On March 16, Farrarmere Square, I did something completely out of character for me.
I reacted to a situation that makes my blood boil.
As I sat quietly drinking my coffee at my favourite coffee shop, a huge white Mercedes Benz parked in the disabled parking bay next to the coffee shop.
A beautiful car, no disabled driver stickers and no licence registration plates.
I waited to see if the passengers were perhaps disabled in some way.
However, a beautiful young girl and woman disembarked with no cumbersome crutches or wheelchairs.
The driver of the vehicle remained in his seat behind the wheel, parked.
Lots of empty parking bays nearby, I observed.
So I got up and took photos of the Mercedes Benz and the very amused looking driver. I sent the photos to an online site.
Perhaps we can shame abled drivers not to park in the very few disabled parking bays available to physically disabled drivers.
When I came across the able driver’s passenger, I assume the wife, she seemed quite capable of walking around the store, shopping.
I wondered why she wasn’t capable of walking a few extra metres from another parking bay.
Again, out of character, I approached her and informed her of her husband’s selfishness.
“But he is in the car – he can move it if someone needs it”.
It just didn’t occur to them how selfish they are to make a disabled driver have to haul out his wheelchair and get out of his car, approach the parked car and ask him to move, then to have to get back to his car and haul his wheelchair back into the car, then park where he should’ve had the parking in the first place.
Is not being disabled reason enough to have the consideration of fellow drivers to at least park unhindered?
I have concluded that these people are too selfish and intellectually challenged to consider anyone but themselves.
Sadly, probably too arrogant to feel shame as well.
(Letter shortened).
