Sydneysiders who waited up to six hours in a drive-through Covid test queue have convicted ‘cruel’ police officers of fining drivers for using their phones – even though they stood completely still.
Nearly 30,000 NSW residents rushed to testing clinics across the state on Saturday as Sydney’s northern beaches boomed with 28 new Covid cases.
But some cautious residents in the city’s eastern suburbs who rushed to their local Bondi Beach testing clinic were fined $ 349 and lost five penalty points for using their phones while waiting for a smear test in their car.
One man, who wished to remain anonymous, told Daily Mail Australia he was hit with the hefty fine for using his phone while waiting in the long queue.
Another woman took to Facebook after seeing officers take pictures of motorists’ license plates and write down fines for drivers around her.
She alleged that an officer approached her car while she was waiting in line on Saturday, telling her she was “ lucky ” that the Kindle device she was reading wasn’t a phone.
“Anyone else nearly got fined on the Bondi ride through the Covid test line?” she wrote online.
“There was a six hour wait and an officer was walking around making sure no one was on the phone.”
A woman who stood in line for six hours at Bondi’s COVID-19 testing facility was approached by an officer for reading her Kindle after an officer mistook the device for a cell phone
Her post sparked outrage, with many denouncing the incident as an exercise to “ monetize. ”
‘Rude. Inappropriate. Opportunistic, ‘one person wrote. “Revenue-increasing muppets,” added another.
The woman, who wished to remain unnamed, told Daily Mail Australia that she believed the officer approached her because her keys were in the ignition.
She said she would understand if the police politely reminded drivers not to use their devices while in line.
However, she said the officer was extremely rude and commented ‘do you have enough gasoline’ to get through the wait before running away.
“The line was right up the hill at North Bondi and I had been in line for two hours.
‘I would have understood if he had politely sent a reminder, but the whole situation seemed unfair.
‘Everyone is sick, they stood in line for six hours on Saturday. It just felt a bit cruel to attack motorists in a coronavirus queue.
‘Especially because everyone is doing the right thing, lining up to be tested.’
The woman said she had seen police officers take pictures of license plates and write down notices of infringement. Pictured: Police speak to a driver in Bondi in April for an unrelated incident
Another woman who left her home early Saturday morning in an attempt to beat the crowd at Bondi said she had received similar treatment.
“I stopped along the way while I waited … we haven’t moved for ages,” she told Daily Mail Australia.
“I think I even turned my car off, my dog was on my lap and I was playing with my phone.”
The woman said a police officer had ‘terrified her’ by tapping her window and threatening to give her two tickets – one for driving with a cell phone and another for having a pet on her lap.
“I felt like” stuffing myself, I’m trying to do the right thing here, “she said.
NSW police confirmed on December 19 that nine traffic offenses had been received for cell phone violations in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
“After an evaluation, the violations, with the exception of two, were withdrawn and the drivers received a warning,” said a police spokesman.
In NSW, it is illegal to video call, text, email, take photos, use social media, or browse the Internet unless you are parked.
Phone calls and audio and music functions are only allowed when the phone is secured in a holder attached to the car or when it can be operated without touching any part of the device.
NSW recorded a further 15 Covid cases on Monday – all of which are related to the Northern Beaches cluster now at 83.
A record 38,000 people statewide were tested on Sunday, and the results are expected to come in between 24 and 72 hours later, meaning the number of cases could rise on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Chief Health Officer Dr. Kerry Chant said some patients have contracted the virus outside of the Northern Beaches, but all cases have been linked to two events at the Avalon RSL and the Avalon Bowlo last week.
More than 100 sites in Sydney have been placed on coronavirus alert, urging visitors on certain dates to get tested immediately and isolate themselves. View the most recent list of affected locations here.
The post (pictured) angered many who were outraged after the woman shared her experience on Facebook