Moron Motorists #3

[zebee]

Or assuming she's telling the truth - that her friend's waters had broken, the 2 year old needed babysitting, and there was no other obvious parking - what was she meant to do? It's not ideal, but given the urgency of the situation, it sounds to me like she may have chosen the least worst option.

No, the least worst option is to find legal parking and walk.

Either she was already there, in the disabled spot, when the friend's waters broke or there was some time while everyone was getting sorted. Meaning she had time to park and walk.

[Cyclophiliac]

Or assuming she's telling the truth - that her friend's waters had broken, the 2 year old needed babysitting, and there was no other obvious parking - what was she meant to do? It's not ideal, but given the urgency of the situation, it sounds to me like she may have chosen the least worst option.

No, the least worst option is to find legal parking and walk.

Either she was already there, in the disabled spot, when the friend's waters broke or there was some time while everyone was getting sorted. Meaning she had time to park and walk.

or perhaps she really was in a highly stressful situation, and didn't have time to think about the most logical course of action.

[jasonc]

or perhaps she really was in a highly stressful situation, and didn't have time to think about the most logical course of action.

maybe that is not an appropriate time to be performing a task that takes concentration such as driving...

[Retrobyte]

Reincarnation gives you an excuse to be a shite driver

[AdelaidePeter]

Or assuming she's telling the truth - that her friend's waters had broken, the 2 year old needed babysitting, and there was no other obvious parking - what was she meant to do? It's not ideal, but given the urgency of the situation, it sounds to me like she may have chosen the least worst option.

No, the least worst option is to find legal parking and walk.

Either she was already there, in the disabled spot, when the friend's waters broke or there was some time while everyone was getting sorted. Meaning she had time to park and walk.

In an ideal world, yes.

But how long would it take to find a park? It's not unrealistic to suggest that finding a legal park and walking back could add 20 minutes, even more. And the mother's waters had broken before she was even phoned (according to the Channel 9 link) so it was potentially getting quite urgent. It could even have been a matter of the mother's and baby's health. So given all that, I think her decision was justifiable.

[warthog1]

Or assuming she's telling the truth - that her friend's waters had broken, the 2 year old needed babysitting, and there was no other obvious parking - what was she meant to do? It's not ideal, but given the urgency of the situation, it sounds to me like she may have chosen the least worst option.

No, the least worst option is to find legal parking and walk.

Either she was already there, in the disabled spot, when the friend's waters broke or there was some time while everyone was getting sorted. Meaning she had time to park and walk.

In an ideal world, yes.

But how long would it take to find a park? It's not unrealistic to suggest that finding a legal park and walking back could add 20 minutes, even more. And the mother's waters had broken before she was even phoned (according to the Channel 9 link) so it was potentially getting quite urgent. It could even have been a matter of the mother's and baby's health. So given all that, I think her decision was justifiable.

Call the ambulance and find a parking spot and return. The fine is appropriate.

[am50em]

The fine was eventually withdrawn.

[find_bruce]

Or assuming she's telling the truth - that her friend's waters had broken, the 2 year old needed babysitting, and there was no other obvious parking - what was she meant to do? It's not ideal, but given the urgency of the situation, it sounds to me like she may have chosen the least worst option.

No, the least worst option is to find legal parking and walk.

Either she was already there, in the disabled spot, when the friend's waters broke or there was some time while everyone was getting sorted. Meaning she had time to park and walk.

In an ideal world, yes.

But how long would it take to find a park? It's not unrealistic to suggest that finding a legal park and walking back could add 20 minutes, even more. And the mother's waters had broken before she was even phoned (according to the Channel 9 link) so it was potentially getting quite urgent. It could even have been a matter of the mother's and baby's health. So given all that, I think her decision was justifiable.

What is missing from the rationalisations given by the driver, Nine & yourself is any consideration of the impact on disabled people being prevented from parking.

Disabled parking places are not distributed randomly, but at specific locations where people with limited mobility need to use to access that location. It is rare that they have a choice of parking elsewhere nearby

I expected better from you.

[warthog1]

What is missing from the rationalisations given by the driver, Nine & yourself is any consideration of the impact on disabled people being prevented from parking.

