A single mother has said she is “worried sick” after being slapped with a £170 fine for overstaying in a McDonald’s car park for 14 minutes, she has claimed. The Coventry mum-of-two took her children to McDonald’s in Walsgrave last November following negative Covid tests.
However 40-year-old Catherine has been left with a parking fine that she says she is going to struggle to pay off, the Metro reported.
“I’m a single parent who doesn’t have a lot of money to be honest, so I’d treated my kids to McDonald’s as I knew they had a play area”, she said.
“I’m worried sick, I’ve never been in debt in my life and don’t know what to do.”
Catherine claimed that she misread the sign that set out the parking time limits and she accidentally overstayed.
The initial fine was said to be £50, however it was hiked to £170 in the time Catherine spent trying to contact McDonalds for help.
The East Midlands mum described the charge as “unfair” and said she wouldn’t have gone to McDonalds had she known about the cameras or the 90-minute limit.
A McDonald’s spokesperson told the MailOnline that the signposts at the Coventry branch were “clearly displayed”.
The parking limit was said to be easily readable from several lampposts and close to the carpark entrance.
The spokesman continued: “We have parking restrictions in place at a number of our restaurants, with a time limit to ensure there is adequate parking for all of our customers.
“Ample signage regarding these restrictions is clearly displayed both as you drive into the car park, on various lampposts within it and inside of the restaurant.
“We work with industry-approved contractors to ensure customers do not exceed the 90 minute limit.
In a similar incident, a Stoke-on-Trent taxi driver received a £60 fine after stopping outside a McDonald’s restaurant for 47 seconds.
33-year-old Kam Parvez had travelled to pick up another customer when the parking operator iPark Services said he had parked on a yellow “keep clear” marking near the McDonald’s car park entrance.
On appeal the penalty was overturned. McDonald’s didn’t comment on the incident as it took place outside their premises.
