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"Unfair" parking fines could soon be a thing of the past

<p>In recent years, road users in one Australian state have found themselves at the receiving end of unwelcome surprises in their mailboxes.</p> <p>An experimental parking fine process, initiated with the aim of streamlining administrative procedures, has instead garnered significant backlash from unsuspecting motorists.</p> <p>However, relief seems to be on the horizon as the New South Wales Government steps in to rectify the situation.</p> <p>The issue revolves around the introduction of ticketless parking fines, a system that was implemented with the intention of simplifying the issuance of penalties for parking violations. Under this scheme, parking officers could send details of fines directly to Revenue NSW, which would then dispatch infringement notices either by post or through the Service NSW app.</p> <p>However, what was meant to be a simple and streamlined modernisation effort has led to a surge in revenue from fines and a subsequent erosion of trust in the system.</p> <p>Concerns about the fairness and transparency of ticketless fines have been mounting, prompting action from the NSW government. Reports indicate that Finance Minister Courtney Houssos has written to all 128 local councils in the state, urging them to halt further adoption of the ticketless parking fine system. Instead, councils have been instructed to revert to traditional ticketing methods and ensure that drivers are promptly made aware of fines at the time of the offence.</p> <p>The move comes in response to a range of issues highlighted by critics of the ticketless system. One major concern is the lack of immediate notification, which diminishes the deterrent effect of fines and makes it difficult for motorists to contest them effectively.</p> <p>Without receiving timely notification, drivers may struggle to gather evidence or address issues such as inadequate signage, hidden signs, or other circumstances that could warrant a review of the fine.</p> <p>Organisations like the National Roads and Motorists' Association (NRMA) have been vocal opponents of the ticketless scheme, labelling it as "unfair" and criticising its impact on transparency.</p> <p>According to NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury, the system reduces the ability of drivers to contest fines, thereby undermining their rights and contributing to a loss of community trust in the administration of fines.</p> <p>The NSW government's intervention signals a recognition of these concerns and a commitment to restoring confidence in the fines system. By prioritising immediate notification for drivers, authorities aim to address the shortcomings of the ticketless parking fine process.</p> <p>The decision to reverse the experimental system comes amid staggering revenue figures, with nearly $140 million generated from ticketless fines in 2023 alone. While the financial gains may be substantial, they come at the expense of public trust and fairness, prompting a much-needed course correction.</p> <p>As Minister Houssos asserts, providing immediate notification to drivers is not only the right thing to do but also a crucial step towards rebuilding community trust. By ensuring that drivers are promptly informed of fines and have the opportunity to contest them, authorities can strike a balance between effective enforcement and procedural fairness in managing parking violations.</p> <p>As road users await the reinstatement of traditional ticketing methods, they can take solace in the prospect of a fairer and more transparent fines system in the future.</p> <p><em>Images: City of Sydney</em></p>

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"Other cities will follow": Big trouble ahead for SUV owners

<p>Paris residents have voted to charge SUVs triple the cost of parking compared to standard sized cars in a bid to tackle air pollution and improve safety. </p> <p>54.6 per cent of residents voted to pass the plan, with the new parking tariffs expected to start in September. </p> <p>The price increase will apply to on-street parking for vehicles with combustion or hybrid engines weighing more than 1.6 tonnes and electric vehicles weighing over two tonnes.</p> <p>The change means that the vehicles will pay €18 (A$29.69) an hour for parking in the centre of Paris, up from €6 (A$9.90), and €12 (A$19.79) an hour in the rest of the city, up from €4 (A$6.60).</p> <p>"Parisians have made a clear choice … other cities will follow,” Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo said. </p> <p>Experts are onboard with the move and believe the Australia should do the same thing. </p> <p>Urban access consultant and author of the book<em> Rethinking Parking</em> David Mepham said that the move could help improve safety as: “SUVs are actually some of the most unsafe vehicles on the road for pedestrians with a fatality rate that is significantly higher than other vehicles.”</p> <p>“The injury and fatality rate should be a concern in highly pedestrianised areas such as city centres.”</p> <p>In 2022 alone, SUV and light commercial vehicles made up 76.8 per cent of car sales, coming in eighth on the top 10 vehicle sales according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.</p> <p>With spaces in the cities limited, Mepham added: “If you’ve got a larger car you should expect to pay more for that, you should pay for what you use.”</p> <p>Standards Australia has recently proposed to increase the size of off-street parking spaces by 20 centimetres in Australia, from 5.4 metres to 5.6 metres, which would make it easier for larger vehicles to park, but would limit car spaces. </p> <p>Executive director of the Australia Institute, Richard Dennis also said that SUV owners need to face the consequences of owning a larger vehicle. </p> <p>“If we want to drive much bigger cars, are we going to widen all of our city streets, are we going to have less car parking spaces?” he said.</p> <p>“Because if we want to drive these cars we need to own the consequences.”</p> <p>Marion Terrill, an independent transport expert, also agreed that higher parking fees for large vehicles are “absolutely reasonable.”</p> <p>“If you want more of it you can pay more, it’s the same principle as paying for parking at all," she said. </p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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"It's just not fair": Driver slams council for misleading parking fine

