Disabled Drivers

[tonytheprof]

Senator Le Gresley is bringing a proposition to the States to enable single or double amputees to not require a medical certificate every three years (and a paid doctor's visit for that) to get a Blue Badge.

The JEP tonight says that Transport have warned that a "creep to embrace more subjective conditions could create difficulties within the administration of the law".

It's a ridiculous qualification - there is nothing subjective about not having arms or legs - and therefore there cannot be any "creep" towards subjectivity by embracing that condition, as with blind people. It is quite clear that Senator Le Gresley is bringing this in for one specific group, whose condition is absolutely irrefutable - there is nothing imaginary about it.

But on the notion of "subjective conditions", it is also clear that progressively deteriorating medica conditions like Parkinson's syndrome, after a threshold is past so that they cannot safely drive and may need someone to drive them, are not going to suddenly bounce back to health.

The same is certainly true of progressive heart failure. It gets worse; you die. There is no reversibility to it, although a pacemaker might just give a pause in the steady decline; if it is progressive heart failure, that won't reverse it, it will just stave off death for a short while.

There are conditions which may vary, but before trying to come up with blanket blocking strategy, shouldn't Transport be more pro-active in trying to help people who need help?

[Dundee]

More concerning is those abusing the process, a few years ago I witnessed someone parking on a disabled bay and limping off, I felt some sympathy with the woman, then I saw her a few weeks later with her husband low water fishing which had meant walking some considerable distance! It would not be so bad but the lady in question was the wife of a wealthy retired man.

I know someone who is currently using a disc of a deceased person!

[Fritz]

I think any , "Disabled", driver parking in an un-designated space should be fined.
I would also do away with all designated ,"Disabled", parking spaces that remain vacant for most of the week.

[tonytheprof]

Believe me, from having being out and about with someone disabled, the number of designated spaces which remain empty is negligible - we used to have to hunt high and low to find them!

[Fritz]

Minden place has loads of empty spaces every day.

[rogueelement]

Very unfair comments about the differentially challenged (or is it advantaged?)
I think there should be a central parking bay for people who are not capable of walking , a bespoke valeting service where they can be dropped off , picked up an hour or so later in their cars and guided on their way , well obviously not if they are blind, this would at a stroke , release 2 or 3 hundred disabled spots around town  where we could all pay to park at a price , thus paying for the differentially challenged  valeting choice.
I also think , anyone who can actually walk , should be thrown out of their Dalek kit and be marched to the Police Station as impersonators of disabled people !

[tonytheprof]

Well I knew someone with progressive heart failure, they could walk, but not far without being totally out of breath, and had massive problems climbing even a few stairs, a major effort after which they would need 10 minutes to get their strength back.

They relied on disabled places for convenience in St Helier, but to look at them, and see them if they just walked a a few steps, or were sitting, you would not know the problems with their heart condition.

Just because someone can walk a bit, and doesn't look disabled, doesn't mean they are not.

[rogueelement]

Then again , if it walks and talks and does not fall over , it is taking the piss!
Are you sure you had a friend like that? I think you just made him up , at the very least if ,if he was in that condition , there is no way he should have been driving , risking the lives of other people in order to collect his Shreddies , selfish bugger if you ask me , does he not care at all about other people , has he no conscience? It is these people , obviously politically motivated , who are destroying this Island! I say enough of sick people , selfishly motivated ,driving around this Island and endangering our lives.
Call family nursing for gods sake , or order your food from the internet , it beggars belief that these sort of people have an unfettered right to drive , I,m sure CB would offer them a lift , as would I if they were desperate , but lets face it , they just want to show off I reckon.

[Fritz]

How do all these seriously disabled folk get around once they have left the car parks?

[tonytheprof]

Wheelchairs or portable disabled scooters or shop mobility.

[Fritz]

All of them?

[tonytheprof]

walking sticks, crutches etc.

[Fritz]

And they are in town every day, all day, requiring all the currently reserved spaces?

[tonytheprof]

not all the time, but quite a lot of the time

[Fritz]

Why not just have a designated, "Disabled day", (Like the co-op do with double divvy), and allow the spaces to be ,"Reserved", on Tuesdays and Thursdays.