People flouting disability parking at train stations

patinadiary on 24/02/2015 - 10:24
Last edited 24/02/2015 - 10:24

I never paid attention to this up until my disabled friend couldn't find a disabled spot. I seen this happen at stations everyday, especially since parking get full very early in the morning, you have people parking in the disabled spot simple because they have a permit.

Is it just me who get mad when you see perfectly able persons flouting the disabled parking scheme by using a disability permit. This one individual shamelessly parks his sports car in the disabled spot everyday and makes a run run for the train as he's often late, it makes my blood boil.

The current scheme provides for two permit categories with varying parking concessions based on the applicant’s need for assistance. The permit must only be displayed when the vehicle is being used to transport the individual to whom the permit was issued. It cannot be used if the permit holder is not travelling in the vehicle.

Is there anything that can be done to curb this or am I just a fool to poke the bear on this touchy topic?

Automotive

Comments

  • MATTS on 24/02/2015 - 10:27
    +54

    just because you didn't see his disability ……..

    • patinadiary on 24/02/2015 - 10:39
      +3

      That maybe the case, and if so, as a penance I will drive him to work for a month.

      Besides, he isn't the only person, there are several people who "by the looks of it" are absolutely able, but still use a disability spot.

      One of my acquaintances at work 'boasts' of using his grand mothers permit when he goes into the city, not to mention the insurance on his souped up skyline he drives is also on his grand-mom's name.(he reckons it a lot cheaper that way)

      My point is, just because its a touchy topic no one actually address this? People who really are disabled loose out.

      • Settero on 24/02/2015 - 10:47
        +1

        i would say at least 30-40% of people who use the permit are not the person who it was given too,
        its kinda hard to monitor.

        • fruit on 24/02/2015 - 11:08
          +4

          based on what?

        • Settero on 24/02/2015 - 11:25
          -5

          @fruit:
          just a guess from life experience , the number could be lower but i would be surprised so.
          its easy to abuse and sorta hard to get caught, most people would view it as a victimless time , and just because people are jerks, and that its so easy to get away with once that people would do it repeatedly.

        • DealzEddy123 on 24/02/2015 - 11:48

          what kind of life experience?
          do you view it as a victimless crime?

        • Master Bates on 24/02/2015 - 12:00
          +13

          @fruit: To quote the great Homer Simpson, "Aw, you can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent. Forty percent of all people know that."

        • xuqi on 25/02/2015 - 19:59
          +1

          @fruit:

          Pure conjecture on his part…..

        • Serapis on 25/02/2015 - 20:13
          +25

          My 68yo grandma has one, she doesn't drive as she can barely walk after a fall a few years ago so my dad does all the driving for her. My dad is perfectly fine and doesn't need the permit, he only parks in the blue spots if he needed to pick her up or drop her off somewhere.

          He's been told off many times and even fined once for using the permit when he's just parking in a disabled spot to go fetch her from the doctors, hospital or train station. I can see where they're coming from, seeing a perfectly non disabled person using the permit but sometimes the driver isn't the one who needs the permit but is given for a family member who needs them to drive instead.

          I think disability permit holders need to be given the benefit of doubt, most have some unknown need for it but it is none of our business even if some unscrupulous drivers do get away with abusing the system.

        • ronnknee on 27/02/2015 - 23:27

          @Serapis: It happened to my dad/grandmother as well. Did you contest the fine?

        • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 28/02/2015 - 07:54

          I would say I'm 90% certain Setteros percentages are incorrect.

        • Serapis on 28/02/2015 - 13:37

          @ronnknee:

          Contested the fine and they got rid of it. Used stat dec and doctor gave us a note with the date and time of the appointment

        • ronnknee on 28/02/2015 - 14:23
          +1

          @Serapis: That's glad to hear. We wrote a letter and they got rid of it as well.

        • Baghern on 02/03/2015 - 16:55
          -1

          @fruit:

          I wouldn't be surprised if it was that high…

          From what the media has provided it "use to be" quite easy to get.

          You only need a a few % of active people to have it. Who being not disabled use it more, to take usage to a significant number

      • Miss Dior on 28/02/2015 - 23:08
        +4

        Please understand that like all health issues people with disabilities have some days better than others, their resilience is less than others (that person running to the train may have other issues that you cannot see that impact on their mobility e.g. cancer) and the permit relates to mobility which doesn't mean just ability to walk etc. The person running may suffer extreme pain and have to limit the distances that they walk, run. I understand that you believe you can't see a disability but another person's health is quite private and there are many reasons why mobility can be affected, including undergoing treatment, incontinence, respiratory issues, prevention of a condition worsening and so on. Personally I am just very grateful to be mobile enough to get about. With age related conditions many of us will need a permit at some point in our future so I don't begrudge those who need it having it and I try not to assume I know something about their health that I don't. I leave the decision in the hands of their doctor and hope that professional is ethical enough to abide by the conditions associated with the permit.