<p>A furious motorist has taken aim at a Sydney council's parking solution that resulted in an "outrageous" and "unjustified" fine. </p> <p>Ben drives to the Campbelltown train station in South West Sydney every day for his workday commute, and has recently been forced to find alternative parking plans due to a major disruption. </p> <p>A multi-deck carpark is being built near the station to accommodate the influx of traffic, but while the site is under construction, a makeshift parking lot has been set up. </p> <p>While the new car park will add 500 parking bays when completed, residents have claimed the council has drastically reduced the number of spaces in the meantime.</p> <p>Ben told <em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/sydney-parking-rules-drivers-outrage-over-tiny-detail-in-parking-fine/4cfe4d45-c311-4587-b68a-fc1d017675fc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9news.com.au</a></em> parking had become "a nightmare" since the temporary lot opened, leaving many motorists with no option but to park along the fence line. </p> <p>It's this act that saw Ben receive a $129 parking fine in the mail. </p> <p>He was outraged when he was issued a fine on February 9th for "not stand vehicle in a marked parking space" when he had no other parking option. </p> <p>"They've advertised that the temporary car park is the same amount of spaces lost during the construction, which is severely incorrect," he said.</p> <p>"I can only assume they are fining loads of drivers as that space along the fence line is always full of cars parked the same as mine was."</p> <p>Along with the fine itself, ticket inspectors supplied Ben a photo of a wordy and confusing sign located near the entrance to the lot, which only added to his frustration with the local council.</p> <p>He said while there were no marked bays along the fence line, signage was not clear enough to indicate to drivers they weren't allowed to park there.</p> <p>"I mean it's just not fair. It's a temporary gravel parking lot," he said.</p> <p>"They've created this mess and now they are targeting innocent commuters fighting to just leave their car somewhere to catch public transport into work."</p> <p>A spokesperson for Campbelltown City Council told <em>Nine News</em> they understood the construction of the new car park would "create some disruption".</p> <p>"A temporary 113-space parking lot has been opened adjacent to the existing parking lot in order to offset some of the parking loss," they said.</p> <p>The council was "actively monitoring and reviewing the current parking and signage arrangements as well as community feedback, to identify any further improvements that could be made and inform any additional community notification required".</p> <p>"While this review takes place, vehicles will only be fined where a safety risk to both other vehicles and/or pedestrians is identified," the spokesperson said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Nine News</em></p>

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Dad cops furious note from "egotistical Karen" for parking in parent's bay

<p>A Perth dad has been left hurt after he was targeted by an "egotistical Karen" for parking in a parent's bay, while his wife was inside a shopping centre changing their seven-month-old baby. </p> <p>"Don't park here again, you selfish prick!" the note read. </p> <p>His wife took to Facebook on behalf of her hurt husband to question why someone would go out of their way to criticise him for parking in a space designated for parents. </p> <p>"My husband was putting a baby gate in the boot while I was in the forum changing our seven-month-old baby," she defended her partner, who parked at the Mandurah Forum. </p> <p>"He came back into the forum looking for me [and] when we returned, someone had put this note on our windscreen.</p> <p>"How about next time you be sure before insulting an innocent husband and father, you hero."</p> <p>The woman said that the note left her husband "hurt and almost feeling guilty" and she argued that he had every right to be there as a parent. </p> <p>Her post attracted over 300 interactions with many agreeing with the mum, and saying that the "Karen" should've gotten their facts straight before taking action. </p> <p>"There is no law for who can park in parents with prams spaces they are just convenience but anyone can park there and use,"  one man wrote. </p> <p>A few others shared the same sentiment and said that "it's not illegal to park in those bays" regardless of whether or not you have a baby. </p> <p>Some parents even shared their own experiences and why it is important to not judge someone based on looks alone. </p> <p>"This has happened to me also. I had a baby and a toddler and my husband took them inside the Mandurah forum while I unloaded our car," the person began. </p> <p>"A couple with a baby parked next to me and the man kept yelling at me that it was only for parents with prams, even though I told him I had young kids and a pram. But he didn't believe me and yelled loudly to move my car."</p> <p>One mum added that she doesn't see the need for parents with prams spaces altogether.</p> <p>"As a mum of just a five-year-old, I personally don’t see the need for parent spaces. They are not any bigger, just more convenient. Kids need exercise and prams have wheels, not hard to walk," she wrote. </p> <p>"I personally think they should be seniors bays instead, they are less mobile and struggle to walk long distances. Give them the spots."</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

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Woman sparks debate after copping $116 fine for "absurd" rule

<p>Shakira Coldwell, 21, has sparked debate online after copping a $116 parking fine for an "absurd" rule she claims she didn't even know existed. </p> <p>The Aussie woman took to TikTok to share her confusion, and asked if anyone else was aware of the rule. </p> <p>“Was I the only one that didn’t know you can get a parking fine for parking nose in, like the front of your car goes in first instead of backing into a car park?” she asked. </p> <p>She then asked whether the rule was only enforced in Noosa, saying that she was "pretty sure" you could park in any way as long as you stay between the lines. </p> <p>Coldwell then shared a photo of how she parked her car when she received the fine and said that she was “clearly” within the parking lines but hadn’t backed into her space like the car next to her.</p> <p>“Does that not just seem a bit absurd, a bit bizarre?” she said.</p> <p>She also said that she was only just made aware of the fine, as she had been travelling, which means that she may be copping even bigger fees as her payment was now overdue. </p> <p>“I’ve asked a couple of people about this and they literally had no idea that rule even existed. Like, I’m within the lines, it doesn’t matter how I’m parked,” she continued. </p> <p>According to the Brisbane City Council website, failing to park as indicated by an angle parking sign will result in a $116 fine, but Coldwell claims that she didn't see any signs. </p> <p>“So I am a bit confused. Is this just Noosa rule or does everyone know this because I literally did not know this was a rule. And low key $116 for a parking fine that's a bit absurd, given I was within the lines,” she said.</p> <p>Many commenters were quick to inform her that it was actually a common parking rule that wasn't restricted to Noosa. </p> <p>“As someone who lives in Noosa I can 100% guarantee there was a sign saying you had to back in,” one person wrote. </p> <p>“Being within the lines literally has nothing to do with it lol,” another said.</p> <p>A few others said that parking the wrong way in angled spots can make it “dangerous” when backing out into traffic, with one commenter claiming “everyone knows this”.</p> <p>However, a few others were just as baffled as the 21-year-old. </p> <p>“I’d be challenging that. I have never heard of it and there should definitely be signs so if you can go and check the signage,” one said. </p> <p>“Never heard of this before I wouldn’t pay it tell them where to go,” another wrote. </p> <p>According to the <a href="https://www.noosa.qld.gov.au/community/local-laws/parking-regulations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Noosa Council website</a>, rear-in angle parking is enforced in certain areas to “ensure a safer parking experience for everyone in the area," and to prevent cars from crossing into oncoming traffic as they try to exit the parking bay. </p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

