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Letter of the month
BEWARE THIN EDGE OF THIS WEDGE
Sir – Regarding the article in the September edition of Disabled Motorist headed Lorries 'can use' your bays I thought you may be interested in a piece in our local newspaper, The Western Morning News (below).
From the two reports it would appear this may be the thin edge of a wedge and it is not a localised phenomenon.
I know from personal experience there is, in West Devon/East Cornwall, a minor problem (as yet) concerning“white van person” using disabled bays without a reciprocal voice of approval from the authorities on the street if a blue badge holder uses a loading bay.
It is certainly something we should be keeping an eye on.
Ron Thomas, Tavistock, Devon.
Traffic Plan
CONTROVERSIAL plans to ease traffic congestion in Penzance town centre have been endorsed by Penwith District Council. Concern had been raised by disabled drivers who will share loading bays with delivery lorries in the afternoons rather than having designated spaces along Market Jew Street. A drop off point is included in the plan.
WHY ANTAGONISE LORRIES? 
Sir – I want to make two points. The first about unloaders using disabled bays.
In this congested world where lorry drivers are under great
pressure as well, why antagonise any sector? We do get concessions and if we can't help anyone in this world, it makes for
a horrid atmosphere.
If a vehicle is genuinely unloading and not just parked and if the driver is only going to be a few minutes, then I don't mind waiting a moment to help someone. After all, the space was being saved for me.
I get furious at non-blue badge holders using disabled bays and going off, or the fit people who say they would have moved if asked. Rubbish! They sit in their car, see our blue badge and stare us out. Have you noticed that non-blue badge holders who park in disabled bays are either fat or not nice looking people?
The second point is about cars, or disabled drivers to be specific. Is it not discrimination that the disabled cannot drive a car out of the showroom like anybody else? Is it fair to expect a certain percentage of cars to be disability driver adapted? Should a car's spec be the same price whatever controls it has?
Usually a disabled driver has an automatic so the automatic
price should be inclusive of disabled controls. Adaptations from new should surely be obsolete today under the DDA.
Joe Nash
Boston
'DISREPUTE' MINISTER RIGHT
Sir – Re your article about the proposed use of the high
occupancy vehicle lanes. I am in complete agreement with
Transport Minister David Jamieson's comments that disabled
drivers would bring the scheme into disrepute.
I totally disagree with disablement being used as a reason for one person using the high occupancy lane. Both my wife and myself are disabled and find that there is adequate room in the back/boot for wheelchairs and equipment.
Able bodied persons/drivers seeing only one person driving in the high occupancy lane have no way of knowing that it is being driven by a disabled driver and they would also think they were free to use it
A Parr, Warrington
THANKS FROM SCOTLAND
Sir – What a surprise reading my recent letter to you in print– it wasn't really intended for publication, as is this one!
Thank you for taking the time to reply in the magazine and for the great article about making life easier for disabled visitors to Scotland.
Catherine McLean, Strathaven
The Editor writes: We're happy to oblige, and I'm only
sorry we couldn't run the article on the Forth & Tay Disabled
Ramblers in this issue, as intended. But we will – complete
with views of Loch Ness – in November.
DON'T COLLUDE IN ABUSE
Sir – Being a member for some years now, I have seen a lot in the letters page and in editorials regarding abuse of parking spaces by those who do not show badges. If a car does not show a badge it is easy to identify, but from my experience it is the people who are friends or relatives of the badge holder who commit the most offences, by using the badge illegally.
I got so annoyed at not being able to park in the local hospital
and seeing non-disabled people parking there, I made a
complaint to the chief executive and went through the complaints
procedure up to a meeting with the top brass in the hospital board room.
Before this meeting I wanted to be as specific as possible so I sat in the car park overlooking the disabled parking spaces.
With the use of a video camera I was able to prove that, at least during a two hour period, there was a 75 per cent abuse of the parking by non-disabled people using the blue badge (it was orange then) of a friend or relative. The best time to do a check is when it is raining, as the so-called disabled person will be seen to run into the hospital. If you are supposed to be virtually unable to walk, as the regulations state, you would not be able to run.
This abuse of the blue badge system is rife and it is this side that needs looking at. If the disabled person was to take the badge out of the car when they were not in it then this abuse could he reduced drastically.
I have read many solutions during the past few years and I believe that the only way to stop this abuse is to have a more
dedicated parking system for off-street parking. So here is my pennyworth.
