Tuesday 30 August 2011

Multistorey car park woes

Just got back from a nightmare trip into Truro...

Me & eldest daughter drove there in my little old Megane and parked on the ground floor of the multistorey car park, got the parking ticket & then realised I couldn't lock the car as the remote locking had stopped working - which meant that I couldn't start it either as I have to use the same signal to switch off the automatic immobiliser!

I phoned hub who drove to us with youngest daughter, and he played around with locks whilst we did the stuff we needed to in town. Still no joy when we returned so he phoned the vehicle recovery people to come out to us.
 
He also phoned the car park helpline to see about the parking ticket expiring but they had no sympathy - we had to keep feeding the machine every hour until we got the car (well 2 cars now!) moved...
 
2 hours later the vehicle recovery people still hadn't arrived. I finally drove hub's huge Volvo estate for the first time ever (not stressful at all!) through the holiday traffic to get to my doctor's appointment near home - just made it in time.

We got home after raiding the cornish pasty shop just as hub arrived back in my car!
 
The problem? Apparently the remote control locking system on my car is infra-red, just like the flourescent light in the car park I was parked underneath... They had pushed my car back 10 feet & it all worked fine...!!!

6 comments:

Dotty said...

Oh what a frustrating day. Annoying too that it was a simple problem that caused you so much trouble. Hope you have a nice relaxing evening

Baban Cat said...

OH!! I had a Megane that sometimes refused to start. It always started after a push start and now I know why!!!
Cars and men hey?

Alison said...

Oh, boy! I hope the car park gives you some money back: after all, they built a system that is incompatible with a very common car mechanism! (And how many people do you think will now start looking *up* when they pick a parking space?!)

Di said...

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Erika Price said...

OMG - what a nightmare, who'd have guessed it was due to a fluorescent light?

Janis said...

pfff, well i hope you get some money back!
ps.: I'm organizing an autumn trees necklace giveaway, feel free to join :) http://tinyurl.com/3z9go4y