Scooters "sit in" on Parking - Sydney Morning Herald 20th December 1964
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Motorists Angry
Demonstrating motor scooter riders yesterday staged a parking protest in the heart of Sydney. Thirty-Two riders took over all but one parking meter in Elizabeth Street., between Park and Market streets for the four-hour Christmas shopping period. They stage the "park-in" in protest against inadequate parking facilities for scooter riders. They claim they are being bullied by motorists who move their scooters so they are illegally parked and take over the space. Motorists yesterday were furious but police took the side of the scooter riders. They came from as far as Parramatta and rode into the city before breakfast. By 8:30am, when the meters began operating, they had occupied every available parking space on both sides of the street. Close to the big retail stores, this section of Elizabeth Street is regarded as the "gold carat" parking area in Sydney. From 8:30am to 12:30pm the scooter riders stood by their machines, shifting them to a meter in front or behind every half an hour. Motorists were at first dumbfounded then furious. But those who double-parked or trie dot squeeze in scooter space were moved on by a parking policeman specially assigned to watch the demonstrators. Several motorists were caught attempting to move scooters. Women there. When an attempt was made to move one scooter, riders swarmed across the road shouting at the motorist. When he started to argue the riders called the police. Whenever a motorist was moved on by the police the riders cheered. Motorists countered by waiting alongside a meter until the time expired and attempting to take over the space when the scooter had to be moved. But the scooter riders were too quick. With engines warming, they waited for the word "go" and swapped parking spaces before motorists had time to move. Miss Ann Deed, vice President of the Lambretta Club of NSW, said the parking protest had been planned for weeks. "Silly, isn't it," she said. "But we had to do something like this to bring our plight to the notice of the authorities. "Everything we are doing today is legal. We consulted a solicitor before we acted." Earlier, police told the scooters riders they were acting quite legally as long as they move their machines after half an hour to another meter. Scooters tie up peak hour parking - Sydney Morning Herald, 11th April 1965
Found on Newspapers.com
More than 60 motor scooter and motor cycle riders staged a "park in" demonstration in the heart of the city yesterday.
Motorists argued heatedly with riders when they found parking meters taken up for the busy four hour shopping period. Police and parking police ordered the motorists to move on. Riders took up all parking meters in Elizabeth Street between Market and Park streets. Others parked in Elizabeth Street closer to central Station. The riders stage the "park-in" as a protest against inadequate parking facilities for motor scooter sand bicycles in the city. They claim that "bullying" motorists moved scooters from meters and the scooters were then booked for illegal parking. Special The riders said they wanted areas set aside in the city for motor scooter and motor cycle parking. Riders from four cycle clubs met in the city at dawn. by 8:30am they had taken over all available meters in Elizabeth Street. For four hours riders stood by their machines, moving to a meter in front or behind when the half hour expired. Within Law The organiser of the demonstration, Mr Don Brain, of Granville, Captain of the Lambretta Club of New South Wales, told the "The Sun-Herald": "We want a better deal for the motor scooter and cycle rider in the city. "By that I mean special parking areas for bikes. "we are not breaking any laws with this demonstration - just trying to rectify one." Parking policemen said riders were acting legally if they moved their machines to other meters every half an hour.
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