i filter and i have been known to filter at much higher speeds - but usually in relation to the speed of the traffic i am passing.

i treat all car drivers the same - as complete idiots, which many of them are.

 

Don't you mean most.

 

I agree with Mark (as I have throughout this thread).

Graham, I think your point of view is wrong, I've made no secret of that during this thread. There is no need for you to hold your virtual tongue on my behalf

I'd be interested to know what comments in particular made you arrive at the opinion that I have a huge chip on my shoulder over this.

 

Actually, I haven't kept going - I haven't mentioned anything about it since halfway down the first page.

Until now

Ok, to try and summarise and then I'll call it a day - if I'm still appearing patronising and/or offensive, then you'll just have to take my word that it's not the intent and put it down to either my inability to communicate or everyone else's inability to understand my thoughts :

I (and a couple of others) noticed and drew attention to the fact that the S in the sightings thread was in a disabled spot.

A couple of people pulled Scov up on it, to which I responded, thinking it was me who mentioned it first, and thought it only fair I should answer given he seemed to getting flack. Then I started this thread as it was dragging the sightings thread off-topic.

I don't know why I thought it worth mentioning, that's exactly what I was trying to determine. Despite some smartarse comments a couple of days ago by some intellectually-stunted halfwits, I don't know everything and I welcome the opportunity to learn whenever I can.

Additionally, while I don't give a damn if someone is disabled or not, I do recognise that there are inherent differences in the way certain tasks are approached simply due to the nature of the disability in question and I won't shy away from that for the sake of being "PC". To do otherwise...well that would be patronising, in my opinion.

So...

I had two possible thoughts about why I would find it unusual:

1) physical access to the car - ok not as bad as an Elise, but still not the easiest car in the world to get in and out of.

2) I considered the car more tiring to drive than most. This is more a generic thing about sportscars though, not comparing the S to a Boxster or a Ferrari or a Westie or whatever. It should be noted that I was thinking beyond the stereotypical wheelchair definition here, despite what Neil said, and was, ironically, actually thinking in terms of ME, early MS and the like.

Mark, you gave a reasoned response to 2 (and were the only one to do so). I did, however, disagree to an extent, but I was thinking in terms of compared with automatics where the most tiring aspect, the clutch, is no longer an issue. I wasn't comparing like with like.

Lee then mentioned the guy who had his wheelchair customised to fit the boot. So that deals with 1 as well - it's possible but a bitch. Which is what I was saying - it's not easy, therefore, by definition, it's unusual for it to happen.

Then we come to all the peripheral stuff about cheeky sods parking without a badge (I keep typing badger ffs), family members "borrowing" it (which I have personally witnessed) and finally all the crap on the car in question which established a "type" in terms of the driver. Much like neons would, or led washers. As I say though, it's all peripheral as it just compounded the initial "wtf is an S doing there?" thought.

Upshot of it all is, most people would be surprised to see an S in a disabled spot. In fact Neil (Bass) said that himself. As did the other Neil (M4X-Neil) in fact.

I just attempted to figure out why.

Not really much of a summary that, was it

 

I thought disabled badges were only given out to the chronically lazy and unemployed. That's the only people I see driving mobility cars or parking in disabled spaces.

 

no, not really

 

On a serious note, I can't understand why anyone would question the "validity" of a disabled badge simply because of the car it's on. Why must spackers/cripples be poor? Are they all like that from birth and unable to work, can you not become disabled part way through your life, and are the only jobs for them lollypop men and speed bumps?

 

Interestingly enough, Graham, we are both trying to find the answer to the same question. The problem is that you are approaching a subject that is very emotive for the people it effects. I wasn't going to do this but I will explain my situation which may (or may not) give some of you a slightly different view point when thinking "What is that car doing in a disabled spot"

I have ME and have had for about 13 years now. Without going too far into my illness, it's best to think of it as having a set level of energy, once I've used that energy up I'm ####ed. If I push myself through the ####ed stage then I'm screwed up for weeks/months depending on how much I've pushed it. Just like normal people but multiply the effects and recovery time massively. So I can look and be ok up to a point but once I've used my energy I'm in trouble.

The best way of dealing with this illness is to minimise the physical stuff I don't have to do - I don't go shoping for instance (a godsend in itself ) - and to make the most out of the energy that I have got. You will therefore see why getting parked next to where I need to go is very beneficial for me.

One of the reasons I haven't ever got round to getting a badge, although my wife and GP think I should have one, is that it's about admitting defeat, I don't want to see myself as disabled, as Allan pointed out earlier in the thread. Also to some extent I don't have a badge to avoid the backlash from people who will see me and think that I am not disabled. Which is why this subject is close to the bone for me, I have in the past had to battle this on a daily basis at work.

I do regularly get too tired to drive, which is why you'll find that Amanda always comes on meets and regularly takes over the driving when I've had enough.

 

Kind of you to notice, Chris.

Pint of bitter, please.

 

Have you had training to be so monumentally insensitive and derogatory or is it a natural gift, BB.....?