Please excuse this rant. I am frustrated with my local council and blogging is better and cheaper than paying a therapist to deal with my anger.
Glen Eira Council, in their wisdom, decided the street in front of our office needed another pedestrian crosswalk – they thought the one at the end of the street, less than 100 metres away, was too far. So, the project began. They took away street parking in our street and the side street nearby. They also blocked access to our underground car park for several days.
On one of the days we could not access our car park, I had to drop off some boxes and could only find two buss bays vacant nearby – otherwise ‘d have to park 500 metres away. So, I broke the law, parked right at the end of a bus bay and carried the boxes to the office.
The ever-vigilant parking inspector booked me. Given that the council created the problem in the first place and had blocked access to my underground car park I complained. They refused to credit the fine. I complained. They refused again.
I proivided evidence of the disruption of the works to my business, their blocking of the car park as well as the damage done to stock we have in an underground store room – they jackhammered through our ceiling.
The council was not interested. Instead, they took me to court for the $50.00 fine for parking in the bus bay.
Sure, I knowingly broke the law, I deserved to be fined.
The injustice is that council offers no compensation for the damage they did to my business through this – the countless days of denial of access to our parking property and the hole in the ceiling of our store room.
There are two sets of rules – zero tolerance when Glen Eira Council can make a buck from an unfair parking fine and a no, we don’t compensate when we damage your property while building a road improvement which is unnecessary.
I paid the fine as wasting a half a day in court was not worth it. All I wanted was for the council to look at the damage they had caused and to say, yeah, you’re right, we’ll waive the fine this time as there were extenuating circumstances.
Glen Eira Council, or at least those representing it on this matter, are out of touch and care less about businesses in their area.
I feel better now.