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Woman fined after paid car park gets set up around her parked vehicle

<p>Josephine Williams had been leaving her car in a gravel clearing at Westgate in Auckland, alongside other commuters to catch the bus into the city for months. </p> <p>The New Zealand woman was left with a "nasty surprise" when she returned from work on Monday to find a NZ $85 ($77) fine sitting on her windshield. </p> <p>"To my unfortunate surprise - and many others - I was greeted by an $85 parking ticket for a breach and a flyer from Wilson Parking saying paid parking had started that day," Williams told <em>Stuff</em>.</p> <p>"But what breach exactly was made? How was I supposed to know paid parking started that day when there was nothing at all displayed anywhere in the car park?"</p> <p>Williams claimed that the Wilson Parking car park had been set up around her already parked car, even providing dash cam footage that showed her pulling into the gravel clearing at 7.45am, with no paid parking signs or Wilson branding in sight. </p> <p>By 6pm, a large red and white Wilson sign had been put up at the entrance, with "12 hours for $4" written on it. </p> <p>"Wilson deliberately put their sign up sometime after 9am and then took it upon themselves to fine every single car that was already parked there from the morning," Williams said.</p> <p>"$85 is a lot of money - it would have been two weeks' worth of grocery shopping for me," she added. </p> <p>"I'm lucky that I know the law and my rights, but some other people might not. What about students or the elderly or people who don't know English well?"</p> <p>She estimated that there was usually around 50 and 100 cars in the gravel clearing. </p> <p>Wilson argued that the carpark was always there and they had just added more signage, but have since waived Williams' fine after she lodged a request to have it reviewed by Parking Enforcement Services. </p> <p>Wilson Parking also said that they had started to set up the car park and installed a "clear signage" on April 22. </p> <p>"It was not set up around parked cars on 29 April as suggested," a Wilson spokesperson said.</p> <p>"Several payments were made by customers via the Parkmate app from 22 April proving that signage on the site was clear and effective," they said.</p> <p>They added that on April 29 more signs were added to all entry points of the car park. </p> <p>"In acknowledgment of the increased signage added on the 29th at the entry we've made the decision to refund all payments made until 30 April and waive any breach notices issued up to this date."</p> <p>They also denied issuing any breach notices before the signs were put up.</p> <p>"Payment options were available and signed from 22 April - but no infringement notices were issued prior to the 29th."</p> <p><em>Images: Stuff</em></p> <p> </p>

Legal

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Why Mr Bean is being blamed for decreasing electric vehicle sales

<p>Rowan Atkinson has been blamed for a decrease in electric car sales, with a "damaging" article being debunked in the House of Lords. </p> <p>The actor and comedian, who is also a well-known car enthusiast, wrote an article for <em>The Guardian</em>, claiming he felt "duped" by electric vehicles, saying they aren't as eco-friendly as they are often portrayed. </p> <p>Atkinson says the problem with the vehicles' sustainable marketing focuses on just one part of the car’s operating life: what comes out of the exhaust pipes and ignores other elements such as the manufacturing and the mining of rare earth minerals, shipping and building of the batteries.</p> <p>These claims, and the article itself, have been addressed by the UK's House of Lords, with politicians blaming the story for a decrease in electric vehicle sales. </p> <p>UK think tank the Green Alliance says, “One of the most damaging articles was a comment piece written by Rowan Atkinson in The Guardian which has been roundly debunked.”</p> <p>Other deterrents identified by the committee were the high purchase price and insufficient charging infrastructure.</p> <p>Social media users were quick to take Atkinson's side in the debate, with one person writing on X, “If Rowan Atkinson is responsible, then give him a knighthood.”</p> <p>Another user says, “Rowan Atkinson with a degree and masters in Engineering. Knows more than those pushing electric cars.”</p> <p>"Apparently it's Mr Bean's fault for the poor take up of electric cars. Cancel him," another said.</p> <p>For the last 12 months, high power costs in the UK have meant that fast charging your electric car can be more expensive than refuelling a petrol or diesel vehicle.</p> <p>The UK is planning to ban sales of petrol and diesel vehicles from 2035, despite the slip in sales. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Car safety travel tips for pets

