Poems, dodgy permits and a cheese slice — how motorists seek to get out of parking tickets

Writing poems, chasing Pokemon, dodgy permits and even a cheese slice have been used by Melbourne drivers desperate to get out of paying parking tickets. Here’s some of the most unusual examples.

Drivers are so desperate to get out of parking tickets in central Melbourne that they have turned to writing poems and even trying to create their own permits.

Others excuses offered to avoid fines include catching Pokemon, going to hair appointments and shopping for dinner party ingredients.

One motorist appealing a ticket said their valid parking permit had been obscured by a cheese slice, offering a photo of the offending cheddar as evidence of their innocence.

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A cheese slice which covered a parking permit — City of Melbourne.

“My permit seems to have been obscured by a slice of cheese,” the appeal for a fine waiver said.

And one grumpy motorist even asked: “I’m not sure why I got this fine, I hope it isn’t because I drive a convertible.’’

One romantic thought love would find a way out of a fine: “I took my girlfriend’s car in secret to go buy a placeholder ring to propose to her. I was in a rush, stressed, and she doesn’t know about the fine.”

And a designated driver said they were dropping their drunk friend home.

“He weighs more than 95kg and I am only 60kg. It is really hard for me to drop him on his bed.”

Motorists try all sorts of excuses to get out of tickets left on their windscreens.

While the poem’s rhymes have sadly been lost forever, it shows how determined some drivers are to get out paying fines which range from $81 to $161 depending on the offence.

Other offenders employ their amateur Photoshop skills to create their own permits but the giveaways signs are dodgy cutting lines of the permit paper, a piece of paper placed on top of the old expiry date, photocopied holograms and holograms from an old permit.

Deputy Lord Mayor Arron Wood said the council introduced a process two years ago where drivers could view their fine online.

“This includes a photo showing the reason for the fine and a plain English explanation of the relevant road rule to help drivers understand where they went wrong to avoid future fines,’’ Cr Wood said.

The latest data come as annual parking revenue in the City of Melbourne last year fell to $30.7 million, down from $32.1 million in 2017, the fourth year it had decreased. Also, fewer drivers are appealing their parking tickets.

Cr Wood also revealed the seven most common parking offences.

The top two are obvious — overstaying the time restriction and parking at an expired meter or not having a valid ticket — which make up 78 per cent of all offences.

The others are stopping in loading zones, no-stopping areas, permit zones, taxi zones and areas for people with disabilities.

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@IanRoyall

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