A Watsonia woman has become the subject of severe online criticism after making a seemingly innocent check-in mistake on Instagram over the weekend. Last Saturday, Rebecca O’Meara visited the CBD for lunch with friends and a light spot of shopping. Before she headed back to the safety of the suburbs she dropped by one of Melbourne’s famous laneways for a hot chocolate and to rest her tired feet.
Just before selecting a cafe to sit down at, O’Meara took a quick snap of the laneway scene, threw a funky filter over her image, and then posted it on Instagram with the Geotag of Degraves Street and an accompanying hashtag of #degreavesstreet for extra emphasis. However, the seemingly innocuous, and arguably boringly cliched, post quickly attracted attention for all the wrong reasons.
Keen observers, and Degraves Street devotees, pounced on the fact that the photo was actually of adjoining Centre Place, launching stinging criticism of O’Meara and viciously trolling her multiple social media accounts. One example was a nasty comment from @melbscaffienista who said “if you can’t read a map or road signs you should crawl back to the ‘burbs and never set foot in the cultural hub that is Melbourne’s CBD. Enjoy the instant coffee at home you hillbilly!”
O’Meara has been shaken by the online abuse, claiming she’s a proud Melbournian but “those laneways all look the same. Surely it’s not that big a deal. I got like 37 likes on the photo, so not all is lost but I might just keep a low profile on my socials for a bit.”
The Watsonia Bugle 