Driver confused by $305 fine for little-known parking rule: 'What am I missing?'
The Sydney woman said she couldn't see anything wrong with how she parked.
A frustrated driver has copped a hefty $305 fine for breaking a little-known parking rule.
The woman said she "can't see anything wrong" with how she parked on a residential street in Sydney's inner west recently, but as it turns out, her seemingly common move is illegal.
Posting photos of the parking job on Facebook last week, the woman asked for others to "help [her] understand the fine", implying she doesn't know what she's done wrong. Pictures show the blue hatchback parked curbside outside a residence, with no apparent signage nearby.
"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.
Little-known NSW parking rule
Under the NSW parking rules, drivers "must not park within 3m of any double dividing lines" and those caught doing so can be fined. In the photos, the double lines appear close to the woman's car on a seemingly narrow road.
Explaining the rule, one person commented, "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.
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"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."
Aussies 'had no idea' rule existed
The parking rule surprised many who admitted they "had no idea" the rule existed, with some concluding you "see it all the time".
"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," another shared. A third was shocked by the "huge" amount that came with breaking the rule.
"An easy mistake to make and $80 or even just a warning would have been effective in stopping the behaviour," they said. Another agreed it's an "expensive lesson learnt".
Earlier this year, another Sydney woman received nearly $900 in fines for the same reason. "There's no road or street signage, no yellow lines, no indication of any kind that you can't park here ... but it's not allowed," she said.
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