    • nikey2k27 on 27/02/2015 - 08:24

      That is true. but mate if you see happen all time call cop on they can keep eye out. At end of day they are take park way from some that real need it.

    • Zuban on 27/02/2015 - 10:36
      -2

      Disability parking for people who can not walk far. Like broken foot Etc. If some one playing with parking must be fined and take back permit.

      • fruitbat on 28/02/2015 - 19:18

        "Disability parking for people who can not walk far". Not quite true. My Wife is disabled and can walk a reasonable distance at times although I usually have to drive her as she cannot drive far. Driving is a lot different to walking…especially when you live in the country.

        • Zuban on 01/03/2015 - 01:01
          -8

          What does it mean? Your wife can not drive so she need disability parking? So she is not actual disable at all. So why do not tell her park normal parking leave for real disable? why your wife need close parking spot when she can clearly walk. Simply lasy wife.

        • fruitbat on 01/03/2015 - 23:04

          @Zuban: Is that "Doctor" Zuban? Either you have a reading (and writing by your spelling and grammar) disability or you are one of those that passes judgement on other people simply because you are too ignorant to think about what you say. Calling my Wife lazy (yes, lazy is spelt with a "z") tells me that you not only ignorant but a simpleton with nothing better to do.

          Please enlighten me on your professional explanation of what a "real disable" is.

          Please buy yourself an English Dictionary and Thesaurus. (try Google, that's gee, oh, oh, gee, el, ee to find what a thesaurus is as I've wasted enough of my time on you)

        • Zuban on 03/03/2015 - 10:56

          So u are teacher now, before was u doctor. Did u think auto spell might create error. So teach your wife to park normal parking. Will best for real disable people.

    • kronicd on 28/02/2015 - 18:22
      +6

      Exactly. I had a temporary permit after tearing my acl. The number of people who saw my age and decided to abuse me because "I didn't look disabled" was huge.

      Yet I couldn't use stairs and couldn't walk more than about 100m without being in incredible pain.

      Even though i was walking with a cane it didn't matter to anyone who felt like abusing me for not being in a wheelchair.

      • jace88 on 01/03/2015 - 17:21

        This.

  • CyberMurning on 24/02/2015 - 10:44
    +1

    on the other side, where should we report this kind of illegal parking? saw also on my local, people park at the pedestrian paths, grass, or even at concrete where "do not park" sign printed!

    plus, i wondering what happen when you get illegal parking tickets from those rangers.
    will your car has permanent record of it (until you pay) - or most people will just ignore and dont have any consequences?
    for example say you never pay your 100x tickets, when you try to sell, will the new buyer able to see your fine history? will you end up having bad credit history?

    • Settero on 24/02/2015 - 10:48
      +1

      he is talking about someone he suspect is using someone elses permit , not someone not having the permit, you get the permit taken from u and a hefty fine IF caught.

    • fruit on 24/02/2015 - 11:09
      +2

      Call 131444 or your local council.

    • heatseeker424 on 26/02/2015 - 01:21
      +1

      The fines are issued by the council but the debt is owed to the State Debt Recovery Office. If you don't lodge an appeal, elect to go to court or pay the fine then they can 'recover' the debt. As far as I know there are a few things that you can't do if you owe a debt to the SDRO including getting a new license.

  • fruit on 24/02/2015 - 11:15
    +21

    This one individual shamelessly parks his sports car in the disabled spot everyday and makes a run run for the train as he's often late

    I have a mobility parking pass* and can run short distances, hell I can swim 1km. I need it for anything but a short distance of walking but thanks to people like OP I'm shit scared and embarrassed to use it.
    Sometimes I end up not using it out of fear and have to suffer the distance.

    If you really do expect misuse you could have used google and found this:
    http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/roads/using-roads/mobility-parking…

    1300 884 899

    * It's in my name and permanent.

    • [Deactivated] on 24/02/2015 - 13:29
      +24

      This. I have a middle-aged female relative who has a legitimate disability parking permit due to a medical condition that affects her nerves (Guillain-Barre syndrome), however you wouldn't be able to tell simply from watching her walk past if you didn't know her.

