I had the worst experience ever visiting Carr Mill in Carrboro, NC, during what was supposed to be a lovely outing. It was my first time in this charming city, and I started off excited, visiting Weaver Street Market and noticing a beautiful gift shop across the street. After shopping there, I returned to My Muses Card Shop for an amazing card with a black lab design. But then everything turned into a nightmare. When I returned to the parking lot, I couldn’t find my car where I had left it. With two little kids in tow, I was frantically running in circles, panicking and unsure what to do. I started imagining what life would look like without a car to get my kids home in the freezing weather. Someone from one of the shops noticed me running around in a panic and came over. They explained that my car might have been towed and gave me a number to call. Sure enough, my car had been towed because I crossed the street after parking in the lot. The fee? $380—or $300 if I paid in cash. I felt completely blindsided. Here I was, supporting local businesses, enjoying my visit to Carrboro, and this is the treatment I received? They towed my car because I crossed the street—no matter that I had shopped at the businesses in the area. Worse, it seems they were monitoring me from the moment I left my car, and no one stepped in to warn me until after the damage was done. I had to pay for an Uber, shell out $380, and endure freezing cold with my kids to retrieve my car. I lost the rest of my day, couldn’t do anything I had planned, and now my kids are scared to even drive in the car after this horrible experience. To make things worse, I was told I needed to drive from one store to another within the same lot to avoid being towed. Is this the standard? Do you seriously expect visitors to get in their car and drive 200 feet instead of walking across the street? And in a time when the rest of the world is fighting for freedom and safety, this is how you treat people? Monitoring families and punishing them for visiting local shops? P.S. adding the photo of empty parking lot Now, as I write this review and reflect on how to make this right for the community, I’m shocked to see that I’m not alone. Tons of other people have shared similar experiences, also paying $380—even after shopping there! So, is this your way of doing business? Is this really the reputation you want to build? In a world where safety and community should come first, this is appalling. Is this really the value your businesses are built on—monitoring and punishing visitors who are genuinely trying to support your local shops? I’m heartbroken that what started as a beautiful day turned into a nightmare for me and my two kids. Needless to say, I cannot recommend visiting this shopping area or Carrboro after this experience. Edit: Since there’s no way to reply directly to the owner, I’ll post my response here: Oh, so you know each customer and their personal information so well that you can confidently tell me what I did or didn’t do? Please provide me with your privacy disclosure policy! Before making any official statement, make sure you have your facts straight. When I entered your shopping area, I went straight to Weaver Street Market because that was the main reason I came there. Check all your cameras again before responding! Unfortunately, your response here only confirms the values on which you are building your business!