A PENSIONER who stopped at an airport for just 56 seconds to ask for directions and also paid for a ticket was still hit with a £100 parking fine.
Lorna Howarth was sent the fine by Bristol Airport car park contractor VCS following the incident in May.
She had gone to the airport to collect a friend from the coach stop but faced new signs which were directing her to a multi-storey long stay car park.
Lorna said: “I thought, ‘oh gosh I’m just picking up somebody – where do I go?’
“I saw a camera van behind me, I stopped the car, leapt out and went to his window and the man grumpily told me there was another short stay [car park] to the left.”
She claims the entire episode lasted just 56 seconds.
Lorna added: “I stopped for a genuine reason to ask for help. No one got into the car or in and out with their luggage.
“I then went to the short stay car park and I have proof that I paid £6 to park there for 20 minutes.”
But despite paying the fee for a 20-minute stay, she was still sent a fine in the post.
VCS said she had “parked for an unreasonable amount of time” – 56 seconds – and the fine was increased to £170 when she refused to pay.
A VCS spokesperson said: “We do not consider this was an appropriate or safe location to check for directions, particularly as she had just passed the entrance to the multi-story car park which she could have used without a pre-booking.”
Lorna said: “This is nonsense. I’m fairly well put together and I’m very cross and I will not pay.”
Legal representatives then got in touch with Lorna to warn the issue would be taken to court.
They then offered her a deal – a reduced rate fine of £130.
Bristol Airport has now quashed the fine and apologised saying Lorna was “genuinely trying to find the correct car park and did purchase a parking ticket”.
A Bristol Airport spokesperson said: “We are deeply sorry to hear about the incident involving Mrs Howarth.
“Bristol Airport has numerous signs around the site including at the airport entrance and along the roadways, stating no stopping, dropping or picking up.
“This is in the interest of airport security and customer safety, ensuring pedestrians keep to designated paths and do not walk into the road and that vehicles only stop in car parks.
“Because Mrs Howarth was genuinely trying to find the correct car park and did purchase a parking ticket, as a gesture of goodwill we have cancelled the parking charge notice and would like to offer our sincere apologies.
“We’d like to remind all customers, if they are unsure where to park, to visit our website to help plan their journey.
“We also have a car park for waiting, near our Silver Zone.
“It is free for the first hour and a courtesy bus runs from outside the terminal every 10 minutes, around the clock, dropping off and collecting.”
Earlier this month, Newcastle Airport issued a fresh wave of £70 fines at bosses launched a crackdown on “illegal” pick-ups.
While in September, motorists have slammed Manchester Airport for what they call a “rip-off” system for dropping off pals and family.
They claim massive queues to drive out of the car park force them over the 10-minute limit – making the fee sharply increase to £25.
Back in June, we revealed the best and worst airports for parking fees.
Bristol Airport has now quashed Lorna’s fine (file photo)[/caption]
