Single mum faces £170 parking fine after spending more than 14 minutes at McDonald’s while treating her children to a slap-up meal
A terrified single mother has been fined £170 after spending more than 14 minutes in a McDonald’s car park, it has been claimed.
Catherine Bowden, treated her two young children at a McDonalds in Walsgrave, Coventry, last November following negative Covid tests.
But the 40-year-old is now “worried sick” after ending up with a parking fine that she will struggle to pay, according to Metro.
She told the publication, “I’m a single mom who doesn’t have a lot of money to be honest, so I had treated my kids to McDonald’s because I knew they had a playground.”
“I’m worry sick, I’ve never been in debt in my life and I don’t know what to do.”
Catherine Bowden (pictured) was fined after taking her child to McDonald’s in Coventry
A McDonald’s spokesperson reportedly said signage was ‘clearly posted’ in the branch
Catherine claimed that she misread the parking time limit signs, which led to her accidentally staying too long.
Although the fine was initially estimated at £50, it rose to £170 when Catherine was desperately trying to contact McDonald’s for help.
The mum called it “unfair” and claimed she wouldn’t have chosen to go to McDonald’s if she knew about the cameras or the 90-minute limit.
Despite this, a McDonald’s spokesperson told MailOnline that the road signs were ‘clearly posted’ at the Conventry branch.
Details would have been readable from a number of lampposts and near the parking lot entrance.
The spokesperson added: “We have implemented parking restrictions at a number of our restaurants, with a time limit to ensure adequate parking for all of our customers.
“Sufficient signage regarding these restrictions is clearly displayed both as you enter the car park, on various lampposts inside and inside the restaurant.
“We work with industry-approved contractors to ensure clients don’t exceed the 90-minute limit.”
A Stoke-on-Trent taxi driver has also been handed a £60 parking fine after stopping outside a McDonald’s branch for just 47 seconds in a similar incident.
Kam Parvez, 33, had been picking up a customer when parking operator iPark Services said he had parked on yellow ‘keep clear’ markings near the entrance to the McDonald’s car park.
He managed to overturn the penalty after winning a second appeal.
McDonald’s previously declined to comment on the Mr Parvez incident because it did not take place on its premises.
