A change to free parking rules at a Tesco supermarket has sparked a backlash.
Regulations over how much time shoppers are allowed to park for free at one store have been altered – but the impact is on those who shop after a certain point in the day: and they are angry.
The rules at the undisclosed store stipulate that from 6am until 8pm, customers can enjoy up to three hours of complimentary parking. Yet, nocturnal shoppers who pop in from 8pm until midnight are limited to just one hour, and anyone arriving from midnight through to dawn at 6am has only half an hour to park.
Dismayed by the changes, one disgruntled shopper on X said: “Hey @Tesco I do my shopping at night so I can wander round without my kids and buy nice things that I can hide and eat by myself. It’s a couple of hours to myself once a week. This new policy sucks.”
They then went on, adding: “I know to a lot of people this probably seems petty and not a big deal, but to anyone who either has kids or works weird hours and has to shop in the evening, or for anyone neurodivergent, it’s absolutely not okay,” reports the Mirror.
“I’m aware the store is shut 12-6am, I’m talking about when I like to go at 9pm for a couple of hours when it’s nice and quiet and I can shop in peace.”
The decision by Tesco to alter parking times has sparked a wave of discontent among shoppers. One disgruntled social media user expressed their frustration, stating: “I second that @Tesco. I know people who suffer with anxiety do their shops at night as it’s quiet and a much more calm atmosphere.”
One shopper responded to say: “I hear you. Shopping for groceries in the evening is bliss! No crowds, no screaming kids, barely any queues, what’s not to like? Poor decision making, Tesco.”
Another chimed in, suggesting there could be an underlying reason for the supermarket’s move: “It might be because a lot of Tesco car parks get used as boy racer car meets late at night.”
A third individual observed the community’s reaction: “I saw this in the community group yesterday. Very odd decision by Tesco. I agree with the person who said it should be a blanket 3 hours while the store is open and 30 minutes at all other times.”
In response to the uproar, a Tesco spokesperson explained that the new policy aims to tackle “anti-social behaviour” during the night, saying: “It is important to us that all our customers can find a space when they visit our stores and, where we have parking limits in place, this is to allow us to better manage spaces, and to deter anti-social behaviour in the car park at night, especially outside of opening hours.”