This week I want to talk about one of life's great annoyances – parking!

I was in an older car park recently, driving round trying to find a space. There were spaces available but they were so tight it would have been impossible to get out of the car, let alone unload the wheelchair I had for my mum, who was with me.

I saw an opportunity, a car was going, which would leave a double space. I beckoned the other driver to come out. They responded by beckoning me to go first.

In the end I went round again and the space was taken. I ended up parking elsewhere with a further walk back to where we needed to be.

I admit I am not the world's greatest when it comes to parking. In multi-storey car parks I see people showing off parking in the spaces on the lower levels. I’m that person who heads to the upper floors of the car park where normally you find fewer cars and less stress.

But this tactic recently ended up backfiring on me.

I was in a multi-storey car park in Sunbury that I have used many times. I normally park in the same area on level two. I am aware there is a two-hour free parking limit and there have never been any issues until now.

On the visit in question in early August the car park was busier than normal so I parked on level three and headed off to get a few bits in the shops.

A few weeks later I got a letter saying I had failed to obtain the relevant permit. I was baffled by this as I was within the two-hour limit.

I called the shopping centre and asked them why they thought I may have received the charge.

It turns out, unbeknown to me, when you go past level two the car park becomes residents’ permits only and there is a camera that catches you if you don't have a permit.

I don't recall seeing any signage for this but I'm told there was signage there, which I some how missed.

To add insult to injury the letter had mistakenly been delivered to a neighbour’s house, who took a while to drop it over to me.

By the time I went to pay the reduced rate period had expired and I had to pay the full £100 which was not a nice feeling!

This is the second parking notice I received in August. An issue with my mine and Emma’s residents’ permits led to a PCN notice being issued.

Hopefully we can successfully appeal that but getting a parking ticket is definitely the top way to ruin your day!

Listen to my radio shows on Radio Woking: Sunday 9am – noon, Wednesday 7-9am. Life on The Edge every second Sunday at noon with Edge Disability Consultancy.

You can hear Emma and I on Surrey Hills Community Radio every second Monday at 9pm and Life on the Edge airs every first Monday at 10am.

Send me a voice note – www.speakpipe.com/jonandrews or email [email protected]