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

quad_red

Hi folks,

My brother in law and the family came into dublin airport yesterday (moving back to Ireland!) and in the jigs and reels a bag got left at dublin airport. Had to drive him 2 hours back to Dublin airport today to get the bag.

After I dropped him at Terminal 2 I made my way over to the McDonalds on the airport campus. Plan was to get two cans of Monster and two scratch cards (an in-joke from our days driving long distance in the states) and two burgers from McDonalds.

Stopped at McDonalds and walked to the Circle-K 20 metres away to get the Monster first (made sense to get hot food second given I didn't know how long he was going to be). Did glance at the signs saying they were for customers only which was fine - i was getting food. Was approx 60 to 100 seconds in CircleK and walked back towards McDonalds. I glanced over at my car and to my ****ing astonishment it was clamped.

Cue one of the most enraging experiences I have ever had as two smug clampers informed me that the McDonalds car park was only for customers. They dismissed my attempts to say I was going into McDonalds and said that the small signs made it 'clear'. So they sit on their bonnets waiting to clamp people instantly.

The signs were tiny, half way up poles. In the third paragraph they said that if people 'left the site' they would be clamped. Even if I had read that I would have assumed that meant people trying to use the mcdonalds car park who were going to the airport. There was no mention of CircleK

So I am now 125euro down because I chose to get the two f**king cans of drink first before getting the burgers.

This is such sharp practice. I appealed to the clampers and said I was only two mins to which the guy smugly replied 'it was less than that'. The other guy said they'd done 'loads of people today'.

Is there any way to appeal this or am I wasting my time? I've been clamped before for forgetting to renew my parking at the train station which was upsetting but my fault etc. but never anything like this.

Absolutely gutted.

This is it

You say it's mentioned on the sign that if you leave the site you will be clamped. Incredibly harsh in your situation but I don't think you have a leg to stand on unfortunately.

Isambard

the daft thing is that it is often easier to park at the circleK than the McDs.

I didn't actually know there was a distinction between the parking areas.
the world's full of b'stards

Sonny noggs

What about the scratch cards? Did you get them? Any winners?

the hedgeman

Why didn't you then go into McDonalds and say your car clamped and you being a customer buying burgers in their premises

the hedgeman

the hedgeman wrote: »

Why didn't you then go into McDonalds and say your car clamped and you being a customer buying burgers in their premises

The receipt you then get from McDonalds for burger purchases should qualify you for use of their car park

Sonny noggs

the hedgeman wrote: »

The receipt you then get from McDonalds for burger purchases should qualify you for use of their car park

Rightly or wrongly, the clampers had already seen him ‘leave the site’, so can’t see how it would have made a difference.

the hedgeman

Sonny noggs wrote: »

Rightly or wrongly, the clampers had already seen him ‘leave the site’, so can’t see how it would have made a difference.

If he didn't actually go into McDonalds,then its a closed case

quad_red

Sonny noggs wrote: »

What about the scratch cards? Did you get them? Any winners?

A fiver actually :cool:

So I'm only down 120 euro.

Yeah

quad_red

Isambard wrote: »

the daft thing is that it is often easier to park at the circleK than the McDs.

I didn't actually know there was a distinction between the parking areas.
the world's full of b'stards

Well that's the thing - I could have parked in the Circle f**king K. But I was going to f**king McDonalds.

This is utter sharp practise lads. Any reasonable person interpreting 'leaving the site' would take it as leaving it for a few mins. 20 metres for 60 seconds and on the way back to make a purchase is shocking ****.

And they were truly hateful about it. They were absolutely loving it.

The response to me saying 'it was two minutes' and the guy smirking back and saying 'oh it was less than that..'.

Honestly I'm fuming. Prick.

elperello

I don't blame you for being upset.
That's what we get for allowing clamping on private land that is openly inviting the public in.
Thanks for the warning.

corkboy38

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

alchemist33

I presume its McDonalds who invite them in? You could always appeal to them, as publically as you can via social media, and hope for the best?

pablo128

If you were able to take it off in front of them without damaging it, there's nothing they could have done.

olestoepoke

quad_red wrote: »

Hi folks,

My brother in law and the family came into dublin airport yesterday (moving back to Ireland!) and in the jigs and reels a bag got left at dublin airport. Had to drive him 2 hours back to Dublin airport today to get the bag.

