Was at a wedding yesterday in far northern parts and had to take my own high chair. So we left the car outside the venue and walked home with dd in the buggy. Parking restrictions started at 8am, so as dh was dead to the world I took dd in the buggy and picked up the car. It was lashing rain and dd hadn't had breakfast yet and she was getting rather upset. There was no parking at our hotel, there was also no parking in the public carpark further along. I drove round for 15 minutes with dd screaming and the only space I could see was at the very front of a small hotel 2 doors down from ours. So I parked there and got soaked running to our hotel with dd.
I came back after breakfast, with dd and dh to find a small van paked right behind our car. I honestly thought it was a work mans van, who had just parked where he felt like. So my dh, who is better at driving than me went back and forth about 20 times to get out the space sideways. We were almost out when this little fat man came hurtling out the hotel screaming at us for parking in his private car park. He demanded £20 for parking when there was a clear sign that parking was for resident only. I tried to explain that I hadn't seen the sign in the rain and I admitted I was in the wrong and said sorry, but he wouldn't listen and pulled some metal barriers from behind the fence and threatened to get his sons if we didn't give him £20. We were in a hurry and he was rather scary, so we just gave him £20.
I feel like I've been ripped off. It was an honest mistake and I don't think he needed to be so agressive.
I know I should not have parked in his carpark, but I don't think I deserved the shouting at or the fine of £20. I may as well have left the car in town and got a ticket.