Aussies left with 'headache' over confusing parking sign: 'I would leave'
After a photo of the Sydney sign was shared online, only few were able to figure out what it meant.
A confusing parking sign has sent Aussies into a spin after having no less than four different rules to choose between — with one very specific reason why.
The sign, located in Bondi Junction opposite Officeworks, was shared to a local Facebook group and quickly gained hundreds of comments from baffled locals — some trying to offer up suggestions on what it could mean.
It was so difficult to crack for one Aussie that they ended up "driving off" to park elsewhere.
A spokesperson for Waverley Council told Yahoo News Australia that though they try to keep street signs as simple as possible, some signs do "require more information to accommodate all customers".
Parking sign confused most locals
Hundreds of people couldn't believe how confusing the sign was.
"Omg. I would leave straight away cause I would get a headache," one person shared, to which the poster responded that that is exactly what they did.
"What the hell! Is that?" another questioned.
"By the time you decipher the sign itself, they’ve booked you already by taking a photo with a telephoto lens camera without you even noticing the booking officer," a third said in disbelief.
A few people tried to explain what it meant to all the others, but the explanations were lost on most.
"Pretty simple and self explanatory. You’ll notice them around Newtown and adjoining suburbs, Burwood, Ashfield and so on. Works well," one commenter said.
What does the sign really say?
After confirming with the council, the sign outlines the following:
10-minute free parking 8am to 9.30am and 4.30pm to 6pm Mon-Fri to the right-hand side of the sign
30-minute meter parking 9.30am to 4.30pm Mon-Fri and 8am to 6pm Sat and Sun to the right-hand side of the sign
30-minute meter parking 8am to 6pm seven days a week to the left-hand side of the sign
3-hour free parking 6pm to 9pm seven days a week either side of the sign.
Will signs like this be rolling out elsewhere?
Some people online speculated that this exact sign will be rolled out across more areas in NSW, but the Waverley Council assured that these parking rules were made for one specific reason.
"This particular sign was put in place in 2012 to specifically accommodate families dropping off and picking up from the Mill Hill Early Education Centre," the spokesperson explained.
So, though some streets with schools or childcare centres may need the extra help, locals don't need to worry about this becoming a sign found on every street.
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