Parking Eye @McDonald's (Equality Act?)
Discussion
Alex Z said:
Is the car park owned by the McDs franchise you visited, or simply adjacent to it?
He doesn't know because he didn't bother reading any of the signs that apparently weren't there. 
The long and short of it is : are there signs there in prominent places with blurb on telling you how long you can stay and what happens if you exceed said time limit? Are the signs clear to see and not hidden in overgrown foliage? If the answers to both of those is 'yes' then pony up your £100 x2 cars, stop trying to worm out of it using your various disabilities as an excuse for not using your eyes, learn your lesson and pay more attention next time.
If the answer to either of the above is 'no' then you probably have a case worth fighting.
rainmakerraw said:
surely there's an Equality Act angle? As disabled customers we genuinely needed the 2.5 hours to finish eating. I personally have a muscle disease and dysphagia (I can't swallow properly, and it takes me forever to eat and I need to drink between every small mouthful), plus the kids are diagnosed Autistic and take a lot longer than your average bear to focus and eat, and so on.
I sympathise, but I can't see how that can be an excuse. Knowing you would need that time I'd have been making myself aware if there were any parking restrictions.I accept the world is full of rad signs to the point of sensory overload, and I never noticed the signs in the Asda car park that I fell foul of, but they were there to be seen, as was the ANPR camera that recorded me entering and exiting the car park having overstayed.
I'm guessing you made the same mistake as I did, not noticing the signs that were there in plain sight to be seen.
r3g said:
Alex Z said:
Is the car park owned by the McDs franchise you visited, or simply adjacent to it?
He doesn't know because he didn't bother reading any of the signs that apparently weren't there. The long and short of it is : are there signs there in prominent places with blurb on telling you how long you can stay and what happens if you exceed said time limit? Are the signs clear to see and not hidden in overgrown foliage? If the answers to both of those is 'yes' then pony up your £100 x2 cars, stop trying to worm out of it using your various disabilities as an excuse for not using your eyes, learn your lesson and pay more attention next time.
If the answer to either of the above is 'no' then you probably have a case worth fighting.
Extra time when parked is a perfectly reasonable adjustment that could be reasonably expected under the EA.
Notwithstanding that, OP wasn't taking the piss, he was spending a substantial amount of money. There's no good reason for a company with whom he wouldn't reasonably expect to have a contract to be demanding money from him.
Go and speak to the manager at the Maccy D's, show badges and receipts for purchase. They can cancel it.
If they don't, appeal to PE using the same details. Don't identify the driver.
If appeal fails then either pay the invoice or invite them to start a MCOL against you. Ignore all future letters a
unless they are marked "Letter before Action"
If they don't, appeal to PE using the same details. Don't identify the driver.
If appeal fails then either pay the invoice or invite them to start a MCOL against you. Ignore all future letters a
unless they are marked "Letter before Action"
Contrary to grrrr parking eye scum bags, I really have found them to be fairly decent when they have made mistakes or there are extenuating circumstances.
I would just send them proof of purchase through bank statement and photos of your blue badge and if you have any letters proving your condition. Obviously include an explanation, I think you might be surprised.
I would just send them proof of purchase through bank statement and photos of your blue badge and if you have any letters proving your condition. Obviously include an explanation, I think you might be surprised.
r3g said:
Without wanting to sound like a nob 
let's stick to the facts of the matter :
1. pretty much every car park area has some rules/restrictions on use/time limits etc and there are usually signs all over the place detailing this.
2. you chose to ignore the signs because it was raining and you didn't want to get wet, foolishly believing that your vast array of combined disabilities would automatically exempt you from any such rules.
3. you overstayed the permitted time limit, presumably as detailed on the signage dotted around the car park. The reasons for how and why this happened do not matter and are irrelevant, as is how much you spent on/in the premises.
4. Parking co. have likely copped you by ANPR and have you bang to rights, ie. you broke the terms of the contract which is nobody's fault except your own.
