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Gatwick Big Mack costs lady 2 quid + 125 pounds parking fee
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Author:  JD [ Tue Dec 05, 2006 8:09 am ]
Post subject:  Gatwick Big Mack costs lady 2 quid + 125 pounds parking fee
November 29, 2006 Wednesday

HEADLINE: Big Mac and £125 fine to go

BYLINE: Roslyn Tappenden

DATELINE: Redhill And Reigate Life

Angry parents are being landed with whopping fines by McDonald's for spending too long in one of its restaurants.

One customer said she was told at least 27 people had been snared by new parking restrictions at McDonald's near Gatwick Airport's South Terminal.

Nicola Cox and Marie Hill, from Horley, took their youngsters to the burger outlet during half term but were shocked this week when they each received in the post a parking fine for £125.

The letter from a company called Civil Enforcement said the friends had spent too long in the car park, where the limit is 45 minutes. A camera, which photographed the cars entering and leaving in October, showed they had overstayed by eight minutes.

Mrs Hill, whose children are four and 15 months old, said: "I cannot believe someone expects you to get in there and eat within 45 minutes when you have small children. It takes a good five minutes to get the children out of the car seat and into the restaurant and on that particular day we had to wait for our food because it wasn't ready. I would have had to stop them eating to make it out of the car park in time."

Mrs Cox, who also has two children, aged five and seven, said: "They gave the children drawing and balloons to play with while we were there. They even told us to go and sit down because our food wasn't cooked.

"You can't force kids to shovel their food down quickly so what are you supposed to do? They said there were signs around the car park but I didn't notice them and, besides, I wouldn't expect to receive a fine for eating in McDonald's. I don't understand why they are doing it. The car park is not near the town centre. The only reason you would park there is if you were going to McDonald's."

McDonald's introduced the parking restrictions three months ago in an effort to stop taxi drivers using it as a rest spot. Anyone overstaying their welcome will receive a fine of £125 which must be paid within 28 days but is reduced to £75 if paid within 14 days.

Jenny Watson and her husband also took their niece, 10, and two children, aged four and two, to McDonald's on their way to a firework display and received a similar letter three weeks later.

She said: "We didn't think for a minute that we needed to rush. It was virtually dark when we got there so we did not see the signs and there were no notices in the restaurant to say the parking restrictions had changed. "The problem we had was we were waiting for food to be cooked. We waited ten minutes to have one thing cooked but I think 45 minutes is impossible anyway. I certainly won't be going there again because of this.

"I think it is unnecessary to penalise people with young families. I understand them trying to stop other people using the car park but to do this to customers is wrong.

"We called the number which was on the letter but it was an automated voice which gave you an option to pay the fine by credit card. Option Two was if you wish to make an appeal but it just gives the address of the company and tells you to put it in writing."

Neil Gosling, also from Horley, went to the restaurant about a month ago with his wife and four children - aged eight, 10 and twins aged three.

He said: "I have been going there since it opened. I used to go there with my Dad, but I won't be going there again. I was in there for four minutes longer than I should have been. Anyone can park there for 44 minutes and not even eat in McDonald's but if you go in the restaurant and take a bit longer you get a fine.

"It's just a scam. They may as well stand outside and mug people. "I can't go there any more because I can't rush my kids with their dinner. I usually spend about £25 in there but I'll take the kids to Burger King or Harvester next time."

Mrs Cox said she was contacted by McDonald's customer services on Monday and told she would not have to pay her fine and is currently awaiting written confirmation that it has been cancelled.

Life attempted to contact Nottingham-based Civil Enforcement but was told nobody would be available to comment.

Alison Purves, McDonald's regional spokesperson, said: "It is important to McDonald's that all our customers have an opportunity to park at the drive-through restaurant at Gatwick Airport. To facilitate this we have been forced to impose time limits on parking. This is communicated to customers throughout the car park via eight signs, 5ft by 2.5ft in size and two additional signs 6ft by 2ft in size.

"The parking regulations are administered by an independent enforcement company. In one instance, a customer did explain extenuating circumstances to our customer services department who have recommended to the enforcement company that her fine be cancelled. As with any new system, there is a review process in place. In general, feedback from our customers is positive as they are now able to find a car parking place close to the restaurant."
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Author:  JD [ Sun Dec 24, 2006 12:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
Another one bites the dust.

24, 2006 Sunday

HEADLINE: £125 TICKET AFTER TODDLER TAKES TOO LONG TO EAT MEAL

A MOTHER was handed a £125 parking ticket after her toddler daughter took eight minutes too long to finish her meal at a McDonald's fast-food outlet.

Maria Peters was tracked down by a parking control company after leaving her Ford Fiesta in the restaurant car park for 53 minutes, not knowing the permitted maximum waiting time was 45 minutes.

Creative Car Park Management photographed her number plate and then got her name and address from the DVLA.

Mrs Peters, 30, had parked in the McDonald's car park at Gatwick Airport's South terminal before taking husband Scott, seven-year-old son Ryan and 15-month-old Connie into the restaurant for a £10 sit-down meal.

But they took longer than expected because Connie had trouble getting through her chicken nuggets.

Not realising they had done anything wrong, the family was amazed when the penalty ticket landed on the doormat of their home in nearby Horley, Surrey, several weeks later.

Mrs Peters said: 'I am disgusted to be treated like this ñ I had no idea we had only 45 minutes to finish our meal and leave the restaurant.

'Connie cannot eat particularly quickly. It is outrageous we are being penalised because she took her time over her meal.

'This country has gone completely mad.' McDonald's said: 'We have a problem at the airport with taxi drivers and chauffeurs leaving their vehicles in our car park for long periods.

'We have even had people park and go on holiday.

'We have been forced to impose time limits on parking and customers have generally welcomed it.

'The time limit is clearly communicated to customers via large signs in the car park. But this is a new system and we would encourage this family to go through the parking company's appeals procedure.'
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Author:  Sussex [ Sun Dec 24, 2006 4:45 pm ]
Post subject: 
JD wrote:
McDonald's said: 'We have a problem at the airport with taxi drivers and chauffeurs leaving their vehicles in our car park for long periods.

Well why not have a barrier which allows customers to get out that have eaten there, and have a receipt to prove it.

Taxi and PH drivers only sit there cos they need to rest, have a pi** and something to eat. Not asking that much. :sad:
Author:  jimbo [ Tue Dec 26, 2006 10:08 am ]
Post subject: 
"Creative car park management"

Chose the company name well.
Author:  jimbo [ Tue Dec 26, 2006 10:12 am ]
Post subject: 
One of the reasons I don't bother with airport pick-ups, is the hassle of finding somewhere to park up. Some of the airport "specialist" transfer companies must be losing out when parking charges and penalties eat into their profits like this.
Author:  GMB Branch secretary [ Tue Dec 26, 2006 5:00 pm ]
Post subject: 
Why not mention the saturated fat as well? it amazes me me that your suprised at the CAPITALIST system EXPLOIT EXPLOIT EXPLOIT, the naievety of you.
AGITATE AGITATE AGITATE?
Author:  rambo [ Tue Dec 26, 2006 7:48 pm ]
Post subject: 
So it would not happen if we were a republic?, get real GMB.
Author:  Sussex [ Tue Dec 26, 2006 8:33 pm ]
Post subject: 
At Gatwick the signs are massive and right by the entrance to Macdonalds, so really folks shouldn't plead ignorance.

The best bet is to just not go in. :wink:
Author:  GMB Branch secretary [ Tue Dec 26, 2006 10:47 pm ]
Post subject: 
Rambo Republics can be Capitalist you know, they normally are unfortunately.Still you never know!
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