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“This doesn’t make sense": Mum fined for parking in own driveway

<p>A Gold Coast mum couldn't believe her eyes when she found an almost $200 fine in her mail for parking in her own driveway. </p> <p>“I got a lovely fine from Gold Coast City Council for parking in my own driveway,” Megan Pass told <em>7News</em>. </p> <p>“This doesn’t make sense.</p> <p>“Everybody I’ve shared this with is going, ‘What the hell?’”</p> <p>The council claims that part of her driveway is located on council land so she was breaking the law by parking on it. </p> <p>The mother-of-three said that she has lived in the house for seven years and parked her car there every day and has never been fined before. </p> <p>The <a href="https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/Planning-building/Development-applications/Development-application-types/Driveways-vehicular-crossings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">council website </a>states that there is an important difference between someone's driveway, which "ends at the property boundary", and a vehicular crossing, which is the section of  the driveway between the boundary and the road. </p> <p>The local law prevents people from parking over council land for more than two minutes, so Ms. Pass got fined $193. </p> <p>People took to social media to share their thoughts on Ms Pass' situation. </p> <p>“What a joke - revenue raising at its best,” one user tweeted. </p> <p>While another said: “Yip I got one of those fines lol. Just paid it. Don’t have time spare to go court to be told… you broke the law… pay the fine." </p> <p>“Will the mayor mow the footpath once a week and water it? That bloke’s a goose,” a third added. </p> <p><em>Images: 7News</em></p>

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"Surely this is a prank": Council slammed for ridiculous parking restriction

<p>Melbourne City Council has been slammed online for offering free parking, but only for a measly 15 minutes. </p> <p>The new initiative, which was shared in a video to the City of Melbourne Instagram account, details how parking fees will be waived for drivers needing to run a quick errand in the CBD, as long as they return to their vehicle within 15 minutes.</p> <p>Drivers can park in a “green signed” parking space such as a ‘2P Meter’, and start a 15-minute session on the Easy-Park app to claim the offer.</p> <p>The council said they introduced the initiative for those who want to “run an errand, support a local business and take in city vibes”.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0lApxrt35h/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0lApxrt35h/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by City Of Melbourne (@cityofmelbourne)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The initiative, however, has been rinsed online, with many people pointing out that 15 minutes is not enough time to do anything, especially in the CBD.</p> <p>“Surely this is a prank?” one person questioned.</p> <p>“As if you can take in the vibes in 15min. And based where the carpark spots are, you’d barely make it to the shop or restaurant and back in 15,” said another.</p> <p>“15 mins? Such overwhelming generosity,” another commented. </p> <p>“How can you support any business in 15 minutes time? By sprinting to a shop and run back to the car only to find a ticket on the dashboard?,” wrote another person. </p> <p>Despite the negative feedback, City of Melbourne said more than 90,000 people had taken up the free parking offer since it was first introduced in the central city in July. </p> <p>"Drivers are embracing the flexibility of our new free 15-minute parking system, which is opening up the city by giving more drivers access to free parking outside more businesses and services,” Lord Mayor Sally Capp said in a statement in November. </p> <p>“Early data shows our parking improvements are working exactly as intended – keeping spaces turning over outside city businesses, while making it easier to find a park.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

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"Hats off to whoever did this": Hilarious act of revenge on parking spot thief

<p>In the cutthroat world of Sydney parking, one fed-up property owner has taken matters into their own hands – or rather, their own clingfilm.</p> <p>A red Fiat, blissfully parked in what turned out to be somebody's private parking spot in the Upper North Shore suburb of Wahroonga, became the canvas for a sticky masterpiece of vehicular revenge.</p> <p>A vigilant passerby, no doubt amused by the spectacle, snapped a photo of the clingfilm-covered car and generously shared it on a community Facebook page. The caption, dripping with sarcasm, read, "And you thought people parking boats on Mosman streets was bad. Look what happens in Wahroonga if you park in the wrong place!"</p> <p>The clingfilm artist didn't stop at just wrapping the car; they took it a step further by scribbling a stern message on the plastic: "Not a public park. Read, you moron. Private property."</p> <p>Talk about a clingy reminder that parking etiquette is serious business in Australian capital cities.</p> <p>While some Sydneysiders chuckled at this clingfilm caper, others questioned the creativity behind the furious act. "Why the hell would you do that to someone's car? Would a note not have achieved the same result? Seems an overreaction," pondered one rational soul, evidently unfamiliar with the concept of "sticky situations".</p> <p>Another concerned citizen chimed in, "Well deserved. Though it's a dreadful waste of plastic." Clearly torn between environmental consciousness and a deep-seated desire for vehicular justice, this commentator encapsulated the internal struggle faced by many Sydney residents.</p> <p>On the flip side, some applauded the clingfilm connoisseur for taking a bold stance against parking transgressors. "Fair enough. We have it happen to us all the time, and I'm at the point of doing this considering I can't park on the street, so I need my parking spot at my own place. Lucky they put gladwrap on the car first and not write straight on the car... hats off to whoever did this," confessed a sympathetic comrade in the battle for parking supremacy.</p> <p>Clearly, as this red Fiat sits wrapped up like a vehicular burrito, Sydney residents have found themselves divided over the ethics of clingfilm activism. Is it a genius way to teach parking manners, or just a sticky situation waiting to be unwrapped? Only time will tell if clingfilm justice becomes the hottest trend in Sydney's ongoing parking wars.</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

