A young mother who endured over 20 hours of labour was told giving birth was not a good enough reason for not moving her car.
Jess Brooks, 33, parked her car at her mother’s house in Newtown, in Sydney’s inner west, before going to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital for a scheduled induced labour.
Ms Brooks’ water broke at 6am on October 21, so she and her partner believed the baby would be born that day.
A young mother who endured over 20 hours of labour was told giving birth was not a good enough reason for not moving her car (stock image)
The couple paid for a 24-hour visitors’ parking permit and rushed to the hospital to deliver the newborn, The Sunday Telegraph reported.
Due to complications, Ms Brooks’ labour went for a grueling 21 hours and she didn’t give birth until 3am the following day.
‘We didn’t get up to the ward until 8am so we had both been awake for 30 hours and it slipped our minds,’ Ms Brooks said.
‘By the time we remembered the car it was just after midday and it was too late, the fine was issued at 11.56am.’
In an attempt to avoid a fine, Ms Brooks’ mother left a note on the windscreen that said Ms Brooks and her partner had the car keys with them at the hospital.
As she couldn’t get into the car, she was unable to put a new parking ticket in the car, and the expired one was still sitting on the dashboard.
Jess Brooks’ water broke at 6am on October 21, so she and her partner believed the baby would be born that day (stock image)
The 33-year-old appealed the fine with a written letter, even providing the birth certificate, but Revenue NSW said it wasn’t enough.
Revenue NSW said the $112 parking fine was entirely justified as the ‘restrictions were clearly signposted’.
‘I was shocked labour was not considered a legitimate cause for leniency,’ Ms Brooks said.
Inquiries from The Sunday Telegraph successfully revoked the fine and NSW Revenue even issued an apology to Ms Brooks.
Jess Brooks, 33, parked her car at her mother’s house in Newtown, in Sydney’s inner west, before going to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (pictured) for a scheduled induced labour