We went to the Bridgetown Hotel for lunch today with a friend. They do a *great* lunch and I had the “Beez Neez Fish and Chips” which is a beautifully cooked piece of barramundi in a delicious beer batter, with shoestring fries and homemade tartare sauce.
After the meal we did some grocery shopping, then got back to the car to find that I had a $55 parking ticket! Close on 30 years living in Perth with never a parking ticket – two months here and I get pinged for overstaying the 1 hour limit! (Maybe the fact that I was outside the Shire offices and the Ranger goes past regularly was my downfall…) It’s not as if there was no other parking available – there were heaps of spare bays, so I think the Ranger was just being a stickler for the letter of the law and some quick and easy revenue raising.
I’ll cop it sweet – and learn my lesson to not park there again!
Rhonda Bracey: At Random 
Speaking as someone who lived and worked in a Shire, it’s best to befriend your local rangers, or if you can’t beat them. Join them.
I found the best way to avoid parking woes when I was out enjoying a meal or drinks, was to invite the rangers along. They can’t book you while they’re sharing a jug with you. 😉
LOL! I’ll have to try that strategy… or park somewhere else when I’m spending longer than the usual 10 minutes in town.