A street sign prohibiting drinking in public between specific hours has left Melburnians scratching their heads.
The sign was spotted in Melbourne’s CBD, near Marvel Stadium, and shows a figure drinking from a bottle with a red line through it and the words “Don’t drink on the street between 7pm and 8am – $100 fine “.
A local posted the sign on Reddit on Friday with the caption “Alcohol can only be drunk on the streets of Melbourne during the day,” which gave the impression that they could drink during the day without being fined.
‘Today I found out that as a Melbourne native we are allowed to drink on the street in the city at certain times. Let’s go,’ said one.
“Drinking during the day is the best kind of drink,” said another.
A Melbourne resident found this sign in Melbourne’s CBD allowing public drinking between 8am and 6pm (pictured)
Social media users were confused by the sign (pictured) because other states have stricter laws governing public drinking.
Many were confused because they had never heard of the period.
‘I don’t think this law has been enforced even once. Source: Melburnian,” wrote one.
“My first time here and I’ve been all over the world, this is one of the most interesting laws/signs I’ve come across,” said another.
“I’ve never seen them, I always assumed it was illegal no matter what time it was (after being fined for having a beer somewhere else),” one said.
‘This is Melbourne: I have never seen this sign or heard of this law in my life. To think he could have been drinking in public this whole time,” said another.
In Australia’s major cities, it is illegal to drink in public areas (footpaths, squares, shopping centres) in central business districts, reported yahoo.
Despite the sign, it is illegal to drink anywhere in Melbourne’s CBD, 24/7 (pictured, the area near Marvel Stadium where the sign is located)
In Sydney, it is illegal at all times to drink on the street in most of the CBD.
In Queensland, a person cannot drink alcohol in any public place, unless the area has been declared a wet zone.
In Adelaide, drinking is prohibited in its streets and squares – 24 hours a day, seven days a week – as they are considered dry areas.
Throughout Western Australia, it is illegal for anyone to drink in a public place, such as streets, parks or beaches.
That’s why the sign created confusion, as it implies drinking if it’s okay during the day, but that’s not the case.
A City of Melbourne spokeswoman confirmed yahoo In reality, the sign was outdated and invalid.
“It’s an old sign and the website is correct, we will check the area for old signs and remove them,” he said.
In Melbourne, alcohol consumption is prohibited in all public places in the CBD 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The laws were last updated in 2019.