5. You now owe them £100 and needs paying ASAP before a court summons arrives.
6) the company that employed the Parking company, a separate independent franchisee, (not McDonald's) has the power to quite simply inform.the parking company that in this case a mistake has been made. let's stick to the facts of the matter :1. pretty much every car park area has some rules/restrictions on use/time limits etc and there are usually signs all over the place detailing this.
2. you chose to ignore the signs because it was raining and you didn't want to get wet, foolishly believing that your vast array of combined disabilities would automatically exempt you from any such rules.
3. you overstayed the permitted time limit, presumably as detailed on the signage dotted around the car park. The reasons for how and why this happened do not matter and are irrelevant, as is how much you spent on/in the premises.
4. Parking co. have likely copped you by ANPR and have you bang to rights, ie. you broke the terms of the contract which is nobody's fault except your own.
5. You now owe them £100 and needs paying ASAP before a court summons arrives.
OP what makes you think the staff at McDonalds have any responsibility to remind you of the parking restrictions and what time you need to leave ?
Are you expecting them to make a note of the time of arrival of every customer and remind them 1 3/4 hours later to move the car ?
Where is your personal responsibility ?
Also despite what you say about disabilities i find it hard to believe your timings
You state service was slow lets say it took them 30mins to bring food to your table. You then have almost 1.5 hours to eat - no mention of your food going cold, etc so presumably and being inedible.So you managed to eat it when warm.
14 people and you spent £200...about £15 a head which suggests you simply had a burger /chips a desert and drink each
You entered private property, ignored / did not see the car parking signs, overstayed and have received an invoice for being in breach of contract.
Either speak to the manager about getting the invoice cancelled or own your mistake
Are you expecting them to make a note of the time of arrival of every customer and remind them 1 3/4 hours later to move the car ?
Where is your personal responsibility ?
Also despite what you say about disabilities i find it hard to believe your timings
You state service was slow lets say it took them 30mins to bring food to your table. You then have almost 1.5 hours to eat - no mention of your food going cold, etc so presumably and being inedible.So you managed to eat it when warm.
14 people and you spent £200...about £15 a head which suggests you simply had a burger /chips a desert and drink each
You entered private property, ignored / did not see the car parking signs, overstayed and have received an invoice for being in breach of contract.
Either speak to the manager about getting the invoice cancelled or own your mistake
There was a time this site was a community, but posting here reminds me how much that's changed over the years. Really, chaps? Replies ranging from deriding how council it is to be so disabled you can't walk or eat properly (there but for the grace of God, for you) or to have neurodevelopmentally abnormal children in the family, to it being my own fault I didn't read the absent signage. Google Maps confirms no signage whatsoever, but I don't particularly wish to reveal my location given the replies in this thread. You do realise disability is classless and can strike anyone, yes? I had to give up a medical degree and a good income when my own illness progressed, but by all means call the Daily Mail.
Had there been signs and we just forgot, or didn't care, then quite so - £100 (or £60 or whatever it can be reduced to) is pocket change... but it's better in my pocket than theirs, when we already spent double that on food and had no reason to suspect we were on a time limit. When there's no visible signage it's not unreasonable to mention that staff didn't inform us of restrictions, either. I fail to see how it's entitled to expect that when paying money for food (regardless of where) I'm allowed time to eat it (however slowly that has to be) and have a chat.
I'm out. Thanks to those who replied in genuine spirits and a happy Sunday to all.
Had there been signs and we just forgot, or didn't care, then quite so - £100 (or £60 or whatever it can be reduced to) is pocket change... but it's better in my pocket than theirs, when we already spent double that on food and had no reason to suspect we were on a time limit. When there's no visible signage it's not unreasonable to mention that staff didn't inform us of restrictions, either. I fail to see how it's entitled to expect that when paying money for food (regardless of where) I'm allowed time to eat it (however slowly that has to be) and have a chat.
I'm out. Thanks to those who replied in genuine spirits and a happy Sunday to all.
rainmakerraw said:
Google Maps confirms no signage whatsoever
If that's also backed up with visual confirmation in person then what are you complaining about? 5 minutes to respond to the penalty invoice informing them of this fact and requesting the invoice be cancelled, then forget about it and move on with your life.I suspect you cannot actually do this because you are being somewhat economical with the truth (as is the norm with many of these threads in SPL).
