Common 'inconsiderate' parking act that results in $302 fine: 'No other choice'
Some believe it's a lose-lose situation for drivers in busy Aussie suburbs who have 'no choice' but to park in their driveway.
A driver has been accused of being "inconsiderate" for parking in their own driveway which some argue could pose problems for people trying to pass along the footpath. However, others say the issue highlights another problem in the area.
The resident was spotted parked at their property in Manly, Sydney over the weekend, and while in their driveway, the back of their vehicle was sticking out onto the footpath and appeared to be obstructing it, making it difficult for people to continue along the path.
One walker snapped a picture of the car and called out the driver on social media for not thinking about the implications of those trying to use the footpath.
"To the people who park across the public footpath. Do you ever stop to think how a person in a wheelchair will go around your car? Or a parent with a pram or a kid on a bike?" the walker wrote on Facebook. "The public footpath is not an extension of your driveway or garage."
"And to those who will explain 'but there’s heaps of room to go around'. There isn’t always room. Sometimes to go around means going onto the road or down the driveway or onto the grass."
Drivers can cop hefty fine for parking act
Despite the driver being parked on their own driveway, which is perfectly legal, issues arise when their parking obstructs a pathway or pedestrians — which is when it becomes illegal.
In NSW drivers can be handed a $302 fine for doing this, and while the amount varies across Australia, it's illegal nationwide. Last month a Canberra driver was fined $132 for doing the same thing on his driveway.
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Online some Aussies called the walker a "great whinger", yet others argued it is a real issue for them.
"Everyone disagreeing with this hasn’t been in a wheelchair. If you were, you’d know that inclines are dangerous, it’s not that hard to be considerate to others who need more space or the path with better conditions," one wrote online, while another simply called it "illegal".
Parking shines light on other issue faced by Aussies
However, many pointed out how difficult it is to find a parking spot in densely populated Aussie suburbs such as Manly, suggesting residents are left with no other choice but to squeeze their car back onto their driveway.
"What if you don't have enough room in your driveway to fit the car in and council won't provide a street parking permit?" one pointed out, while another said there is "no other choice" on the "mean streets of Manly".
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