Frail shopper appeals to Newark's Waitrose after being hit with a parking fan
A frail shopper has appealed to Waitrose to be considerate of their elderly patrons after being hit with a parking fine.
Mr David Eades, 73, received a fixed penalty charge after over-staying at the Newark store, on Ossington Way, by 27 minutes.
The carpark, run by Britannia Parking, operates a two-hour time limit on parking, but Mr Eades said that because he is severely ill, completing his shopping in under two hours is very difficult.
A few days later, he received a £40 parking fine from Britannia Parking, which would rise to £70 if not paid immediately.
Mr Eades, who has severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart disease, and needs frequent breaks when shopping for long periods, appealed to the supermarket to extend the limit to three hours.
“Walking is a challenge for me and I quickly get out of breath,” he said. “I don’t want a wheelchair as I am determined to keep going as long as I can.
“I am OK if I am not made to rush about, especially when in a large supermarket.”
Mr Eades’s parking fine has now been cancelled, and he was told by a Waitrose representative that if he felt unable to complete his shopping in time to take matters up with the store’s customer service desk on each visit to the store, which he has branded ludicrous.
“Britannia Parking use number plate recognition cameras at the entrance and exits of the carpark to time the length of your visit,” Mr Eades said.
“Talking to the store’s customer service desk on each visit where I felt that I would exceed 90 minutes, would presumably entail discussing my reasons in a public forum to staff who have no direct control over Britannia Parking.
“I feel deeply that these unreasonable time restrictions unfairly discriminate against the most vulnerable in society like myself, the elderly and disabled.”
Mr Eades has now written to Waitrose to suggest a three-hour limit on parking to be fairer on the elderly and disabled Waitrose customers.
He said: “I considered that a more reasonable three-hour limit would avoid shoppers such as myself being discriminated against.”
A spokesman for Waitrose said: “We were very sorry to learn of Mr Eades’ experience and rectified this as soon as we could.
“In the event there are extenuating circumstances, customers can speak to a member of our team on arrival and we will make arrangements to extend their parking time.”
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