Retired Ardglass man Raymond Smyth was in a tight squeeze literally recently when he arrived at the John Lennon Airport in Liverpool when he received a big hug from his daughter Jackie while on a pre-Christmas family visit.
Jackie’s husband driving the family car stopped at the front of the airport for thirteen seconds to let her out to greet her dad and he was given a fine of £60 by the airport authorities or a fine of a hundred pounds in not paid within a short time.
Raymond said: “I arrived early and had walked into the terminal. I saw my daughter’s car arrive and I walked out. She saw me and they stopped the car for an incredible 13 seconds. The security camera picked up her licence plate number and the next thing she knew a letter had arrived with the fine. Just unbelievable.
“That was an expensive hug – but I enjoyed it. Apparently the private company that looks after this part of traffic management at the Liverpool airport is a bit gung ho and they have managed to whip up a whole furore in Liverpool. Even the Mayor has intervened saying it is having an effect on local tourism and that some people are chosing to fly in to Manchester now.
“I even heard of one woman who stopped when her child was car sick and she received a fine. And there was another woman whose back window shelf popped up and was blocking her rear view. When she stopped to fix it she too was fined.
“It’s just madness. I enjoyed my month’s break with my xa0daughter and children who live just outside Chester. But it was just laughable that pulling your car up for 13 seconds would lead to a £60 fine.”
Raymond has seen the lighter side of the incident and is now thinking of doing sponsored hugs for local charities. He joked: “Carlsberg Don’t Do Hugs But If They Did They’d Probably Be The Best Hugs In The World.”
