McFines for slow eaters
Updated on 11 December 2007
Motorists who park at McDonalds are being fined for outstaying their welcome in some of the burger chain's car parks.
An increasing number of motorists are being fined by third-party car park management companies for exceeding the time limits placed in some McDonald's car parks.
"I had been there for 53 minutes. I was feeding my children. One of them is only 15 months old, so is not quick at eating."Maria Peters
The 45-minute rule
A mother in Crawley was fined £125 by Civil Enforcement Ltd (CEL) who manage the car park at McDonald's Drive Thru at Gatwick's South Terminal.
Her visit on 29 October, timed on camera, found she had exceeded the 45-minute maximum stay. Unaware of the restrictions, Maria Peters, her husband and two children, stayed for an extra eight minutes and received a fine in the post.
"McDonald's head office told me to write a letter to CEL explaining I was there with my children. They weren't very helpful at all, but CEL is just an automated voicemail message."
"Families who would like to stay longer than the 45-minutes permitted should request this by talking to the manager on duty when they place their order."Alison Purves, spokesperson for McDonald's
What McDonalds said
McDonald's spokesman Alison Purves said: "It is important to McDonald's that all our customers have an opportunity to park in the car park adjacent to our Drive Thru Restaurant at Gatwick Airport. To facilitate this,we have been forced to impose time limits on parking.
"This is clearly communicated to customers throughout the car park via large signs. In addition, we will be handing customers this information as they are served. As with any new system, there is a review process in place.
Unhappy meals
Earlier this year, another customer was fined £50 at McDonald's Drive Thru on Bath Road, Heathrow. Sharon Walters left the car park and then returned two minutes later - contravening the 'no return within 90 minutes' rule that applies.
She said, "I have received a £50 fine because I returned to the McDonald's car park within 90 minutes of last being there, which apparently you're not supposed to do."
The fine doubles to £100 if it's not paid within 14 days. Ms Walters is going to contest the fine, saying, "I don't remember seeing any signs saying about not returning to the car park within 90 minutes.
"I'd like to know McDonald's reasoning for not allowing people to return to the car park within 90 minutes. What if I'd driven away and wanted to go back for another cheeseburger five minutes later?"
Another motorist, Jamie Thomson, claimed his fine had risen to £213 - he has also received a letter from a debt collection company and warned about court action.
He told The Guardian that he ordered a full meal at a branch near Gatwick before spending around an hour in his car eating it and drinking his coffee. A few weeks later, he was billed for £125 by Civil Enforcement - or £75 if he paid up quickly.
McDonald's say the fines issued by Civil Enforcement have to be taken up with the car park management company and that they, McDonalds, do not profit from it. Mr Thomson said neither he nor his family will ever eat in the burger chain again.
Who are Civil Enforcement Ltd?
They are a car park management company, part of Creative Car Park, who work with many other blue-chip clients.
Until recently, they monitored BP's petrol forecourts - and many customers complained of heavy-handed fines there.
They run over 700 car parks and claim to issue a "considerable number" of parking tickets every year.
Its founder, Gary Wayne, maintains that its "hi-tech approach" was "less confrontational than clamping and towing".
Why the strict enforcement?
The new restrictions have been employed in around 40 McDonald's restaurants to stop car parks being 'abused'. At airport branches, the chain alleges some customers used to leave their cars before going on holiday.
And it's not just McDonalds. Other restaurants and shops are transferring responsibility of car park management to third-party companies who employ number plate recognition cameras to monitor driver movements.
A Tesco store in Wiltshire recently warned an elderly couple that they took too long to do their Christmas shopping - after the couple had spent around £200 in-store.
Car park management companies then contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to get hold of the registered keeper's details who is then invoiced.
DVLA releases data to bodies which have "reasonable cause" to ask for it, a policy which has attracted much controversy and debate over data protection.
Either way, it's not a happy meal for everyone.
