West Lothian pensioner is parking mad over Big Mac

Oct 8 2009 by Debbie Hall, West Lothian Courier

A WEST Lothian pensioner is taking on the might of McDonald’s over a £95 parking fine.

Jim Gold (75) is furious that he received a ticket for parking at the Livingston fast food restaurant for too long – despite being told by an employee to take his time.

Grandad Jim said he parked at the restaurant on August 15 with wife Margaret (72).

He told an employee at the restaurant that he had to visit a few shops before coming back to the take-away for something to eat.

Jim claims he was told by the worker not to worry, he could take as long as he wanted.

About an hour later after doing some shopping, the couple returned to their car but when Margaret felt unwell, they decided to go home.

A few weeks later Jim was shocked when a £95 parking fine arrived at his home.

He told the Courier this week that he is really angry and upset at the attitude of the company.

Mr Gold continued:: “This is nothing short of blackmail.

“I’m really not happy about receiving this ticket especially as the girl I spoke to said I shouldn’t worry how long I was parked for.

“I spoke to another woman who was telling me about all the other car parks nearby while the girl was there, so I have proof of what was said.

“I certainly won’t pay this fine.

“Indeed I am writing to the McDonald’s to ask for the video footage of the conversation I had with the girl as proof I’ve done nothing wrong.”

Jim, a retired haulage contractor, said the parking ticket would have been £75 had he paid it within 10 days but this rose to £95 afterwards.

He continued: “When I didn’t pay the fine I received another letter saying that the company will take me to court and such action could affect my credit rating and other matters.

“I think this sort of letter was actually quite threatening.

“In fact it made me wonder how many people have encountered the same thing.

“It’s a lot of money to pay and I’m sure there are young families out there who have had the same problem and struggled to pay for it.”

A spokesperson for McDonalds said the company introduced restrictions because of unfair use of car park which didn't leave spaces free for restaurant customers.

He said: “We very much regret that a customer received a parking charge as our main priority with this scheme is to clearly communicate the restrictions and help our customers avoid having to pay charges.

“To do this, we post clear warning signs around the car park and in our restaurant.

“If any customer does want to visit for an extended period or to visit again within the no-return period, we can usually make arrangements at the time, but once a parking charge has been issued it is a matter for the parking contractor as we do not profit from the scheme or run the appeals process.

“In line with this we can't comment on individual cases but we would urge this customer to appeal using the process outlined on the parking charge.”

UNFAIR: Jim Gold with his parking ticket. svwlc061009fine-1