Aussie woman's heartfelt note after driver's 'disgusting' parking act
After a large SUV occupied a disability parking space all week a woman inconvenienced by the act left a 'little note'.
A disabled woman has shared a heartfelt note she wrote to the driver of a car parked illegally at a Queensland hotel for a week.
The young woman, who lives in the Gold Coast building, said the large white SUV has been sitting in her usual spot — a disability parking space — for seven days without a permit.
Despite alerting building security and management, staff have reportedly refused to move the vehicle, forcing the tenant to park in the basement and walk up two "extremely steep" ramps.
"When I'm forced to do these activities where I'm going up these ramps or stairs, it aggravates my pain which spreads across my body. I may have to spend the rest of the night in bed because I’ve been forced to do that — it's not fair," she told Yahoo News Australia on Thursday.
While the majority of people who use the hotel are holiday guests, she claims, there are a handful of elderly or disabled tenants who rely on the designated spaces near the building's elevator.
After repeated complaints, the woman said employees advised her to write "a little note" to the driver in question.
"I hope you enjoyed your holiday, however, since you've arrived, you have been parked in a disability parking space without a permit," the letter, which she posted on Facebook on Wednesday, reads.
"This has made my week extremely difficult as I rely on these spaces to prevent me from having to park in far away parks, or sometimes the basement. In future, please be more aware of where you are parking and how it may affect others."
The note, which she signed off with a smiley face and the handle to her "chronic illness/disability Instagram page", also featured a "disability ally" sticker she created. Photos show the SUV parked in a clearly marked disabled spot with the woman’s pleading note tucked under the windscreen’s wiper blade.
Last year, the Queensland government increased its fine for parking in a disabled space from $266 to $533.
Parking act is 'frustrating and disheartening'
The annoyed tenant said it is always "frustrating and disheartening" when people break the law by parking in a disabled bay without a permit. The SUV is the fifth car she has reported for parking in the designated bays in the past three months.
"Not much seems to be done about it. None of the cars I have reported have been towed or had any action taken against them," she claimed, adding that it also affects others living in the building who require the use of a walker or wheelchair.
The woman said hotel security placed an orange sticker on the SUV three days ago notifying the driver that the car is trespassing on private property and will be towed if not moved — but as of Thursday afternoon it remains parked there.
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Other disabled Australians have reacted to the tenant's post online, with one woman calling the car owner's behaviour "disgusting".
"Go above the manager if they're not prepared to intervene...which in itself is a disgrace! There would have to be a GM or similar, don't let it rest until you get a result," someone said, while another suggested going to the police.
"Ask the building manager for the name of the body corporate manager and the company they work for," another person suggested.
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