Disabled Parking Bay - Rant

soccerc · 09-07-2007 03:47PM #1

Ok, I know this is probably not the best place to post but have to get it off my chest.

We, mrs and I took a few days break last week in Donegal. Mrs requires a wheelchair due to acquired brain injury and thankfully we have a parking permit to use diabled bays.

One day we were about to set off for a drive when a car pulls up and parks in the sterile area between two disabled parking bays. The sterile area is specifically to allow car doors open fully to transfer wheelchair user to car. Female driver hops out and runs into hotel to join friend s for an early evening meal.

I know, all I had to do was reverse out to make room, in the end that is what I had to do but more anon, but that is not the point. Additionally the inconsiderate driver also blocked the ramp.

I approached the person concerned and explained the issue in a very calm and friendly manner only to be told to get lost and not to disturb her or her friends as they had their pre dinner drink.

Her attitude really annoyed me and I explained that the particular parking spots were designated for wheelchair/disabled drivers/passengers nd that she had the whole car park to choose from - her response, I am busy, was late and as it was raining did not want to get her hair clothes wet!.

The hotel staff were treated just as poorly but she refused to move.

Can I just ask if the temptation to use one of these parking spots arises please don't.

440Hz · 09-07-2007 03:57PM

I have to say I agree with you, that kind of thing drives me crazy. Same with mother and child spaces in supermarkets... Stupid people parking in these spaces who have no right to be there. Obviously disabled spaces are a lot worse, but its the same principal, dont park there unless its meant for you!! URGH

robbie1876 · 09-07-2007 04:00PM

In fairness, if that is the 'sterile area' that she has parked in, it is very badly marked. To me it looks like a normal parking space. The hotel need to put yellow lines or something other indication not to park there and block the ramp. While the woman should not have been rude to you, I can see how she thought that was a valid parking spot.

Calina · 09-07-2007 04:03PM

I can't. It is too narrow to be a parking spot. It is also very badly parked even if she did think it was a parking spot.

She loses on two counts: a) bad parking and b) parking in a place which is not a parking spot.

Oriel · 09-07-2007 04:04PM

I would have keyed the bitch's car.
I would not stand for that.

soccerc · 09-07-2007 04:06PM

robbie1876 wrote:

In fairness, if that is the 'sterile area' that she has parked in, it is very badly marked. To me it looks like a normal parking space. The hotel need to put yellow lines or something other indication not to park there and block the ramp. While the woman should not have been rude to you, I can see how she thought that was a valid parking spot.

What?

The spaces either side are marked with Wheelchair symbols in accordance with the regulations i.e white, plus when she stepped out from her car she stood on the painted symbol. She knew where she was parked and didn't care.

BTW the sterile area is not wide enough to park in.:)

City-Exile · 09-07-2007 04:06PM

There are so many ignorant people on the roads, these days.
I see people blocking up shop entrances, because they're too lazy to park properly & walk 5/10m

Pansy Potter · 09-07-2007 04:06PM

I know you've included a picture but this should not be in the Photography forum.

440Hz · 09-07-2007 04:07PM

Actually blocking the ramp probably annoys me even more.

I lived with a wheelchair user for 4 years in college and there was a ramp outside our apartment. The step was quite high and she had an automatic chair, there was no way you could get down off the path without using the ramp, or having two people with you to ease the chair off the curb. SO MANY mornings we would come out on our way to lectures and same ass would be parked up on the curb, which was clearly painted. It meant she could not get down off the footpath and was effectively stuck. Often having to simply go home and miss lectures. Its an utter disgrace that some people can be so thoughtless.

soccerc · 09-07-2007 04:09PM

Oriel wrote:

I would have keyed the bitch's car.
I would not stand for that.

Surprisingly I'd probably have had the same reaction three years ago but now since the mrs' injury have become more passive. That's not to say I don't get annoyed having found the best way of addressing the issue is to appraoch the offending driver and explain the situation. Usually you get profuse apologies and a promise to never do it again while they move the car.

Morlar · 09-07-2007 04:09PM

In fairness that is pretty poorly marked - i think if you were in a hurry you might mistake that for an actual parking space. Though I dont think I ever have.
PS i hadnt heard of a disabled parking 'sterile area' until this thread. Could be worse though - I had a near miss driving to armagh yesterday when a driver decided to drive the wrong direction down the M1 near tallanstown - they were in the fast lane too!

440Hz · 09-07-2007 04:10PM

Oriel wrote:

I would have keyed the bitch's car.
I would not stand for that.

Normally I like the quiet life wherever possible, but in this instance, I concur 100%.

City-Exile · 09-07-2007 04:11PM

I'd have gone to the hotel manager.
It's their job to deal with such matters, not yours.

440Hz · 09-07-2007 04:12PM

Morlar wrote:

Could be worse though - I had a near miss driving to armagh yesterday

Could be alot worse! A friend of mine was killed in those circumstances last week. 25 years old. Be thankful you are here to post your story.

robbie1876 · 09-07-2007 04:13PM

thimblefull wrote:

She knew where she was parked and didn't care.

Yep, that's the issue, and it pisses me off too. Everybody so far on this thread (me included) would have parked elsewhere once we realised it was not a valid parking spot. For the idiots among us, the hotel should make an effort to clearly mark that area out of bounds. A yellow box or a simple pole blocking entry to the space would stop temptation.

Maybe you can take it up with the hotel and some good may come of it.

