Sydneysiders, who waited up to six hours in a Covid test queue, threw “cruel” police officers at fining drivers for using their phones – even if they were at a complete dead end.
Nearly 30,000 NSW residents attended test clinics across the country on Saturday, while the group of beaches in northern Sydney grew by 28 new Covid cases.
But some cautious residents of the eastern suburbs who rushed to the local test clinic on Bondi Beach were fined $ 349 and lost five demerit points for using their phones while waiting for a tampon in their cars.
A man, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Daily Mail Australia that he was fined for using his phone while waiting in line for several hours.
Another woman entered Facebook after she saw officers taking pictures of drivers’ license plates and writing penalties for drivers around her.
She claimed that an officer approached the car while waiting in line on Saturday and told her that she was “lucky” that the Kindle device she was reading was not a phone.
– Has anyone else been nearly fined in the Bondi unit through the Covid test line? wrote online.
“It was a six-hour wait and there was a policeman walking around, making sure no one was on their phones.”
A woman who waited in line for six hours at Bondi’s COVID-19 test unit was approached by an officer for reading her Kindle after an officer mistaken the device for a cell phone.
Her post sparked outrage, with many slamming the incident as a “revenue-raising” exercise.
‘Rude. Inappropriate. Opportunistic, “wrote one person. “Income growth plans,” added another.
The woman, who wanted to remain unnamed, told the Daily Mail Australia that she believed the officer approached her because her keys were in contact.
She said she would understand if the police would politely remind drivers to refrain from using their devices in line.
However, she said the officer was extremely rude, noting “you have enough petrol” to go through the waiting before leaving.
“The line was right on the hill at North Bondi and we were already in line for two hours.
“I would have understood if he had politely issued a reminder, but the whole situation seemed unfair.
“Everyone is sick, they lined up for six hours on a Saturday. It just seemed a little cruel to target drivers in a coronavirus queue.
“Especially because everyone does the right thing until the test.”
The woman said she saw police officers taking pictures with license plates and writing notifications of violations of community law. Pictured: Police are seen talking to a Bondi driver about an unrelated incident in April
Another woman who left her home early Saturday morning in an attempt to beat the Bondi crowd said she had undergone similar treatment.
“I stopped along the way, waiting … we haven’t moved in centuries,” she told the Daily Mail Australia.
“I think I took my car out, my dog was sitting on my lap and I was playing with the phone.”
The woman said a police officer was “scared to hell” by knocking on the window and threatening to give her two tickets – one for the driver while using a cell phone and another for having a pet in her lap.
“I wanted to fill up, I’m trying to do the right thing here,” she said.
NSW police confirmed that nine people had been notified of traffic violations for mobile phone offenses in the eastern suburbs of Sydney on 19 December.
“Following a review, the violations, with the exception of two, were canceled and the drivers received attention,” a police spokesman said.
In NSW, it’s illegal to make video calls, text, email, take photos, use social media, or surf the Internet unless you’re staying.
Phone calls and audio and music functions are only allowed if the phone is attached to a swing fixed to the vehicle or can be operated without touching any part of the device.
NSW registered another 15 Covid cases on Monday – all related to the northern beach group, which now stands at 83.
A record 38,000 people across the state were tested on Sunday, with results expected to appear between 24 and 72 hours later, meaning the number of cases could rise on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Health director Dr. Kerry Chant said some patients caught the virus off the northern beaches, but all cases were related to two events at Avalon RSL and Avalon Bowlo last week.
More than 100 locations in Sydney have been placed on coronavirus alert, with visitors on certain dates being urged to be tested and isolated immediately. View here the most recent list of affected places.
The post (pictured) sparked outrage with many outraged after the woman shared her experience on Facebook