Visitors to the Trafford Centre in Manchester were met with a nightmare scenario as they found themselves trapped in the car park due to severe congestion. Families experienced distress, with reports of children crying and altercations breaking out among frustrated drivers unable to leave their parking spots.
Cody Fisher, a business administrator, and his boyfriend, healthcare worker Lewis Moran, recounted their ordeal after attending a screening of Wicked. They arrived at around noon and spent an hour searching for a parking space, but it was upon leaving the film at about 3 o'clock that they realised they were stuck, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The couple, aged 18 and 20 respectively, were trapped in their parking space for almost five hours as the situation escalated. Cody shared how tensions and tempers flared over time. Recalling the events, he said: "We went to the car and everyone was on the road, and the engines were turned off. We thought, 'that's a bit weird'."
He continued: "Then, 20 minutes went by, and another 20 minutes went by. When we got to about half six, seven, that's when people starting getting really annoyed." In an attempt to alleviate the gridlock, some individuals took matters into their own hands, opening gates that were usually closed to allow more cars to exit. Join our WhatsApp news community here for the latest breaking news. You will receive updates from us daily.
The situation rapidly deteriorated. Cody witnessed a scuffle erupt amidst mounting anxiety over the gridlock. "It was like throwing hands each other", he recounted. "It was this lady and another lady, the first lady had a child with diabetes. They were shouting about the lengthy delay, 'we've been here five hours', and 'we're not letting you pass'."
"Everyone started shouting saying stop being so selfish - I've never seen anything like it, it's a Christmas nightmare." At the time of the conversation, Cody and his companion Lewis had been stuck for five hours and had retreated to their vehicle. "It was about five hours," Cody said resignedly, "we just decided that we're going to go back to our car parking place, because we just got sick of it."
Describing the chaos further, he added: "We edged out of the space, about 30cm. I've got voice messages of people screaming. There's swearing, verbal abuse."
Natalia Suska, 33, alongside her partner Piyush Sheopuri, 31, became ensnared in traffic while picking up a Pandora order from the Trafford Centre. Piyush commented on the extent of the disruption: "People have parked up on the footpath and the grass as well."
Natalia shared her dismay with the Manchester Evening News: "We've been here two hours. I've never experienced something like that, even the day before Christmas. It wasn't that bad, we've been here on the 23rd and it was busy but not that much."
Speaking to the M.E.N., a spokesperson for the Trafford Centre confirmed: "With a busy day at the centre, and the Manchester United game taking place nearby this evening, the roads in and out of the centre are more congested than usual."
"We're working with Greater Manchester Police and the highways authorities to try and clear the roads as quickly as possible, so things should be moving better around the centre soon. We appreciate our visitors' patience whilst trying to get in and out of the car parks."
