"Suck it up": Tourist's parking mistake divides Aussies
A puzzled tourist's question about a $116 parking fine he received at a beach in Noosa, Queensland has divided Aussies, with many telling him to cough up the cash.
The motorist shared a photo of his white SUV sitting between two other parked cars under a tree, but what he missed was the faint yellow line behind the nature strip.
Confused, he took to a local Facebook group to ask why he was slapped with a fine for “stopping in a no stopping zone” in late October as he believed that he “parked off the road in one of the car parks they offer for free”.
“Can I still be charged if I’m parked not impeding traffic or even on the road?” the driver asked.
“Is there any way I can go back to them and contest this? I don’t remember seeing any signs that said no stopping near the island.”
Residents of the popular tourist town were quick to criticise the driver.
“Really. There are yellow lines and parked in a garden bed. It’s not a car park,” one wrote.
“You’re lucky you only got non stopping zone ticket. Just because you park in car park doesn’t mean you can park anywhere in there," another added.
“You are in a garden … suck it up,” a third commented.
While many pointed out that where he had parked “is not a car space," one commenter explained that “yellow line means no parking all over Australia” and the council is “well within their rights”.
The driver didn't take the criticism to heart, and quipped :“So due to the faint yellow line that means you can’t park there? Gotta love Noosa, good to know that the $116 will go towards repainting the line — not.
"So is there anything I can do or just pay it?”
While many criticised his poor judgement, a few others sympathised with the tourist, saying that they also copped a fine in the same spot.
“I've gotten the same fine for parking a scooter there too. Not much you can do. There are signs and a yellow line…” one wrote.
“It’s a s**t rule but they’ve been getting people like this for years,” another added.
A third added that he could contest the fine “as the yellow line is not very well maintained”.
While a few others commented that in general there aren't enough car parks to accommodate the number of visitors.
"It’s not even full school holidays for all schools yet and yesterday was shocking to find a car park.”
According to the local council, it is illegal for a driver to park their car on a nature strip, footpath or in a parkland anywhere in the shire.
Images: Facebook