REDLAND Bay grandfather Tony Philpot claims a parking ticket that he received while picking up his grandchildren from school is a rip-off.
Mr Philpot said he was issued the ticket by Redland City Council on July 30 for spending too long in a loading zone outside Redland Bay State School.
At the time his ticket was issued parents could spend two minutes in the loading zone between 2pm and 4pm.
Mr Philpot said he was outraged to find that a month after he received his ticket - which was issued at 2.58pm - council had altered the parking restrictions so that the two minute rule came into effect at 3pm.
He believes leniency should be shown for his two-minute discrepancy.
He had contacted council to ask why changes were made after an apparent crackdown but the parking officer refused to answer questions.
"If they have changed it a month later to 3pm then obviously there was a reason for it and that reason would have been that everyone was in the same boat as me," Mr Philpot said.
"You are literally on this 100 metre loading zone and what the council are saying is we should come into it one at a time.
"My question to council was 'where would all these cars go that are picking their children up'?
"They told me I should just drive around the block."
A Redland City Council spokesperson confirmed that the signs were changed on September 13 after a number of complaints were received about a lack of nearby options for parents waiting to collect children.
"The afternoon starting time for the drop-off and pick-up zone was altered to be closer to the end of the school day," a council spokesperson said.
"This was to allow drivers to wait in this area for an extended period of time in the lead-up to the restricted time."
A council spokesperson said loading zones outside schools imposed a two-minute parking limit to reduce traffic jams.
"They create a safe environment for children and keep traffic moving," a council spokesperson said.
"Council patrols all school areas in the city as part of our school safety program.
"Drop-off and pick-up zones and parking rules exist to keep children, parents and carers safe and to minimise speeding and traffic jams around schools."
Mr Philpot said he had spoken with the school and they were not aware the signs had been changed or that the parking restrictions once started at 2pm, not 3pm.
"You would have thought...that they (council) would've been lenient enough to say 'these people haven't left their vehicle, they are doing the right thing'...but they are adamant that you pay the $133 or go to court," he said.
"There are police that sit there (in the loading zone)...and they make sure you stay in line.
"It works extremely well but no, they (council) want you to go one at a time."
A council spokesperson said no changes were being planned for loading zone times at other schools.
Mr Philpot will have to appear in court if he does not pay the $133 ticket by November 7.
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