After I dropped him at Terminal 2 I made my way over to the McDonalds on the airport campus. Plan was to get two cans of Monster and two scratch cards (an in-joke from our days driving long distance in the states) and two burgers from McDonalds.

Stopped at McDonalds and walked to the Circle-K 20 metres away to get the Monster first (made sense to get hot food second given I didn't know how long he was going to be). Did glance at the signs saying they were for customers only which was fine - i was getting food. Was approx 60 to 100 seconds in CircleK and walked back towards McDonalds. I glanced over at my car and to my ****ing astonishment it was clamped.

Cue one of the most enraging experiences I have ever had as two smug clampers informed me that the McDonalds car park was only for customers. They dismissed my attempts to say I was going into McDonalds and said that the small signs made it 'clear'. So they sit on their bonnets waiting to clamp people instantly.

The signs were tiny, half way up poles. In the third paragraph they said that if people 'left the site' they would be clamped. Even if I had read that I would have assumed that meant people trying to use the mcdonalds car park who were going to the airport. There was no mention of CircleK

So I am now 125euro down because I chose to get the two f**king cans of drink first before getting the burgers.

This is such sharp practice. I appealed to the clampers and said I was only two mins to which the guy smugly replied 'it was less than that'. The other guy said they'd done 'loads of people today'.

Is there any way to appeal this or am I wasting my time? I've been clamped before for forgetting to renew my parking at the train station which was upsetting but my fault etc. but never anything like this.

Absolutely gutted.

If its not Dublin City council, I know people that have snipped the clamp off with a grinder or bolt crops and phoned up the company telling them you found the clamp beside your car when you got back and drive home. They will send u letters, ignore them. Too expensive to bring you to court so they forget about it. Dublin City council ones you can't do this. Terrible carry on altogether from these guys, sitting there watching you leave and pouncing.

Samuel T. Cogley

quad_red wrote: »

They were absolutely loving it.

Samuel T. Cogley

On a serious note - take to MaccyD's social media.

Guy:Incognito

the hedgeman wrote: »

The receipt you then get from McDonalds for burger purchases should qualify you for use of their car park

In fairness, if it was that easy everyone who got clamped would just go in after and buy a €1 hamburger to get unclamped.

tcawley29

To be honest I don't think you have a leg to stand on here OP.

I do believe your story but if anyone returns back to their car and sees a clamp it's easy for anyone to say they're going into McDonalds then to get out of paying the clamping fee and just get something from the euro menu instead.

Just gonna have to chalk this one up to experience

Guy:Incognito

quad_red wrote: »

A fiver actually :cool:

So I'm only down 120 euro.

Yeah

Buy 5 more scratch cards with the fiver. Repeat with winnings until you hit the top prize. Winner winner (Mc) chicken (sandwich) dinner.

Deminiman

I'd have offered them a cash bribe to see what they'd do. Surely they'd take a few Bob and say nothing.. on second thoughts they probably punch the reg into a machine.

Consey

I think you need to deduct the cost of the two scratchcards....

V bad luck in the clamping. No need for it.

quad_red wrote: »

A fiver actually :cool:

So I'm only down 120 euro.

Yeah

Guy:Incognito

Deminiman wrote: »

I'd have offered them a cash bribe to see what they'd do. Surely they'd take a few Bob and say nothing.. on second thoughts they probably punch the reg into a machine.

Cant see clamping companies not having it logged.


Picture the management meeting.
"Jesus lads, it's been 6 months and not 1 car clamped, maybe everyone has learned how to park properly at last"

Meanwhile all the lads in the Vans are going home with about 2 grand in cash a day

Hal3000

Firstly, ya brotha should have to fork out a seeds. Dung fool left his satchel bag up the birdport. Hit him for a few dead presidents when you get sthateside... Know what I'm saying cuz?

Secondly the birdieport aint no place to pump and dump. The old fav was to get it parked up in tha Maldron - im talking long term cuz, then get a hommie to drive up near the entrance take a new ticket and pass that Willy Wonka on to me...zoom, I'd be flashing quans down that Swords Pavillion for real cuz. Tiz been rumbled since 2015... McDougals going down the path of protecting their shizzle yo!

tcawley29

Hal3000 wrote: »

Firstly, ya brotha should have to fork out a seeds. Dung fool left his satchel bag up the birdport. Hit him for a few dead presidents when you get sthateside... Know what I'm saying cuz?

