A father received a £170 parking fine for exceeding the 20-minute time limit while enjoying his McDonald’s meal at a drive-thru. Ed Chatterton, aged 42, purchased Chicken Selects, fries, and a milkshake at a McDonald’s in Walsall, West Midlands. Despite the signage in the car park and inside the restaurant indicating the time restrictions, Ed claimed he was unaware of the rule. He expressed frustration at the steep fine, emphasizing that the time limit was unreasonable considering the potential queues at the drive-thru.
Ed, a journalist, was surprised to learn of the fine only when a debt recovery firm contacted him, threatening legal action for non-payment. He highlighted that he did not receive any prior notification of the fine. Ed explained that due to the drive-thru wait, he had limited time to eat his meal within the allotted period. He also mentioned a discrepancy in the notification letter timing and raised concerns about the debt collection process.
McDonald’s stated that their parking restrictions are clearly communicated through signage and encouraged customers to appeal directly to the issuing contractor if they believe they were wrongly ticketed. Ocean Parking confirmed issuing the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) and subsequent reminders, noting that they follow standard procedures for debt recovery when necessary. They emphasized the importance of adhering to time limits and using provided exemption options for extended stays.