I was fined £100 for not buying a 50p parking ticket – I couldn’t physically pay, the machine was blocked
A DISABLED pensioner has been slapped with a £100 parking fine after failing pay for a 50p ticket – despite being blocked from physically reaching the ticket machine.
Bernard Armer, 69, said he was only stopping for 15 minutes, and has been left “very anxious” after being handed the unfair penalty fine.
The pensioner says he had wanted to pay for his parking, but the ticket machine was blocked by machinery and pallets.
Bernard, who suffers from arthritis, diabetes and alopecia and uses a walking stick, couldn’t physically get close enough to pay.
And although the car park allows people to pay through an app or phone an automated line, his phone doesn’t have access to the internet.
Weeks later, Bernard, from Leyland, Lancs,. received a £60 fine in the post as he never paid the 50p parking ticket.
But after trying to appeal the fine with Euro Car Park, who run the car park, he was stunned to see the fine then increase to £100 instead.
The great-grandad-of-two told the Lancashire Post: “I feel very anxious, I don’t need it at the moment.
“My phone is just an old Nokia, it’s for calls and texts, I don’t know how to use any of these fancy buttons.
“I wouldn’t have had all this trouble if the ticket machine was working.
“I just want people that are older than me, if they’ve got tickets, to take them to court.
“Old-age pensioners shouldn’t have to pay all this money, they haven’t got it.
“What are they supposed to do? It’s just hard work.”
Since he was fined on September 30, Bernard said that Euro Car Parks have put up clearer signage, but are yet to move the debris blocking the machine.
He said: “Three weeks later, they’ve put new signs up including a new one at the back.
“They honestly knew that the signs were not adequate enough for you to see.
“That’s why they do all of these tickets.”
The pensioner, who cares for his 93-year-old dad, has also seen his health problems deteriorate due to the anxiety from being handed the ticket.
His family friend Lorraine Symthies, 43, said that his alopecia is worsening because of the stress of the fine.
Lorraine said: “Bernard suffers from alopecia and is riddled with arthritis and diabetes, and when he gets stressed his fingernails start falling off.
“So because of the stress of it all and the worry, his alopecia is getting worse.”
Euro Car Parks have been contacted for a comment.