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£100 fine for outstaying McDonald's car park welcome – despite double visit


I’M NOT LOVIN’ IT: Wilma Scott is now being chased for payment by the car park contractors

« Published Date: 18 August 2009
By Adam Morris
A FAMILY have been hit with a fine of nearly £100 for staying too long in a fast food restaurant's car park – despite going in twice.

Alex Scott, a 61-year-old window fabricator from Broomhall, said his wife Wilma, also 61, had pulled into the McDonald's car park near the Almondvale shopping centre in Livingston, where along with her elderly mother, she took her two grandchildren into the venue for lunch before crossing the road to do a brief shop.

They then returned for ice cream before pulling away from the car park a short time later.

But Mr Scott was stunned when he returned from holiday to find a letter demanding £95 from contractors patrolling the car park at McDonald's.

The letter, from UK Parking Control Ltd, stated that cameras had caught Mrs Scott breaching the hour limit on her stay in the red Peugeot.

Mr Scott instantly apologised to the firm and appealed the decision, but the appeal has not been upheld and the firm is now demanding payment.

Mr Scott told the Evening News: "The whole thing was innocent enough, she just popped into McDonald's with the kids, then across the road for a spot of shopping, before going back in and getting them all ice-cream.

"I couldn't believe when we got this fine through. I could understand if it had been on a double yellow line somewhere, or indeed somewhere dangerous.

"I would even accept it if she'd parked in McDonald's and not gone in, but in fact she went in twice."

Mr Scott has not yet paid the fine, which would have been reduced to £75 had it been paid up straight away, and has vowed to stand firm.

There is much debate whether or not private firms can legally enforce such fines. Previous stories in the Evening News have told how city supermarkets such as Tesco are also employing parking wardens to dish out fines.

Mr Scott added: "We do like taking the grandchildren to McDonald's and it's a great place to go for lunch, but I'm not so sure now."

A spokesman for McDonald's said: "We very much regret that these customers received a parking charge as our main priority with this scheme is to clearly communicate the restrictions and help our customers avoid charges.

"To do this, we post clear warning signs around the car park and in our restaurant.

"If any customer does want to visit for an extended period we can usually make arrangements at the time, but once a parking charge has been issued it is a matter for the parking contractor."

This was printed in the Edinburgh Evening News on 18th August.

I wouldn't have thought giving customers parking fines on the premises good for business?.......serves them right for eating at MD's lol .. seriously can they enforce it? I know it's private land but wonder if it's brought to court?

I wish the McDonalds by us would do this with the inconsiderate b*******'s that park quite happily in the disabled bays with no badge and then wonder in, every time we go it is the same and staff say they can do nothing, grrrr (can you tell we have been to Mc'ds today.)

What happens if you take over an hour to eat a 'meal'?
Do you get fined for over eating at McDonalds? LOL

I suspect it is like one car park in Glos which is for customer parking, once you leave the site you get done for parking, in the case of Gloucester you get clamped.

Read in our local paper last week that in my area they are thinking of giving traffic wardens tape measures.............. so if you park to far away from the kerb you will be fined. Who comes up with daft ideas !!!!!!!!!!!

In May my wife and I toured Virginia, Maryland and Delaware in the USA. We travelled over 1200 miles staying in various towns including Historic Williamsburg, Norfolk, (the American Navy equivalent of Portsmouth), and Washington DC. We never spent one cent in parking - it was free everywhere.

Then we came back to rip-off Britain where parking charges are nothing more than a stealth tax.

People in Lincoln have been fined in free car parks for parking on the white lines, or over them. This is ok, but if the twit next you hasn't parked straight!

No-one could take over an hour to eat a McD's meal, surely? We went to one last Friday and it was filthy. The high chair that was offered for the use of our grandson was so dirty my daughter in law wouldn't put him in it and I didn't blame her.

In my opinion, eating at McDs.is the most uncivilised way of having a meal,and from what I,ve heard the (Food???) is Crap,I don,t know about being fined for parking there, the should pay them for using the Joint,and give them a Medal.**M**.