Just a footnote to my post the other week.  'You and yours' Radio 4 today, did a piece on a woman who had been fined for being in a MacDonalds car park at Gatwick for too long.  She had actually said that by the time she was served and her young family had eaten she had gone over the time inadvertantly.  She is now prepared to go to court to argue that it was MacDonalds fault not hers and that the time limit was not reasonable in her case.  There was a discussion about how legal it was for these companies to make these fines - a grey area and how right was it for DVLA to release the information to these companies.  Anyone can set themselves up as one of these companies - they are often unable to be contacted - and it was felt that giving out this information is not right.  I think there will be far more in the press soon as more and more people realise that there is a very unfair practice going on here.  My husband took the fine into the bank and told them he would go to court and tell them that the bank had taken that long to conduct the transaction.  The bank have sorted it pretty quickly!!!!  A lot of people fear the fines increasing and the bailiffs coming in so they cough up however unfair they think it is .  I wonder how many really get to court!!!   Just thought someone out there might be interested - do the listen again on Radio 4.

A branch of ASDA (oop North somewhere) is trialling fining people who park in 'parent and child' spaces without children - £60 :)

Daisy

Good I never park in those spaces anymore as Bronwyn is now six but it used to be a pain when you had lots of shopping and a toddler and had to walk miles to a space.
Mary

I hope they are fining the "disabled" who too use the parent & child spaces instead of their own designated parking area :( used to happen alot when my two were young enough for us to qualify for P&C parking

hope they are fining the "disabled" who too use the parent & child spaces instead of their own designated parking area

We sometimes have to use the child spaces if the disabled ones are full. They are the only spaces wide enough to get a wheelchair down the side of the car - my husband is too heavy for me to carry and I figure it is easier for a parent to carry a child than for me to carry a man who is over twice my weight and a foot taller than me.  There were no parent and child spaces when my children were young nor disabled spaces so I just count myself lucky that provision is made now.But then again I use a normal parking space rather than a disabled one if my husband is not getting out of the car in order to leave one free for someone who needs it.

I'm glad that they are fining people who don't need the parent/toddler spaces, especially those sports cars owned by well able bodied single people! In fact at our Tesco the spaces are not closer to the store than any other space, its just wider and at the edge so you don't need to walk between cars. They should also fine people who use disabled places when they are clearly not and no sticker/badge in sight.
As for Macdonalds, I didn't know you had to pay to be in the car parks?  How can they fine you if its free to park? and you are using their 'establishment' (if thats the right word)  anyway??

Sorry :( didn't mean to offend.............

I find it's normally the "older" generation who think it's their "right" to use these spaces...........our Tesco's do have the P&C & Disabled spaces equally near to the entrance

Sorry  didn't mean to offend.............

None taken :) Just saying that it is not always obvious to others that more space is needed by some people ( but that doesn't include those members of the public who need the equivalent of an airport runway to manouevre their car in :D :) )

Sadly there will always be people who abuse privileges but there will also be people who need those extra privileges and if everyone played the game it would be easier all round :)

Didn't take offence at all hun...just trying to explain it from my/our point of view...as usual it's the minority that ruin it for the majority!

It seems to me that sometimes the older generation believe illness and disablilty is also their perogative!! No-one else is allowed to suffer or moan as much as them!!! :D :D :D

Sometimes I have no choice!!! sorry!

If able bodied idiots who can't read, but can walk, park in the disabled spaces meant for us...well I'm sorry, but I can't walk to a faraway space and manage shopping! Nowadays I'll admit I use my scooter more and more...but even then Derek usually has to park it alongside the car for me to get into it! Our local Tescos hired an older type gent to monitor and police the disabled bays...after many many complaints from us disabled...how long did he last?? At least a week, totally abused, sworn at, threatened! Can't blame him really! We've tried the softly softly apporoach like...'excuse me, you've forgotten to put your badge in the window' usually get the reply '**** off, aint got one'! We daredn't challenge anyone too  much nowadays, 'cos they have no problems with getting very aggressive!

Same happens at dog shows...I can't believe that all the people that park in the disabled parking are actually disabled! See far too many people hunking stuff about and running back to cars! Which makes a totally mockery of all that the Dog shows do to accomodate us disabled...actually can't remember the last dog show I went to now...I've given up as it's so much hassle...even at Crufts you need to get there around 6-7am to get a disabled space!!

I get so angry too at people abusing disabled spaces, "coz we wont be a minute", May these people realise what it is to be disabled.
May disabled drivers not abuse the spaces either. All to often here I have seen people drive up to the nearest disabled bay and then not get out as they are driving the ablebodied, that too annoys me.

Karen

As I was walking into our local Tesco yesterday I saw two able bodied men walk to their own cars which were parked in the child/mother spaces. Now I have no children and wouldn't dream of parking at any time in a disabled spot or a toddler spot. So yes, fine them, that would teach them.

To be honest if parking places were all a decent size so that you coudl get in and out fo yoru vehicle without being houdini or stick thin, and without risk of having your car damaged by other cars doors no-one woudl try to use these wider spaces when they are not eligible.

I have seen people often using parent and child spaces without children - our Tesco's have got a lot of spaces but they are always full.  There is nothing worse then coming back to the car - which has clearly got a child seat in (well mine has permanently but it only gets used once a week :-) )  and they park up close so you can't open the door.  It is so difficult to get a child in and lean over to strap them into place when you can't open the door wide enough.  Never mind when said child is sleeping and has to be decanted into pushchair to continue their sleep :-(  This morning some bright woman was saying in the paper why do parents need extra wide spaces - she managed in a  mini with 2 child seats.  Well well done her but when you are dealing with grandchildren one isn't quite so supple.  If you get parked next to one of these huge vehicles (no brand name mentioned but the one I saw yesterday actually took 2 parking spaces in length)  then there is precious room to get out oneself never mind the children.   What did you get me off on this topic for - this was supposed to be for parking fines.  Obviously no CDers have been caught out.  Dee it was MacDonalds at Gatwick where people park for picking up from planes instead of eating in their esteemed establishment.
Grumpy old woman!

ah but! How can McDonalds know when the occupant of the car is in fact picking up from the airport and not in their restaurant? Especially as some can spend ages in there with their children, and thats not including the time spent queueing? Just seems to me they should police it better if they want to catch out those that shouldn't have parked there. When a big new Co-op was built in our town centre, you took your car park reciept to the till with you. It was put through a machine at the till to prove you had in fact been in the co-op to shop and then you used that ticket to get out so people could not use their free carpark to wander round the town. I think there was also a time limit on the free parking aswell. Maybe they should consider something like that ?
(I say was because its Ikea now :) )

No like the carpark in my original post where my husband got caught visiting the bank (had 30 minute time) this one was 45 minutes and a camera takes your picture on the way in and on the way out.  If you overstay then you are fined whatever you were using the carpark for.  In this case 45 minutes was not enough for queing and sitting down to eat - young children can be slow.  You have to check your watch on the way in - if you know about the cameras that is - my husband was aware of the cameras and was keeping an eye on the time - it was the bank clerks that kept him.   Go a minute over and that is it - no allowances at all.