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'Customers only': Pub charges mum for overstaying in parking bay by seven seconds


A hotel owner has defended new parking penalties outside her business, as a mother of two complains about a $280 bill for staying seven seconds over the allowed grace period.

The new parking system outside the Barley Mow in Histon, Cambridge in the UK was introduced in February, in an attempt to crack down on drivers who stop but aren’t customers, Cambridge News reports.

Landlady Dore McCann says her business has suffered for years as people have misused her car park.

“For 24 years I gave my car park free to the village,” the landlady explained.

Ms McCann added: “I pay a huge amount of rates, a huge amount of rent. I’ve lost hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of business because I wanted to be neighbourly to the village.”

A new parking system was introduced outside the pub on February 6, to crack down on drivers using the car park who aren’t customers. Source: Google Earth
A new parking system was introduced outside the pub on February 6, to crack down on drivers using the car park who aren’t customers. Source: Google Earth

Drivers are allowed to stay for five minutes in the car park, which is private property, before they are penalised, Cambridge News reports.

Penalties start at $155 and are reportedly reduced to $91 if paid within a fortnight.

But mother Leonie Isaacson is upset as her stay for a total of five minutes and seven seconds could now cost her close to $300.

Ms Isaacson reportedly parked her car outside the pub between 8:06:03 and 08:11:10 on the morning on February 17 to pick up a loaf of bread.

She recalled, “I parked as usual at the Barley Mow and just nip across.”

“At eight o’clock in the morning, there’s no trade and the pub isn’t open to get a permit. It’s seems a little bit over the top and a bit unfair,” Ms Isaacson added.

There are 11 notices about the penalties in the car park, which has 16 spaces. Source: Google Earth.
There are 11 notices about the penalties in the car park, which has 16 spaces. Source: Google Earth.

Ms Isaacson’s bill increased to $282 because she challenged her penalty with a company which provides customer services for Enterprise Parking Solutions Ltd. That extended correspondence led to a late fee.

She also received extra administration charges.

Ms Isaacson told Cambridge News, “If it had been a couple of minutes I’d have gone ‘fair dues’.”

Ms Isaacson said locals are shocked, and it is not good for customers.

“I hadn’t noticed that they had stuck up these notices about the parking so it was a bit of a surprise to receive that parking charge,” Ms Isaacson said.

But Ms McCann sticks by her decision, even though the new system has seen her abused.

“If people used my car park correctly I wouldn’t have done this. The car park is for customers only,” she said.