MagicMarker · 09-07-2007 04:13PM

robbie1876 wrote:

In fairness, if that is the 'sterile area' that she has parked in, it is very badly marked. To me it looks like a normal parking space. The hotel need to put yellow lines or something other indication not to park there and block the ramp. While the woman should not have been rude to you, I can see how she thought that was a valid parking spot.

I agree, at first i didn't know what i was looking at. It really does look like a regular parking spot. There should be proper markings there to ensure people don't make the same mistake.

Other than that, what a bitch. The parking job alone would have pissed me off.

soccerc · 09-07-2007 04:14PM

Pansy Potter wrote:

I know you've included a picture but this should not be in the Photography forum.

Perhaps.

However, we could have a challenge to snap any illegal use of these parking bays and upload them here.

FOr example I could go to our village and knwo for certain I would find a delivery vehicle in the only disabled bay available. Even at that it does not meet the statutory requirments it's just the council paying lip service to disabled/wheelchair users. It would be impossible for me to park in it and transfer mrs safely to her chair as the door would be in the middle of a busy street.

Morlar · 09-07-2007 04:15PM

440Hz wrote:

Could be alot worse! A friend of mine was killed in those circumstances last week. 25 years old. Be thankful you are here to post your story.

Sorry to hear that - (if I had known I wouldn't have been flippant about it).

eve · 09-07-2007 04:15PM

Morlar wrote:

In fairness that is pretty poorly marked - i think if you were in a hurry you might mistake that for an actual parking space. Though I dont think I ever have.
PS i hadnt heard of a disabled parking 'sterile area' until this thread. Could be worse though - I had a near miss driving to armagh yesterday when a driver decided to drive the wrong direction down the M1 near tallanstown - they were in the fast lane too!

Generally the sterile area is narrower-about half the width of a car. And any ones that I have seen have been clearly marked with diagonal yellow or white lines to denote that they was not a valid parking space.

I think it's worth a formal complaint to the hotel and any official disability body (don't know who off the top of my head) to point out that the markings were inadequate and that you felt you were not treated well.

eve · 09-07-2007 04:15PM

double post

Oriel · 09-07-2007 04:16PM

thimblefull wrote:

Perhaps.

However, we could have a challenge to snap any illegal use of these parking bays and upload them here.

Again, this is not the purpose of the photography forum.
You should do that in the Motor forum.
Just because a post contains a snap shot, doesn't automatically make it a contender for the photography forum.

soccerc · 09-07-2007 04:16PM

City-Exile wrote:

I'd have gone to the hotel manager.
It's their job to deal with such matters, not yours.

I did, and my OP post states that. However she ignored the management too.

440Hz · 09-07-2007 04:18PM

Morlar wrote:

Sorry to hear that - (if I had known I wouldn't have been flippant about it).

Sorry I didnt mean to sound like I was giving out... I was just giving you something to feel thankful about. She swerved to avoid a car on the wrong side of the road and ended up hitting a tree. Its the first time I have ever known anyone killed on the road, and I can tell you I have thought of nothing else every time I have turned the key in the ignition since.

Regarding suitability for this forum, yeah it probably should be somewhere else, and no doubt Ryan will move it, but I for one am very happy you posted it here. I would not have seen it otherwise, and I think its important to raise awareness of things like this.

Calina · 09-07-2007 04:18PM

Potentially better in Commuting and Transport also...

City-Exile · 09-07-2007 04:19PM

thimblefull wrote:

I did, and my OP post states that.

Ah sorry about that. Once I read "evening meal", my mind began to wander!

Official complaint it is so then.
No better man, as they say.

rymus · 09-07-2007 04:21PM

had to check I was in the right forum... how the hell did this end up here? Off to AH with you, they can decide where to put you from there.

City-Exile · 09-07-2007 04:21PM

440Hz wrote:

Its the first time I have ever known anyone killed on the road, and I can tell you I have thought of nothing else every time I have turned the key in the ignition since.

We're going off topic hear but I can name at least 10 that were in my school & have since died on the roads.
Haven't heard who was killed in the motorcycle accident, outside Dunmanway yesterday, but I'm hoping that I wont be adding another name to that list.

Pansy Potter · 09-07-2007 04:24PM

thimblefull wrote:

Perhaps.

However, we could have a challenge to snap any illegal use of these parking bays and upload them here.

FOr example I could go to our village and knwo for certain I would find a delivery vehicle in the only disabled bay available. Even at that it does not meet the statutory requirments it's just the council paying lip service to disabled/wheelchair users. It would be impossible for me to park in it and transfer mrs safely to her chair as the door would be in the middle of a busy street.

No perhaps about it. This forum is for photographic enthusiasts and the photo challenges are set to test peoples photographic skills. This thread belongs in Soc.

Anyway I sympathise with your predicament. If I had no joy with the **** who owned the car I would have taken it up with the managemnt of the premises, as another poster said. I would have threatened the managemnet with the police to scare them into action. I would not haven given an inch until she was made move. I would also have taken a picture of her red face as she was ordered to move, and posted it.

Maple · 09-07-2007 04:28PM

Would have called on the management of the hotel to sort it out. If that didn't work then call the Guards. What a cheeky inconsiderate mare.

soccerc · 09-07-2007 04:40PM

Had I just posted the pic and asked for a C&C, or suggested there was something amiss/wrong, would it have been left in place?

biko · 09-07-2007 04:42PM

http://www.youparklikeanasshole.com/

**NOTE: youparklikeanasshole.com does not support
making the notices provided into stickers in the intent
to adhere said notices onto offending a-holes.**

Disabled Parking Bay - Rant

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