Will I get fined for leaving my car parked for the day on the side of a petrol station forecourt, with no signs limiting parking to a set number of hours?

Posted by Ultra1894@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 23 comments

I need to park in a town centre for the day which has very expensive car parking. There is a petrol station a 10 minute walk from the town centre where I often see cars parked out of the way, on the side of the forecourt. There are no signs whatsoever limiting parking to a certain number of hours, so I’m tempted to leave my car there for the day (8 or so hours) and then collect in the evening.

Is there still the chance that someone who works at the petrol station will notice my car hasn’t moved all day and call a private enforcement team to fine me / get a retrospective fine from one of the cameras on the forecourt?

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Ultra1894@reddit (OP)

Edit: thanks for the responses all. Following all your advice, I have left my car on the forecourt this morning and I’ll return at some point in the next couple of weeks to collect it.

For those that were concerned, yes the bomb squad have already been called, my partners been awoken by a SWAT team booting in our front door, and my car has been “blacklisted from all petrol stations” (which now saves me from being further ripped off by these scamming oil companies).

A fairly eventful morning, simply for enquiring about free parking, something so evil that absolutely was not commonplace in towns across the UK 20 years ago.

I could absolutely understand the reaction if I mentioned parking on someone’s driveway or in front of a local business. But clearly Shell, BP or Texaco will continue to operate if a car is parked, behind other parked cars, out of the way, on the side of one of their forecourts.

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Illustrious-Log-3142@reddit

It's a bit of a dick move but I can say from experience that nothing happens. I once drove to get petrol on my lunch break when I would usually walk. Didn't realise until I went to drive home that I'd forgotten I even drove to the petrol station and just walked back to work, leaving my car there for 6 hours at the pump. In hindsight a hilarious story, at the time, just embarassing

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DaveL16@reddit

You normally walk to get petrol? Where do you put it, in your pockets??

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Illustrious-Log-3142@reddit

Normally walked to the petrol station to get lunch... But needed petrol so I took the car

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Spiritual_Tie3348@reddit

😂That's brilliant

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AllThatIHaveDone@reddit

Seems like a good way to get your car investigated by the bomb squad to me.

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Careless_Soup_109@reddit

The bomb squad then realised it had a wet belt , and would blow up by itself

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CoffeeIgnoramus@reddit

Maybe just take a bus if you can't afford to use your car?

And in answer, no one can possibly know what the owner of the land you park on will do. It's private land. They can do whatever they want.

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Hancri84@reddit

There is an app or a website which tells you wear you can park safely for free. Im not sure what its called but apparently its good.

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Belterhaze31@reddit

Where do you find the cheek to want to park your car on someone’s business premises for 8 hours and then have the nerve to worry about a potential fine?

Just pay for parking for Christ’s sake

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Arbycutter@reddit

And then think I’ll see what Reddit think?

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Belterhaze31@reddit

It’s honestly baffling

Wouldn’t be as bad if he was at the very least filling his tank up, but nah just wants to inconvenience people because he’s too tight to pay £12 for a days parking

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Renew3DUK@reddit

Pay for a day of parking.

Don't be a twat.

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Master-Trick2850@reddit

sounds like a good way for them to add your reg to the national blacklist register

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cloudstrifeuk@reddit

Don't be a twat.

This sounds like you're gonna be a twat.

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