A little touch of sanity

[philward]

Isn't it just typical that it takes a sniff of an election for just a little bit of sanity to prevail for us Sydney-siders? 

Article from SMH about Clover Moore's latest.

It reminds me of my first enounter with the ridiculous ticket system that Sydney has going... I had a dinner to go to slap in the middle of town and had only just bought my first motorbike.  I thought "hey, here's my first chance to beat all those parking hassles and just breeze in on the bike!".  But then I thought, "hmm, i wonder what the parking conditions are for bikes?".  So I headed off to the Council website and the RTA and couldnt find one skerrick of information on parking a bike in the city in a meter zone (which lets face it is everywhere).

So I ring up the Council helpline... and this is what I was told.
Them: "Bikes must purchase a ticket and display it in the windsheild."
Me: "But I dont have a windsheild."
[long pause] "Then you must attach it to your bike"
"I have no where to attach it to my bike that someone else can't just rock up and pilfer my paid ticket"
[long pause] "oh, well to be honest I haven't been asked this question before - let me ask the supervisor." ... "okay, there is a process for motorbikes.  You have to buy a ticket and keep it in your wallet."
"but then won't I just get booked because there's no ticket on display?"
"yes you will. but then you write to us with a copy of your ticket to have the infrigement waived."
"so if I work in the city you expect me to be spending my time writing you five letters a week every week to have infringements cancelled - this sounds like madness.  and i can only imagine what it will do to my credit rating having so many outstanding payments due with the State Debt Recovery Office."
"well thats the system - and I can confirm that you do need to buy a ticket."
"okay, so say I buy a ticket.  My bike only takes up a fraction of a parking spot, do all the bikes need to buy tickets?"
"the law says that only one vehicle can occupy a marked spot at one time.  so the other bikes would be booked."

wtf???!! madness, I tells you! 

[bubba zanetti]

Thats one of the good things about not living in Sydney, no paid parking 

[brembo]

Paid parking in the CBD?! Just get in early and park in one of the free bike parking spots.