Secondly the birdieport aint no place to pump and dump. The old fav was to get it parked up in tha Maldron - im talking long term cuz, then get a hommie to drive up near the entrance take a new ticket and pass that Willy Wonka on to me...zoom, ide be down that Pavillion for real. Tiz been rumbled since 2015... McDougals going down the path of protecting their shizzle yo!

Can we try that in english this time please?

the hedgeman

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

In fairness, if it was that easy everyone who got clamped would just go in after and buy a €1 hamburger to get unclamped.

My point is if they went into McDonalds and purchased food,then they have the right to come back to their car without a clamp being attached to it

tcawley29

the hedgeman wrote: »

My point is if they went into McDonalds and purchased food,then they have the right to come back to their car without a clamp being attached to it

But they didn't do it first, personally I think the clamper was right here.

All the clamper knows when they arrived is that a car parked and two people left the car to go somewhere other than McDonalds

the hedgeman

the hedgeman wrote: »

My point is if they went into McDonalds and purchased food,then they have the right to come back to their car without a clamp being attached to it

He went into shop,purchased something there and came back to his car but I sympathise with him on seeing his car clamped,the McDonalds burgers wouldn't be his concern there and then

kravmaga

Sonny noggs wrote: »

What about the scratch cards? Did you get them? Any winners?

Yeah apparently he won €125 yo yo's

Wishbone Ash

the hedgeman wrote: »

My point is if they went into McDonalds and purchased food,then they have the right to come back to their car without a clamp being attached to it

But your point is irrelevant as those who parked and had no intention of going to McDonald's could just make a purchase after being clamped to escape the unclamping fee.

Hal3000

tcawley29 wrote: »

Can we try that in english this time please?

Dang, chill cuz... My hommie got flat-footed with a C-note Pony..... Sympathize.... .

the hedgeman

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

But your point is irrelevant as those who parked and had no intention of going to McDonald's could just make a purchase after being clamped to escape the unclamping fee.

As happened in this case,if he had gone into McDonalds on his way back from shop and then back to his car,but he came straight back from shop to car on seeing car clamped

Spook_ie

https://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Vehicle_Clamping__Signage_Regulations_2017.pdf


Even within this scenario you should afaik have a 10 minute grace period, report the clamping company to the relevent authority.

quad_red

tcawley29 wrote: »

But they didn't do it first, personally I think the clamper was right here.

All the clamper knows when they arrived is that a car parked and two people left the car to go somewhere other than McDonalds

There were spaces closer to circle k. If I’d wanted to go to circle k purely I would have parked there. I parked in the McDonald’s one cos I was going back there *immediately* after buying one thing. Which I did *immediately* after.

K.Flyer

McDonald's customers having trouble with clampers is nothing new..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALgw6jc3dbg

mickdw

You need to go back and do them over.
Park in McD. Enter Mcd. Have friend dressed similar exit Mcd, walk in the general direction of your car then stop turn around and head off site leaving car at Mcd.
Clamper will jump into action.
When clamper is in action, report to mcd manager that they are clamping your car while having your lunch.
Sit back and watch the head scratching.

K.Flyer

mickdw wrote: »

You need to go back and do them over.
Park in McD. Enter Mcd. Have friend dressed similar exit Mcd, walk in the general direction of your car then stop turn around and head off site leaving car at Mcd.
Clamper will jump into action.
When clamper is in action, report to mcd manager that they are clamping your car while having your lunch.
Sit back and watch the head scratching.

Clamp goes on and they won't remove it until its paid, then you have to appeal to get your money back.
Best to have a cordless angle grinder with you and tell them they have 60 seconds to remove it.

the_pen_turner

K.Flyer wrote: »

Clamp goes on and they won't remove it until its paid, then you have to appeal to get your money back.
Best to have a cordless angle grinder with you and tell them they have 60 seconds to remove it.

thats the route i would go down too.

or call the guards, if your receipt shows you in mc ds at the time they clamed you then its theft

foxy farmer

tcawley29 wrote: »

Can we try that in english this time please?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzIcec_bQss

dreamers75

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

wonski

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

Tldr the driver has no idea what he is doing

tcawley29

quad_red wrote: »

There were spaces closer to circle k. If I’d wanted to go to circle k purely I would have parked there. I parked in the McDonald’s one cos I was going back there *immediately* after buying one thing. Which I did *immediately* after.

