A very peculiar row: TfL comes clean over 'padgent' notice

 
Typing error: The notice announcing the Jubilee river 'padgent'
Asher McShane31 May 2012

Transport for London today tried to shift the blame for a poorly-spelled notice advising motorists where to park during the Thames river "padgent".

TfL initially said the poster - which enraged passers-by in south east London - was created and put up by an outside contractor.

But the managing director for the firm, Docklands Traffic Management, said it had absolutely nothing to do with the flyer. And when confronted TfL backed down and apologised saying they were to blame for the glaring error.

A spokesman for TfL said earlier: "It is not a TfL flyer. While we are managing the transport network we are not responsible for road closures and notifying road users."

However they later owned up to putting out the poorly-typed notice themselves.

One London commuter was so incensed by the typo that he grabbed one as a souvenir.

The man, a hair stylist who did not wish to be named, said he spotted a worker putting up the notice this morning just off St George's road in Elephant and Castle.

He said the woman also pinned up the notice upside down.

He said: "I was on my way to work and saw a woman putting all these notices up so I had a look.

"I asked her if she knew they had spelled pageant wrong and she told me that she knew and she was instructed to put them up anyway.

"I don't think they were going up on just one street as well - there were piles and piles of them to put up."

TfL later apologised for the error.

A spokesman said: "We apologise for the spelling error.

"We hope it won't have any impact on people enjoying their weekend."

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