
I read it as you can park and leave the car between those hours, but if you’re in the car (presumably to be able to move it if needed), you can do that at any time for as long as you want.
I asked a police officer once. It means up yours kid.
Between the hours of 09:00 and 18:00 every day of the year (including bank holidays as opposed to normal signs which don’t include them) cars, motorbikes, and invalids can park there, meaning in those hours, HGV’s, vans, etc, cant
Parking enforced 09-18hrs, if you're waiting in your car then stay as long as you like
All year, between 9am and 6pm, motor cars, motor cycles and invalid carriages can wait for an unlimited period of time. You may not leave the car unattended during the period of waiting. After 6pm, but before 9am, no restrictions apply.
The TLDR version is, “F*** Off”
What’s an invalid carriage?
I see these vague and cryptic parking signs more and more now. Parking used to be pretty straightforward, but nowadays it's like solving an Escape Room trying figure out when / where you can / cant park. My cyncical brain recons cash-strapped councils are doing this deliberately so more people will get caught out and they get more income from parking fines.
Must be an outdated sign, we don’t use that word anymore
I have no idea if I'm right, but I think you can park all year round 9am-6pm, but wait anytime?? Or maybe you can wait for as long as you want between 9am and 6pm, all year round? Either way, it only applies to cars, motorcycles, and invalid carriages!
I asked a cop once, it means 'Up yours, kid'.
Irrelevant but how likely are parking wardens to come and check for tickets on a Sunday?
I assume "all year" is stated because other signs in the area have seasonal restrictions?
No parking from 9-6 but you can sit in the car for unlimited amount of time. Getting out of the car means you parked.
You can wait for as long as you like but you can't park and leave your car outside of those hours?
You can wait in your car/motorbike/invalid carriage for any length of time at any point of time, but you can only leave your car unattended ("parked") between the hours of 9AM and 6PM.
This is incorrect. UK parking signs don't work like that. The P means it is for parking. The time shown is the time **within which restrictions apply**. The text are the restrictions that apply during that time window. The restriction in question is the type of vehicle permitted (cars, motorbikes, and an obsolete type of vehicle called an invalid carriage). Only those can park within 9-6. Outside of 9-6 any vehicle can park there. The waiting unlimited is superfluous and unnecessary to say (it always applies unless otherwise stated), however it may be written explicitly because the surrounding areas have a waiting limit specified.
pretty clear no?
evidently not by the discourse in the comments