Yahoo Finance Major $136 fine warning after fed-up Aussie's $3 cashless act of defiance
A Sydney council said you could cop a huge fine using this method.
Aussie drivers have been warned against replicating what one person did when they were confronted with cashless parking meters. The motorist wasn't able to pay for a parking ticket with a card and instead erected a sign that included two coins as proof that they weren't trying to cheat the system.
They claimed the cashless revolution doesn't "suit their lifestyle". But North Sydney Council, who recently upgraded all their parking meters to cashless ones, explained to Yahoo Finance this method could massively backfire.
"The only way to avoid being fined is to comply with the signage restrictions for the space in which you have parked," a Council spokesperson said.
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"In metered spaces, you must pay using our parking meters. You are likely to receive a fine if you leave a note and do not pay."
A parking fine in this council can set you back $136, so you wouldn't want to take your chances with setting up a similar sign.
It's unclear exactly where the anti-cashless driver's note was in Australia, but it's clear it struck a nerve amongst many on social media as it's been shared across several pages.
In the note, the owner of the car said: "I am willing to pay for parking with these coins any day of the week. I would request that you do not issue a fine against this vehicle."
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Aussies who firmly believe in the 'Cash is King' mantra backed the motorist all the way.
"Should always have a cash option," wrote one user.
"How can they expect everyone to be credit card online app savvy anyway and download it while standing in the street? I have so much trouble paying," said another.
A third added: "This is a great idea, but the inspectors do not have a sense of humour, they just issue you with a fine."
Others pointed out that the parking inspector wouldn't be able to access the coins that the driver had laid out because they were inside the presumably locked car.
Why North Sydney went cashless
The council, which is located in Sydney's lower north shore, revealed it had to remove the old parking meters because they operated on the soon-to-be shut down 3G network.
North Sydney also cited the incredibly low rate of people who used cash to pay for parking.
“Over the past year, the number of people paying with coins for parking has lowered to less than 4 per cent,” it said.
“Malfunctions in our existing parking meters occur primarily due to coin-box vandalism and jams.
“The removal of coin payments ensures our parking meters’ reliability long-term, as it decreases these ongoing maintenance costs.”
The coin-operated meters were decommissioned and replaced with new meters that accept digital payment methods like cards, smartphones and smartwatches.
It outraged some residents who were worried about the people who don't have digital payment methods and would be unable to pay for their parking.
A spokesperson for the council told Yahoo Australia that they had staff stationed at the meters during the rollout to ensure people knew how to use them.
"We are open to feedback, ensuring the transition is straightforward for the community. Those who have been assisted found the Touch N Gos, PayStay app and parking meters relatively easy to use. To increase visibility, Council are expanding the amount of Touch N Gos and parking meters," they said.
"Feedback to ground staff was that the new parking meters are quicker but acknowledge some are unhappy with cashless meters. As the meter system has changed from pay-by-bay to pay-by-plate, ground staff noted users adjusted well to this minor change.
"First-time users of the PayStay App or PayStay Guest may need additional time to navigate the programs and we acknowledge this opt-in technology may not be convenient for all."
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