Double whammy: Man fined $106 for leaving car unlocked
A man has been slapped with a $106 fine for leaving his car unlocked in Byron Bay while he walked home to get his driver’s licence - which he had just been fined for not having with him.
The 22-year-old man, originally from Germany, was stopped by police for a random breath test and was handed the first of two fines when they found he had no identification with him.
Rather than driving home to get it, the man, known only as ‘Aria,’ left the car parked on the street and walked the ten-minute journey.
"It's the same street where I live,” he told Fairfax media, explaining why he felt it safe to leave the car unlocked, as he had done many times before.
“It was in front of a pretty nice cafe where people were around, so no-one will steal stuff."
But NSW Police did not agree, and a few days later he received a fine in the mail for not locking the car doors or securing its windows while it was left unattended.
The offence is in place in NSW to safeguard against insurance fraud and similar laws exist in Queensland and Victoria.
‘Aria’ said he laughed when he received the notice, thinking it was a joke.
“I actually couldn’t take it serious. It’s a fine so I’ll have to pay it, but it’s just ridiculous.”
The second fine came to light when ‘Aria’s’ boss, David Gunn, who owns the local hostel, Backpackers Inn on The Beach, posted the fine on Facebook to warn others of the offence.
“Has the world gone mad?” he reportedly wrote.
Other social media users reacted, with one calling it “total insanity”
There has been a heightened police presence in Byron Bay for the influx of school leavers celebrating Schoolies week.
