Car owner ticketed for parking near hydrant claims victory after yellow lines extended

He felt wronged.

Stomp contributor Robin had received a parking ticket for parking within 3m of a fire hydrant at Jalan Benaan Kapal near the Sports Hub on Oct 22.

He pointed out that the hydrant was recently moved 1.5m, but the yellow lines in front of the hydrant were not, reported Stomp on Nov 6.

"It looked so sloppy to have moved a fire hydrant 1.5m to the right, but then repaint brand new yellow lines that mark where you're not to park in the exact same old place," said the Stomp contributor.

Double yellow lines on the road mean motorists are prohibited from parking there at all times.

"You do the best you can to avoid any part of your car being over the yellow lines they paint and now they expect you to look at what's on the sidewalk behind your car? And in the dark, as all this happened at around 7.30pm. Who does that?" asked the Stomp contributor.

Netizens were rather harsh on the Stomp contributor for being seemingly unaware of the fire hydrant law, calling him a "newbie driver", "bird-brained", "clueless idiot" and other rude epithets.

One commented: "Wondering if someone else sat for his/her Highway Code test. Or if the licence was a kopi licence."

Another person added: "Look, the rule of not parking within 3m of a fire hydrant still applies, yellow lines or not. That is to ensure the fire services have access to the fire hydrant in an emergency. What was this driver's emergency?"

But apparently, the Stomp contributor is not alone.

He told Stomp on Nov 28: "I drove past on Nov 26 night and encountered another motorist arguing his case in the exact same place. So, in true citizen journalist style, I took a photo."

The Stomp contributor said: "I had noticed the parking warden make a bee line for this stretch of road — having, of course, himself parked on double yellow lines — like he knew he's hit pay-dirt along this short section of his beat.

"Goodness only knows how many other people have been already trapped in this web. I hope you can again shine a light on this to save others from a $100 plus fine and a great deal of frustration.

"My personal standoff with LTA (Land Transport Authority) remains. I've even enlisted my MP who has raised the issue with LTA. We deserve better.

"So I wait in hope that common sense eventually prevails and everyone affected gets a warning and their fines reversed."

On Dec 3, he contacted Stomp again with a "victorious" update, sharing another photo of the hydrant, now with the double yellow extended across both sides of it, instead of just one side like before.

"Well, guess what," said the Stomp contributor.

"The yellow lines marking the area to avoid have been repainted and now properly marked out the area to stay clear of, which just goes to show that I was right to protest. Right to warn others. And right to demand change.

"Thanks, Stomp. It may be a pyrrhic victory as they still haven't reversed the ticket.

"But that they have acted proves they were wrong."

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This article was first published in Stomp. Permission required for reproduction.