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"Suck it up": Tourist's parking mistake divides Aussies

<p>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. </p> <p>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. </p> <p>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”. </p> <p>“Can I still be charged if I’m parked not impeding traffic or even on the road?” the driver asked. </p> <p>“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.”</p> <p>Residents  of the popular tourist town were quick to criticise the driver. </p> <p>“Really. There are yellow lines and parked in a garden bed. It’s not a car park,” one wrote. </p> <p>“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. </p> <p>“You are in a garden … suck it up,” a third commented. </p> <p>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”. </p> <p>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.</p> <p>"So is there anything I can do or just pay it?”</p> <p>While many criticised his poor judgement, a few others sympathised with the tourist, saying that they also copped a fine in the same spot. </p> <p>“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. </p> <p>“It’s a s**t rule but they’ve been getting people like this for years,” another added. </p> <p>A third added that he could contest the fine “as the yellow line is not very well maintained”. </p> <p>While a few others commented that in general there aren't enough car parks to accommodate the number of visitors. </p> <p>"It’s not even full school holidays for all schools yet and yesterday was shocking to find a car park.”</p> <p>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.</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

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"What am I missing?" Driver confused over hefty parking fine

<p>A woman has been left shocked over a $300 parking fine, for an offence she had no idea she was committing. </p> <p>The confused motorist was puzzled when she received a $305 fine in the mail, and decided to take to Facebook to ask her community if they could "help [her] understand the fine".</p> <p>The woman, from Sydney's inner west, posted photos of her parking job to a local Facebook page, which show her blue hatchback parked curbside outside a house, with no apparent signal nearby. </p> <p>"I got fined $305 and lost some demerits points. They said I parked parallel close to the dividing line/strip," she explained. "I don't see anything wrong with the pics. What am I missing?" she questioned alongside photos of offence.</p> <p>According to parking rules in New South Wales, drivers "must not park within 3m of any double dividing lines" and those caught doing so can be fined.</p> <p>In the photos, the double lines appear close to the woman's car on a seemingly narrow road.</p> <p>One person explained the rule on in the comments of her Facebook post, writing, "It's possibly because there is not enough room for cars to pass your car without partly crossing their car across the double middle lines — it's illegal for them to do that."</p> <p>So you can't park in a place where there isn't enough space between the double middle lines and your car for other cars to pass."</p> <p>The parking rule surprised many who admitted they "had no idea" the rule existed, with some concluding you "see it all the time".</p> <p>"Sorry you got those fines. Wow. You learn something new every day," said one driver. "I had no idea this was a road rule until now! I'm sorry you copped such a huge fine," said another, to which the driver concluded it an "expensive lesson learnt". </p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p>

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"Ignore it": The one parking ticket Aussies can chuck in the bin

<p>Western Australian driver, <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Connor Wright,</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> has gone viral after sharing his advice on how to handle penalty notices issued by private parking companies.</span></p> <p>The TikTok, which now has over 1.5 million views, started off with Wright recalling the moment he walked back to his car to find a ticket issued by Parking Enforcement Services (PES), a division of Wilson Parking. </p> <p>Wright then proceeds to rip up the ticket and told others to "make sure to read the fine print on these bad boys".</p> <p>"If you read at the back, it says important information: 'This is not a parking fine'," he said. </p> <p>"Useless, throw it in the bin, don't pay that sh*t."</p> <p>Many have commented how they "wish they knew this earlier". </p> <p>The ticket itself is a 'breach notice' which starts at a $65 penalty from Wilson and is only issued when a person drives into private car park, for example in a shopping centre, and break the terms and conditions issued by the private entity. </p> <p>"What they try and do is recover the debt for the loss incurred, effectively like a breach of contract, but they're not fines — only a statutory body has the power to issue a fine." Sydney Criminal Lawyers James Clements told <em>Yahoo News Australia</em>. </p> <p>Clements also called the penalty a "bullying tactic" to "effectively try scaring people into paying them," but it is difficult to enforce it due to government "crackdowns." </p> <p>However parking fines from bodies like councils, some universities and hospitals should be paid.</p> <p>Clements advises that when you receive the breach notice you should "ignore it" or "write back and say, 'I dispute this and do not intend to pay'."</p> <p>"What you don't want to do is write to them and say that you disclose you were the driver."</p> <p>Drivers are also encouraged to read signs and the terms and conditions when entering a private car park. </p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

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Police lie in wait for Kyle Sandilands after on-air boasts

