Shakedown at Dublin airport, Circle-K / McDonald's

road_high · 16-06-2019 11:39pm

What I’d have done in that scenario was calmly ignored the clamp and just gone into McDonald’s bought something and came back to the car and then kicked off that they’d clamped me as a customer- unless they’d videoed you walking into Circle K (which is no doubt illegal in itself) how could they prove otherwise?

OldMrBrennan83 · 17-06-2019 5:25am

irishgrover wrote: »

Because I'm a petty and vindictive prick I would consider doing the following....
Drive up to the drive through, with 10 of your mates (1 per car behind you).....ask to speak to a manager, refuse to leave until the situation is resolved to your satisfaction. If you get no solution, tell them till be back the next day

I like this idea.

SteM · 17-06-2019 7:03am

road_high wrote: »

..... unless they’d videoed you walking into Circle K (which is no doubt illegal in itself) how could they prove otherwise?

All they'd need is cctv footage of him walking off the McDonalds site. How would it be illegal for them to have that footage if they have cctv cameras trained on their own carpark?

vandriver · 17-06-2019 9:46am

He's there again this morning

quad_red · 17-06-2019 10:14am

corkboy38 wrote: »

I only watched a video about this exact scenario in England.

I'm only seeing this now :mad: (didn't show up on my mobile).

Guy:Incognito · 17-06-2019 1:15pm

dreamers75 wrote: »

Sad story.....

One of our drivers was clamped ( we deliver items to customers in Dublin city, we have a clamping budget.........) on Dolier Street (kinda normal cars park in the loading bays and dont get clamped...) so he was clamped and the clamper a smug type chap like from the OP knew our van and waited for the go ahead to unclamp (how ****ing nice) he mentioned to our driver about his bonus for every clamp used. Our driver kinda got upset about being clamped and the dudes boast about getting more money so may have abused him a teeny bit.

So our driver was unclamped and moved to his next delivery/collection spot, loading bay taken by a car.....clamped by the same extremely happy clamper guy.

And again on to the next spot...clamped again by what now must be pure coincidence the same guy....

In the end it was 4 clamps in one day, we average 8 a year between 11 vans servicing Dublin City, in every case there was a car parked in the designated loading bay area that we normally use that didnt get clamped......

TLDR them fcukers will remember your reg if you abuse them

But if they're on bonuses, why arent they clamping the cars? Itd be much easier pickings than following a delivery van.

Guy:Incognito · 17-06-2019 1:20pm

Nobelium wrote: »

.

Overall the French solution is the best one.

I fail to see how selfish people taking all the parking for the whole day cos it's free and theres no consequences is the best solution?

If you could just ditch your car where you like, everyone that works in a town will just drive there.

17-06-2019 1:21pm

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

If you could just ditch your car where you like, everyone that works in a town will just drive there.

I wouldn't

road_high · 17-06-2019 2:15pm

SteM wrote: »

All they'd need is cctv footage of him walking off the McDonalds site. How would it be illegal for them to have that footage if they have cctv cameras trained on their own carpark?

Still a McDonald’s customer getting clamped for simply using their car park. A ridiculous scenario

SteM · 17-06-2019 2:21pm

road_high wrote: »

Still a McDonald’s customer getting clamped for simply using their car park. A ridiculous scenario

Agreed, but your plan of calmly walking in and buying food after walking off site and getting clamped would just mean you're paying McDonald's for food and the cost of getting the clamp off. They're not going to remove your clamp because you bought something after getting clamped.

IAMAMORON · 17-06-2019 2:24pm

SteM wrote: »

Agreed, but your plan of calmly walking in and buying food after walking off site and getting clamped would just mean you're paying McDonald's for food and the cost of getting the clamp off. They're not going to remove your clamp because you bought something after getting clamped.

I doubt they are allowed legally clamp you in the first place, particularly if you have purchased food.

OP, what authority did you pay the € 125 to ?

Guy:Incognito · 17-06-2019 2:46pm

IAMAMORON wrote: »

I doubt they are allowed legally clamp you in the first place, particularly if you have purchased food.

OP, what authority did you pay the € 125 to ?

On the authority of "my house, my rules"

Spook_ie · 17-06-2019 2:49pm

quad_red wrote: »

My primary concern here is my appeal hinges on the bloody CCTV that proves my timelines.

Despite the clamping guys laughing in my face at my appeal that I wasn't even 3 mins ("you were less" ) I'm not sure they'll be quite so forthcoming later on.

How do I get at the CCTV before they make sure it's binned?

The clamping company is required to keep timed documentation for a number of years, again use the NTA to wave the stick for you.

The clamping company should also have a claims procedure, do try that first as NTA will likely ask if you have.

CrankyHaus · 17-06-2019 2:54pm

Spook_ie wrote: »

The clamping company is required to keep timed documentation for a number of years, again use the NTA to wave the stick for you.

The clamping company should also have a claims procedure, do try that first as NTA will likely ask if you have.

This is the right advice. Don't stress CCTV, just go through the clamping company's appeal process and then go through the NTA one if you don't get satisfaction.

Photograph the location and signs in case they upgrade them to meet the regulations.

Make a detailed and precise note of events now so you don't have difficulty recalling anything down the line.

