The problem I have with this is that on the day I did use McDonlads twice that day, but for some reason their system seems to have only looked at the first and last and not at any other times during the day.  I'm assuming that its a software driven system that flags cars over the time limit.  But I'm horrified that there can have been no human check made by someone at MET Parking Services to check that the system has not made an error.

Such poor work from MET Parking Services can really damage the brand of both the Pompey Centre in Portsmouth and the McDonlads in the Pompey Centre.  I tried to phone them to correct the error but you are not allowed to talk to a human, you have to put things in writing.  I have now done this and await with breath held to see if they finally do their job correctly or still refuse to use common sense!

MY COVER LETTER BACK TO THEM

11^th May 2012

Enforement Dept

MET Parking Services

PO BOX 64168

London

WC1A 9BE

Dear MET

I received your Parking charge notice on 11^th May 2012 and need to point out that someone at your end has made a terrible mistake.  They seem to have missed me leaving McDonalds after I had purchased my lunch which would have been within 10 to 15 minutes after you have me entering the car park (so around 13.45 on the 2/5/2012).   They also seem to have missed me arriving back in the afternoon which would have been about 5 minutes before you show me exiting (so that would be around 1600/1605 on the 2/5/2012).  Someone at your end needs to double check these things before you upset loyal customers of the stores that you are meant to protect.

EVIDENCE

In the two hours in the middle, between the time you have me entering and leaving  I was teaching someone to drive, we were on a two hour lesson and were driving around the city.  I can get a statement from my customer and go as far as getting a copy of her receipt for that lesson.  I can do this but before I bother one of my customers I think you need to go back and find the MISTAKE at your end so this matter can be closed. 

I would also like and expect and apology for your error and I want some assurance that you will not make the same mistake again as I support that McDonalds very regularly and often can be in there more than once in a day, so it would be VERY upsetting if you kept making the same error.

I’m sending a copy of your Parking Charge with this letter to the Management of the Pompey Centre and the franchise owners of that particular McDonalds as they also need to be made aware that you are sending parking fines out to there legitimate customers.

I look forward to hearing that this matter has been cancelled by you.

Regards

Phillip

1. Find a cheaper franchise to work for or set up on your own. 
2. Increase your prices for driving lessons, which is not that easy when most of the competitors are keeping prices down.  
3. Cut down on the actual miles you do a day, which does not work for me as I like to give my pupils a good drive on their driving lessons.

This is what made me look at the cost of getting my car converted to dual fuel.  I was surprised that I had no cost increase on my insurance which I have to say was a welcome change.  I then started to look for places to get it converted and the cost.  I spoke to a friend who had had his car done at a garage near Arundel, he was very happy with it and so I gave them a call.  The cost with VAT was £1500 which seemed ok but when they said the needed the car for four days to do the LPG conversion it made me pause.  Four days of lost income adds a lot to the cost from my point of view.  I was speaking to another driving instructor that had been thinking alone the same lines as myself and he had found a garage much closer to Portsmouth (my base) which were charging him £1800 but still wanted the car for four day.

I carried on my hunt and found on Google a company in South Wales called Profess Autogas that only do LPG Conversions.  They also do the conversion in one day, you have to get the car to them for 8am and the aim to hand it back by 7pm.  The cost for this service? My car is a four cylinder so the cost was a staggeringly reasonable £850.  For me that was a no brainer, petrol had gone up another 5p while I had been thinking about the conversion.  They were great on the phone, took a £100 deposit and it was all arranged.  I drove up the night before, stayed in a Travelodge and they get me a courtesy car for the day. Simple and straight forward.

Because of the mileage I do I will have repaid/saved the cost of the conversion within four months.  LPG is at the day of writing this 78p rather than 132.9p for unleaded.  And that’s before we even think of the benefits of my carbon foot print. 

All driving instructors have to be registered with the Driving Standards Agency (www.dsa.gov.uk) and have to have a police check before they can be entered onto the register of approved driving instructors. There are three exams to take before you are a full qualifed driving instructor or ADI (approved driving instructor).

Part One is the theory test, part two is the driving test where you must have less than six minor points, you also get to do all of the manouvers and the test is a full hour. Part Three is a test in your teaching ability and is a role playing exercise.

When your training and once you have passed your part two exam you have to then do 40 hours of training for your part three and after that you can go onto a training licence or pink licence to get experiance with real leaner drivers.

Once you have either qualified or go onto the training licence you need to find a driving school to work for. Some very important questions to ask when thinking about a driving school to work for are:-

1. Do they have a staggered start up.

2. How many weeks franishise free weeks do I get a year.

3. How much is their franchise?

4. How much notice do I have to give if I wanted to leave?

5. What sort of contract do they want me to sign? (Watch out for lengthy franchise agreements, if your being asked to sign something large ask yourself what are they hiding inside the contract).

6. What other training do you get offered in your franchise? Check test training? Part three training?

Hope you find these points helpful, if you can think of any more than please let me know.