      She is still fairly mobile and can walk distances with relative ease. She isn't old or frail. She isn't in a wheelchair or obviously crippled in some way. She looks just like you and I, like most of us. Only she has a condition which can seriously affect her nerves in some or all of her limbs depending on when she has a flare up. Some times she's okay (usually for a period after treatments, of which she also has regularly).

      Like fruit, she's also too scared to park in disabled spots because she knows there are plenty of people out there who will see her climb out of her car and walk off, and assume she's abusing the system and isn't in any way 'disabled'. What they don't see is the pain and numbness she experiences (or suffers, rather).

      It really does anger me when people assume that disabilities are either visible or fraudulent. But yes, there are of course cases of people exploiting permits/benefits like these which understandably can warrant some of the skepticism. Do think twice before jumping to conclusions though.

      Same goes for matters of mental health. Bit of a tangent here, but just because you can't see the person is unwell, doesn't mean they aren't suffering or unwell (they could be just as poorly as someone with full blown overt symptoms).

      Anyway..

        • mskeggs on 24/02/2015 - 17:36
          +15

          If she has an attack while in the shop, how is she to return to her distant car?

        • [Deactivated] on 24/02/2015 - 20:48
          +11

          She has chronic symptoms, even when she is doing "okay", she is still suffering physical issues of some form that you and I would find very difficult to live with.

          It's not quite the same as an allergy that is either not active or in triggered mode.

        • [Deactivated] on 26/02/2015 - 00:06
          +8

          @waterlogged turnip: Why am I getting negged??

          She (my relative) doesn't even USE the disabled parking spots which she has a permit for lol. She herself realises that there are less mobile people out there with more severe disabilities who could use those parking spots, and get more out of them than she ever would.

          All I'm saying is that 1) she has legitimate health problems which has resulted in her doctors pretty much forcing these disabled permits upon her (and she's quite okay to have them as there are genuinely occasions when she cannot walk far at all), and 2) she has chosen not to use them for the most part - partially due to her own assessment of her condition at given times, and also partially due to fear of being judged by passers by who do not understand the nature of her illness.

          I'm honestly quite interested in knowing what the person who negged my posts disagrees with? I don't take it personally. Discussion/perspective sharing purposes only :)

        • rowenaduncan on 26/02/2015 - 07:31
          +2

          I agree with you. My mother has a permit. Depending on the day, depends on whether she will use it. Some days she's fine to walk anywhere, and others, not so much. I have seen her get out at a disability carpark, walk less than 10 steps (not even to the front door of the building) and then need to turn around and be helped back to the car. Other people also have days like that I'm sure…

        • [Deactivated] on 01/03/2015 - 14:33

          @mskeggs: Then she needs it, so park there.

  • patinadiary on 24/02/2015 - 11:16
    +1

    Simply using the work colleague as an example, one can't help but think there would be many who'd be exploiting the permit.

    • [Deactivated] on 24/02/2015 - 13:31
      +7

      And there are many who aren't exploiting it. It's a tough one. Do we then start to assume the worst of all people, or try to assume the best and steer clear of cynicism? (that doesn't always equal naivety, btw)

      • woz on 25/02/2015 - 09:54
        +4

        Aaaargh. You sound like my wife turnip. I'm admittedly a cynic who trusts no-one, but the wife looks for the good in all people. And yes, I regularly accuse her of being naïve. Being a cynic means I don't get taken for a ride very often, but I'm a lot less happy. I'm starting to sense I belong to an unhappy minority, so your comment has made at least one person today stop and think. And that's a fairly rare event for me. Congrats.

        • [Deactivated] on 25/02/2015 - 12:21
          +2

          I'm a cynic too and have had many past experiences which have made me lose the ability to immediately trust people without thinking, would you believe :) but it's something I'm very conscious of and really want to to change. I'm working hard on it and have to keep reminding myself that being trusting of people doesn't necessarily mean being foolish, naive, vulnerable or gullible. It's a difficult thing to truly believe but the more you steer yourself towards the positive in each encounter with new people (or any person), the more you start to remember the good events rather than simply selectively remembering the bad while filtering out any good.