Meanwhile make a complaint in writing to both the McDonalds premises and Mc Donalds head office.

elperello · 17-06-2019 6:56pm

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

On the authority of "my house, my rules"

You are right that the authority within the curtilage of your private residence is "my house, my rules".
This however is a public space to which customers have unfettered access with an implied invitation to enter.
The management of the area by McDonalds, Circle K and the DAA is questionable to say the least.
The ambush tactics of the clampers only make a bad situation worse.

imfml · 05-07-2019 10:30am

I was at the airport this morning. There were at least 15-20 taxis parked in the Topaz area, at pumps, in parking spaces and on double yellow lines. All with the drivers sitting in the car or standing outside the car smoking (at a petrol station ðŸ€ª ). Nobody could care less. I wanted to go into the shop, but couldn’t park. It’s ridiculous there. Glad I’d been warned about the clampers at Mc Donald’s, but I can see why someone might innocently park there for 5 minutes.

vandriver · 05-07-2019 11:04am

That's because,whilst McDonald's are clamping,Circle K aren't yet.(they do have a man noting times of vehicles at the pumps,and moving them on,though)
As an aside,there was a clamper being put in an ambulance,and a (clamped)taxi driver helping police with their enquiries this morning

irishkopite 2011 · 27-07-2019 7:13am

Hey op did you ever get a refund?

Lantus · 27-07-2019 9:34am

Could be solved by fencing between to stop people walking between the premises. Of course that only benefits the consumer....

California Dreamer · 05-08-2019 2:15am

0215 and just saw a guy get clamped.

beggars_bush · 05-08-2019 8:35am

SteM wrote: »

Agreed, but your plan of calmly walking in and buying food after walking off site and getting clamped would just mean you're paying McDonald's for food and the cost of getting the clamp off. They're not going to remove your clamp because you bought something after getting clamped.

A bottle of water would have sufficed

Irishphotodesk · 05-08-2019 9:21am

It’s been hinted at but there are a number of ways to deal with this.

Petty but effective : organize as many people as possible to take up all of the parking spaces, if needed everyone might need to enter McDonald’s to purchase something or use the bathroom ... and simply hold the spaces, this will result in McDonald’s learning sales will be down if this is done regularly enough...it will change.

Learn to pick locks, carry lock picking equipment in your car boot ...if clamped by private clampers, unlock and pass it back to them.(video the return to them to ensure they cannot claim you damaged it)

Carry an angle grinder: risk of getting charged with criminal damage if seen on cctv or caught in the act.

Trap them: have someone “asleep” in the back of the car after their long flight (they cannot clamp a vehicle with a person inside), so you could park and head towards the petrol station and your friend can be “woken” by the clampers, if vehicle is clamped it would have been done so illegally.

(None of the above is actual advice ...just opinion from some random internet person)

California Dreamer · 05-08-2019 10:24am

The thing I noticed last night was the clamping van was parked at the entrance. He was taking to a couple of guys in an unmarked Garda car.

As soon as the punter saw the clamp and started to argue with clamper they pulled away. They returned after clamp was removed and punter left.

They wouldn’t get involved as it was a civil matter but what would happen if you cut the lock and remove the clamp in front of them?

vectra · 05-08-2019 10:55am

I wonder if there were 4 rough as fcuk guys, one standing at each wheel on a car, would the clampers be so quick as to say "move, I want to clap that car"

pablo128 · 05-08-2019 11:06am

vectra wrote: »

I wonder if there were 4 rough as fcuk guys, one standing at each wheel on a car, would the clampers be so quick as to say "move, I want to clap that car"

You could have 4 children standing at the wheels and they can't touch them.

Lantus · 05-08-2019 2:04pm

beggars_bush wrote: »

A bottle of water would have sufficed

Purchase at mcdonald's alone is not sufficient at any level. Once you walk away from your car your clamped if you leave their site boundary.

vandriver · 05-08-2019 5:53pm

If FreeNow and the DAA found a space for taxi drivers to wait that didn't cost 7.50 an hour,the problem would go away overnight.
(Technically,the virtual rank area would have to mirror the allotted parking)

Titanucd · 08-08-2019 6:28am

Just a quick heads up for anyone heading to Dublin Airport and planning to use the McDonald’s or the Circle K on the way out of the airport.

If you’re going to McDonald’s go to their car park! If you’re going to circle K DO NOT PARK IN MCDONALDS!

Dropped the daughter to the airport this morning. Decided to get a coffee and a muffin before heading home. Looked like McDonald’s was drive through only and I was bursting for a wee! So I parked in McDonald’s and walked across to circle K. Felt the sweet relief of urinating after holding it for ages and toddled back to my car to drive around and get my coffee.

I parked at 04:21. I returned at 04:26 to find a clamper walking away from my car! He said I was clamped because I left the premises!

€125. That’s right €125 for a piss!

Paid it with my card and immediately filled out the appeal online but I won’t hold my breath!

Worst thing is the guy had been sitting in his van parked behind me and could easily have just told me not to park there if I wasn’t going into McDonald’s but decided to be a dick and let me walk off.

Either way I doubt I’ll get anywhere with the appeal because no doubt the clamper will have been “technically” correct.

TLDR: read the damn post! I’m trying to make sure nobody else gets stung!

The Bishop Basher · 08-08-2019 6:35am

This has come up on here before.

It’s beyond sneaky and greedy but this is Ireland so they can do it with impunity.

spurious · 08-08-2019 6:48am

Many waiting there are for pickups. Looks like a new motorway service style place opening across the road from the skoda dealers on the old airport road. It may have some waiting/parking spaces.

Shakedown at Dublin airport, Circle-K / McDonald's

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