Frustrated wheelchair user unleashes over 'inconsiderate' parking act
Disability advocates say the issue is another example of the many struggles millions around the country face every day.
An Aussie wheelchair user has unleashed on "inconsiderate" drivers who park their cars on the yellow lines beside accessibility bays, an act that advocates say highlights yet another example of the frequent struggles millions around the country face every day.
Dane Procter from Newcastle in NSW said it's "quite frustrating" to find vehicles parked on the lines, which are in place to cater to people who require extra space to get in and out of their car or to get out any equipment they may need.
"As a wheelchair user, it can be quite frustrating to even find a disabled park," Procter told Yahoo News Australia. "I've been complaining to my local (Newcastle) members, council and Centrelink about there not being any disabled parking at the Newcastle Centrelink office."
Wheelchair user explains need for yellow lines
Procter's experience is not unique to him, with Australians with disabilities — and wheelchair users in particular — frequently calling out drivers who park in places they shouldn't. Advocates say that many people don't understand that such bays are in place for those who have accessibility issues, and require parking to be near the location in which they are headed.
Last month, Yahoo News reported on a woman who was slapped with a fine in excess of $600 for parking in a disability bay. Sydneysider Kate Meller lashed the "grotesque" fine and said she had no other option but to park in the disability bay as her friend had just gone into labour, which required the woman's husband to be present and left their two-year-old at home needing care.
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But speaking to Yahoo News Australia, disability advocate and wheelchair user James Wood branded the move "not cool" and said more broadly people could do with being more considerate of others.
"People need to understand the reason for those car spaces is that someone with a disability parking permit can't walk or push a wheelchair long distances," he earlier told Yahoo. "If I had to visit the place where she was parked and couldn't find a spot, then saw her there I would have said something.
"If she gave the excuse that her friend was in labour I'd have told her 'not good enough'."
Aussies respond after man's social media post
After Procter posted on social media, Aussies flooded in with responses sharing their own experience. "This is what the yellow lines beside a disabled parking spot are designed for," he said beside of photo showing why the lines are needed.
"It’s like people expect disabled people to easily get out of the car and walk through the tight space they’ve left," a man said. "They're part of the car park spot," another person said.
One woman posted a photo showing a driver parked on the yellow lines in a parking garage. "When I see sh*t like this, it gets me fuming," she said.
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