          It's kind of flipping it back to front, in a way - selectively remembering only the good for a while, and trying to let go of any bad experiences that may fuel any cynicism… but it's a nice learning curve. A change of perspective. Even if it doesn't have a lasting impact on you and you end up reverting back to cynical ways, at least hopefully you'll have some positive memories to recall from that strange time you made an effort to focus on all the good in people :)

          And another thing that might help is reminding yourself that everyone is capable of good and bad. Does that then make us all inherently bad? Should we then only focus on the bad and be terribly unhappy (I can totally relate with you there!)? Or simply accept that that's the natural balance of all things, and it's still a good and healthy thing to appreciate the good (if not be even more appreciative when people do good or are good).

          This sounds totally wanky but yeah. It's hard to break a tough cynic lol (my stubbornness is a curse sometimes) :)

  • bobbified on 24/02/2015 - 11:20

    Methinks this one is a bit of a touchy topic…
    It's been in the news quite a few times where people have disabilities that aren't obvious to other people are confronted by people who think they are abusing the disabled parking scheme…

    It's a bit of a catch-22 on what to do and, as bad as it might sound, I would just mind my own business in situations like this. Who am I to question what condition someone may have that allows them to have the disabled parking sticker? I know I wouldn't be happy if some random person came and started questioning my disabilities!

    This sorta thing actually reminds me of the times people try to be nice and offer their seat on public transport to a pregnant woman… and then they get told off in front of everyone for trying to be nice when that so-called "pregnant" woman gets offended cos she's just fat!

    • This Guy on 26/02/2015 - 01:49

      When you see a piece about disability fraud do you see several thousand faces or just a few? If the problem is so prevalent, why don't they show all of the offender's faces?

      Another poster said their father got fined when parking illegally to pick up their elderly relative from the doctors. Most people would not consider this fraud. But puff pieces ignore situations and use the total number of fines issued to make disability permit fraud look more prevalent than it really is.

      The reason you see these reports so often is they attract interest. The only thing that changes in each report is the person they choose to humiliate.

      • bobbified on 26/02/2015 - 11:35
        +1

        Not sure what you're getting at here….?

        I was simply saying that I would mind my own business and not confront anyone about their use of the permit because there are medical conditions that are not so obvious to people like myself…

        There are already people who have legitimate disabilities and are too scared to use it because they are scared to be judged.

        • This Guy on 27/02/2015 - 02:43
          +1

          Sorry, I ranted.

          "It's been in the news…"

          You didn't deserve that. Sorry again mate.

    • Domingo on 27/02/2015 - 19:49

      Easy way around that is to just say "Would you like to sit down?" without mentioning any reason why. I usually do that, have been taken up on it and told "no thanks" many times, but never an upset response.

  • DealzEddy123 on 24/02/2015 - 11:42
    +4

    i also get nervous when offering an old / pregnant lady a seat…

    some old ladies dont look old and some young ladies look old…

    also with fat vs pregnant.. not very good at differentiating.

    and yes. disability doesnt alawys have to be visibe so imo you should mind your own business

    • bobbified on 24/02/2015 - 11:51
      +3

      don't forget the hardcore feminists who abuse Mr Nice Guy because they're out to prove that they're no less capable than the male-species!

    • patinadiary on 24/02/2015 - 16:03

      I agree. I'm not pointing fingers at anyone nor have any plans to go confront a stranger. The premise of the discussion was to ascertain whether i was the only one who feels that this scheme is being abused, or is the cynistic part of my brain getting the better off me.

      • FrasierCrane on 27/02/2015 - 13:22
        +3

        I once heard something that I think applies in this situation, and I look forward to using it should the oppurtunity ever arise.

        Someone was getting a verbal flogging simply because he opened a door for another woman. Something about equality and how she could open her own door.

        He said: "I didn't open the door because you are a woman, I opened it because I am a gentleman"

        Pretty epic comeback really.

  • [Deactivated] on 24/02/2015 - 11:58
    +1

    As with all systems, there will be people exploiting and abusing it. There are always a few selfish people who don't give a crap if they ruin things for everyone else.

    But I think the reason people are touchy about calling out misuse is because it can be very difficult to spot it - you see someone sprinting from their car, they look perfectly abled but you don't know anything more than that. Your 30 second summary of the situation is possibly wrong. Do you really want to be the arsehole who leaves a snide note only to find out that the person desperately needs the spot on their return journey a couple of hours later with their disabled child/parent/partner? Or maybe that sprint is something they can do…but there are other very valid reasons they qualify for a parking permit.

