Page 1 of Disabled Parking

Being of sound mind and rapidly collapsing body, I had another of my indeterminate hospital visits today.
I still drive occasionally and can walk ( stagger ;-)) ) very short distances. ( No sympathy required, luck of the draw etc ) and obviously want to use the disabled parking bays.
On my arrival all the bays were full but three had the drivers still in the car, and on my third circuit of the car park I stopped when I could not see any disabled badges on the said cars, when I looked a bit closer, one car was a taxi waiting for a hire, one had a female medical rep putting on her makeup and the last had a sweet gentleman who told me to f**k off, he would park where he liked.
I eventually shamed the Taxi driver into giving up the space, but it occured to me what if it had some wheelchair bound little old lady, how would she have coped. ?
In some countries, people would no more take over a disabled space than c*ap in the street, but here it seems so many British drivers have no shame ( indeed aggressively defend their right to park where they like ) and have no regard for others less fortunate than themselves.

Your thoughts Ladies and gentlemen ?

btw, in my own experience a high percentage drive prestige cars like BMW`s and Mercedes. !

This item was edited on Thursday, 23rd January 2003, 22:20

Couldn`t agree more kywy!

I think BMW`s come with a free "How to drive like a complete dickless f*ckwit" handbook!

Yes, I`m afraid you`re right in thinking many in this country don`t care about anyone apart from themselves....and if anyone dares to be less fortunate, God help `em!

I never pigeonhole anyone, but having driven for a living, i can honestly say that indeed, BMW driver are the most arrogant, selfish, mindless drivers on the road

..with new model Volvo drivers coming a close second. (Trust me, the tide is turning)

It comes from (im my case) having a large powerful automatic car that likes to go quicker than most other cars, hence the appearance of bullying!

Just because `it likes to` deoesn`t mean `it has to`

I own a BMW and a Peugeot.

So what you're all saying is that I'm a wt[at]t when I drive the Beemer but great when I drive the Pug? Er, ok then!

I would like to say when I drive the BMW NO ONE ever lets me out, or has any courtesy, I get virtually rammed into!!! People try to race me all the time!!! But, when I drive the Pug people (now and then) flash to let me out, and all that. So I think its YOU LOT who have something against BMW drivers!!!!

By the way, I've never ever parked in a disabled bay!

Wasn`t a certain John Prescott caught in a disabled spot in his Jag? If the sweet oldman had told me to f*** off I would have parked directly behind him blocking the c*** in.

I think it is okay to park in the disabled in some circumstances i.e. when you go to a large supermarket that has 100 disabled and parent and child spaces, if you go late at night then you know that there won`t be enough disabled people ambling about .

I think that people are becoming more arrogant on the roads in general.

People cut you up just to get 1 second ahead. It's not as if its REALLY going to make a difference on their journey!!

Slow drivers stress people out so they get irate and start driving like a wt[at]t, which makes other people drive like a loon as well!

I do a lot of motorway driving, and I see whacked cars all the time. Most people have a phobia about driving on the inside lane on a motorway! WHY?

People can't drive around a roundabout properly as they need all 3 lanes and haven't a clue they've just cut up about 5 cars!!!

Basically people see others getting away with it, so they think f**k it and follow the (bad) example!

My dad is very ill at the moment with a brain tumor and at times can not walk. My mum had to take him into the hospital the other night and could not get hold of a wheelchair for him. (she asked an ambulance man for some help to be told "don`t ask me luv I`m not a porter") After about half an hour of trying to get some help she decided to drive round to the oncolligy(?) dept and parked in a disabeled bay. She was told in no unsurtain terms that if she parked there without a badge she would be clamped dispite the fact my dad could not walk and no one would help her with my dad. Yet all the time I see people spring out of there badged up cars and jog off down the road. (ok I have embellished a bit).

The system is not fair and is open to abuse. If I could be botherd to apply I could get a badge as I am asthmatic. I don`t need one but I could get one and then park close to where I want to be for free no mater how much money I may or may not have. The system needs to be looked at.

No doubt when I am not so p***ed off with how my dad was treated my views would be diffrerent.

All the best,

The 42%er.