£50 fine for dropping cigarette end!

[Magman]

Expensive lesson but it is a lesson, if you take this to court win or lose, you will learn another expensive lesson. This will cost you far more than £50 to defend in court. Court unfortunately does not serve society the dudicery is self serving. Court is for rich men or last resort, if this can not be stopped with prior to court pay the fine, in this case your first loss will be your best loss.

 

and you dont take this type of thing to court on principal unless you have a lot of monet to play with.

[nellynelly]

I got stopped and fined for dropping a cigarette butt outside the tube station during rush hour - I was rushing to get into the station.

 

When the Islington council 'enforcement officer' stopped me he said I would be fined for littering with my cigarette, I immediately offered to pick up the cigarette - he refused, so if the litter problem is so bad why dont they accept for the person to pick up their litter and perhaps give a reduced/no fine/warning, I even spotted this on Islingtons website that says they offer for the person to pick it up before fining.

 

 

I also said he doesnt have the power to detain me but unfortunatly there happened to be british transport police inside the station and he called one out.

 

There was also a big burly black guy in front of me who dropped his cig, nothing was said to him and also a guy behind me... So the blunt truth is that I, being a petite female, was an easy target and it is a money making exercise for them to target commuters during the rush hour. I think a written warning is appropriate if the person picks it up. Do you guys think I should appeal on those grounds?????

 

My advice to people would be to do a runner as soon as you're stopped (but not into the station because you will get caught!!!) It's outrageous that just before christmas they have these jobsworths on the street. Dog **** is a severe problem, why dont they patrol the parks and streets and catch those dog owners not people who are rushing to work and droppping a flimsy cigarette butt!

[buzby]

Good for them! It certainly will make you think again about carelessly disposing this waste. Your subsequent argument is irrelevant. If you had a dog with you and it performed, you'd still be fined. Just as speeders claim police should be catching criminals instead of catching 'innocent' motorists, your complaint is hardly original!

[mattyprice4004]

Dropping litter is disgusting.

 

If you hadn't been caught, you would have done it again and again. It's only by fines people learn.

 

Cough up, and just don't do it again, the simplest solution.

[Consumer dude]

I have read this thread with interest, so if you get a fine for dropping a cig end, will the person who tapped you on the shoulder be done for assult.

 

Unless people are going to use common sense, then I fear people will just play fire with fire..

Edited December 15, 2010 by Consumer dude

[nellynelly]

The fact is i offered to pick it up and he refused to let me and instead left it there... so if the litter problem is so bad ,why do they stop people from offering to pick up their cigarette, and why do they target rush hour commuters, oh yes it's christmas I guess they need to fund Islington councils staff partys, the country is gone mad.

 

Then again, Perhaps if I had stolen a bottle of champagne from M & S I would have gotten off a bit more lightly.

Edited December 19, 2010 by IdaInFife
edited as prev posted removed

[buzby]

The offence is absolute - by all means pick it up, but tha doesn't mean and end to prosecution. So why bother? As for M&S, they use Civil Recovery, so I believe your fine would be considerably less.

[Annoying Twit]

In this case I believe that the OP was given a fair and reasonable fine for a transgression he admits that he did, and should pay the fine and get on with his life.

[Consumer dude]

What I would like to know is what happens to all the fiines that are collected ?

[buzby]

Fines that are paid to the Council are classed as income. Those paid to the Court, stay within the court.

[Consumer dude]

Fines that are paid to the Council are classed as income. Those paid to the Court, stay within the court.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for that. Do fines have have to be declared by either the council or the court to the inland revenue ?

[buzby]

Not Inland Revenue. They are accounted for as part of their regular income streams (Council Tax, Govenment, Fines, Hire of Services etc etc).