I was fined for eating Maccies in Starbucks carpark – we stopped for 16 mins

A FUMING McDonald’s customer was fined £100 for eating his takeaway in a Starbucks car park next door.

Firefighter Bob Spink, 50, of Brynmill, Swansea, had not such a happy meal when he pulled up in the Starbucks parking area – because there were no spaces at the McDonald’s drive-thru.

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He was shocked to be sent a £100 fine in the post for staying in the bay for 16 minutes – despite never getting out of his Peugeot 207.

Bob said: “We had only bought a £12 order from McDonald’s and the car park was entirely full so we parked in Starbucks to eat as there was plenty of space.

“We had not realised these penalties were a thing.

“It just feels like legalised theft, I haven’t done anything wrong legally.

“I will not go anywhere near a Starbucks ever again.”

Bob said he was told the fine could be reduced to £60 if he paid within 14 days.

He said: “I was baffled by it, we have just moved here and it’s something you can’t ignore as it only gets worse and increases the fee.

“I shared it in the hope of making people aware and steer clear of the chain.

“We hadn’t even left the car, the premise of a car park is to invite people in and it just feels like a con and I don’t understand what they are trying to achieve and it doesn’t look great for the chain to use a parking enforcement with such tactics.”

Starbucks said the fine at their branch in Fabian Way, Swansea, was a matter for third-party parking company National Parking Enforcement Ltd who declined to comment.

It comes as a woman told of her shock after being slapped with a £160 fine for using a GP surgery’s car park while attending a breast screening.

Lou Wilkinson received the bill after going to a a mobile mammogram unit in the car park of The Garth Surgery, Guisborough.

When she received the letter from company G24 Limited she had “absolutely no idea” what it was about.

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