Disabled parking places are not distributed randomly, but at specific locations where people with limited mobility need to use to access that location. It is rare that they have a choice of parking elsewhere nearby

I expected better from you.

Yep, my now deceased FIL was a post polio survivor who had a caliper on his L leg. Significant mobility issues. Disabled parking made his life much easier. To see people using it inappropriately annoys me still. I am disappointed the fine was withdrawn.

[Mr Purple]

I suppose the general ethical question that needs to be asked is - in what circumstances would you be prepared to park in a handicap parking bay? And how many of us have EVER parked in a handicap parking bay?

For me it would literally need to be a situation of life or death. As in I had to resuscitate someone and that was the only place I could go. As such I've never parked in one and likely never will.

This might be absolutist, but I suspect the lady who had her fine overturned has a much lower threshold for doing it. In this case she parked in it so she could do some babysitting. That doesn't sit right with me.

Mind you, I'm also one of those idiots who always puts the shopping trolley back in the return bay regardless of the circumstances. There's some interesting theories on that - it's a good litmus test as to your moral character. Pretty sure the lady above just sort of shoves it off in a downhill direction come what may, but we don't have enough information to determine that. Just seems the sort of thing a person who parks in a handicap parking bay will do.

[am50em]

Agree, unless it was dire medical emergency, I would never park illegally. I also put my shopping trolley in on the bay, occasionally collecting one or two others (more concerned about them scratching my car).
Given the fine was withdrawn, it should be recorded so can look for serial offenders who continue to seek exemptions.

[g-boaf]

Having been in the spot of a disability myself recently, I didn’t use those spots out of respect to those with worse conditions- but it’s a significant hurdle if someone who should not be there is taking up the spot.

It’s just wrong what happened and the fine should have remained.

[Scott No Mates]

Having been in the spot of a disability myself recently, I didn’t use those spots out of respect to those with worse conditions- but it’s a significant hurdle if someone who should not be there is taking up the spot.

It’s just wrong what happened and the fine should have remained.

Having asked my doctor several years back whether it was worthwhile getting a temporary disabled ticket, he advised 'No'. Not because you're less able to get around but you have to provide your medical records and with some of the absolutely minor health issues, TFNSW may find a reason not to renew your licence.

[elantra]

Having been in the spot of a disability myself recently, I didn’t use those spots out of respect to those with worse conditions- but it’s a significant hurdle if someone who should not be there is taking up the spot.

It’s just wrong what happened and the fine should have remained.

Having asked my doctor several years back whether it was worthwhile getting a temporary disabled ticket, he advised 'No'. Not because you're less able to get around but you have to provide your medical records and with some of the absolutely minor health issues, TFNSW may find a reason not to renew your licence.

Or alternatively he was having a bad day and couldn’t face another frickin poorly designed government form designed to sap his time and energy.

[Mr Purple]

Or alternatively he was having a bad day and couldn’t face another frickin poorly designed government form designed to sap his time and energy.

That's one of the easier forms we do!

Taxi subsidy scheme. That's the killer.

[mikesbytes]

A few years back I was in Auckland where my Mum lived and drove her to Auckland Zoo. When I arrived there was only 2 disabled parking spots and they were both taken, both displaying disabled parking. I had to illegally double park and put Mum in the wheel chair and then leave her at the entrance while I went to look for parking, which to cut a long story short turned out to be 1.6k from the Zoo. I ran back to her as she didn't have a mobile so I couldn't contact her to tell her why I was away for so long. Clearly there weren't enough disabled parking there and I put feedback in about that.

[g-boaf]

A trail bike (with teen riding it) was on the cycleway near Gipps Rd Greystanes yesterday. He was on the wrong side as well and going at speed. Me and a friend had were thinking we'd have to swerve off the path.

Standard normal thing.

I suppose there will be a perfectly good excuse (as in the conversation before) why us riders were wrong and the motorist was perfectly right.

[Mr Purple]

A few years back I was in Auckland where my Mum lived and drove her to Auckland Zoo. When I arrived there was only 2 disabled parking spots and they were both taken, both displaying disabled parking. I had to illegally double park and put Mum in the wheel chair and then leave her at the entrance while I went to look for parking, which to cut a long story short turned out to be 1.6k from the Zoo. I ran back to her as she didn't have a mobile so I couldn't contact her to tell her why I was away for so long. Clearly there weren't enough disabled parking there and I put feedback in about that.