Disabled parking bays should be in a secure area with a barrier operated entrance and exit. This should be manned by security staff who ask to see the badge for identification, if the person
to whom the badge is issued to is not in the car, then the car is not allowed to park there. To me this is simple and guaranteed to stop abuse.
For some reason the abusers seem to think that they have a right to use the badge if they say they are shopping for the disabled person. So the disabled people must take some of the blame for the abuse everyone keeps going on about We disabled people have some of the answers, so it's up to us to help stop this
abuse. Make sure you do not let others use your badge – they have no right!
Tony Wyer, Alcester
WINNING WAY
Sir – I received my raffle winning cheque from you a while ago now and I am just getting over the shock. With the money I bought a second-hand Shoprider and a second-hand electric folding bike. Both make life a lot easier and more pleasurable. It also helps keep Jean fit as she has to jog to keep up!
Many thanks to the club for all the good work that goes on.
H F Hales, Chiswick
POWER-SLIDE
Sir – Jean Hayden and the previous correspondent, KA Hope, might solve their problems in May next year when Peugeot are due to release their 1007 model with sliding front doors which, I
understand, will be electrically operated.
It should be perfect for the disabled if it is able to accommodate their chosen “off car” means of transport. Sliding doors can be a problem on steep gradients but electric operation should overcome that and be generally useful to the disabled.
Meanwhile Robert C Peters must be a very patient man if he is willing to sit in a petrol station long enough for his chair battery to recharge. He would be better of with a battery capacity to suit his
needs and making sure he constrained himself to its capability.
That said, however, I have two scooters: one has two 40 amp hour batteries and will cope with anything I need. The other is a very small one, very useful in shops as it will go through any checkout but it only has a 10 amp hour battery. I carry a spare fully charged battery and a wheeled shopping bag in the car. Careful planning usually avoids me running out but, if I do, I just sit and wait for my wife to go and get the spare.
Ideally any battery electric chair should have a reserve power facility, when you have to switch it on that is a warning – get home by the quickest shortest route.
Ronald D Boyle, Windsor
CALIPER ADVICE
Sir – In reply to B M Stevens of Gloucs: I also live in gloucestershire and had various contraptions to help with hyper
extension in my left leg. None were wearable. I already wear a full length caliper on my right leg since having polio 45+ years ago.
I eventually asked for help from the Lane Fox Unit at St Thomas' Hospital, Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7EH. I saw Mr Smith and Mr R Luff, the orthopaedic specialist. Their orthotist Ann-Marie (she still calls herself a surgical fitter!) was summoned and said she thought she could help. She made a three-quarter length sort of caliper and I did have to return for fitting to London.
I think she works for a firm called Ortho Bocco who are the St Thomas' surgical fitters.
When I got the caliper it felt heavy and awkward so I wore it for an hour and practised walking. It felt like learning to walk again! However I realised that this was my last hope of retaining any way of being independent, so persevered.
It has been an absolute life-saver to me and I hardly know that I am wearing it now, all day.
I do hope you have success. Get your GP to write to St Thomas' for a referral.
I wish you the very best of luck and hope this is worth a try.
PS: If it rubs, try wearing 'yellow line' tubifast on your leg.
A Stuart, Gloucestershire
STICKY SITUATION
Sir - Please ask the idiot members of your club who stuck the label “Don't Add To My Problems By Stealing My Place” on my windscreen at Norwich Airport Disabled Drivers' Parking to stop. I had to use petrol to get the glue off.
We have to take our blue badges with us to use in Europe – please try to get that fact through to them. Such actions give your club a bad name.
John Harris
Kibworth, Leics
TOUCH OF FROST
Sir – I am a member of the DDMC.
The configuration of my drive and the poor lock on my Citroen Picasso make it nigh on impossible to garage my car.
My disability makes it very difficult to pull over a regular frost cover. With winter approaching, have you any suggestions?
D A Coppock
Hambledon
UP TO DATE
Sir – I found the article “Wheelchair Revolution” in your September issue most interesting. Thank you for bringing me up to date on developments in this field.
KJ Barnes
Hungerford
We welcome your views on any issue affecting disabled
motorists. It may be about something you’ve read in this
magazine or an experience that has affected you.
If you think other people should know about it, write and tell us:
Letters
Disabled Motorist
DDMC
Cottingham Way
Thrapston
Northants
NN4 4PL
or email:
The Editor reserves the right to edit submissions for length or legality.
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