Angry note sheds light on little-known parking rule in Australia
The handwritten message proved useful as the resident didn't seem to be aware of the offence.
It's a dread most motorists hope to avoid, but for one NSW resident the piece of paper stuck to their windscreen has arguably resulted in more good than bad.
An angry, handwritten note stuck on a Kiama resident's car on Friday morning read, "It's illegal to park across a driveway. You selfish..."
Despite the town, situated 120 kilometres south of Sydney, being recently named Australia's 'best place to live' by demographer Bernard Salt, the resident wasn't impressed by the neighbourly interaction.
"It's my driveway," the poster explained.
No exceptions to parking over driveway, even your own
The resident shared the handwritten note online and received empathy for having to deal with "nosey" people, with a neighbour believed to be behind the note, however, many were quick to inform the motorist she was still committing an offence.
"It’s still illegal even if it’s your own driveway," a local replied.
In NSW it is illegal for motorists to stop over a driveway unless picking up or dropping off passengers, with parking strictly prohibited. The driver must stay in the vehicle and must move on within two minutes, the NSW legislation states. This is a blanket rule and there is no leniency if the driveway is your own.
NSW drivers can face a $283 fine, which is increased to $362 if the offence occurs in a school zone.
"Whoever is issuing the fine isn't going to know that's the owner's car and if you park over somebody's driveway, apart from the obvious frustration, there's also a safety element if someone needs urgent access in and out of their property," NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury told Yahoo News Australia.
All other states and territories have restrictions in place to stop motorists from parking over driveways, regardless of whether the driveway is yours or not.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
