Dear LPG readers,

I read with interest about how expensive SG found parking in Sainsbury’s. While I am a lady pensioner with a few equally annoying experiences when parking in a supermarket car park, I have a good story about what could have been a worse experience.

Earlier this year, a cousin came to stay from Canada, and we decided that, together with my elderly mother, we would drive to Birmingham to visit another relative.  I had done it in the past, but motorway driving is something I tend to avoid these days.  The alternative would have been a train, and while my mother thought she would be fine, we did not know that her back would enjoy all the train changing and walking that would inevitably be involved in that version of the journey.    

Armed with a few sandwiches and drinks, we set out nice and early, but I noticed before long that the thermometer on the dashboard showed that my car had a bit of a temperature.   This was before we got to the motorway, so we gave the car a drink of water, and we did stop a few times to see if the dashboard would stop being so hot and bothered if the car engine had a bit of time to cool down.  We thought the problem was sorted, but some 20 minutes after we joined the motorway, we realised that that idea had not worked.  Not knowing much about car engines, we decided to stop, panic a bit and then call the RAC, and the first place we found to escape the motorway was Watford’s Tesco car park. I don’t know much about car engines, but I do know that when the dashboard tells you there is a serious error with the heating system, it’s time to stop the car and get an expert to look.  It was about 2.00 P M by now, but things could have been worse…

It was a glorious day with the sun shining, and while I was having a personal stress attack about how much it would cost to fix the car’s problem, we did not have to worry about bodily in-comings or out-goings.   The three of us had working debit and credit cards while Tesco had a vast car park, food, and a public loo.  So, it would just be a case of explaining to Birmingham why we would not get there (on that day anyway) and preparing for a long wait for our RAC knight in shining armour.  

The call to the RAC was fruitful, although they explained that we would have to wait a bit and were not joking.  They were busy and we were relatively safe, so they eventually told us they would be able to get to us at about 21:30.   We prepared for the 7 hours wait to come with a bit of a defiantly optimistic chat about the situation for a couple of hours. Still, hunger set in, and we organised a final shopping trip before the shop shut.  

 Someone had to stay with the car, and you can imagine my worries about how much fixing it would need, among other things. Although I tried to put a brave face on it while the others were with me, I realised yet another issue to be addressed while the others left me to it. I turned to see the dreaded car park notice stating the times and rules associated with parking in that car park.

There was a phone number and email address on the board, and I got through.  I explained the situation and the adviser sympathised but said I would have to receive the ticket and then explain again via email to see if they would be lenient.  I was sitting there doing nothing else, so I spent ages on my mobile phone sending a text about my situation. 

It was about 10 o’clock when the RAC finally turned up. While my poor car ended up on the back of one of those trucks with me inside on its way home, the RAC considered my mum’s age and sent the other two ahead by cab.  

As always, it was just one little thing in the car that went wrong, and it was easily fixed in the end, but I have to say that I never received a parking ticket from Tesco for that day.

When it all goes wrong, it is worth remembering that sometimes these parking companies must have real people doing some of the work in addition to all the computers. The secret is contacting them before they contact you. While I have often felt unfairly targeted by private parking companies (and will get caught again, no doubt), no matter how bad things get, some companies do the right thing…

TG, Lewisham