My litter regret after being caught throwing orange peel out of my car – Yorkshire Post Letters

RECENTLY, I was issued with a fixed penalty notice for throwing part of an orange out of a car window. This was caught on somebody’s ‘dash cam’ and reported (The Yorkshire Post, November 6).

The ironic thing is that I am pretty strict when it comes to littering; I threw it out only because I considered it would not be harmful, maybe even be beneficial for the environment – it being biodegradable.

Nevertheless, I was made aware that anything thrown out of a car window is classed as littering.

To me, this outlines the nature of degree: for example, does somebody who throws out a stack of take-away cartons and plastic drink containers, or drops them in the street, get the same fine as somebody like me?

Having decided, reluctantly, that I must pay, considering the extortionate cost that could accrue if I did not, I spent nearly two hours trying to get connected to the phone lines I was given and actually finalising the payment.

I need to add here that my notice was dated 13/10/20, yet I did not receive it until 21/10/20. I made an arrangement with the issuer of the notice that the timescale would be extended: until 01/11/20 for the reduced amount of £80, and a week later for the full amount of £100.

The phone line for parking services where the fine was to be paid to, directed me to different numbers. When I finally managed to get connected to what seemed the relevant line, it asked me to key in some serial number I did not have.

In the end I tried a general number and spoke to somebody who offered to help despite it not being their job. Whilst I was waiting for the transaction to go through, somebody commented that the department was very disorganised.

This is not good enough. If somebody has been issued with a fine then there should not be any difficulties in them paying it. Maybe I am being cynical, but after this experience, I suspect that Leeds Council is being deliberately obstructive so that people accrue the sort of exorbitant costs that I have been reading about, for supposingly ignoring fixed penalty notices, when they have had difficulty actually paying.

I managed to get this sorted; however, it concerns me that if I struggled, other people might have been unable to pay within the time limit. Examples being some elderly people; people who work during office working hours, disabled people; and those who would actually struggle to pay the costs in a lump sum.

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