A South Australian couple was hit with a hefty fine from cops for nonessential travel amid the pandemic after the pair posted old vacation photos on Facebook while at home obeying the lockdown rules.
On April 5, Jaz and Garry Mott of Victoria, Australia posted 12 vacation photos from 2019 and tagged themselves at the coastal town of Lakes Entrance, about two hours from their home.
Four days later, a cop showed up at their door and handed them each an AU$1652 fine (about $1060 each in U.S. dollars) claiming they were guilty of “non-essential travel”. They told the officer that they were old pics that they had just posted, but he didn't believe them.
The called the police station and attempted to explain that the facebook photos they posted during quarantine were actually taken last year, but the cops there weren't buying it either.
They ended up reaching out to media outlets explaining their plight. Once the press started discussing it, the police revoked the fine but it took almost two weeks to do so. But Jaz says she was also given a stern warning. She told The Independent: "The Sargent told me if I posted any more photos I will be arrested."