I understand what happened but you were not a customer when you were clamped.

It's a brutal situation to be in but unfortunately it's just an expensive lesson learned.

This is it

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

Your driver is not the sharpest tool in the box.

check_six

What would happen if there were two people in the OP's car and one went into McD and one went into CircK? Should you still get clamped?

imfml

OP, that Circle K / McDonalds site is a mess, one of the busiest in the country for traffic with poorly designed entry and exit roads and lots of taxis and cars.
Unfortunate to hear of this carry on there taking advantage of it. Imagine this was a tourists first experience of Ireland. Add Dublin Airport / DAA to your social media list of people to get onto. It’s only going to get worse there as some genius has decided to build office blocks in the airport, it’s like the bloody IFSC in there now. Imagine trying to catch a flight at rush hour, airport and office traffic double whammy.

McCrack

quad_red wrote: »

Hi folks,

My brother in law and the family came into dublin airport yesterday (moving back to Ireland!) and in the jigs and reels a bag got left at dublin airport. Had to drive him 2 hours back to Dublin airport today to get the bag.

After I dropped him at Terminal 2 I made my way over to the McDonalds on the airport campus. Plan was to get two cans of Monster and two scratch cards (an in-joke from our days driving long distance in the states) and two burgers from McDonalds.

Stopped at McDonalds and walked to the Circle-K 20 metres away to get the Monster first (made sense to get hot food second given I didn't know how long he was going to be). Did glance at the signs saying they were for customers only which was fine - i was getting food. Was approx 60 to 100 seconds in CircleK and walked back towards McDonalds. I glanced over at my car and to my ****ing astonishment it was clamped.

Cue one of the most enraging experiences I have ever had as two smug clampers informed me that the McDonalds car park was only for customers. They dismissed my attempts to say I was going into McDonalds and said that the small signs made it 'clear'. So they sit on their bonnets waiting to clamp people instantly.

The signs were tiny, half way up poles. In the third paragraph they said that if people 'left the site' they would be clamped. Even if I had read that I would have assumed that meant people trying to use the mcdonalds car park who were going to the airport. There was no mention of CircleK

So I am now 125euro down because I chose to get the two f**king cans of drink first before getting the burgers.

This is such sharp practice. I appealed to the clampers and said I was only two mins to which the guy smugly replied 'it was less than that'. The other guy said they'd done 'loads of people today'.

Is there any way to appeal this or am I wasting my time? I've been clamped before for forgetting to renew my parking at the train station which was upsetting but my fault etc. but never anything like this.

Absolutely gutted.

It wouldn't have mattered either way.. If you got food first and then left to go to the petrol station the outcome would be the same

It is sharp practice as you say but them's the rules

Isambard

i know the object of the exercise is to stop people parking there to avoid car park charges but the clampers are taking advantage of this to make money and the site owners should jump on this straight away. It's not clear where the circleK ends and McD's starts and they should be regarded as one site for the purposes of the original intention

RoryMac

Isambard wrote: »

i know the object of the exercise is to stop people parking there to avoid car park charges but the clampers are taking advantage of this to make money and the site owners should jump on this straight away. It's not clear where the circleK ends and McD's starts and they should be regarded as one site for the purposes of the original intention

Tbh it's pretty clear(or was when I was last there) where circleK ends and McD's starts, there's a small wall separating them

vandriver

You are a victim of both McDonald's and Circle K refusing to tackle the main issue,which is taxis and limousines taking 90% of the parking in both businesses.
Mytaxi have introduced a queueing system for non permit taxis called a virtual rank(uber do too,to a lesser extent),where the driver has to be in the grounds of the airport to keep their place.
As anything over an hour in the zone 18 pick up car park is €7.50, we park the only place in the airport where it's free and stay with our cars.The clamper then has very few vehicles to have a chance to clamp....and you were one.

Spook_ie

Doesn't matter there should still be a 10 minute grace period for the payment to be effected, even if the payment is buying a burger.

Suppose you needed to get cash from the ATM to pay for the burger

vandriver

Spook_ie wrote: »

Doesn't matter there should still be a 10 minute grace period for the payment to be effected, even if the payment is buying a burger.

Suppose you needed to get cash from the ATM to pay for the burger

Pay by card.