<p>Any pet owner will tell you their furry companion is part of the family, so it’s no surprise that pets are increasingly joining in on family holidays. If you’re travelling by car, though, it’s not as simple as loading your pet into the vehicle. Car safety is just as important to animals as it is to us humans. Here are some tips to ensure you have a safe and smooth car tip with your pet.</p> <p><strong>Familiarise them</strong></p> <p>If you’re planning a long car trip and your pet has never been in a car, take them on short rides before the getaway. This will familiarise them with a moving vehicles as well as the sounds of an engine. It will also let you see how your pet copes. While most animals are fine, some do suffer from anxiety or motion sickness. If that is the case, talk to your veterinarian.</p> <p><strong>Secure your pet</strong></p> <p>Just like us, animals need to be restrained in cars. Keep your pooch in the backseat and make sure they are secured with a harness that attaches to the seatbelt. Don’t restrain the collar, though, as it could injure your dog in the event of an accident. For cats, keep them in a well-ventilated carrier or crate secured to the seat.</p> <p><strong>No windows</strong></p> <p>While your pooch might love the feeling of whipping air, letting their face hang outside the window can be very dangerous. Flying road debris can be caught up in ears, eyes and mouth.</p> <p><strong>Don’t leave your pet alone</strong></p> <p>Never ever leave your pet alone in the car. The temperature on a hot or cold day can skyrocket or plummet dramatically.</p> <p><strong>Bring ID</strong></p> <p>Animals are excitable in unknown surroundings so make sure your dog or cat is wearing their ID and an extra tag with your contact information. No matter how careful you are, accidents can happen so make sure you are prepared. </p> <p><strong>Keep hydrated</strong></p> <p>Bring along a fresh supply of water to keep your pet hydrated on long car trips.</p> <p><strong>No food</strong></p> <p>Don’t feed your pet during the car ride as it can upset their tummies, and you wouldn’t want any unpleasantness during a car trip! As a general rule, feed them a light meal around three hours before the car ride.</p> <p><strong>Entertain them</strong></p> <p>Bringing along their favourite toy or blanket will not only comfort them but keep them busy and distracted.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Travel Tips

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A driverless car pulled over by police goes ‘on the lam’

<p dir="ltr">Though autonomous cars might be the future, it seems that won’t become reality for some time after a video of a driverless car being pulled over by police before quickly driving off again went viral online.</p> <p dir="ltr">The video, posted to Twitter and Reddit, shows police officers from the San Francisco Police Department pulling over a self-driving car from the taxi company, Cruise.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-4ea97201-7fff-4db7-2b1c-95b850d91fd3"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Cruise has been operating the taxis in San Francisco since late 2021, with Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt enjoying the first driverless taxi ride, while the general public have only been able to hail them since early 2022.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Welcome to the future. Cop pulls over driverless car (because no lights?) Then Cruise goes on the lamb. (via <a href="https://t.co/mtmsIeOAUP">https://t.co/mtmsIeOAUP</a>) <a href="https://t.co/ecQ5xXuSnS">pic.twitter.com/ecQ5xXuSnS</a></p> <p>— Seth Weintraub (@llsethj) <a href="https://twitter.com/llsethj/status/1512960943805841410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">In the clip, police put their lights on to signal to the car to pull over at a set of traffic lights. It stops just before the lights, and one of the officers walks to the driver side window and looks to see if anyone is inside.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Ain’t nobody in it,” someone can be heard calling to the police.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, as the officer walks back to his car the Cruise vehicle drives off, before stopping and turning on its hazard lights a short distance away.</p> <p dir="ltr">This time, three officers jump out of the car and stand around the vehicle until the video ends.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though it’s initially unclear why the Cruise car was pulled over in the first place, the comments reveal that the car didn’t have its headlights on while driving at night.</p> <p dir="ltr">It is claimed that Cruise employees were aware of the incident as it was happening and were the ones to instruct the car to move forward, according to <em><a href="https://www.dmarge.com/2022/04/driverless-car-police.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DMarge</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-724fe448-7fff-6b72-4ccd-0c4000943848"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Cruise later commented on the clip, confirming that one of the officers contacted Cruise personnel and that the company had a dedicated phone number for officers to call.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Chiming in with more details: our AV yielded to the police vehicle, then pulled over to the nearest safe location for the traffic stop, as intended. An officer contacted Cruise personnel and no citation was issued.</p> <p>— cruise (@Cruise) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cruise/status/1513181598140796936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Currently, Cruise offers its autonomous vehicle services between 11pm and 5am in certain parts of the city, when traffic is much calmer according to <em><a href="https://mashable.com/article/cruise-driverless-rides-san-francisco-public" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mashable</a></em>. Those interested in taking a driverless ride can sign up to be on the <a href="https://www.getcruise.com/ridersignup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">waitlist</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-45e5a6fe-7fff-7edf-da4c-56f29660c088"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

