Woah That’s Frustrating: Parking chaos, lane rain pain, problem pooches and a canopy cone

Coaches replacing trains on the Geelong line has sparked parking chaos as drivers looking to beat the buses squeeze vehicles into all kinds of “creative” corners.

Woah That's Frustrating: Car park chaos at North Geelong train station. Pictures: Brad Fleet

They’re the little – and sometimes not so little – things that can really irk us. We’ve asked the people of Geelong to point out the problems that irritate and exasperate and have us all saying, woah, that’s frustrating! And hopefully by highlighting them we can get them fixed.

Masterclass in ‘creative’ parking

If you thought parking at Geelong train station was a nightmare, you won’t believe the scenes at North Geelong station.

Construction work at the South Geelong and Waurn Ponds stations has caused commuter chaos for locals wanting to travel to Melbourne.

Coaches are replacing trains for all or part of the journey on the Geelong line while works are being completed until August 25.

But many commuters don’t want to jump on a coach.

Instead, they are heading straight to North Geelong station to get on a train headed for Southern Cross.

This has lead to a hefty spike in people parking at the station. Problem is, there’s not nearly enough spaces.

Inventive drivers are simply making their own spaces – on concrete curbs, across keep-clear zones and even in the bushes.

This Mazda has made a park for itself. Picture: Brad Fleet

One commuter said the situation was “chaotic”.

Like others, he now catches the train to Melbourne from North Geelong station to avoid taking a bus.

“I arrived before 7.30am and it was already chocka block,” he said.

“Cars were doing laps trying to find a park.

“You had to get creative to find, or make, a park.

“People could miss their train because they are spending 10 minutes trying to find somewhere to park their car.”

This ute parked across a keep clear zone. Picture: Brad Fleet

This BMW drove onto the concrete curb. Picture: Brad Fleet

These cars are not parked in allocated spaces. Picture: Brad Fleet

These cars made a home for themselves in the bushes. Picture: Brad Fleet

Geelong police cracked down on illegal parking at the city’s main train station in June.

One driver described the situation as “survival of the fittest” and commuters were even calling triple-0 after their cars were blocked in.

Lane rain pain, again and again

A laneway in central Geelong has sat half sealed for years, flooding whenever there are heavy rains

Resident Terry Graham said he had long been urging Geelong’s council to repair Keown Place, off Fenwick St.

“It’s been going on for years and years and no one wants to fix the issue,” he said.

Resident Terry Graham has been urging Geelong council to fix Keown Place in Geelong. Picture: Alan Barber

Mr Graham said heavy rain caused big problems on the strip.

“It starts at the top of the laneway, (the water) keeps building up and it starts to flood,” he said.

“It goes at a fair pace and when it gets down to the bottom of the laneway, the footpath is higher than the road, which causes it to keep flooding.

“The water keeps building up and starts to flow into the neighbours’ backyards.”

Mr Graham said the state of the road was “dangerous” and many kids, including his own grandchildren, played in the laneway.

The current state of Keown Plave in Geelong. Picture: Alan Barber

City of Greater Geelong’s executive director of city infrastructure James Stirton said the laneway has historically been partly sealed and unsealed.

“It has existed in its current state for more than three decades,” he said.

“We manage part of the unsealed section, behind two properties, while a section serving the remaining properties is privately owned.

“There are drainage systems installed that are designed to service the entire laneway.

Mr Stirton said council had been in “regular communication” with property owners to seal the laneway but it would need to be funded by them through a special rates and charges scheme.

It’s the leash they can do

Off-leash pampered pooches and their entitled owners are leaving users of Geelong’s waterfront barking mad, with locals urging council to fine the offenders.

An annoyed Rippleside resident is calling on City Hall to start targeting the waterfront to help keep the four-legged – and two-legged – troublemakers in check.

No leash and a poop at Eastern Beach.

“The council needs to patrol the waterfront walking tracks and issue fines to people whose dogs are off-lead and out of control,” she said.

“So many ignorant dog walkers, for some reason, think their dogs are special and don’t need to be on a lead. And the worst-behaved dogs usually match up with the worst-behaved owners.”

The resident said she’d heard time and time again excuses for the behaviour.

“I don’t know how many times I have heard: ‘Oh, he won’t hurt you’ as a dog lunges at a walker, particularly a terrified child,” she said.

“We are not mind-readers so don’t know what your dog is thinking when it approaches aggressively,” she said.

“Another laughable line from a woman who couldn’t control her dog in Rippleside this week was ‘He doesn’t like people near him’.

“Well, if that’s the case, leave the dog at home or make the effort to walk it in some faraway place where it won’t encounter people.

“Humans should take priority over pampered pets that need to be controlled.”

Tree sprouts colourful hat

While most of the trees in Geelong’s CBD have shed their foliage for winter, one has sprouted some unusual fruit.

A traffic cone perched atop a tree in the CBD.

The tree on Yarra St, near the corner of Little Ryrie, has a traffic cone placed rather impressively in its upper branches.

How the offending piece of road-management paraphernalia ended up there is quite the mystery. It would have taken a skilful throw or a daring climb.

Perhaps the witch’s hat fell as a sorceress flew overhead on their broom.

Although one senses mischief, not magic, is at play here.

And while the orange adornment is “hi-vis”, it’s apparently not visible to authorities, because it’s been in place for weeks now.

It has been effective though – not a single car has driven through the upper canopy since the traffic cone’s arrival.

... and some good news

After being highlighted by the Addy in this column last week, dangerous leftover line markings on one of Geelong’s busiest roads have been removed.

The lines – on Latrobe Tce at the northern end of the James Harrison Bridge – ran right across both lanes and caused several near misses.

Originally published as Woah That’s Frustrating: Parking chaos, lane rain pain, problem pooches and a canopy cone