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This mum was fined a whopping $78 for feeding her son in a metered parking bay.

Nicky Convine, a 33 year old musician and mum from Miami , was stung with a hefty parking fine when she pulled over to feed her restless son while travelling through Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast. After sitting in the back seat of her car for ten minutes while breastfeeding, Nicky’s car was approached by a parking attendant who issued her the on the spot fine.

Request Denied

Nicky said the chance of getting a parking fine hadn’t crossed her mind. “It was raining and my baby was distressed so I didn’t even think to buy a ticket from the machine.” She admits that the parking officer was apologetic once he realised that Nicky was in the car feeding her son, but didn’t have the power to overturn the ticket.

“It was quite hard for him to see me in the back so I don’t blame him too much,” she told The Daily Mail. Despite being told to approach the local council to appeal the fine, Nicky’s request was initially denied. She says there was a lack of ‘human connection’ in the way that the council treated her throughout the process.

Media Support

The young mum was only able to get the decision overturned when she went to the media with her story. Taking to social media Nicky said, “It’s not the fact that I need to pay $78, it’s the principle! I had a screaming baby in the car at the time and no where else to pull over and I was aware that officers are not allowed to issue tickets with people in the vehicle.”

Every mum knows the stress of a screaming baby, particularly while driving, so we have to say we’re behind Nicky on this one – sometimes the rules just have to be bent.

Do you think Nicky’s fine was unfair? Tell us in the comments.

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  • Think there were wrongs and rights on both sides in this case, but glad the council overturned the fee in the end.

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  • When a baby is screaming in the back while you’re driving wanting a feed you’ll stop anywhere to feed them I sympathise with her

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  • Well… I don’t blame the parking attendant. I’m sympathetic to her problem, but she was breaking the rules.

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  • I think the rules should have been bent in this case.

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  • A lot of people saying she should have parked somewhere else but where this was its pretty much all paid parking so she did what she had to do plus getting out with bub in the rain isn’t really feasible.

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  • Maybe if she had parked in an area that didn’t require a ticket.

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  • The problem is not the breastfeeding in my idea, but that she parked in an area where she was supposed to pay.

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  • Seriously? Why women always have to face all these nonsense. Taking care of a child is stressful already.

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  • In this situation a letter usually does get it overturned with no need for media.


    • I am surprised about the councils initial reaction.

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  • Maybe next time she could have a sign on her windscreen saying “I’m in the back feeding the baby” but I can see that getting abused. I get what it’s like when ur driving and ur baby needs feeding. The number of times we’ve had to pull over. But if I was alone and the only place was paid parking I would have paid for an hr. It sux but they see it as someone else could have parked here and paid

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  • Well since it was a parking bay where you have to pay, I don’t think it was unreasonable she got fined. A mistake is easily made and I totally understand this mums mother instinct jumped in. I’m sure next time she’ll look where she parks. I would just had paid when I would be in her situation.

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  • I’m so glad it got overturned, I have a bub that gets very upset travelling so I can feel her pain all too well…. and being in such a busy area would have added so much stress to that poor mumma

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  • I’m sorry but this shouldn’t be an issue! If parents choose or sometimes don’t get a choice not to have a second child that’s no ones business or right to judge.

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  • I can see both sides to this story. Yes, the baby was distressed and hungry, and yes it’s hard when you are driving with a crying baby, but she did park in a spot that required a ticket, and she didn’t buy one. It’s a hard one, but it’s good that she got it overturned. Maybe next time though she will take more notice of were she is parking

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  • I would have just paid it, you parked and didn’t pay it is pretty simple

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