A storm's brewing over a Bay of Plenty Coffee cart and some instant parking tickets.
The drive through coffee shop is on a lot behind a service station at Tauriko on State Highway 29 just out of Tauranga.
The Bean n Gone cart owner apparently leases the site and uses another company to police the parking.
Painter Peter Wise pulled into get a couple of takeaway coffees, pausing long enough for his workmate to hop in the van.
It turned out to be one of the most expensive caffeine hits in the bay.
The nasty aftertaste kicking in about a week later when he got a ticket in the mail. Paul Marston from Tauranga Tasting Tours believes it's just a massive money spinner.
One of his drivers got pinged when he stopped on the lot to pick up a passenger.
He reckons the signs posted by Parking Services Limited are small and obscured and the fines are grande.
Daniel Haines owns Driven Auto, it neighbours the Bean n Gone lot.
He noticed a camera go up on a pole several weeks back Daniel says annoyingly some people do block the coffee drive through and that is not on.
But most genuinely mistake the site for a parking lot and he is frequently warning people to steer clear.
Checkpoint contacted Parking Services Limited boss, Jacob Thomas.
He declined to be interviewed, asked Checkpoint to email him questions and then hung up.
Checkpoint emailed him, asking questions about his signage, what he defines as parking, the number of tickets he's issued, what constitutes a fair fine and how much he is adding on for late payments.
We are yet to receive a response. Checkpoint has also contacted the owner of the property occupied by the coffee cart and Gull Service station.
