Trapped in Westfield: Hundreds of shoppers struggle to escape underground car park
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We've all been there. Sometimes it feels like you're walking for hours just to find a spot. When you finally do find one, it's usually not close to where you want to go.
And if you thought parking at the shopping centre was bad on a regular day, just wait until you see what happens in the leadup to a holiday!
That's what hundreds of shoppers at the Westfield Chermside shopping centre in Brisbane, Queensland, experienced over the weekend. Dozens of cars were stuck in the car park for hours, with some people waiting more than three hours just to move their car four spaces.
Some drivers were left with no choice and decided to leave their vehicles in the parking lot and come back once the lines had thinned, The Courier reports.
The centre management attempted to reduce the backlog by opening the boom gates, but due to heavy traffic on the road, cars were backed up inside the car park with nowhere to go.
Credit: TikTok/@nikkayyy__
Customers were urged to stay inside and shop instead of going out to their cars until the lines moved.
Customers at Westfield North Lakes were reportedly grumbling about waiting hours to exit the parking lot and taking to social media to vent their irritation and discourage others from utilising the lot.
One motorist wrote on a Facebook post: 'Yep [I was] stuck at North Lakes after work. The problem is there are traffic lights in and out holding everyone up, plus waiting for boom gates/tolls.'
It was also said that a similar scene was observed at Chermside.
One TikTok user pointed out that the same issue was presented to the shoppers on the Saturday before Mother's Day in May, when thousands of automobiles were jammed inside the Chermside parking lot.
Keeping this in mind, many voiced their concerns that the centre wouldn't be able to handle the volume of traffic and that they might get stranded in it at other busy times of the year, including Christmas.
Some motorists were left with no choice but to leave their cars and continue shopping instead of waiting for the queue to move. Credit: TikTok/@nikkayyy__.
Westfield confirmed that there were traffic delays for a 'limited period' at the Chermside centre.
'Father’s Day is one of the busiest moments of the year for our Westfield Living Centres and on Saturday, customers were out in force across our Queensland centres picking up last-minute gifts and celebrating with loved ones,' a Westfield spokesperson said.
'At Westfield Chermside, there were some delays for customers exiting our car park that took place over a limited period. Our boom gates were lifted to assist with traffic flow and additional team members were on hand to assist customers as needed. Updates were also shared via our PA system with customers in the centre.'
It is no secret that on busy days like Father's Day, Mother's Day, and Christmas, the parking lot is even more crowded and it's even harder to find a spot. And if you're not careful, you might end up getting stuck in traffic for hours.
So what can you do to make the situation better? For one, you can try to arrive early so that you can get a better spot. Or, you can try to park in a spot that's farther away from the entrance and walk the extra distance. Better yet, skip the traffic and shop online. Whatever you do, just be patient and try not to get too frustrated.
So, there you have it, folks! Have you experienced a similar situation before? How did you manage to stay calm during the gruelling waiting time in traffic? Share your stories with us in the comments below!
And if you thought parking at the shopping centre was bad on a regular day, just wait until you see what happens in the leadup to a holiday!
That's what hundreds of shoppers at the Westfield Chermside shopping centre in Brisbane, Queensland, experienced over the weekend. Dozens of cars were stuck in the car park for hours, with some people waiting more than three hours just to move their car four spaces.
Some drivers were left with no choice and decided to leave their vehicles in the parking lot and come back once the lines had thinned, The Courier reports.
The centre management attempted to reduce the backlog by opening the boom gates, but due to heavy traffic on the road, cars were backed up inside the car park with nowhere to go.
Credit: TikTok/@nikkayyy__
Customers were urged to stay inside and shop instead of going out to their cars until the lines moved.
Customers at Westfield North Lakes were reportedly grumbling about waiting hours to exit the parking lot and taking to social media to vent their irritation and discourage others from utilising the lot.
One motorist wrote on a Facebook post: 'Yep [I was] stuck at North Lakes after work. The problem is there are traffic lights in and out holding everyone up, plus waiting for boom gates/tolls.'
It was also said that a similar scene was observed at Chermside.
One TikTok user pointed out that the same issue was presented to the shoppers on the Saturday before Mother's Day in May, when thousands of automobiles were jammed inside the Chermside parking lot.
Keeping this in mind, many voiced their concerns that the centre wouldn't be able to handle the volume of traffic and that they might get stranded in it at other busy times of the year, including Christmas.
Some motorists were left with no choice but to leave their cars and continue shopping instead of waiting for the queue to move. Credit: TikTok/@nikkayyy__.
Westfield confirmed that there were traffic delays for a 'limited period' at the Chermside centre.
'Father’s Day is one of the busiest moments of the year for our Westfield Living Centres and on Saturday, customers were out in force across our Queensland centres picking up last-minute gifts and celebrating with loved ones,' a Westfield spokesperson said.
'At Westfield Chermside, there were some delays for customers exiting our car park that took place over a limited period. Our boom gates were lifted to assist with traffic flow and additional team members were on hand to assist customers as needed. Updates were also shared via our PA system with customers in the centre.'
It is no secret that on busy days like Father's Day, Mother's Day, and Christmas, the parking lot is even more crowded and it's even harder to find a spot. And if you're not careful, you might end up getting stuck in traffic for hours.
So what can you do to make the situation better? For one, you can try to arrive early so that you can get a better spot. Or, you can try to park in a spot that's farther away from the entrance and walk the extra distance. Better yet, skip the traffic and shop online. Whatever you do, just be patient and try not to get too frustrated.
So, there you have it, folks! Have you experienced a similar situation before? How did you manage to stay calm during the gruelling waiting time in traffic? Share your stories with us in the comments below!
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