Pit Pony said:
r3g said:
Without wanting to sound like a nob let's stick to the facts of the matter :
1. pretty much every car park area has some rules/restrictions on use/time limits etc and there are usually signs all over the place detailing this.
2. you chose to ignore the signs because it was raining and you didn't want to get wet, foolishly believing that your vast array of combined disabilities would automatically exempt you from any such rules.
3. you overstayed the permitted time limit, presumably as detailed on the signage dotted around the car park. The reasons for how and why this happened do not matter and are irrelevant, as is how much you spent on/in the premises.
4. Parking co. have likely copped you by ANPR and have you bang to rights, ie. you broke the terms of the contract which is nobody's fault except your own.
5. You now owe them £100 and needs paying ASAP before a court summons arrives.
6) the company that employed the Parking company, a separate independent franchisee, (not McDonald's) has the power to quite simply inform.the parking company that in this case a mistake has been made. let's stick to the facts of the matter :1. pretty much every car park area has some rules/restrictions on use/time limits etc and there are usually signs all over the place detailing this.
2. you chose to ignore the signs because it was raining and you didn't want to get wet, foolishly believing that your vast array of combined disabilities would automatically exempt you from any such rules.
3. you overstayed the permitted time limit, presumably as detailed on the signage dotted around the car park. The reasons for how and why this happened do not matter and are irrelevant, as is how much you spent on/in the premises.
4. Parking co. have likely copped you by ANPR and have you bang to rights, ie. you broke the terms of the contract which is nobody's fault except your own.
5. You now owe them £100 and needs paying ASAP before a court summons arrives.
nute said:
Pit Pony said:
r3g said:
Without wanting to sound like a nob let's stick to the facts of the matter :
1. pretty much every car park area has some rules/restrictions on use/time limits etc and there are usually signs all over the place detailing this.
2. you chose to ignore the signs because it was raining and you didn't want to get wet, foolishly believing that your vast array of combined disabilities would automatically exempt you from any such rules.
3. you overstayed the permitted time limit, presumably as detailed on the signage dotted around the car park. The reasons for how and why this happened do not matter and are irrelevant, as is how much you spent on/in the premises.
4. Parking co. have likely copped you by ANPR and have you bang to rights, ie. you broke the terms of the contract which is nobody's fault except your own.
5. You now owe them £100 and needs paying ASAP before a court summons arrives.
6) the company that employed the Parking company, a separate independent franchisee, (not McDonald's) has the power to quite simply inform.the parking company that in this case a mistake has been made. let's stick to the facts of the matter :1. pretty much every car park area has some rules/restrictions on use/time limits etc and there are usually signs all over the place detailing this.
2. you chose to ignore the signs because it was raining and you didn't want to get wet, foolishly believing that your vast array of combined disabilities would automatically exempt you from any such rules.
3. you overstayed the permitted time limit, presumably as detailed on the signage dotted around the car park. The reasons for how and why this happened do not matter and are irrelevant, as is how much you spent on/in the premises.
4. Parking co. have likely copped you by ANPR and have you bang to rights, ie. you broke the terms of the contract which is nobody's fault except your own.
5. You now owe them £100 and needs paying ASAP before a court summons arrives.
r3g said:
If that's also backed up with visual confirmation in person then what are you complaining about? 5 minutes to respond to the penalty invoice informing them of this fact and requesting the invoice be cancelled, then forget about it and move on with your life.
I suspect you cannot actually do this because you are being somewhat economical with the truth (as is the norm with many of these threads in SPL).
I already have. As per the OP, I wanted to cover all bases so added a "further or in the alternative", because I know what chancers these companies are. I wrongly suspected the angle may provoke some useful and interesting legal debate, but alas PH isn't what it was. I didn't turn the thread into a wail fest, the usual crowd managed that and had a pop so I stopped replying. I suspect you cannot actually do this because you are being somewhat economical with the truth (as is the norm with many of these threads in SPL).
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