Parking in Wheelchair spaces

mandysmithers

I was just at the AIB on the Tuam Road waiting to use the ATM when this woman pulls into the wheelchair space by the entrance. There were a few other spaces free, and I thought it was pretty selfish, she was obviously just too lazy to walk to the door. So I said to her "that space is for wheelchair users you know". Stupid bitch just shrugged her shoulders. That kind of thing makes me so angry....especially as there were other free spaces. :mad:

Das Kitty

Well they're disabled spaces really. To park there you need to have a disability disc on display in the car. This can extend to someone who provides transport for a disabled person.

It does annoy me when people park in them willy-nilly but I'd never confront someone because they could be disabled in a non-obvious way and have the right to park there. More than likely they're just ignorant so and sos like the woman you encountered though.

Wompa1

Yeah my dad is disabled and got startin on by some guy for parking in one outside Tesco, even with the tax disk. He walks with a cane most of the time and didn't have it with him but still would of had an obvious limp. But sure I don't think my dad was too angry about it, its good that someone would get upset if they thought someone was incorrectly using them

mandysmithers

Sorry, I should have called them disabled spaces. Anyway, this woman was perfectly able-bodied. If she had got out and limped or had a crutch I wouldn't have said a word to her.

Redhairedguy

Is there any kind of law against able bodied people taking disabled spaces? because from my experience, 9 times out of 10 it is just lazy people using them.

biko

I often see this, as well as single people parking in parent/child spaces at Dunnes.

http://www.youparklikeanasshole.com/give.html

Redhairedguy

Is it justified at this point to key their car?

LadyMayBelle

This is something that really irritates me. I have worked with people in the past who were in wheelchairs or who didn't have an obvious disability but still were entitled to use the space.

One woman I was with started an argument in the tesco carpark with a non-Irish lady who was sitting in her car with two kids, waiting for her husband. She didnt have any english at this point and just kept saying "husband, husband, I no English".. we were waiting for a free space and sat it out in the car till her husband arrived...a security man came up and asked was there a problem, and the lady I was with told him the problem.

Then the husband arrived and suddenly both him and his wife had english and gave out yards saying he only was popping in for ten minutes (it was at least fifteen!). She got into the drivers seat and drove off! So she could have done this at any stage! Really annoyed me I have to say. Those places are few and far between at any rate, many times i have driven around town three or four times trying to find one that is free and has enough space to allow a person to get out of the car safely.

Please do not par in these spaces if you are not entitled to them, even if it is just for five minutes!!

Redhairedguy

Kinda reminds me of this joke

I parked in a disabled space today and a traffic warden shouted, "Oi, what's your disability?"

I said, "Tourettes! Now fúck off!"

KevR

My Grandmother is disabled and has one of those disabled parking disks. Often when we've brought her out we haven't been able to get a disabled parking space because they're full with cars who have no disabled parking disks displayed.

We complained in the Galway Shopping Centre before and we were told there was nothing they could do about it. As they were telling us this there was a guy going around the carpark clamping cars which were left in the carpark for more than 2 hrs and clamping the cars of anyone who left their car and walked across the road to the Retail Park. Yet they couldn't clamp people who were parked in the disabled spaces displaying no disability disk.

Boils my piss! :mad:

ukgalwaymcguire

mandysmithers wrote: »

Sorry, I should have called them disabled spaces. Anyway, this woman was perfectly able-bodied. If she had got out and limped or had a crutch I wouldn't have said a word to her.

did you check her windscreen too see if she had any disabled badge in there????

mandysmithers

ukgalwaymcguire wrote: »

did you check her windscreen too see if she had any disabled badge in there????

No I didn't, but as she was walking perfectly, I'm pretty sure she wasn't disabled. If she was, it was an honest mistake on my part, as she looked fine. I didn't shout at her or anything, and I don't think I came across rudely. She wasn't Irish, so I thought maybe she parked there without knowing.

_Whimsical_

mandysmithers wrote: »

No I didn't, but as she was walking perfectly, I'm pretty sure she wasn't disabled. If she was, it was an honest mistake on my part, as she looked fine.

Lots of people with Disabled Parking Disks have them because they can only walk short distances.They may look fine and have no limp etc but being able to park close to where they need to go can make the difference between them being able to attend that place or not. Issues like muscle weakness and fatigue associated with neurological and cardilogical illness can have a huge impact on mobility.

I think it's great that people are aware that disabled parking spaces should only be used by disabled people but bear in mind that disability is not always obvious.You should always check for a disk before you judge someone. If they have no parking disk then judge them!

mikemac

mandysmithers wrote: »

No I didn't, but as she was walking perfectly, I'm pretty sure she wasn't disabled.

You shouldn't assume that, you just don't know
Even if you are a doctor you can't instantly judge this

Wompa1

If its after 10pm I'm parkin in those parent/child spaces dagnabit! Any parent that brings their child to shop that late at night can kiss my white hairy arse

Das Kitty

I don't think the parent & child spaces have any law related to them, I don't park in them though, terrible to see some bird with a scatter of young'uns trying to struggle them into a car in one of the normal sized parking spaces.

MarkR

It's a nasty, lazy thing for people to do. I saw two African ladies (heard them in the store) in two cars pull up together and park in two disabled spaces. I'll admit I didn't pull them on it, as I was at the store working on a job.

Karma's a bitch people, remember that! Keep parking in these spaces and if there is a god, and he has any sense of humour...

4zn76tysfajdxp

MarkR wrote: »

Karma's a bitch people, remember that! Keep parking in these spaces and if there is a god, and he has any sense of humour...

He'll slash your tyres?

