Dublin bicycle shop hit with €150 fine after children stuck up poster advertising bike wash

UPDATE: Council to write off litter fine for children’s bicycle wash sign (14/6/2018)

A family-run Dublin bicycle shop was hit with a €150 fine this morning after the owner’s children put up a poster advertising a bicycle wash outside the shop on Saturday.

Astrid Fitzpatrick, who runs the Dutch Bicycle Shop with her husband Frank, arrived into work this morning with the €150 fine in their post with photographs taken on Sunday of the poster.

Astrid said: “It is ridiculous, those awful yes/no posters we had to look at them for weeks, they got 5 days notice.”

It’s not clear if a litter warden or a member of the public took the photographs, but Astrid said whoever took the photographs, it should have been obvious it was drawn by a child.

“Erin made just over a tenner on the day, and we get hit with a €150 bill,” she added.

“I am not going to get cross with the kids, at least hey are being inventive, doing something useful instead of staring at a screen at home. They have to keep coming more [to the shop] often over the summer, and I don’t want them to get bored. Rather have them excited for earning some ice cream money.”

After publication we contacted Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for comment — if they reply this article will be updated.


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12 comments

  1. English language has a precise word for that Police action: petty-minded. I personally would not pay this and wait for prosecution all the way till the High Court…

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  2. Oh for goodness sake! I would have thought that any public servant would be ashamed to put his/her name to such a notice.

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  3. Can children be fined under this law? If children put that sign up without the knowledge of the parents (even if the parents were aware of the bike-wash itself, then who’s responsible? Surely the parents aren’t responsible for ‘criminal’ behavior of underage children? Or can they?

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  4. Petty and thoughtless best describes this proposed fine, while at the same time cigarette butts abound on the pavements everywhere. Penalising kids for thsi kind of entrepeneurial action is CRAZY! I hope Astrid appeals and does not pay!

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  5. Wait they fined you for the sign?

    Can i add a crayon sign indicating the civic office on the quay and hope they fine themselves?

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  6. Pay the fine, put it down to experience and move on. Don’t be swayed into going to court – whether you win or lose, it’ll cost you thousands in time and fees.

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  7. That’s a higher fine than a driver faces under the FCN system for parking in a cycle track during its period of operation. Or come to think of it it’s higher than any of the array of FCN fines! Cheapest is €60 and highest €80.

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  8. What a pathetic and humourless response to a very minor transgression .
    Clearly Dlrcoco are really hard up for money, something useful to do, or both.
    A quiet word in the ear of the parents would have been a perfectly reasonable solution to this “problem”.
    Get a grip Dlrcoco!

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  9. Whete in the world could you buy this publicity or advertising for €150. You should be thanking your local council for this ” unintended consequence ” . Pedal Power forever…

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  10. You should thank your local council for this. €150 for national advertising, cheap at twice the price. The law of unintended consequence applies. Buy this children IceCream all summer long.

    Reply

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