Parking lots are supposed to make shopping easier.
But for one pensioner in Bremen, Germany, a simple trip to Lidl turned into a frustrating ordeal.
After spending just 39 minutes shopping, well within the 90-minute parking limit, he was hit with an unexpected €35 ($38) fine.
The man, who considers himself a rule-follower, couldn’t believe it. He had done nothing wrong — or so he thought.
A Misunderstanding
The fine came from Parkpoint, the company managing Lidl’s parking lot.
At first, their explanation seemed absurd. They claimed the pensioner had spent too much time in the store compared to how much he spent at the register.
His total that day was €34 ($36). According to Parkpoint, this wasn’t enough to justify his 39-minute stay.
It later came to light that the situation was more complicated. Before shopping, the pensioner had gone to a gym located near Lidl.
His car was mistakenly registered as being parked continuously, making it seem like he had overstayed the 90-minute limit.
In reality, he parked twice — once for the gym and once for Lidl. He didn’t break any rules.
Despite this explanation, Parkpoint refused to cancel the fine.
They maintained that his €34 ($36) purchase didn’t warrant the time he spent in the lot. The pensioner, who acted in good faith and followed the rules, was left to pay the penalty.
