How do you think bad parking should be penalized? Should police be on the lookout for poor parking, or is it something we can monitor by encouraging our fellow road users to do a better job? Well, if you believe it’s the latter, try to keep your words of encouragement safe for work, as Australian police are clamping down on angry notes left on car windscreens.
According to a report from news outlets in Australia, police across the country are monitoring angry notes left on the windshields of badly parked cars. The move follows a spate of particularly spicy messages that were left on cars, including two that called the drivers “fuckwits” for their bad parking.
The notes left by disgruntled passers-by were first brought to our attention by The Sun, which highlighted some of the worst offenders – albeit with most of the offensive words blurred out. My personal favorite is one that reads “Real S***** parking A******. Hope you enjoy this caramel corn recipe. Learn to park.”
However, while the notes are pretty amusing to onlookers, they are something of an extreme reaction. As such, they’ve sparked a revolution among Australia’s law enforcement, as The Sun explains:
A new Aussie law could see drivers face huge fines of up to $1,000 for leaving angry notes on other driver’s cars.
The new law is set to clamp down on “material potentially causing harassment, atrocious language, or intolerance”, and to stop anonymous abuse from happening on the roads.
The fine of up to AU$1,100 is equivalent to roughly $700 here in the U.S. and is meant to encourage “decorum” among road users, according to a report from News Australia.
Under the new law, you’ll be in danger of receiving a fine from the authorities if you post aggressive notes, as well as “offensive memes or pictures.” News Australia adds:
The legislation serves as both a punishing and preventive measure where potential road rage is concerned, the [International Drivers Association said.
“It affords a reassuring message of safety and respect to the drivers on road,” it said in a statement.
So the next time you see someone parking in a way that really ticks you off, maybe think twice before you write them an arsy letter. That same way of thinking goes for bloggers that write things you aren’t a fan of as well.