Pay parking fine first, talk later

By Tan Mae Lynn

DEAR Mr Wilson Ang, You choose to drive a fancy car but don't tear out a 50-cent parking coupon, then refuse to pay your $30 fine, then cry foul that you're a victim of discrimination.

Seriously, grow up.

Last Monday, The New Paper carried a report about your case after you sent us a copy of your e-mail to the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

You claimed that none of the other cars parked behind yours had been penalised.

You insisted that you had been targeted for no other reason than the make of your car.

Did you notice your own contradiction when you said the luxury SUV behind your car did not attract a fine?

There could be a variety of reasons why the other cars were not fined.

Perhaps they had season parking.

Or those cars may have been parked there after the attendants had gone.

But never mind, let's assume you are right.

By a stroke of bad luck, you may indeed have been singled out and fined because you drive an expensive Mercedes.

Discrimination exists.

It can be a cruel world.

A search of online forums will throw up numerous posts critical of luxury car owners like yourself, and their allegedly cavalier attitude toward the rest of the vehicle population.

It is not difficult to fall into the trap of envy.

People do notice it if you drive a fancy car.

But hey, didn't you know that when you bought such a car?

If you want to totally avoid being the target of envy on the road, you may have to drive a more modest car.

It still gets you from point A to point B, right?

And think of all the money you can save, which you can spend on other fancy things.

Discrimination?

Of course, all that is no reason to accept or condone discrimination.

And if there has been discrimination, you are right to fight it.

The problem is, whether you were discriminated against or not, it doesn't make your offence a non-offence.

The bottom line is: You did not display a coupon.

Mercedes, Jaguar, Toyota, Kia or Proton, there is no other way of interpreting 'no coupon' when there should have been one.

So make amends first, pay your fine, before you raise other issues.

You said you do not want to be made an exception and fined when others are not.

Similarly then, you have to accept it if URA does not make you an exception and takes you to court, which is what it does to others who do not pay the fine.

Mr Ang, learn to pick your battles wisely.

maelynn@sph.com.sg

This article was first published in The New Paper.