<p>Well, well, well, it seems like Kyle Sandilands has become quite the sensation among the law enforcement agencies.</p> <p>This Tuesday morning was no ordinary day for the radio star, as he drove into KIIS FM's studios only to find himself caught in a wild ambush by the cops. Yes, you read that right!</p> <p>In a video that was later shared on The Kyle and Jackie O Show's Instagram account, viewers were shown several police officers patiently waiting for Sandilands to arrive at the ungodly hour of 5:30 am. </p> <p>As Kyle stepped out of his luxurious $250,000 Cadillac Escalade Platinum 4WD, the officers approached him, ready to take action. But wait – it turns out this encounter wasn't your typical traffic stop. In fact, it was all about Kyle's on-air shenanigans!</p> <p>The station's employees spilled the beans, revealing that the police had a little chat with them while they eagerly waited for Kyle's arrival. Turns out, the boys in blue just wanted to have a friendly discussion with the father-of-one about his knack for making outrageous comments on the radio. </p> <p>"The highway patrol dude[s], they've come out and they've said, 'Listen, we've heard you on the air saying you think the coppers are after you," said Kyle. "And they've come out to tell me they're not after me."</p> <p>Kyle, being the smooth talker that he is, managed to talk himself out of any real trouble, with the audio recording from the station capturing his finesse in action. </p> <p>But here's the kicker: he didn't entirely believe their explanation. In fact, he expressed concern about his dwindling points on his driver's license, mentioning that he only had four left. </p> <p>However, the encounter did not end in tears or sirens blaring. In a surprising turn of events, Kyle decided to call one officer's fiancée, who happened to be a fan of the show, just to tell her that she had landed herself "a good one" in her law enforcement beau. Smooth move, Kyle, smooth move!</p> <p>Now, let's rewind to 2021 when Sandilands confessed to accumulating a whopping $16,000 worth of fines in just one year. He practically treats parking fines like they're going out of style.</p> <p>During a lively conversation with his manager and pal, Bruno Bouchet, on The Kyle and Jackie O Show, Kyle spilled the beans on his parking escapades. Apparently, he has witnessed firsthand the magical art of getting away with parking violations. </p> <p>According to Bruno, there are a few parking rangers who are loyal fans of the show and would rather not deal with the hassle of booking Kyle. But Kyle takes his parking rebellion to the next level. He boldly declared, "I never buy a ticket, I say f**k the local council, I'm not paying you $4, screw yourself!"</p> <p>The numbers don't lie, and neither does Jackie O's shocked expression. Let's break down the fines, shall we? 18 fines for "parking continuously longer than indicated" racked up a bill of $2,088. Kyle's blatant disregard for stop signs earned him 25 violations, totalling $5,675. And if that wasn't enough, stopping in a loading zone like it's his personal VIP parking spot resulted in a staggering 42 charges, adding up to $8,148. The grand total for the year? A jaw-dropping $15,911!</p> <p>Naturally, Jackie couldn't hide her disbelief and told Kyle that it was a "waste of money." But Kyle had an explanation (or maybe an excuse?) up his sleeve. He admitted that sometimes he mistakes the ticket fines for Domino's flyers on his car window. Ah, the struggles of a wealthy and famous man!</p> <p>In the grand scheme of things, $16,000 is pocket change for Kyle, who reportedly rakes in a mind-boggling $5 million per year for hosting The Kyle and Jackie O Show.</p> <p>Well, there you have it, folks, a true rebel fighting against the system, one parking ticket at a time.</p> <p><em>Images: KIIS FM</em></p>

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"Colossal prick" slammed over outrageous Bunnings parking

<p>A motorist in Perth has been slammed for their "extra selfish" parking act in the carpark of a Bunning's Warehouse. </p> <p>A frustrated fellow shopper captured the parking faux pas and posted the image of the car to Reddit, which shows a ute with an attached trailer parking over four spaces, including one reserved for people with disabilities.</p> <p>"There was no disabled badge and of course there is plenty of trailer parking available at Bunnings," the user wrote, adding that there were suitable bays available closer to the store's entrance.</p> <p>Fellow motorists and shoppers were shocked and appalled by the selfish act, with one Reddit user urging the author of the post to send the photo to both Bunnings and the local council, citing a $500 fine as a deterrent for the future.</p> <p>"Blocking the disabled bay gets extra selfish points," a user commented, while someone else vented, "Not content with being a colossal prick and taking up four spots, decides to go world-class and make one of those spots a disabled parking bay. Some f**king people."</p> <p>The post was flooded by outrage at the audacious parking, with users overwhelmingly agreeing that parking in spaces designated for disabled drivers is inexcusable.</p> <p>After being alerted to the post, Bunnings Regional Operations Manager Hayley Coulson expressed disappointment on behalf of the retailer. "We were disappointed to learn a customer recently used a disability parking bay for their trailer outside our Innaloo store, which our team was unaware of at the time."</p> <p>"These parking bays are incredibly important for the community and we remind our customers that they're only reserved for people with a disability or mobility restrictions."</p> <p>She added, "We're really focused on ensuring disability parking bays are always available for their intended use, and we do our best to communicate regularly with our stores to remind them that these bays are not to be compromised for any reason, at any time."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Reddit</em></p>

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How Jurassic Park changed film-making and our view of dinosaurs

