A few days ago we had need to go to our local supermarket so that my wife could pick up some essential supplies for our evening meal. It had been a long hot day and I was tired and not really in the mood for fighting my way through the hordes of shoppers so I elected to remain in the car while my wife did the shopping.
By chance I had parked facing the bay full of disabled parking spaces. I would have to wait for about twenty minutes or so for my wife to return. After a minute or so a car pulled into one of the disabled bays and a young woman jumped out and ran into the store. She did not appear to be disabled in anyway but to be fair she did have a disabled sticker in her car window.
This woman started me thinking about the whole issue of disability and the fact that it seems that today, normal white people are probably discriminated against more than any other group. Now I’m not having a go at disabled or coloured people in any way, I know people in both groups and have the greatest respect for them.
After about five minutes the young woman re-appeared, still running, carrying a packet of cigarettes. She jumped into her car, put in reverse and drove away. Not very disabled I thought! Of course it is not my job to judge other is it?
Then to my surprise, another car pulled into the same bay. After a few moments another more elderly woman got out, locked the car and walked briskly into the supermarket. This made me focus more on what was happening in the disabled parking bay.
I got out of my car and walked over to a bench beside the bay where I could watch what was going on more closely. All the vehicles seemed to be displaying disability badges. Within a few minutes a gentleman, about 50’ish, pushed his trolley up to the back of a large BMW 4x4, and proceeded to load his shopping into the back. He left the trolled beside his car, got in and drove away.
“Well” I though, “he could have put the trolley back.” He did not seem to be disabled in any way either!
The time was moving on and I was expecting my wife to reappear. Another woman returned to her car, loaded it and got in and drove away. She did not look disabled either. I could not believe what I was seeing. The only movements in the disabled parking bay appeared to have perfectly healthy drivers.
After nearly thirty minutes had passed a rather old van appeared and drove slowly into one of the empty spaces. It was sporting a disabled badge just like the others. An old man struggled to get out of the driving seat and was having trouble standing up. I could not help myself - I quickly jumped up and walked the few feet to assist him. At last, someone who was genuinely disabled I thought.
He thanked me, but then added that it was not him who was disabled, but his wife in the wheelchair in the back of the van. He would not allow me to help him extract her via a hydraulic lift to the ground saying “When I can’t unload her, I’ll have to stop driving”. He then added “If it was just me I’d have parked in a normal space!” and chuckled.
We all laughed!
My wife then returned and as we drove away I wondered how many non disabled people who had disability badges for other members of their family always parked in a disabled bay when no disabled person was aboard! It is just not right!
“Jim!” my wife said, bringing me back to the moment, “You are naughty … fancy parking in a families only bay, next you’ll be parking in the disabled bay!”
Hmmm … Who am I to talk?
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6 comments:
Well Jim, it seems to me that a lot of people either ignore, or absuse this whole system. My wife would empathise with the old man. She has severe Rheumatoid Arthritis and has had for nearly 20 years. As she has worked for all that time and will not apply for disability benefits she cannot have the one thing that would make her life easier, a Disability Sticker.
Yet, near our bank we have a pair of bays that are constantly abused by the able bodied while they pop in to draw cash.
Ho hum
I thoroughly agree with John Hill. My eldest daughter is very severely disabled and cannot walk. We have a disabled badge but would never think of using it without my daughter being in the car, even if we just parked and she stayed in the car. The badge is only needed when we need to help her access places.
Just as bad as those who "just pop in to get cash" are those who do undoubtedly abuse the system. The problem is who will "police" the system. The police are too busy elsewhere, supermarket car parks are private property so parking attendants do not go there and only a few supermarkets have their own parking attendants.
Good point Honey Monster!
The issue here I think is that we need to take responsability for what we do. It's a bit like sueing the local authority if you trip over a badly laid paving stone! It is perhaps time that we all are a bit more responsible for what we do!
Hi Jim, I am confused about the classification of people who are disabled. My friend who is suffering from OCD told me that he is classified as disabled by his GP. He has an obsession in washing his hands and taking medication. He has been absent from work for several months. He can drive a car. Would he be given a disability sticker with confirmation of the GP's certificate? Is he on the border -ability to drive and park with a disability sticker as a disabled and physically a healthy person because he can walk without any aid? Hmm...(scratching my head!)
I have a disabled badge and I can walk for about 100 yards as if there's nothing wrong with me. I do it out of pride, I suppose. Much more than 100 yards and I have to rest. I've been dealing with abuse from people who don't know what they're looking at for years. As with all prejudice it's the well meaning but naive people who like to think their opinion will benefit the world who cause most of the problems with 'articles' like this.
Sensitivity versus naivety. Many people are unfamiliar or do not know much about hidden disability. After reading Jim's topic, I have searched for more articles on hidden disability - people who appear healthy are actually suffering from some kind of hidden disability. I am not surprised that there are non-genuine cases that abuse the system.
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