A young driver has been reduced to tears after being handed a $200 parking fine after waiting just two minutes in the driveway.
Victorian woman Avalon shared a tearful video from South Melbourne on Wednesday after a parking inspector ‘ran’ to her Jeep to hand over the hefty fine.
“I just bought some plants and went inside to get my plants and I came out, I was in the car, as I was backing up, the parking inspector ran out and put a $200 fine on my car,” said them in a TikTok video.
Avalon later clarified that it was her boyfriend who quickly ran into the plant shop to pick up their order while she waited in the car.
‘I hadn’t even gotten out of the car yet and had stopped so my friend could jump out and pick up the plant we bought for two minutes. I have the timestamp of just under three minutes,” she said.
“I was standing in the driveway of the damn plant shop and there was no one in the car in the way.
‘[The fine] It was so outrageous that people came out of the plant shop to defend me.’
Dozens of Australians urged the young driver to challenge the fine with her council.
‘How can you get a parking fine when you’re in the car? Parking means leaving the car behind! I would certainly dispute it. Don’t pay!’ wrote one.
‘You can dispute that. If you have a receipt and appointment booking showing that you were not there long enough to pay. It’s definitely worth the fight,” said another.
Other Melburnians shared their own experiences with parking inspectors.
‘Port Phillip sucks! They fined me twice when I lived there. I asked for a deferment because I was sick/off and they gave me one day,” one person said.
‘Literally the worst advice! My parents parked in a parking lot, went to the meter to buy a ticket and in the two minutes they walked to the meter an inspector came and put a ticket on their car,” wrote another.
“Parking inspectors in South Melbourne are a different breed,” said a third.
It is not clear whether Avalon was fined $200 for waiting in a restricted area or sitting in the company’s driveway.
Avalon (pictured) claimed the parking attendant ‘ran’ towards her reversing car as she left a plant shop
Drivers in Victoria can be fined for idling on a driveway less than one meter from a business entrance (stock image pictured)
Drivers in Victoria can be fined for idling on a driveway less than one meter from a business entrance.
Those wishing to appeal their fine with the City of Port Phillip can view the photo of their alleged violation on the parking infringement portal before filing an appeal.
Processing a response to the appeal can take between 30 and 90 days.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the City of Port Phillip and Avalon for comment.