Parking Fine At Airport Mcdonalds

[naomi24]

Collecting people from the airport, we parked late at night at the nearby McDonald's.  It being very dark, husband got out of the car to read parking sign - 60 minutes free if using the facilities - then went into McDonalds to get coffee.  Fifteen minutes later we departed.  Today he has received a £100 parking fine.

 

Can someone please make sense of this - in particular the reference to getting out of the car and walking:

 

https://motorwayservices.uk/Stansted

[nicebloke1]

Do you have a dashcam with the times arriving leaving, and date.

[bednobs]

were you parked in the mac d's carpark for sure.  It looks like if you park in the starbucksbays but go to mac d's you get fined.  What a pain!

[Old_Geezer]

A fine or a bill charge ?

Discussions on this sort of thing suggest the difference is important.

 

The following seems to clearly suggest you aren't liable.

"Parking Prices

Free parking is provided for customers using the facilities only. Owing to the proximity of the airport, rules are very strictly enforced and you should check the signs before leaving your vehicle.

Parking and use of the bp forecourt is limited to 30 minutes maximum stay from entry to exit, whilst parking within the McDonald's and Starbucks car parks are limited to 60 minutes maximum stay. Parking and then walking elsewhere (including walking between Starbucks and McDonald's), or parking outside of a marked bay, will result in a charge ("fine") being issued.

In the Starbucks car park, customers are required to pay for parking after 60 minutes, charged at £4.50 for up to 2 hours or £9 for up to 3 hours, with a maximum stay of 3 hours. Fees can be paid via the RingGo app using location code 50025."

[Old_Geezer]

As bednobs points out, you need to be sure which car park you were in.

[naomi24]

Yes, we were in McDonald's car park.  Starbucks was closed.

[Old_Geezer]

That they were closed isn't relevant. I note the word fine in the paragraph is in inverted commas. Does the correspondence say whether Starbucks or McDonald's are trying to charge you ?

[nicebloke1]

This is one area were a dashcam can pay for its self. When i enter any carpark now I save the footage for at least 30days.

[davebro3]

//

Parking Issues

Despite looking like one piece of land, the McDonald's and Starbucks are legally regarded as separate premises. They have separate landowners, but share a common entrance and are enforced by the same company, who insist that they are totally separate car parks and are notorious for charging people for walking between the two.//

Did your "pickups" walk to your car from somewhere else?

[naomi24]

OG, it doesn't give the name of the restaurant.

[naomi24]

No dave, we drove into the short stay car park at the airport to pick them up.

[TheWinner]

Someone got fined and challenged it, (seen in Daily Mirror), the signs are very confusing. 

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/dad-fined-100-parking-one-20641982

 

[chelle7272]

"Despite looking like one piece of land, the McDonald's and Starbucks are legally regarded as separate premises. They have separate landowners, but share a common entrance and are enforced by the same company, who insist that they are totally separate car parks and are notorious for charging people for walking between the two."

That would suggest you may have been in the Starbucks car park, or they are trying to say you were at least.

[roadman]

maybe he parked outside of a bay and didn't realise I am talking just on or over a white line 

[Peter Pedant]

go thro the appeals procedure

if you husband bought coffee then it should be on the video at the time they didnt like you parkiing. and be quick! they will overwrite on a monthly basis ) usuallY)

He didnt get a receipt did he? 

[TheWinner]

on my link, it says that the car park is for southgate park customers, while they are on the premises only, McD is not on southgate park, and there is no free parking for McDonalds. 

I wouldn't know because I've never been.

[THECORBYLOON]

That link states, "Parking and then walking elsewhere (including walking between Starbucks and McDonald's), or parking outside of a marked bay, will result in a charge ("fine") being issued."

Did you know before parking that Starbucks was closed or did he walk to Starbucks?

The wording suggests that once parked in the car park, you must not leave it.

[THECORBYLOON]

Must not leave it to go elsewhere other than to visit McDonald's I meant.

[naomi24]

roadman, he's always careful about parking.  He wasn't over any lines.  I can only think we'd inadvertently parked in a Starbucks space but there's nothing to distinguish the two sets of parking bays.   The fine is £60 if paid within 15 days, but it's not the money.  It's the principle.  That company must be earning a fortune from this.  I might suggest they paint the names of the specific restaurants in all the bays.  That would help the customer enormously - but would doubtless deprive the company of a lucrative business.

[naomi24]

Corby, we knew Starbucks was closed.  All the lights were off.

[THECORBYLOON]

Does the notice tell you which one you were parked in?