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General => General discussion => Topic started by: Mitching on 03 November 2011, 15:45

Title: Car parking woes - Luton airport drop off zone
Post by: Mitching on 03 November 2011, 15:45
A few weeks ago I drove my brother-in-law to Luton Airport at stupid o'clock in the morning.
He was only flying to Scotland for the weekend so he had a small rucksack with all his stuff in, taking it as hand luggage.

At the main terminal for the airport there's around about that either goes to and from the main roads or into the car park.
There were signs saying not to drop people of at the roundabout, but to instead use the car parks (I think).

As I was going around the roundabout, it was pretty stop-start traffic, as I was still he got out of the car and walked off to the airport, he had his bag on his lap so he didn't need to get anything out of the boot.
I just carried on with the flow of traffic (Nothing was disrupted) and drove back home.

I have now had a letter from 'APCOA' (private carpark firm) saying I have 'Breached the terms and conditions of use of the airport road infrastructure'.
I have 28 days to pay £80 (so they say) else the matter may be passed onto a 3rd party for the recovery of the debt. (Surely, not without a civil court case first, though!  :lipsrsealed: )

Should I treat this the same as any other private car parking firm?
Title: Re: Car parking woes - Luton airport drop off zone
Post by: R32UK on 03 November 2011, 15:49
How do they know you were driving?  :lipsrsealed:
Title: Re: Car parking woes - Luton airport drop off zone
Post by: jnufcuk on 03 November 2011, 15:53
Luton car park is a s**t for doing this. A friend had exactly the same thing happen and got fined, tried to dispute it but they were having none of it. I could understand if he ahd to get something out the boot but to just jump out and not cause any haarm is a bit stupid? Would of caused more traffic u going into the drop off zone lol.

Its also the same with the bus lane that goes around the roundabout. Someone i know also glided into the lane (obviously not paying attention) and got a letter through? I mean they hadnt even stopped in the lane or anything just glided over it? :shocked:

Thinks its all to do with safety? Im guessing incase there are airport police, airport lorries etc using the bus lane and then someone steps out car and gets hit??

Hate luton airport and there new one way all round the world exit soloution for the new drop off bit :angry: :angry:
Title: Re: Car parking woes - Luton airport drop off zone
Post by: The Mighty Elvi on 03 November 2011, 15:55
 :laugh:

As per usual response...  Throw it in the bin.

Jonathan.

Title: Re: Car parking woes - Luton airport drop off zone
Post by: Mitching on 03 November 2011, 15:56
Just as I suspected  :wink:
Title: Re: Car parking woes - Luton airport drop off zone
Post by: The Mighty Elvi on 03 November 2011, 15:59
The green one?

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?pq=luton+airport&hl=en&sugexp=kjrmc&cp=19&gs_id=p&xhr=t&q=luton+airport+roundabout&safe=off&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1024&bih=677&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=tbmyTq2UFNPL8QOd2P3lBA&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=3&sqi=2&ved=0CDEQ_AUoAg

Title: Re: Car parking woes - Luton airport drop off zone
Post by: The Mighty Elvi on 03 November 2011, 16:06
If it is the green one, I did a drive by on street view and the only sign approaching the roundabout is a yellow one saying "Mid term car park, free drop of, free pick up, 60 minutes free parking"

Title: Re: Car parking woes - Luton airport drop off zone
Post by: Mitching on 03 November 2011, 16:10
The green one?

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?pq=luton+airport&hl=en&sugexp=kjrmc&cp=19&gs_id=p&xhr=t&q=luton+airport+roundabout&safe=off&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1024&bih=677&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=tbmyTq2UFNPL8QOd2P3lBA&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=3&sqi=2&ved=0CDEQ_AUoAg


No, I went over the green one and carried along 'Airport Way' to a roundabout at the end.
(http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad168/NR_BB/lutonair.jpg)
The red arrow shows where he jumped out, I just carried on round and back the way I came, most other people were going into the car park.
Title: Re: Car parking woes - Luton airport drop off zone
Post by: The Mighty Elvi on 03 November 2011, 16:35
Same answer, bin it.

Title: Re: Car parking woes - Luton airport drop off zone
Post by: The Mighty Elvi on 03 November 2011, 16:40
Just to reassure you further, if you needed it.  Here is a case exactly like yours.

http://forums.pepipoo.com/lofiversion/index.php/t56126.html

Jonathan.

Title: Re: Car parking woes - Luton airport drop off zone
Post by: Mitching on 03 November 2011, 16:49
I planned to ignore it anyways (as I've done with other private fines before)
Just needed a tiny bit of reassurance! :afro:

BTW, I found I good way to get out of carparks that use cards and barriers.
I overstayed at a sainsburys carpark in Wycombe (run by Euro Car Parks),  if you spend £15 you get 2 hours free, anything over 3 hours you pay £50! :O
You get a little plastic card from the barrier on arrival to the car park, then you can give it to the person at the checkouts when you shop to get the free parking, they just scan it.
I'd just done my weekly shop, went and put my shopping in the car then went to the machine.

I put the card in the machine and it wanted £50, I went to customer services in the store and the woman said what I should do is drive up to the barrier, put the ticket in the machine and push the help button.
It goes to a security intercom and she said I should tell the bloke over the intercom that it was flashing red at the tills when they scanned the parking card (means it's a faulty card, I guess)

Worked a treat and I didn't have to pay a penny, might do it all the time now  :grin: :rolleyes:
Title: Re: Car parking woes - Luton airport drop off zone
Post by: MAW73 on 03 November 2011, 16:58
Gatwick's a frigging nightmare as well. It seems like they change the pick up and drop off points on a weekly basis. Very confusing.
Title: Re: Car parking woes - Luton airport drop off zone
Post by: Bellend on 03 November 2011, 17:03
I planned to ignore it anyways (as I've done with other private fines before)
Just needed a tiny bit of reassurance! :afro:

BTW, I found I good way to get out of carparks that use cards and barriers.
I overstayed at a sainsburys carpark in Wycombe (run by Euro Car Parks),  if you spend £15 you get 2 hours free, anything over 3 hours you pay £50! :O
You get a little plastic card from the barrier on arrival to the car park, then you can give it to the person at the checkouts when you shop to get the free parking, they just scan it.
I'd just done my weekly shop, went and put my shopping in the car then went to the machine.

I put the card in the machine and it wanted £50, I went to customer services in the store and the woman said what I should do is drive up to the barrier, put the ticket in the machine and push the help button.
It goes to a security intercom and she said I should tell the bloke over the intercom that it was flashing red at the tills when they scanned the parking card (means it's a faulty card, I guess)

Worked a treat and I didn't have to pay a penny, might do it all the time now  :grin: :rolleyes:

Or do what we do in Maidstone. Push for a new ticket and just go out. They give you ten mins to put a card in and pay nothing, assumably if there's no spaces etc.
Title: Re: Car parking woes - Luton airport drop off zone
Post by: RandomJord on 03 November 2011, 19:33
f**k Luton..... a quid just to drive up an drop someone off in the drop off zone!
Title: Re: Car parking woes - Luton airport drop off zone
Post by: Diamond Hell on 04 November 2011, 10:13
I hate airports - the flights may be cheap, but the places wring money out of you at every single turn.  Utter, utter shyteholes.
Title: Re: Car parking woes - Luton airport drop off zone
Post by: Mikester on 04 November 2011, 13:15
I love the way all of these companies use names that are similar to police forces or organisations. I bet that alone makes some people pay.