    My husband got snarked at by a well-meaning woman for parking in the pram/parent's spot one day as he got out the car alone to come and join me and our sick newborn in the nearby pharmacy. It was raining, windy and cold so he had parked as close as he could so that when returning to the car baby's exposure would be minimised, but because he didn't have a child with him at that very moment she felt entitled to snark at him. She'd not noticed him dropping us off at the doors a few minutes earlier.

    • rowenaduncan on 26/02/2015 - 07:33
      +3

      That's a whole nother subject. Don't get me started on parent parking….

    • Scrooge McDuck on 26/02/2015 - 17:27
      +4

      Unfortunately we live amongst plenty of ignorant people who assume that men can't look after children, or worse we're paedophiles or criminals.

      One day I found myself walking home with some heavy shopping bags during the bulky goods collection. As I passed someone's unwanted pram I had the idea to use it as a disposable trolley. I placed my bags in it and closed the sunshade but as I pushed it home I had several ladies in SUVs pull up beside and look sternly at me.

  • Almost Banned on 24/02/2015 - 12:09
    +5

    If they have a permit I tend to give them the benefit of the doubt.
    As people have said, there are plenty of disabilities which are not immediately apparent.

  • wallet72 on 24/02/2015 - 12:57
    +23

    I have a disabled family member, and in the morning you would never know she has any issues. Later in the day, when tiredness kicks in and medicine wears off the symptoms become more pronounced. We park in disabled spots and I've lost track of how many people have abused us. Just because she can walk out of the car, doesn't mean she can walk back to the car easily. Not all disabilities are visible, and to be honest it's no one elses' business who parks in the spots. If you think it's wrong then report it and let it be investigated. It's hard enough dealing with disabilities without uninformed people making it harder.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 26/02/2015 - 17:37
      +3

      Perhaps the Symbol of Access(♿) has caused people to {subconsciously} expect that only wheelchair users should park in accessible parking spaces.

  • earths_pacifist on 24/02/2015 - 13:04
    +11

    You should never assume that someone does not have a disability…
    http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/colostomy-bag-wearer…

    • Scrooge McDuck on 26/02/2015 - 17:46
      +1

      I seem to have something in my eye.

    • fruitbat on 28/02/2015 - 19:27

      Agreed 100%. One does not have to look disabled to actually be disabled. Look at the permit, not the person. I'm sure there are those that abuse the system and hope they get caught/fined but unless you a medical person that can diagnose a disability just by looking at someone, you should not judge them. As someone that lives with a disabled person and uses a permit, correctly obtained and issued, I am tired of those that think it's OK to be abusive just because someone "looks OK to them".

  • RickoWest on 24/02/2015 - 13:25
    +2

    Just call up and report, don't interfere with the person, you have no idea what they've been through.. I myself have no cartilage in my kneecaps, being way to young for knee replacements I get only a little use out of them before they swell and cripple me, therefore being parked close to amenities is needed.. Yet if there is a normal parking spot not to farther away free I'll park in that for fear of other peoples judgement, I get into disagreements about it with my fiance all the time about not using the disabled bay, as she is the one that sees me in pain when we get back home, and depending on the aggravation and distance that can be for days on end I don't leave the house and are bed bound with it..

    I'm just saying all this as think about a person that has worked in heavy labour mining, played sports, then bam.. Out of their control something life changing, for the worse, has occurred to them. Then you get glaring looks or someone pipes up and they are forced to defend their self in a position they sure don't want to be in either.. Compassion and understanding..

    Don't get me wrong, the guy that runs from a sports car doesn't sound like he is doing himself any favours, but just ring and report and forget.. Thinking about it further will make you stare and assess everyone using those bays… And mate they don't need that, they got enough to deal with..

  • DealzEddy123 on 24/02/2015 - 14:29

    i always walk slow on my way to work because I easily get tired / like to walk at a slow pace.

    people in the city always seem to get annoyed at me even though they technically can walk around me (I usually keep to the left of the footpath)

    im actually waiting for the day for someone to make a comment so I can tell them off lol

  • digitalterrorist on 24/02/2015 - 16:15
    -2

    The problem is that the relatives of the person of the issued permit seem to use it when they don't have the said person with them. That's impossible to police, because inspectors are not around then and there, so they get off scott free. The fact we are having this discussion shows that the public has lost confidence in the scheme being administered fairly and used correctly.

    • mskeggs on 24/02/2015 - 17:45
      +2

      Hmm. A report of a young male alone using the pass if it was issued to an older female would be a good example of how this could trip up the dishonest.
      The fact that we are discussing it shows that the occasional 'expose' by A Current Affair or the tabloids still sells advertising, er…convinces people there is a problem with the system.
      If it bothers you, by all means report incidents, especially if you think somebody is suspect, but surely the comments up thread suggest there are people who need the permits who may present fully able at times.
      If your lack of confidence is because you know people abusing the system personally, it might be better to have a few words with them directly.