Zzippy

biko wrote: »

I often see this....

Really biko! Those are clearly UK reg cars, and this is the Galway forum... of all people... sheesh! :rolleyes:

JohnCleary

mandysmithers wrote: »

No I didn't, but as she was walking perfectly, I'm pretty sure she wasn't disabled

You can't be serious? :eek:

Words fail me

VanhireBoys

Good John.....:D:D:D

On the other side I seen a NI reg Audi A4 in Dunnes Knocknacarra parked in a disabled parking place. A fellow came in his specially adapted Ford Galaxy automatic (You guessed it - he was disabled) and just parked across the tail of the Audi. He then proceeded to take out his wheelchair. He left his hazards on and just as he was about to go into the shop Mr.Audi appears and starts to shout and roar at the chap in the wheelchair. The fellow in the wheelchair said to him along the lines of "if you didnt park there you would be home by now". Myself and a few others hung about just incase that the guy would be attacked. Mr I didnt pay my VRT on my Audi had to sit and wait for the disabled lad to come back.

It left me smiling as I remember the image of the fellow casually wheeling into Dunnes leaving the ignorant barsteward fuming outside...!

How do you like your justice served Mr.Audi......?:cool:

Robbo

VanhireBoys wrote: »

Good John.....:D:D:D

On the other side I seen a NI reg Audi A4 in Dunnes Knocknacarra parked in a disabled parking place. A fellow came in his specially adapted Ford Galaxy automatic (You guessed it - he was disabled) and just parked across the tail of the Audi. He then proceeded to take out his wheelchair. He left his hazards on and just as he was about to go into the shop Mr.Audi appears and starts to shout and roar at the chap in the wheelchair. The fellow in the wheelchair said to him along the lines of "if you didnt park there you would be home by now". Myself and a few others hung about just incase that the guy would be attacked. Mr I didnt pay my VRT on my Audi had to sit and wait for the disabled lad to come back.

It left me smiling as I remember the image of the fellow casually wheeling into Dunnes leaving the ignorant barsteward fuming outside...!

How do you like your justice served Mr.Audi......?:cool:

That A4 wouldn't have the northern plates made up to look like southern ones by any chance? That's parked up there every time I go there.

mandysmithers

JohnCleary wrote: »

You can't be serious? :eek:

Words fail me

Why are you so surprised? She didn't look like she needed to be parked nearer the door, she could walk perfectly, had no limp or crutch, so I fairly logically assumed that she was perfectly able-bodied and shouldn't be in a disabled parking space.

JohnCleary

mandysmithers wrote: »

Why are you so surprised? She didn't look like she needed to be parked nearer the door, she could walk perfectly, had no limp or crutch, so I fairly logically assumed that she was perfectly able-bodied and shouldn't be in a disabled parking space.

The fact that you judge a persons (dis)ability on physical appearance - You don't have a clue :eek:

mandysmithers

JohnCleary wrote: »

The fact that you judge a persons (dis)ability on physical appearance - You don't have a clue :eek:

Well, I'm talking about a disability that would entitle them to park in a disabled parking space, ie. one where it would be difficult for them to walk the distance. Hey, if there's something else I should know, tell me, I'm open to being enlightened.

JohnCleary

mandysmithers wrote: »

Well, I'm talking about a disability that would entitle them to park in a disabled parking space, ie. one where it would be difficult for them to walk the distance. Hey, if there's something else I should know, tell me, I'm open to being enlightened.

Weak bladder, hence needs to be close to a toilet?
Damaged spine? Can walk fine for short distances, no limp etc. but could be crippled with pain after walking a short distance?

They're just some examples, I could go on but won't waste my time

The fact of the matter is that in your mind you accused someone of doing wrong without even proving it (ie. checking for disc) - You made a judgment of 'Guilty until proven innocent' but you didn't even bother to check

mandysmithers

JohnCleary wrote: »

Weak bladder, hence needs to be close to a toilet?
Damaged spine? Can walk fine for short distances, no limp etc. but could be crippled with pain after walking a short distance?

They're just some examples, I could go on but won't waste my time

The fact of the matter is that in your mind you accused someone of doing wrong without even proving it (ie. checking for disc) - You made a judgment of 'Guilty until proven innocent' but you didn't even bother to check

My mother has a damaged spine, so I know what someone walks like when in that sort of pain. Anyway, if she was in fact disabled, it was an honest mistake on my part. She didn't correct me either.

JohnCleary

mandysmithers wrote: »

My mother has a damaged spine, so I know what someone walks like when in that sort of pain. Anyway, if she was in fact disabled, it was an honest mistake on my part. She didn't correct me either.

So do I and I walk fine, but on bad days (or if I don't exercise/stretch) I can be crippled after walking down the road. I'm entitled to a disability disc but haven't been bothered my hole getting one. Even when i'm in PAIN (which happens) I APPEAR to be fine and I do walk fine, you wouldn't notice the difference, but I certainly do

I'm not saying that the woman you talk about wasn't an ignorant cow and just robbed the spot un-deserved but you are obviously not qualified to judge what pain someone is in by appearance, so stop acting like it.

I'll finish my postings in this thread with: DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER

Das Kitty

Just a note.

Also having limited use of your arms entitles you to parking in those spaces. So there's not going to be a limp with that.

It's basically

- limited or no use of one or both legs
- ditto arms
- dwarfism that can affect mobility

AdamantApproach

Mother and baby spaces are a joke and I have no problem parking in them.

I would never park in a disabled space.

LadyMayBelle

Peter Kaye has a joke about how his mother always park in those spaces when he's in the car, who is to say how old the kid has to be??