'Kids losing their s***': Malfunctioning gate traps over a dozen Dunedin families in carpark

Over a dozen Dunedin families were forced to spend their afternoon inside a carpark after a malfunctioning gate arm trapped them in a traffic jam. About 15 cars were wrapped around the lower level of the Farmers carpark complex in Great King St on Saturday unable to move forward or back after the exit gate arm refused to raise. At the front of the pack was Keziah Zeiger and her family who tried to leave at about 3.10pm. They were unable to exit until 4.40pm. "There [were] kids just losing their s . . . you know? They’re not happy.” Herself and many other stuck motorists had been calling the Dunedin City Council for help, but were eventually just being hung up on, she said. Efforts to open the gate remotely had failed. The problem was not affecting the entry gate to the carpark, but other motorists had been warning prospective users not to try their luck. [Missing Credit]A car stuck in the Farmers Carpark in Great King St due to a malfunctioning exit arm. Photo: Laine Priestley The motorists behind Mrs Zeiger said they had been told by the council help was coming from Portobello. However, 40 more minutes passed before someone came to help. "We’ve been waiting one hour and 13 minutes,” she said five minutes before being freed. She would be refusing to pay any charges that came from the time they spent idling in the car queue, she said. Many other motorists in the carpark were milling about and waiting for their freedom, while others had decided to leave and come back later. When help came, and after failing to get the gate operational, the arm was eventually forced up by hand to let the cars go free. laine.priestley@odt.co.nz