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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:
info@ddmc.org.uk
The Editor reserves the right to edit
submissions for length or legality.
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