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/travis-holland-299087">Travis Holland</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849">Charles Sturt University</a></em></p> <p>In June 1993, director Steven Spielberg released a film that unleashed a wave of technological change in film-making and simultaneously helped to revive popular interest in dinosaurs.</p> <p>Jurassic Park, based on Michael Crichton’s novel, spawned five blockbuster sequels as well as a multitude of spin-off games, toys, novels, and multiple animated television shows. It features a theme park housing de-extincted dinosaurs that break out of their confines and cause havoc.</p> <p>Underpinning the plot is clever genetic engineering that has allowed the Park’s scientists to assume they could control all aspects of the dinosaurs’ development, including their sex, much to their later horror when it becomes apparent such control was never possible.</p> <p>The film franchise has taken an average of over $1 billion dollars at the box office, <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/box-office/jurassic-world-dominion-box-office-billion-1235380452/">according to Variety</a>.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QWBKEmWWL38?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>From puppets to CGI</h2> <p>According to industry legend and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20102096/?ref_=ttep_ep6">multiple documentaries</a>, Spielberg had planned to use only practical effects, including stop-motion Velociraptors and an animatronic Tyrannosaurus Rex. However, well into the filming schedule, he was convinced to also include wholly digital dinosaurs after viewing test footage produced by staff at special effects house Industrial Light &amp; Magic.</p> <p>In <a href="https://utpress.utexas.edu/9781477325308/">a critical history</a> of Industrial Light &amp; Magic, Julie Turnock observes that the film “relied on a canny mix of large-scale mechanical effects cut together with a few digitally generated shots”. After its success, ILM embraced digital composition technology more fully and integrated it into many later films.</p> <p>As it stands, Jurassic Park features about 50 shots of digital-only prehistoric creatures, including the first full-body scene of a dinosaur – the sauropod Brachiosaurus - flocking Gallimumus, and the T. rex chasing a Jeep.</p> <p>Industrial Light &amp; Magic <a href="https://www.ilm.com/vfx/jurassic-park/">now claims on their website</a> that “Suddenly, directors could imagine making films in which realistic animals, fantasy creatures, even digital people could perform without restraint.”</p> <p>Nowadays, films and television productions are replete with photoreal computer-generated animals and people and the next revolution in screen production has them projected live behind actors on a series of large screens known as “<a href="https://theasc.com/articles/the-mandalorian">the volume</a>”.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BPUEqvfQuHY?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Palaeontologists aren’t extinct</h2> <p>Shortly after seeing their first dinosaur, on-screen palaeontologist Alan Grant (Sam Neill) suggests to his palaeobotanist partner Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) that the de-extinction success of Jurassic Park might make their profession redundant. Their colleague Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) responds, “Don’t you mean extinct?”</p> <p>But far from extinction, palaeontology and associated sciences have seen an extensive rebound in public interest in the thirty years since Jurassic Park was released.</p> <p>In 1975, palaeontologist Robert Bakker <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/24949774.pdf?casa_token=s5us3t_9TrQAAAAA:hxfVrmS11FACTHHYosZSqQMLDJRWJZTE3a4ggr7kIFauNoIvT8WjUJaZ5hxrKkFNqMcn3-68yiuLlH1tWU7k4o--xCDBpQwYPv4tXjF8KTIU8kpHo0vS">popularised the term “dinosaur renaissance”</a> to describe a spate of developing research findings which argued the creatures were endothermic (warm-blooded), active, and related to the birds rather than cold-blooded, slow and wholly extinct as had been the public perception for much of the previous century. This renaissance lasted from about the 1960s into the 1980s and Jurassic Park reflected many of these new orthodoxies.</p> <p>Bakker himself consulted for the film and was referenced by the character Tim Murphy. A Bakker lookalike also appeared in the sequel The Lost World, further reinforcing its role in reflecting these new perspectives.</p> <p>But the film also arrived at the dawn of yet another new age of dinosaur discoveries which Steve Brusatte, in his 2018 book <a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781760780524/">The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs</a>, described as “the golden age of discovery”. Brusatte referred to the cohort of scientists making these newer discoveries as “men and women from many backgrounds who came of age in the era of Jurassic Park.” Among their findings are new understandings that many dinosaurs were feathered like their modern avian cousins.</p> <p>Elizabeth Jones recently chronicled the history of the field of “<a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300240122/ancient-dna/">ancient DNA</a>” science, noting the “Jurassic Park effect” playing out on this fascinating area of research:</p> <blockquote> <p>Even as scientists rejected the conclusions or the implications of the <em>Jurassic Park</em> narrative, they drew on the popularity of the book and movie to emphasise the importance of the technical enterprise in which they were engaged.</p> </blockquote> <p>And <a href="https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjes-2022-0131">a recent review</a> of the last 60 years of dinosaur research by celebrated palaeontologist Philip J. Currie suggested “public interest continues to be stimulated by a multibillion-dollar movie, media, and toy industry founded on our interest in dinosaurs.”</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530243/original/file-20230606-27-8gx3lo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530243/original/file-20230606-27-8gx3lo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530243/original/file-20230606-27-8gx3lo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530243/original/file-20230606-27-8gx3lo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530243/original/file-20230606-27-8gx3lo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530243/original/file-20230606-27-8gx3lo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=424&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530243/original/file-20230606-27-8gx3lo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=424&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530243/original/file-20230606-27-8gx3lo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=424&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">A scene from Jurassic Park (1993)</span> <span class="attribution">IMDB</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>The Jurassic Park legacy</h2> <p>Dinosaurs have long featured in popular media such as films and television. The first animated dinosaur, Gertie, debuted as <a href="https://palaeomedia.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/2019/07/24/meet-gertie-the-dinosaurus/">part of a vaudeville performance in 1914</a>. Dinosaurs, including a fearsome Tyrannosaurus featured in Disney’s groundbreaking and famed 1940 film Fantasia. But it was Jurassic Park which truly presented them as believable living creatures for the first time.</p> <p>Though the science of the film has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2009/feb/08/jurassic-park-dinosaur-inaccuracies">been widely criticised</a> since its release, Jurassic Park succeeded in revolutionising film-making and reigniting a public fascination with dinosaurs even as palaeontology itself underwent a boom in new research efforts. In <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/457392/did-i-ever-tell-you-this-by-neill-sam/9780241648988">his recent memoir</a>, actor Sam Neill described the film’s visuals as “a perfect collision of coming-of-age computer generated imagery… with state of the art puppetry”.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fb5ELWi-ekk?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>The sequels sequels and spin-offs have continued to adapt to changing social expectations, featuring <a href="https://theconversation.com/toss-aside-those-high-heels-how-jurassic-worlds-claire-dearing-lights-a-path-for-women-in-action-films-182334">strong female</a> and <a href="https://www.pride.com/geek/2022/7/21/jurassic-world-camp-cretaceous-goes-out-queer-roar">queer characters</a>, and even <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/jurassic-world-dominion-dinosaur-feathers">feathered dinosaurs</a> in response to changing scientific understandings.</p> <p>Perhaps the next Jurassic film will feature a full-lipped <a href="https://www-science-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/content/article/t-rex-lips-new-study-suggests">Tyrannosaurus</a>?<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203147/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/travis-holland-299087">Travis Holland</a>, Senior Lecturer in Communication, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849">Charles Sturt University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-jurassic-park-changed-film-making-and-our-view-of-dinosaurs-203147">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Universal Pictures</em></p>

Movies

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Woman slams parking note asking if she was “truly disabled”

