A new mother faced a £100 fine after a parking struggle with her twins at a shopping park
Teesside: A new mum, Kelly Kitchen, found herself in a bit of a pickle after getting a £100 parking fine. She was just trying to get her newborn twins out of the car at a shopping park. After an hour of shopping, she returned to her car only to discover the fine for slightly crossing into another parking space.
Kelly, 36, explained that there were no parent and child parking spots available. She needed to open both rear doors wide to get her boys out of their car seats and into the buggy. Even after appealing the fine and sharing her story, her request was turned down.
She mentioned a similar situation in a Durham car park where they waived the fine after she explained her struggle. But at Teesside Park, they weren’t having it. Kelly was there on December 5 with her 12-week-old twins, Jesse and Joey, when the fine hit her.
“It was super busy, and all the parent and child spaces were taken,” she said. To get the car seats out of her Toyota RAV4, she had to park a bit over the line into an empty space next to her. As a single mum from Stainton, she reached out to both Teesside Park management and the enforcement company, but no luck, according to Teesside Live.
“I feel like I’m just going in circles. No one seems to care or help me,” she added. Kelly wants to highlight the parking issues parents face. She believes there aren’t enough parent and child spaces at Teesside Park, and the ones available are too narrow.
“I can’t be the only one with this issue. It’s not just Teesside Park; it’s everywhere. The car seats are bulky, and I need to open the doors wide to get them out. I never thought about this before having kids, but now I’m lost on how others manage,” she said.
A spokesperson from Teesside Park reassured visitors that their car park is managed by Minster Baywatch. They claim the policies are in place to ensure spaces are available for those who need them, including dedicated parent and child spots.