By Woo Sian Boon

YOU are driving out of a carpark.

You hear the beep as the parking fee is deducted from your CashCard and the electronic barrier lifts for you to exit.

You start to move your car but suddenly, the barrier drops and lands on the front of your car.

This was what happened to Mr Matthew Tan, 43, and his family at the Changi Airport Terminal 3 carpark last month.

While heading home from a family outing at T3, the bonnet of Mr Tan's car was hit by the electronic barrier, denting it.

"It fell very close to my car's windscreen, and my six-year-old daughter who was sitting in the front seat got a bad shock," said Mr Tan, a senior manager at a media company.

Stuck, he tried calling the carpark operator through the intercom, but help came only 15 minutes later, he claimed.

A parking attendant then approached him and contact numbers were exchanged.

The next day, Mr Tan lodged a complaint with the Changi Airport Group, and Wilson Parking, which manages T3's carpark.

Said Mr Tan: "I was very disappointed with the way the parties involved handled the situation. They did not seem to be concerned about my daughter's well-being or that my car was damaged."