Man gets £60 airport parking fine for feeding baby

AN oil worker was fined £60 for staying too long at an airport drop-off zone so his wife could feed their crying baby.

Aberdeen Airport. A man was fined £60 for staying at the airport's drop-off zone for too long after stopping to let his wife feed their baby. Picture: Contributed

Morgan Adam was told to pay the fee or face court action when he lodged an appeal against the parking operator’s fine.

The 42-year-old had just flown into Aberdeen after a business trip to Houston, Texas, and was met by his wife, Kasia, 34, and their six-month-old daughter, Robin.

But when young Robin demanded to be fed, the couple had to wait until Kasia had finished giving the baby her bottle before paying their pound and leaving 25 minutes after she arrived.

The operator’s rules state that all vehicles must leave the drop-off zone within 10 minutes, and 12 days later the couple received a letter telling them they would be fined £60 for the breach.

Morgan said: “I accept that they have fined me but I find it very hard that they have given me one chance of appeal and then they say ‘that’s it’.

“They are just showing no understanding and won’t listen to any of the extenuating circumstances around it.

“If your baby is crying and needs to be fed then you need to feed her. Would they have still fined us if it was something more serious?”

Morgan had appealed to the fine, but was told by operator APCOA Parking that he had been unsuccessful.

The conditions allowed the fine to be reduced to £30 if it was paid within two weeks of being issued.

He said he had been left with “no option” but to pay after being told that debt collection or court action would be used if he did not comply.

The letter from APCOA said: “Any vehicle staying more than the permitted time is in contravention of the terms and conditions of parking.

“Your vehicle entered the drop-off zone at 14:55 and exited at 15:19, meaning that it was inside for 24 minutes.”

Morgan spoke to the Citizens Advice Bureau, who advised him to pay the fine and he has since paid over fear the company would send debt collectors to his family’s home.

He said: “The letter is almost comical, they’ve given me two ‘options’ - pay or debt collectors come round.

“The company have also said this when I’ve spoken to them over the phone. It’s not the money as much as the principle.”

The controversial waiting-time charge introduced in January forces drivers to pay £1 to drive up the airport forecourt for up to 10 minutes.

Airport bosses said it was necessary to combat congestion, but it has been criticised by motorists and taxi drivers.

An Aberdeen International Airport spokeswoman said: “The forecourt is a strict drop-off only area and the time limits have to be adhered to.”

APCOA Parking, which is based in Stuttgart Airport in Germany, did not respond to comment.