  • Sweetnsour on 25/02/2015 - 08:22

    Perhaps make it more "tedious" to renew the parking permit. At least you ween out some unnecessary users, so that ppl like OP get a space. But short of that theres not much you can do. There are always a few that have no conscience

    • peco on 26/02/2015 - 04:31

      You shouldn't punish those who actually need a permit just because a few people abuse the system.

      • Sweetnsour on 01/03/2015 - 08:25

        Certainly in some areas, a disability pass makes no difference. I would happily take my parents through more hurdles if it means we can actually use the pass.

  • maddoglee on 25/02/2015 - 09:34
    +5

    I really enjoyed reading this thread and learned quite a bit. It sounds like from the comments here that a truly disabled person would rather forgo disabled parking spots to scanners than to be judged or tut tutted by a concerned citizen. seems like disabled people don't need or want your help. The best thing you can do is not park in a disabled spot and don't judge the disabled sports car sprinter.

    • c0balt on 25/02/2015 - 20:11
      +4

      My grandmother does this, but it's not because she doesn't want to be tut tutted, it's because she knows a few people who would need the spot a lot more than her and she doesn't want someone else to miss out because she took it.

      On family outings we just hear "oh I parked so far away and my hips are already grinding bone" over and over again.

      Just use the damn permit Nana, you are disabled and anyone who gets the permit is entitled to use the spot.

  • woz on 25/02/2015 - 10:11
    +21

    Our family has a disabled permit for our violent and autistic son. I was thinking that I've never used it when he isn't in the car, but then I remembered I had. When I pick him up from an appointment or his special school, I have occasionally parked in a disabled spot for five minutes prior to manhandling him into the car.

    The tut-tutting syndrome is something all autistic parents know well. Our solution is to carry around business cards with the following printed on them:

    "Our son has severe autism and is prone to violence and distress. We often have to force tablets into him in the midst of an episode, and our restraining techniques can appear excessive to those unfamiliar with them. Feel free to contact us later on the number below if you have any concerns or would like to know more about autism."

    Don't get angry or frustrated, just hand them the card and keep walking. This thread does suggest to me that I could add a line along the likes of:

    "If you see me parking in a disabled spot without my son present, it is because I am in the act of picking my son up from an appointment and wish to avoid dragging him by his ankles across the carpark."

    • Scrooge McDuck on 26/02/2015 - 17:52

      What about an explanatory sticker on the side or rear of your vehicle?

      It could be easier to point to that than to hand out cards.

      • woz on 27/02/2015 - 09:32
        +2

        Perhaps. I've found that the people that tut-tut tend to do so from a distance. It's passive-aggressive behaviour from people that want to criticise from afar and don't want to get up close to read stickers. To educate these people, you've got to get in their face.

        The beauty of the card is that you present it to them in the act of walking past them, and they invariably accept it. Depending on the level of aggression and unreasonableness, I follow it up with variations of the death stare.

    • kabigon on 27/02/2015 - 12:08
      +1

      business cards

      Great idea. When I have to explain something repeatedly, part of me irrationally thinks 'oh, I've explained this to x number of people over y period of time, therefore the whole population should know, so I'm going to be grouchy at the next person who asks me', have to remain calm and remember that humans aren't a hive mind ;)

      • woz on 28/02/2015 - 11:22

        A hive mind! What a disaster that would be. Women would finally have proof that men are as shallow as they'd always believed. And they'd be horrified at just how often some men like myself spend looking at women's chests.

        • [Deactivated] on 28/02/2015 - 18:41

          And they'd be horrified at just how often some men like myself spend looking at women's chests.

          Can't blame you there ;) Most of us do it too..

    • Thaal Sinestro on 28/02/2015 - 23:59

      I thought autistic individuals were placid and withdrawn, and it was the ADHD and Oppositional Defiant kids (the ritalin users) who throw violent tantrums.

      • [Deactivated] on 01/03/2015 - 00:06

        It's a spectrum. This is a good eye-opening doco :)

      • woz on 01/03/2015 - 17:48
        +1

        It is indeed a wide spectrum, and there's very little comfort to be had at either end of it, and the middle isn't that great either. At one end, you've got kids that stare at the ceiling, don't talk, have never hugged or shown any affection whatsoever to their parents. Absolutely heartbreaking.