<p dir="ltr">A driver has been left fuming after an “entitled” parking note was left on her mother’s car accusing them of misusing a disabled parking spot.</p> <p dir="ltr">Canberra resident Cheyenne took to <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/canberra/comments/12x8cr9/the_absolute_gall_to_leave_this_on_my_mothers_car/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reddit</a> to share her horrific experience and a photo of the note left on her mother’s car.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Hi, are you truly disabled,” the note read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You both walked from your car like athletes. Please follow the rules.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Cheyenne who was left fuming at the situation captioned the post with “The absolute gall to leave this on my mother’s car in Gungahlin shops parking.”.</p> <p dir="ltr">She then explained: “My mother is disabled, her disability isn’t visible. She was legally given a disability parking permit because she is DISABLED! What a moron”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking to <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/aussie-woman-slams-entitled-parking-note-how-dare-they-041811992.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Yahoo</em> News Australia</a>, Cheyenne said that “it’s frustrating” because her mum doesn’t look like she has a disability, even though she has “multiple”.</p> <p dir="ltr">She also explained that her mum has suffered with a polycystic kidney and liver. After a kidney transplant caused further health issues, she was granted a disability badge.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Because she has all of her limbs and is able-bodied, many people have the wrong idea and get entitled," Cheyenne added.</p> <p dir="ltr">Other Reddit users have shared similar experiences.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have arthritis in my spine and elsewhere – disabling, yet completely invisible. Have had old women yell at me for parking in the disabled spots, despite having a permit,” one user wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My mother recently had surgery so she’s not able to drive. Ordinarily she has a disabled permit anyway. I picked her up from a doctor's checkup and a woman gave me a serve for parking in the disabled bay as I was picking up my mum. People are so quick to judge,” wrote another.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m sorry you found this note on your car. There’s no need to ever justify why you have a disabled ‘sticker’. It’s no-one’s business but your own,” commented a third.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Reddit</em></p>

Caring

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Outrage after Aus Post driver caught parking in disability spot

<p>A Queensland Australian Post worker has sparked outrage after parking his car at a shopping centre car park, leading to a quick response from the company.</p> <p>A disgruntled Karalee local saw the Aus Post van parked in the disability spot and said the contractor’s “unacceptable” act led to an elderly woman missing out on the much-needed spot.</p> <p>Posting to the Australian Disability Parking Wall of Shame Facebook page, the woman wrote, "Driver’s laziness led to elderly lady with a permit having to park opposite and hobble across the road."</p> <p>The van was parked outside the Karalee Chempro Chemist.</p> <p>The post prompted many to weigh in, with some users bringing up other Australia Post parking concerns they’ve seen around their local areas.</p> <p>“At my local shops here in Perth one of the thatched areas besides an ACROD bay is marked that Australia Post vehicles are permitted to park in it which I also believe is wrong and this is definitely inexcusable," one man wrote.</p> <p>The Facebook post has since been deleted.</p> <p>Australia Post issued an apology as soon as they were made aware of the situation.</p> <p>"We sincerely apologise for the actions of this delivery contractor and any inconvenience caused," an Australia Post spokesperson said in a statement.</p> <p>"This lapse in judgement falls well below the high standards we expect of our team members.</p> <p>"It’s especially disappointing given Australia Post prides itself on its commitment to inclusion and diversity both across our workforce and within our communities. We’ve spoken to the contractor and taken steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”</p> <p>According to <em>Yahoo</em>, both the man driving the van and all Australia Post contractors copped a strong reminder that they cannot park in disability spots without a permit.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Facebook</em></p>

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Homeless teen and dad living in park amid housing crisis

<div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <p>A teenager in Queensland has shared the heartbreaking story of being forced to live in a tent with his father amid the state’s housing crisis.</p> <p>Kailaeb Vescio-Stanley, 17, revealed he has been living in a tent in a Brisbane park with his dad for two weeks while they struggle to find a home.</p> <p>The teenager told Sunrise, that he and his father had tried to apply for housing but needed more assistance.</p> <p>“Some nights I don’t get enough sleep and some nights I can,” he said.</p> <p>“I see heaps of people doing it rough, and the majority of people I see doing it rough in parks are actually teenagers.”</p> <p>His statement came after more than 40 representatives from government agencies met to discuss the state’s escalating housing crisis in a follow-up meeting to the housing crisis summit in November 2022.</p> <p>Rents have increased faster in Queensland than any other state or territory, with low-income and regional households copping the brunt of it, according to a Queensland Council of Social Service report.</p> <p>Annastacia Palaszczuk recently announced Queensland tenants' rent would only increase once a year instead of every six months under a state government proposal to stop the price hike.</p> <p>“The great majority of landlords do the right thing and look after their tenants, for those who don’t, this is a wake-up call,” the premier said.</p> <p>The change will see Queensland meet the limits on the frequency of rent increases in NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, SA and the ACT.</p> <p>Currently, there is a six-month limit in both WA and the NT but only applied if increases are written into the lease agreement.</p> <p>Property Council of Australia executive director Jen Williams said the meeting was focused on how to best help those in desperate need of support, like Kailaeb.</p> <p>There are both support measures and supply measures and there are the very immediate people like Kailaeb,” she said.</p> <p>“Then there’s the short, medium and long-term (questions) about how do we actually get more houses across the board to make sure that we don’t find ourselves in this situation again.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Sunrise</em></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Real Estate

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“Doesn’t seem okay to me”: Police slammed for parking in disabled spot

