Expat American stunned to discover Australia has speed cameras after she was caught doing 20km over the limit: ‘Apparently there are signs everywhere?’
- Sophia is an American expat who moved to Sydney
- She says she got her licence but didn’t know road rules
- Was fined for going over 100km/h in an 80km/h zone
An American woman says she was stunned to receive a speeding ticket after being caught by speed cameras she didn’t know existed.
Sophia, who goes by @sophiainsydney on TikTok and is originally from Los Angeles, shared a video explaining that she was caught doing 101km/h in an 80km/h zone in Sydney’s Cross City tunnel on May 18.
‘As an American, I got a licence here without taking any test. I didn’t realise there were like cameras for tunnels for speeding,’ she said.
‘I was so focused on driving as I am trying to navigate where I am going.
‘Especially driving for the first time on the other side of the road… I am really surprised this happened.’
American expat Sophia (pictured) has revealed her shock when she was fined for speeding more than 20km/h over the limit by a speed camera, which she didn’t know existed in Australia
The American expat says she was attending fashion week events and thought she was saving money by driving instead of Ubering but instead found herself with a $295 fine.
‘I thought I was saving money by driving not Ubering,’ she said.
‘I wonder if I should fight this because it’s my first time driving in the tunnel.
‘The thing is I am better at driving when there are other cars around me because then it shows me what speed I should be going.
‘It’s kind of hard for me to register what side of the street I should be on and I’m not even looking at the speedometer because I’m like focussed on the road because I don’t want to crash into walls, you know what I mean.’
Sophia was fined $295 for going more than 20km/h over the speed limit in Sydney’s Cross City tunnel
The American expat says she was attending fashion week events and thought she was saving money by driving instead of Ubering but instead found herself with a $295 fine
Users online were bemused at the American’s confusion and even pointed out that the tunnel pictures appeared to show she was driving in the middle of two lanes.
‘You should get a ticket. Not learning road rules or not paying attention is no excuse,’ one said.
‘She’s even in the middle of two f****** lanes like I’m on my L’s and even I can drive better than that,’ another said.
While one commenter said ‘Then don’t speed?’ to which Sophia responded: ‘K Karen’.
The expat has had a turbulent time in the land down under, previously taking to TikTok to say she had been kicked out of her apartment for not disclosing she had a dog.
‘My life has been the most unstable it’s ever been in the past few weeks,’ she explained. ‘I did not declare my dog because I think the rental market is so RIDICULOUS – and now I have to move out,’ she said.
A woman was kicked out of her Sydney rental after failing to disclose her dog after not revealing she would be living with a pet when she signed the lease
At that time the LA influencer also revealed that she had over $2,000 worth of jewellery missing from the last time she moved and urged her followers to ensure their valuables are taped up in a box instead of somewhere an untrustworthy mover could get into.
She admitted to feeling extremely lonely and lost – especially being so far away from her home and family.
‘Times like these just make me feel more alone and, like, what am I doing here?’
The LA influencer revealed that she had over $2,000 worth of jewellery missing from the last time she moved and urged her followers to ensure their valuables are taped up in a box instead of somewhere an untrustworthy mover could get into