        At the other end, you've got high functioning individuals usually diagnosed as Asbergers, but with lots of sensory issues and compulsions and a higher percentage of these have additional diagnoses of OCD, ODD, ADHD and so on. To be honest, there's a growing school of thought that most of these labels are bullshit - and those acronyms I've just spouted are so common amongst autistic kids that they may as well be considered additional symptoms of autism.

        My son is Aspergers with Oppositional Defiance Disorder. These kids are close to impossible to manage. You manage an Aspie with strict routine - and this results in an ODD kid going nuclear every other day.

        There is no such thing as an autism medication. There are simply anti-psychotic, diet pills, stimulants (ritalin), anti-depressants, epilepsy meds and sedatives - which have been found by accident to make an autistic kid a bit easier to manage. Most parents spend the first two to three years after diagnosis trialling different meds and dosages. I remember when we tried Ritalin - it was like taking a drum of petrol and adding a match. The med trials are extremely hit and miss.

        There's 60 autistic kids at my son's special autism school, and I take no joy in the fact the school generally acknowledges that he's the most challenging kid they've got. However, after watching all 60 kids for a few years, it's quite true that no two are exactly alike. Autism is a very wide spectrum - hard to diagnose and even harder to manage. There are however moments of pure bliss. Autistic kids are absolutely guileless. Imagine what a world would be like if no-one ever lied…

        • [Deactivated] on 01/03/2015 - 18:04

          There are however moments of pure bliss.

          Woz, I just wanna give you the biggest hug (and not in the 'oh, poor you' kind of way). :)

        • woz on 01/03/2015 - 21:09

          @waterlogged turnip:

          Then I better not tell you that when his school could no longer cope with him, the NSW Department of Family and Community Services took an interest. A year later, he was considered too violent for our six year old daughter to be safe. Their solution? Leave us with our disabled kid, and remove our wonderful daughter from our custody. My wife and I are up to our armpits in lawyers and disability advocates and so on.

          It's a unique kind of hell we are living at present, but we do what we can while the authorities continue looking for a 'placement' for our disabled son.

          I guess that all means: yes, I could use a hug. Maybe even two. Gifts of chocolate and caffeine are also looked on favourably.

          Be extra nice to your own family. You never know when without warning it could all be taken away. Sometimes love alone simply isn't enough.

        • what on 01/03/2015 - 23:28

          You are amazing.

        • bluedufflecoat on 14/04/2015 - 14:43

          @woz: t thank you for sharing. Who does your daughter live with right now?

  • 12Sydney34 on 25/02/2015 - 10:57
    -5

    Time for NSW to follow other states…. mobility parking does not give you free parking…

    VIC:-
    A disability parking permit does not entitle the permit holder to free parking, unless stated on the permissive parking sign. Parking can differ from one local council to another and permit holders should always check the permissive parking sign.

    Category one (blue) and category two (green) permit holders are entitled to park for twice as long as indicated by a permissive parking sign (under Road Rule 206). The initial parking fee would have to be paid, but that payment would cover twice the length of time than it would for a non-permit holder. e.g. in a 1P parking bay upon payment of the initial parking fee for 1 hour the permit holder may park for up to 2 hours.

    • This Guy on 26/02/2015 - 02:11
      +4

      Requiring payment for disabled spots is kind of missing the point of a disabled spot.

      Many disabled people have mobility problems. Some people care for extremely disruptive and violent people. Do you expect these people to travel half a parking lot and back to get a ticket?

      What if a disabled person can't use the machine? Maybe they have damaged hands or just can't reach. So they can legally drive their modified car but they can't legally park because we are scared of giving away something small to someone in need?

  • ahly92 on 25/02/2015 - 20:06
    +3

    I used to know a person who would use their family members disabled permit to park for free at Ticket areas only (most coin parking in suburban areas are free for disabled permit holders)…he told me he never parks in disabled areas but also never pays for parking

  • maximum on 25/02/2015 - 23:56
    +6

    My sister has ms and parks in disabled parking. Like so many other disabled people she gets up and forces herself to work as much as her health allows -even though she could sit at home on a pension (for not much difference in pay). When she gets out of her car and walks the short distance to work you would not notice her disability - but if she did not have the permit she would not be able to walk from where she would have to park. She drives a sporty looking car - they even let disabled people have them too.
    Don't judge or ask the person - one day they may have their collapsible walking stick to hit you with and nobody has to share their medical information with a stranger- if you have concerns call the relevant authority.