Technology

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Car almost flips onto roof as another vehicle merges into its lane

<p>Merging into another lane in peak hour traffic can sometimes be a difficult task, and one video taking on a busy road in Sydney has shown us exactly how not to do it.</p> <p>The footage, which was captured on a busy Sydney road and posted on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DashCamOwnersAustralia/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Dash Cam Owners Australia</strong></em></span></a> is as perplexing as it is worrying, and both drivers involved in the incident were quick to point the finger of blame at the other party.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FDashCamOwnersAustralia%2Fvideos%2F1731624303563869%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p>Hundreds of commenters have had their say on the incident.</p> <p>“Whether indicator on or not, you can not merge until it is 100 per cent clear to do, so merging driver must ensure it is safe to merge. Even a 10 year old kid knows that,” one man wrote.</p> <p>Amazingly, the woman in the vehicle involved came across the video and commented on the post.</p> <p>“This is going to help so much with the insurance process,' she wrote.</p> <p>“I was the one the lady hit and she even has the nerve to blame me like it was my fault! She said ‘I indicated and you had enough space for me to merge in front of you.’ She didn't even stop or come back just continued driving like nothing happened.”</p> <p>Road rules in New South Wales state that merging motorists must give way to vehicles in the lane they are tyring to move into.</p> <p>“Before changing lane, signal in plenty of time and check for other vehicles by looking in your mirrors and your blind spot,” the rule book states.</p> <p>What are your thoughts? Who do you think is in the wrong?</p> <p><em>Image credit: Facebook / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DashCamOwnersAustralia/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Dash Cam Owners Australia</span></strong></a></em></p>

Insurance

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Cat has priceless reaction to ride in all-terrain vehicle

<p>We all have different reactions to trying something new or going on an exciting adventure, but we think this curious kitty’s hilarious facial expressions take the cake. Lysanne Adams of Quebec, Canada, recorded her red coat-clad cat’s reaction to her first-ever ride in an all-terrain vehicle, and what she caught on camera is utterly priceless.</p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nMMGxjSmLE8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>Somy the cat simply can’t believe her eyes as she and her owner hurtle through the snow, delivering one expression in particular that we can’t get enough of.</p> <p><img width="399" height="622" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/36043/image_.jpg" alt="Image_ (235)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>That’s the face of a kitty whose mind has just been blown.</p>

Family & Pets

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Huge security flaw discovered in millions of vehicles

<p>Owners of cars constructed by a popular automobile manufacturer have been warned of a huge security flaw present in millions of vehicles built between 1995 and 2015.</p> <p>A paper published by researchers at the University of Birmingham found a low-tech way hackers could gain access to cars made by VW group brands Volkswagen and Audi.</p> <p>The researchers used an audio frequency technique to ‘eavesdrop’ on the remote keyless access keys of the car, and in turn mimic the signal with ‘cheap technical devices’.</p> <p>It’s believed over 100 million vehicles worldwide could be vulnerable to an attack.</p> <p>The papers stated, “It is conceivable that all VW Group (except for some Audi) cars manufactured in the past and partially today rely on a 'constant-key' scheme and are thus vulnerable to the attacks.”</p> <p>Do you own a Volkswagen or an Audi? Do you think enough security measures are taken these days to protect our vehicles from these sort of threats?</p> <p>Let us know in the comments.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/08/beautiful-birthday-gift-brings-grandma-to-tears/"><strong>Beautiful birthday gift brings grandma to tears</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/08/car-salesman-rescues-elderly-woman-after-she-mistakenly-calls-him/"><strong>Car salesman rescues elderly woman after she mistakenly calls him</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/07/baby-fights-for-control-of-car-radio/"><strong>Adorable baby fights for control of his mum’s car radio</strong></a></em></span></p>

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