lethargica

hahah...that's a great argument you got there re loading zone vehicles. it's true they don't specify what vehicles are accepted and what are not. I will definitely be stating all that you have mentioned in your suggestions. basically, very unfamiliar with the place. Not sure what documents I could provide them with but I'll just throw in my car rental agreement (which shows car rented only for the day and it was only just picked up) and my flight ticket (which shows that I've just arrived in Sydney the day before). Hopefully the more things I throw in (although maybe irrelevant), the more they will consider overturning it or downgrade it to a caution. and thanks for the bus lane link. read it like 1000 times before this to see if there was anything in there that could help my argument. and just read up that the demerit points will be carried across to VIC as if the offence had been done here. bummer.... Have a good one buddy!

sorry I didn't clarify that I was on George, between Liverpool and Bathurst. and yes, I was caught on camera. would you know if they could actually actually find out if I turned off at Bathurst, if the picture they took of me was a few meters before the traffic light? The camera would take periodical shots, and not screen capture from videos or do they?

Thanks for the insight! Yea I will definitely send in an appeal online through the website. Have you had a bus lane offence overturned before? Sorry, maybe I made it really confusing because I mentioned VIC and overseas but yea, this is along George St, between Liverpool St and Bathurst St. It was 9.52am on a Friday morning. Just my luck, as I just checked that the bus lanes operate in the morning from 6am till 10AM! Eight minutes later and this wouldn't have been an issue From the pictures, traffic was not exactly jammed pack but it was not empty either, hence the moderate traffic I mentioned. I am planning to send in my car rental agreement to show that I have only rented the car for that one day and we have only picked up the car in the hour before the offence. Any ideas on what other documents I could submit? I will probably pay the fine if the appeal does not go through. I stay in Melbourne and I guess it wouldn't be cost effective to fly over to NSW for court. Also, I've actually been out of work for more than six months which is the main reason why I realy need the appeal to go through. In this case, it does feel like "my buddy from Mars was driving"! At times I wonder if I should just plead ignorance and thought that it was already after 10am since I saw other cars traveling behind me too....or because I'm an out-of-towner.... Or maybe temporary insanity Any suggestions, anyone?? *insert cricket sound here* Oh btw, would you know if the demerit points would apply to me since I am holding a VIC license and not an NSW license? Thanks again! I really appreciate your feedback. Have a good wknd!

Nah, not exactly. I had a human GPS with an iPhone on google maps on the passenger seat next to me. Lol...

Hi all, I've recently been issued a penalty notice from NSW for driving on a bus lane along Liverpool St and Bathurst St. My friends from overseas and I were there for a short weekend trip (i.e. none of us are local to NSW) and that was the only day that we rented a car. The offence happened about one hour after picking up the car. It was our first morning in Sydney. I have had a VIC drivers license for about 3 years now and I have never had any traffic offences. I have also not had any traffic offences when I was driving back in my home country for all the 7 years I have been driving. My questions are: 1) Does anyone know if I will have a high/low rate of success if I pleaded for leniency or cancellation as we were obviously unfamiliar with the traffic? Should I be pleading for leniency or cancellation or just mention both? 2) Would it help if I told them that I was anticipating to turn left at the immediate intersection but only found out at the traffic lights that it (Albion Place) is not an actual intersection and I had to stay on to turn off at Bathurst? Also that, I could not get out of the bus lane due to moderate moving traffic in that short span of time and move back in before the Bathurst intersection to turn off? 3) If in the event my appeal is not successful, will the demerit points apply to my Victorian license? I have just received the notice two days ago and am planning to write an online appeal. Hoping you guys could advise me before I do so. Appreciate any thoughts! Thanks folks!