Expensive lunch

Kebab for 350 euros due to stop in private parking lot

Anyone who parks in the Szihn bakery's customer parking lot but does not buy anything there will receive a payment request for 350 euros from the lawyer.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Doris Seebacher, ZVG)

Drivers who illegally use the Szihn bakery's customer parking lot are sent a bill for 350 euros by a lawyer. Company boss Stefan Szihn is thus defending himself against cheeky parkers who do not store in his store. So the kebab from across the street quickly becomes expensive. 

Mr. S. (name known to the editors) just wanted to get a kebab and parked his car opposite the Szihn bakery's customer parking lot. This is very convenient, as the store and coffee house have nine customer parking spaces, which are often empty.

The rude awakening came a month later when he received a letter from a lawyer demanding payment of 350 euros. If Mr. S. had stayed a few minutes longer, he would have been charged additional costs for the towing service (see facsimile).

"It is not in our interest to take such measures at all, but unfortunately the situation in Himberg was consistent and required a solution," explains company boss Stefan Szihn.

(Bild: Doris SEEBACHER)

Customers often use the bakery's company parking lot to quickly grab a kebab across the street or to make other trips to Himberg.

(Bild: Doris SEEBACHER)

The nine free parking spaces at the Szihn bakery are clearly marked so that they can only be used by customers of the bakery.

(Bild: Doris SEEBACHER)

Mrs. B. felt the same way. She was annoyed because she had even been shopping at Szihn's beforehand and had another errand to run shortly afterwards. "I was a regular customer, but from now on I won't be going there again".

Mrs. N., who was also a hand kisser, says: "I used to visit the bakery occasionally, but I'm sure I won't go there again." She does realize that it wasn't right to use the parking space for a quick visit to the kebab house opposite, but: "350 euros for ten minutes parking is a lot of money". She didn't know that non-customers are not allowed to park at the bakery.

Company boss says: "Cars often parked for hours and overnight"
 Company boss Stefan Szihn defends himself against these accusations and the repeated blocking of parking spaces by third-party users. "Unfortunately, our customer parking lot was often used by people visiting neighboring restaurants or running other errands." This meant that there was often no space available for his customers.

"It was only the purchase of these nine parking spaces that made it possible for us to set up store here," says Szihn. There were cases where cars were parked for hours and whole days without anything being bought in his store. "I would like to emphasize that we are not concerned with fines, but with keeping the parking lot free for our customers. As an artisan bakery and local supplier, we definitely don't mind if our customers combine their shopping with other errands in the area." 

And: "We understand the resentment that such measures can cause and take all feedback seriously. If anyone feels that there has been a misunderstanding, they can contact us at any time."