09 March 2024 , 09:04
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A self-proclaimed 'rich man' has been criticised after he parked his large Mercedes 4x4 in a supermarket disabled bay.
Luke Desmaris posted a clip to TikTok of him parking the £130,000 car in what appeared to be a Sainsbury's cark park. The 28-year-old said he would be finished shopping before 100 disabled people could get there.
He said: "I'm a very quick person and I need to be close to the shops to save time. Time is money and within the two minutes I'm in the shop 100 disabled people are not going to show up. That's why I'm parking in a disabled bay."
Commenters responded by pointing out if he wanted to save time he could have parked outside of a disabled bay and been nearer the entrance. One person said: "There are spaces closer to the shop doors though."
A disabled commenter added: "It’s not two minutes, it’s a disabled bay, I’m disabled and people like you are fit and healthy to walk a mile to the shops." Another said Mr Desmaris had "no right to park there". A fourth questioned why he was making the video in an otherwise seemingly empty car park. They wrote: "Better explain why he’s in an empty Sainsbury’s car park."
London flat for rent for £1,400 a month with bed tucked away in kitchen cupboard
Mr Desmaris said he is a 'quick person' (tiktok/@mrlukedes)Mr Desmaris previously ruffled feathers by boasting how he treats central London's double-yellow lined roads as "VIP spots", racking up more than 100 parking fines in a year at the time of the video in September 2022.
He claimed he earns more than £100,000 per month through stick trading and says he prefers to "save time" on having to find a regular spot. A video shared online showed him casually walking from Harrods and swanky Middle Eight Hotel towards a £90,000 BMW M4.
Yellow fixed penalty notices (FPNs) can be seen on his windscreen as the voiceover explains "broke people see a fine, but I see VIP parking". He has further claimed he's paid more than £7,000 in parking fines over 12 months and insists he doesn't care because his success means "money doesn't matter".
Mr Desmaris, who claims to own a £1.5million home, justified the stunt by explaining "parking in London is a nightmare" and his "time is valuable", so "as long as he's not causing anyone harm he'll do what he wants". The video, which generated millions of views, had users split over whether the stunt is a "life hack" or deserves a tougher fine than London's £65 FPNs.
He said: "If I can save my time by doing that then I will. It means I'm able to go home quicker to get back to trading. That's my logic behind it. I'll do it when I go shopping, especially in London. I'll just park it outside because It can be a nightmare to park otherwise.
"I started by getting a few here and there and ever since I started doing well, it doesn't matter. Money doesn't matter. I don't really have anything to say to [the critics]. I'll do what I want. I'm not inconveniencing anyone. If it's not causing anyone harm, then I'll do it.
"I'm not blocking anything or doing anything wrong apart from the rules state there's a yellow line there so you can't park there. In my eyes, I'm not doing anything wrong. I've never been confronted by it. People have a lot to say online and run their mouths but in person it's different. At the end of the day, I don't care.
"If people have controversial videos which people are going to have opposing opinions on, you're going to get negative feedback so it doesn't bother me in the slightest. On that day, pretty much everyone had a ticket on that street. When I went to Harrods afterwards there were loads of people with tickets there. People just think 'why not?'"