Sainbury's parking ticket

[buddug]

Hi. I know I will get some flak for this, but here we go. I went to Sainsbury's and there were hardly any parking spaces except for a few parent and child bays, so I parked in one (I'd never, ever park in a disabled bay, by the way). As soon as I got out the parking man in his hi-vis jacket came over and said he'd give me a ticket if I didn't move. I told him the car park was nearly full and there are far too many parent and child bays anyway.

Got back - ticket. I went into Sainsbury's and the manager said he'd cancel it - but this time only. Now, I understand the need for these bays for frazzled mums with babies and toddlers, but the place is crawling with them. Is this fascism on Sainsbury's part, and can they really ticket us for this 'crime'. And could I not have just put the ticket into the bin and ignored it?

[Earl Aelfheah]

Grow up.

[buddug]

I take it you're a yummy mummy. Sainsbury's does seem to be clamping down now on those of us who are sad singles not blessed with children.

[ruffers]

Fascism?

[craigy]

wow, sainsburys must have been having a really busy day then if there were no other spaces available, not even at the back by the nursery and recycling bins??

i don't think i have even seen the car park full, i have frequently seen the 14 or so parent and child spaces full but never the rest of the large car park.

[buddug]

It was madness in there. I don't think I've ever seen Sainsbury's so busy, which is why I decided to use the parent/child bay. I don't usually. I have enough friends with young children to have some idea of what it's like. But a ?60 fine? I ask you! And yes, Ruffers, that is fascism, to get a ?60 parking fine within seconds for parking in the car park of the supermarket I've shopped at and spent thousands of pounds in for the past 14 years.

[kford]

It's not a fine, it's a charge. You don't have to pay it, just bin it. Look up private parking charges online.

[BunnyBurrow]

So you were told you were going to get a ticket and yet you decided not to move. You're a fool and deserve the ticket.

[Earl Aelfheah]

You knew you weren't meant to park there. You did.

You were asked by a member of staff not to park there and told that if you did you would get a ticket. You ignored them.

Despite this the manager cancelled the ticket for you.

Yet you still feel hard done by.

Boo hoo.

[buddug]

Thanks kford. I had heard that, so I'll look it up. Though, as I said, sainsbury manager said he'd cancel it 'just this once'.

Thanks bunny, I made a stand against something I believed is draconian and unfair to customers, especially long-standing ones like me. If that's foolish, all well and good. You just keep following the rules like a good little boy, eh?

And Rahrah, I don't feel hard done by; I just strongly believe sainsbury's shouldn't treat loyal customers in this heavy-handed manner. By the way, your two posts here seems to be unusually vitriolic towards me and rather personal, yet I don't think I know you.

[BunnyBurrow]

Draconian? Facism? You were asked to park a hundred feet further away from the store and decided you didn't want to.

You are a fool. And lazy. You are a lazy fool.

And by the way I'm a girl.

[Loz]

Private perking fines are generally unenforceable - they are 'invoices' rather than 'fines' (though they dress them up to look like official fines).

But, you need to respond in the right way to stay on the right side of the law. Here's a good guide...

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/private-parking-tickets

[buddug]

Thanks Loz. Oo-er Bunny, steady on! Again, an unusually personal insult. Has today's heatwave got to you and rahrah I wonder?

[ruffers]

Ah, that definition of fascism.

[Louisa]

OP I wouldn't worry too much. As others have pointed out private car parks that enforce tickets are hilarious. They won't chase you, just bin it. I get why you'd be a bit angry as a regular customer, but rules are rules I suppose, just park there, go along with it and collect your fine, then forget about it. I too can understand and appreciate disabled parking, but really I do not understand the need to have dedicated 'parent & child' parking. Just because someone decides to reproduce it suddenly entitles them to priority parking facilities.

Louisa.

[buddug]

Thanks Louisa. But I do think rules that are draconian and discriminatory should be ignored. Disabled bays, however, as you say, are completely no-go.

[Penguin68]

but really I do not understand the need to have dedicated 'parent & child' parking.

I think the point is to give cars greater clearance on side opening doors to allow children (small) to be more easily and safely moved in and out, without crashing the door against another closer parked car. It's a practical, rather than a 'priority' discriminatory practice. Of course, these wider spaces for children-bearing cars could be put at the back of the car park...

[buddug]

I suppose you're right Penguin, it's not really discriminatory - but there are so many of these bays (much more than 14 mentioned by Craigy). I do think it's good to have parent and child bays nearer to the entrance though, so parents don't have to struggle so much - they have enough to cope with what with the weekly shop and all - but honestly, a ?60 fine when, on the odd occasion, you park in one? If that isn't draconian, I don't know what is.

[whisteria]

If you park there on the 'odd' occasion, what's to stop other people parking there on the 'odd' occasion? Very quickly those 14 spaces start to fill up, then the frazzled mums end up near the recycling. 14 bays is a very small percentage of the overall parking available. Sainsburys obviously feel the need to bring in fines, as there are a lot of people ignoring the signs.

[buddug]

Whisteria, on every occasion I've been to Sainsbury's there have been free parent and child bays. There are too many. Sainsbury's are just being authoritarian, like everyone else it seems these days.

[BunnyBurrow]

This is such a non-problem. Just park a bit further away from the door!

Honestly you lot would be the first to complain if one of these "frazzled" mums parked in a normal bay and banged your car door as they were trying get their kids out of the back of their own.

I can see it now, you'd be straight on here...

"I've just come from Sainsburys where I actually witnessed someone damage my car in front of my very eyes! She was trying to get her toddler out of the back of the car and had no consideration for the fact that my car was parked right next to hers. She banged my car door with hers and left a little paint from the impact on my door. It's not dented and the paint came right off, but it's the principle of the matter! I think Sainsburys should do something. They should perhaps have wider bays specifically for parents with children to allow them more space when getting out of their cars. Oh wait... they did have those and then we complained so they took them away... Oh shit..."

[buddug]

Ha ha, Bunny boiler. That's actually quite funny.

[DaveR]

Fascist, draconian, authoritarian? Get a grip. If you don't like it, go somewhere else. Were you honestly expecting sympathy?

[JB]

Why on earth shop there?

Israeli settlements are built on stolen Palestinian land and are illegal under international law.

And Sainsbury?s uses suppliers that trade in products from illegal Israeli settlements.

At least the Co-operative stated that in line with its ethical policy it would ?no longer engage with any supplier of produce known to be sourcing from the Israeli settlements?.

And whats there that you canot get at a local shop? Best carrots in Dulwich are at Pretty Trad - do a taste test....

Then call on the Sainsbury?s CEO to stop stocking goods from companies that do business with Israeli settlements.

See more at: http://www.palestinecampaign.org/sainsburys/#sthash.34ti0ZjM.dpuf

[Louisa]

JB - no offence. But save the patronising and totally unrelated political rant for somewhere else. Cringe worthy.

Louisa.