I was TRAPPED inside Manchester Airport’s drop-off by grinning worker who blocked me in… I had to pay a fine to leave
A FURIOUS dad has slammed Manchester Airport after he was blocked from leaving the drop-off zone and told he had to pay a £100 fine to escape.
Lee Mellor, 54, was picking up his daughter from Terminal 3 after she returned from a ski trip on Saturday.
After spotting his daughter waiting with her gear, he pulled into the drop-off area for just "20 seconds" to collect her.
But as he tried to leave, an airport worker in an orange vest stopped him with a "grin on his face" and demanded £100 for using the zone to pick someone up.
The drop-off zone is only for "dropping passengers off," according to an airport spokesman, with hapless motorists risking huge fines if they act otherwise.
Lee, from Bolton, told Manchester Evening News: "He had a real smile on his face which really got to me."
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"I was shaking I was so angry. It was the look on his face that really angered me. It was almost like, 'we caught a fish'".
The dad-of-one, who drove a white Tesla, was forced to press the call button at the barrier to speak to an operator.
After a heated back and forth, the fine was reduced to £60 which he reluctantly paid.
Manchester Airport has introduced these fines to prevent congestion and ensure smoother traffic flow.
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The designated pick-up zones charge £6.20 for up to 15 minutes, with an £8 charge for a slightly longer 30 minutes.
While drivers using the drop-off zones pay £5 for up to five minutes or £25 for over 10 minutes.
The costs go up in increments after that, depending on how long you stay, up to a maximum of an hour.
The idea is to stop people from hanging around too long and clogging up the area.
A spokesperson for Manchester Airport said: “Our drop-off areas are reserved for drivers who are dropping passengers off.
"Picking passengers up from them is not permitted under any circumstances because the dwell time when picking passengers up is longer and it would mean the drop-off areas would become congested and unavailable to those who need them.
“Passengers being picked up after a flight should use our designated pick-up areas.
"These are positioned close to the arrivals areas in all three terminals and have greater capacity than the drop-off areas to allow for the longer dwell times involved when collecting passengers."
Manchester Airport's pick-up and drop-off information
Free drop-off area: All passengers can use a free drop-off area, where a shuttle bus takes them to the terminal at no cost, with journey times of 5-7 minutes. The service is 24/7, with marshals available to assist.
Paid drop-off: Drivers can drop off directly outside the terminals and train station. This system uses ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) and a barrier system. Payment is taken at the barrier by card.
Picking up: Pick-up options differ between Terminals 1, 2 and 3. But all payments can be made at the exit barriers with card or exact change. A note on the Manchester Airport website warns "a £100 charge will be applied to those attempting to pick up passengers in the drop-off zone".
Multi Storey car parks: Drivers who've booked to park in T1 Multi Storey will need to drive through the forecourt to access the car park. There's no charge for using the forecourt to enter but drivers will need to follow the signs.