    • BartholemewH on 01/03/2015 - 10:55

      Disabled people are allowed to have sporty cars? I learned something today.

  • This Guy on 26/02/2015 - 02:34
    +5

    I have a mate who raises cattle. He'll herd them several km's when buying or selling. He is fit and fast. He also has a chair so he needs the extra space of a disabled spot when getting in and out of his car.

    Most people I know don't let disabilities define their life. Most work harder to do the same things we take for granted. Many aren't visibly disabled, yet still fight a ton of hardship to live just a standard life.

  • msmhw on 26/02/2015 - 07:05
    +4

    I am happy to swap my permit with your health plus cash if you want. I have ankylosing spondylitis, usually I look/walk normal, and can run. I am young in the mid of 20s. I get chronic pain between time to time in my joints which limits my movement but the problem is I don't know when I am getting it. I hate to use my permit because people looking and judged based on the looks. Actually once someone came to me and asked me why I parked there I look healthy and I should leave it for who needs it. Since then I don't use it much.

    • fruit on 28/02/2015 - 11:46

      Can I join in? I'll happily swap mine + $50k if it means I'm healthy.

  • [Deactivated] on 26/02/2015 - 08:03
    +5

    The whole issue is that people have become too judgmental these days. As usual, the mentality is "I am always in the right". Here is an incident that happened couple of weeks ago, although not related to disability parking, I thought I should post…

    A couple of weeks back I went to see my GP. The GP then asked me to undertake some CT scans. The GP opens at 7 in the morning and the CT scan, which is in the same building, opens at 8:30 AM. As I finished the GP appointment around 7:30, I thought I will just wait for the CT scan to open rather than go back home and make another trip.

    I was the second person waiting for the CT scan. Around 8:00 AM, I went to the toilet and when I returned back, another dude was waiting. As there is no numbering system there (First come, first serve), he started abusing me when I went before him to the reception at 8:30. I tried to explain that I was waiting for an hour and just went to the toilet, he kept going on and on. The lady who was the first person, finally spoke and told the guy that I was there before. He quite down but still kept mumbling.

    Don't know what should I have done in this scenario, as I did not want to make a big issue out of such a small thing.

  • Archi on 26/02/2015 - 09:07
    +2

    I know plenty of people that use the permit to park their cars, but they never park in a blue spot because they feel other people will require the spot more than them, as they are more mobile and abled bodied. so they park in a regular spot and don't pay the meter if it's required or ignore the time limit.

    and you see most people that abuse the permit doing the same. they mainly use it to get out of paying for parking or parking beyond the limit the sign permits,

  • wortho on 26/02/2015 - 11:38

    There is a dob in page on FB for this. https://www.facebook.com/DisabledAccessFailed?fref=ts

  • edfrane on 27/02/2015 - 09:36

    I remember seeing a video, of a sport stadium event, with police in the disability parking zone, verifying each persons disability permit. And quite a few got booked, with the permit confiscated.

    Most of them got the disability permit from their parents/grandmother.

  • Zuban on 27/02/2015 - 10:33

    My thinking someone is disable in family and use car of this person as might disable person not working.bestway take picture with numbers plate or video and send this to parking authority body. They will take action will send fine too.

  • kabigon on 27/02/2015 - 12:32
    +2

    Once I was sitting on the train on a seat near the doors i.e. request seat for disabled / elderly etc. Without warning, someone grabbed both of my arms and lifted me out of the seat so somebody else could sit down.

    Now, I didn't need the seat and would have happily moved if requested to, as per common sense / the wording on the signs (I was reading a book rather than conducting a sweep of the carriage every 30 seconds), but if this had happened to someone who really did need the seat just because they didn't look old / obviously disabled, it could have been precarious.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 27/02/2015 - 13:06
      +1

      someone grabbed both of my arms

      Who did this?

      • kabigon on 27/02/2015 - 13:08
        +1

        A passenger. I didn't take much notice because I was so surprised by what had happened.

    • itstuan on 27/02/2015 - 13:20

      Report him for child abuse!!!

      • Scrooge McDuck on 27/02/2015 - 16:39

        Him?

        • itstuan on 27/02/2015 - 17:06

          the person who grabbed both of that baby arms up

  • sa-ozzie on 27/02/2015 - 13:11
    +1

    I read in the adelaide paper the other day that someone is proposing losing a demerit point for people parking in disabled point. I believe that would solve the problem quickly

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