A Bristol woman says she was 'shocked and distraught' to receive a £ 100 fine for parking an 'inch or so' above a handicapped bay line in a Bradley Stoke car park.
Mary *, a blue badge holder, who wishes to remain anonymous after a local man shared a similar experience on Facebook and received a torrent of abuse, visited Willow Brook Center in April to purchase Tesco food, after he was asked to fast during a hospital appointment.
She says she parked within inches of the shaded handicap bay area, and days later she received a letter asking her to pay £ 100. The parking company, HX parking, told Bristol Live: the amount of additional space that accessible bays allow is significantly reduced. "
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"I had an appointment at the hospital in Southmead," Mary said. “They were doing tests and I had to fast for hours beforehand.
"I was planning to go straight home afterward, but I needed something to eat, I was feeling pretty weak and dehydrated."
“I admit I was wrong and parked at a silly angle. My only tire was on the hatches, right at the end of the row, not in a place where no one else would park. I was so desperate to get into the store that I didn't realize it. "
A week later, Mary received a letter from HX Parking, which manages the parking lot at Willow Brook, saying she has 28 days to pay the fine.
The letter, which has been read by Bristol Live , explains that his car "was not fully parked within the designated bay markings."
“I was really upset, £ 100 is a lot of money. It felt really excessive, "he said." At first I was just going to pay the money, but then I read the Google reviews and decided to appeal. "
There have been four scathing reviews of HX Parking in Willow Brook Center Google reviews this year.
One wrote: “To all disabled drivers, be careful when parking in this mall, they only use ANPR and they do not use parking signs posted on vehicles to alert the driver that there has been a problem. About two weeks later, you will receive an unpleasant surprise with a large fine. I have alerted family and friends to this mall parking management nightmare. "
Another said: "Parked in a handicapped space with the rear tire partially in the hatch surrounding the space. He received a £ 100 fine from the HX parking administration which manages the parking lot.
Mary eventually had her ticket overturned by the company, who told her, "Even though there is sufficient evidence that the charge was issued correctly, we have decided to rescind the parking charge notice."
They later stated that the decision to waive the fine was due to her fasting before parking.
Mary says she was disappointed by his reasoning, saying that "she shouldn't have had to disclose any medical information."
He also noted that the signage in the Willow Brook Center handicap parking lot is "inadequate," making it difficult for people in wheelchairs to read about the possibility of a ticket.
Mary argues that HX Parking should make 'reasonable accommodations' for people with disabilities, including reducing signage, as set out in the Equality Act of 2010.
A spokesperson for HX Parking said Bristol Live: “The reasonable accommodation clause applies to operators only when they are responsible for the physical environment of the site. As we do not own the land, it is ultimately up to the owner what adjustments, if any, they would like to implement. In this case, the owner has provided handicap bays that provide additional space and also parking closer to the entrances to the shops.
“Despite this, we have added additional signage at the entrance to make it absolutely clear that PCN (Penalty Charge Notice) will be issued for parking in accessible bays and for parking outside the bay markings.
“The shaded area of the accessible bays is to allow additional space, for example to pass a wheelchair or stroller, or to open a door completely so that a disabled driver or passenger can exit the vehicle more easily. Parking in these shaded areas significantly reduces the amount of additional space that accessible bays allow. These shaded areas are shared by the bays on both sides, so it is not just one shaded area per bay. "
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Maria contacted Bristol Live after a post on a local Facebook group sparked a backlash.
One man said he had been "booked" for "parking my car wheels partially on the white line in the disabled bay" in Willow Brook.
The post racked up hundreds of comments, with people saying it's "not difficult" to park within the lines.
But Mary says those comments are "really hurtful," as often people with disabilities "are just making a mistake."
"Life every day is a battle," he said. "Not just to get fined, but for people to judge you. It's really painful."
The Willow Brook Center was contacted for comment.
* Mary: Not her real name.
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