A few years back I came back to my car in a supermarket carpark to find someone had parked myself and about 20 other cars in. Basically just parked their car in the middle of the carpark.

Waited five minutes for her to arrive back and told her that sort of behaviour really wasn't acceptable. She went on a massive rant at me about how the handicap park was unavailable and that was the only place she could park. Only problem was she didn't actually have a handicap parking permit on her car or look even remotely disabled (of course that's no guarantee).

I just took that as a sign that some people's sense of entitlement is greatly disproportionate to what they're actually entitled to. Your case sounds completely different, it just reminded me of that event!

[jasonc]

I just took that as a sign that some people's sense of entitlement is greatly disproportionate to what they're actually entitled to. Your case sounds completely different, it just reminded me of that event!

many moons ago I had almost fully crossed an intersection (green light) when a pedestrian, on her phone, stepped out in front of me, without looking. I stopped. It was either stop or a lot of paperwork. I asked her "Are you really that important?" Her instantaneous response "Yes I am"
No you aren't love next time I'll time it perfectly so your phone ends up in a million pieces across the road

[Mr Purple]

I suspect a lot of the driving we find ourselves subject to is a combination of this level of entitlement, and an exaggerated sense of their own ability.

'I'm more important than everyone else so I can do this irresponsible and illegal thing. And as I'm a more skilled driver I won't hurt anyone doing it'.

[mikesbytes]

A few years back I was in Auckland where my Mum lived and drove her to Auckland Zoo. When I arrived there was only 2 disabled parking spots and they were both taken, both displaying disabled parking. I had to illegally double park and put Mum in the wheel chair and then leave her at the entrance while I went to look for parking, which to cut a long story short turned out to be 1.6k from the Zoo. I ran back to her as she didn't have a mobile so I couldn't contact her to tell her why I was away for so long. Clearly there weren't enough disabled parking there and I put feedback in about that.

A few years back I came back to my car in a supermarket carpark to find someone had parked myself and about 20 other cars in. Basically just parked their car in the middle of the carpark.

Waited five minutes for her to arrive back and told her that sort of behaviour really wasn't acceptable. She went on a massive rant at me about how the handicap park was unavailable and that was the only place she could park. Only problem was she didn't actually have a handicap parking permit on her car or look even remotely disabled (of course that's no guarantee).

I just took that as a sign that some people's sense of entitlement is greatly disproportionate to what they're actually entitled to. Your case sounds completely different, it just reminded me of that event!

How you summed up I guess pretty much sums up that motorist, I bet she complains to high heaven when she gets a parking ticket.

In my case I was within a few metres of my car at all times and would of been out of the way in a minute if someone arrived to get their car out, I also didn't block thru traffic and I was displaying a disabled sticker plus having an old lady in a wheelchair, so should of been obvious to all. There is no way I would of left my car blocking in people like that lady

[bychosis]

Today's moron was a drummer. Yes, it was queued traffic moving slowly but old mate was furiously drumming away on the steering wheel with 2 drumsticks in hand. Not normally a problem i gues and just weird, but this guy was aggressively acceleration and braking to stay far too close to the car in front. I didn't see what happened when he got to the roundabout ahead so don't know whether the sticks got put away or he somehow tried to steer while holding the sticks.

[warthog1]

Today's moron was a drummer. Yes, it was queued traffic moving slowly but old mate was furiously drumming away on the steering wheel with 2 drumsticks in hand. Not normally a problem i gues and just weird, but this guy was aggressively acceleration and braking to stay far too close to the car in front. I didn't see what happened when he got to the roundabout ahead so don't know whether the sticks got put away or he somehow tried to steer while holding the sticks.

We need unmarked Police on motorbikes. Unfortunately OH&S renders that implausible given the std of our driving.

[Cycling Wombat]

Last night driving around in Sydney and there seemed to be an unusual amount of P platers around. All of whom were driving like idiots. One even nearly crashed twice at the same set of lights.

[Scott No Mates]

Last night driving around in Sydney and there seemed to be an unusual amount of P platers around.

29th February, brings all of the P platers out