Like many nuisances of contemporary life we now have anonymous messages and numbers to deal with just in order to deliver the dry cleaning. The parking meter has become part of the devil's details. It was never an object of joy, but at least we knew how to deal with it. It wasn't a threat to our peace of mind, or our happiness. Now it a harbinger of despair. Odious object.

My first attempt at parking by text message took 20 minutes,' and I never knew if I had been successful. How would you know.? You just have to take a leap of faith and hope! At least with the old meters you could see how much time you have and even return to your meter and see how much time you had left. The count down to the penalty is easily discerned. You even might luck out and occasionally find a meter with un-used time. A real gift from the Gods. But today no treats like that are allowed. Now you have no idea how much time is left on your meter. What if you don't wear a watch?

The most insulting laugh is applying to the parking services against you fine. We spend hours carefully detailing the incident. What happens, you just receive a notice that your claim is dismissed, and you have to pay anyway. You could have spared yourself all the trouble. They must have a real guffaw in those offices, thinking of the poor people wasting hours on their appeals, when there is actually no hope of success.

It reminds me of that hilarious scene in the Life of Brian of a long line of Christians queuing patiently for their turn , ‘Cruxifiction? This way!'