A motorist has lashed out at Hobsons Bay council after he stopped to help a woman, whose car had broken down, and received a fine for his trouble.
Jarryn Brown posted on the council’s Facebook page that he was driving down Maddox Road in Newport when he saw a young woman with her vehicle’s hazard lights on.
“Me being the person I am, pulled over to see if she needed assistance,” he wrote.
“The poor woman informed me she had been on the side of the road for over an hour, her car had broken down, her phone had no battery and not one person had pulled over to assist.”
Mr Brown said he let the woman use his phone and tried to jump start her car without luck.
They rang numerous tow truck companies before finding one available and Mr Brown moved his car behind the woman’s car so the truck could park there.
“Knowing I had done a good deed, I was pleased … until a few days later I received a letter with an infringement letter attached from your council, advising me that I had received a fine for my car being parked in a non-parking zone (which I obviously didn’t notice and do not understand as there were heaps of cars parked there),” Mr Brown wrote on the council’s page.
“… better yet why did they not offer to lend a hand?”
“At first I was completely shocked, but realised as soon as I advised the scenario in a very detailed letter, including [the] tow truck driver’s detail to confirm everything is true, it would obviously be withdrawn.
“Yesterday, I received a reply from your review officer advising, ‘Permission cannot be given to park in these areas, no bonnets of vehicles are up, the infringement will not be withdrawn on this occasion’.
“I’m still trying to figure out how the Hobsons Bay rep who witnessed my so called parking in a ‘No Stopping’ section did not notice my hazard lights or that I was trying to assist the vehicle in front – better yet why did they not offer to lend a hand?
“It is an absolute disgrace and quite sad that your council can happily sit there and demand money from a member of your community simply trying to do the right thing by helping out others.
“My then good deed has now turned into a headache; I have been a resident of Hobsons Bay my entire life and had taken pride in being a member of this community, until now.”
Acting director of corporate services at the council, Hamish Munro, said the council was now trying to contact Mr Brown.
“We have asked Mr Brown to get in touch with us,” he said.
“If Mr Brown can provide us with some further information we would be happy to look further into his appeal.
“We are keen to resolve this amicably.”
