A pregnant woman was left outraged after a council fined her for briefly leaving her car in a no-stop zone while she was having painful contractions.
Abby Kernahan, 37, suffered painful Braxton-Hicks contractions when she was 39 weeks pregnant in Randwick, eastern Sydney, on December 20.
Although the visual exhibitor was close to her home, painful contractions prevented her from driving.
“I definitely couldn’t drive, it wouldn’t have been smart or safe to drive,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘I stopped, I wasn’t on a main road, my emergency lights were on and I knew people could surround me.
Abby Kernahan, 37 (pictured with her daughter Isla) experienced painful Braxton-Hicks contractions when she was 39 weeks pregnant and unable to drive. She was forced to park in a no-stop zone until it was safe for her to drive.
The mother received a $302 fine in the mail five weeks later, but when she contacted Revenue NSW with details about why she was parked in the no-stop zone (pictured), she was told it was not a ‘medical emergency’ .
“It was the cafeteria at our apartment complex, I thought I’d have to leave my keys there and go to the hospital.”
Ms. Kernahan, who had experienced contractions earlier that day, knew that if she experienced two or three in ten minutes, she would have to take action.
“I got out of my car and the contraction passed,” he said.
“I told myself I’ll wait here for five to ten minutes and if they keep coming I’ll start to worry.”
Fortunately, they calmed down and the mother was able to leave in less than ten minutes.
According to Health Direct, Braxton-Hicks contractions are also known as “false labor” because of their intensity, but they “do not cause labor or delivery.”
With her baby, Isla, born on December 28, the mother was shocked to receive a $302 fine five weeks after she was forced to stop her car.
‘I thought, no, this can’t be that day. What really surprised me was more than anything else,” she said.
Ms Kernahan challenged the fine explaining her situation, but Revenue NSW refused to budge.
Mrs. Kernahan had been parked for less than ten minutes (pictured) and was not obstructing other traffic. The mother said the ranger should have come and checked if it was a medical emergency; they could have provided assistance.
Her $302 fine was reviewed and she said her painful pregnancy symptoms did not qualify as a medical emergency. Sydney mum wants pregnancy to be taken into account as ‘wild’ things can happen to women
“I sent all the information and they sent me a letter and pictures of my car and said the contractions are not a medical emergency,” she said.
‘That’s when I got really angry. Do I need to have the baby? Is that where we are?
The mother said she felt it was a clear example of revenue collection as the ranger did not come to see what the situation was.
“Despite having the emergency lights on, they did not come to check if it was a real medical emergency,” he said.
“No one came up and said, ‘Hey, what’s going on?'”
Kernahan said it was raining heavily that day and he believes the ranger didn’t even get out of his car.
“I’d bet money on it,” he said.
‘As they no longer issue paper tickets, they can simply take photographs from their car. The photos they sent me were all taken from the same angle.
It is understood the mother received a phone call from Revenue NSW informing her the fine had been revoked.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Revenue NSW for comment.