<p dir="ltr">NSW Police have come under fire after an outraged Sydney driver called out a patrol car that was parked in a disabled parking spot.</p> <p dir="ltr">A furious driver spotted the police vehicle outside a state election early-voting centre in Mascot on Monday, and snapped a photo of the Hyundai Sonata police car in the clearly labelled disabled parking zone.</p> <p dir="ltr">They then posted the picture to Reddit, with the infuriated motorist captioning the post, “Police parking in a disabled spot so they can vote in Mascot. Where should I complain?”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have no issue with them voting while on the clock, I do have an issue with them having to park in a disabled spot,” the driver commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They have five more days to vote, even if they can’t find time when they’re not working, they can at least wait until they’re not disadvantaging a disabled person.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The driver, who has firsthand experience of battling to claim a disabled parking space for their chronically ill parent, called out the brazen officers for not thinking how this act could significantly impact accessibility requirements for people with disabilities.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My mum had MS and this kind of sh*t would mean we’d need to turn around and go home,” they said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“For people with severe and debilitating disabilities, these spots are vital to them even being able to leave the house. Blocking a spot so they can vote in an election that isn’t until the weekend doesn’t seem okay to me.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There were no other spots between there and the polling station. The election isn’t now, or even tomorrow. (The officers) had time to wait for a non-disabled spot.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The post went viral on Reddit, with a spokesperson for NSW Police saying they’re looking into the situation after being notified about the incident.</p> <p dir="ltr">The comments on the post were divided after many people sided with the officers, saying officers on patrol should be remaining close to their vehicles in case of an emergency.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Arguably, emergency services are probably better off parking in convenient accessible locations,” one person said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I agree a disabled spot sounds a bit sh*tty, but you wouldn’t want them having to rush to level 4 of a nearby multi-story carpark to take an urgent call like a domestic violence response.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s very important for the officers to (be) close to their patrol car in case of an emergency. Stop having a whinge,” another comment read.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, others were more sympathetic towards the person who posted the photo and agreed the officers should have parked elsewhere.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As a disabled person, this is really disappointing to read,” one person said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I greatly appreciate someone sticking up for people like myself. Not a lot of people will.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Another supporter added, “Yeah that’s not on. I have a disability and I’m tired of people parking in our spots when they don’t have a disability.”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the NSW state government website, “heavy fines apply for stopping in spaces reserved for people with disabilities, or using a permit that infringes its conditions of use.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Reddit</em></p>

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Harry and Meghan break their silence on "boring and baseless" South Park episode

<p>Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have broken their silence after being portrayed in an episode of <em>South Park</em>, in which they were ruthlessly mocked and ridiculed. </p> <p>The animated TV show released their newest episode, titled <em>The Worldwide Privacy Tour</em>, which depicted the royal couple embarking on a promotional tour for the Prince's new book titled "Waaaah". </p> <p>After the episode aired, reports emerged that Meghan Markle was left "upset and overwhelmed" by their merciless slating on the show, while a royal commentator speculated that the couple's lawyers were "casting an eye" over the cartoon series.</p> <p>Despite these claims, a spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has debunked rumours that they would be suing <em>South Park</em> over the episode, blasting the claims as "boring and baseless" in a statement given to <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/why-prince-harry-meghan-markle-will-not-sue-south-park-lawsuit-1782414" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">Newsweek</a>.</p> <p>The statement did not mention Harry and Meghan's personal feelings towards the episode, nor did it address claims that the couple's lawyers will be monitoring the show in order to see whether <em>South Park</em>'s creators launch any fresh attacks on the pair in the future.</p> <p>U.S. royal commentator Kristen Meinzer also told Newsweek that is was easy to see why the couple were not taking legal action.</p> <p>She said, "I highly doubt Meghan and Harry are suing a satirical cartoon that famously ridicules everyone."</p> <p>"If anything, they'll know they're in good company with other decent people who've been raked over the coals by the show."</p> <p>"For example, <em>South Park</em> has repeatedly ridiculed Al Gore and his efforts to combat climate change. They made fun of Steve Irwin for being killed by a stingray just a few weeks after his death."</p> <p>"They turned Rob Reiner into a punchline because of his weight. They've never been a bastion of good taste, and they've absolutely been offensive, but again, they're also a cartoon, not a news outlet—and Harry and Meghan are unlikely to take a cartoon to court."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

TV

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"You can’t park there, bro”: Perth valet smashes TWO lambos in costly mistake

<p>A valet driver at the Crown Hotel in Perth has found himself in hot water after smashing two Lamborghinis while trying to park one.</p> <p>The luxury vehicles belonged to billionaire Laurence Escalante and both were damaged after they collided in the hotel driveway, a spokesperson for Crown Perth said.</p> <p>Footage captured and shared by Jiu-Jitsu athlete Craig Jones shows the valet driver behind the wheel of a blue Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae, a car valued upward of $940,000, smashing into the rear of a purple Lamborghini.</p> <p>“Help! I’ve really f***ed it up.” The driver said in the footage before running out to assess the damage.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Coa-BoPDhZS/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Coa-BoPDhZS/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Craig Jones (@craigjonesbjj)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>In response to the crash, the driver claimed he was “trying to park it just like everybody else,” adding that the pedals were “too close together.” He then claimed he thought he was pressing the brake but instead hit the accelerator, causing him to crash into the rear of the purple Lamborghini.</p> <p>The owner of the luxury vehicles appeared to have witnessed the collision and could be heard questioning the driver.</p> <p>“What are you doing?” Jones said. "He moved it right in his rear ... you can’t park there, bro," he added.</p> <p>A spokesperson for Crown Resorts confirmed the accident is still under investigation, also informing the media there were “no injuries sustained.”</p> <p>"The safety of Crown’s team members and guests remains our priority," they said in a statement to News.com.au. "We are conducting a full assessment of the incident together with those involved.”</p> <p>The Crown is "working positively with us to fix the cars and put this behind us all,” a spokesperson for Mr Escalante told The West Australian. "We appreciate accidents happen and most importantly no one was injured," they said.</p> <p>A similar incident occurred in Sydney in 2018 when a valet driver parked a Porsche Carrera underneath another vehicle. As the driver attempted to park the Porsche, the car reportedly accelerated and ended up under a Sports utility vehicle (SUV).</p> <p>Police were notified and had to cut the driver, who was left unharmed, out of the vehicle.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram / @craigjonesbjj</em></p>

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