my soapbox

[Nell]

Did you know that research shows that a large number (???percent) of people who illegally use specialised parking spots are guilty of other criminal behaviour too??!!!! Not sure who did the research but apparently it is "fair dinkum" (as we say here in Oz!). It seems those with little regard for the law or social conventions tend to break the law at all levels - starting with ilegal parking and going up from there!

I know this has nothing to do with the thread really, but perhaps we can console ourselves by muttering (under our breath!!) "criminal"!!!
Nell

 

[Lila13]

Choice? What choice?

Parent choice means lots of children having to travel further to primary schools when they've got an adequate one just round the corner.

Patients' choice means lots of patients being sent to hospitals too far away for frequent visiting, especially the two groups which most need visitors (under 2's and over 70's). When they made that reorganization the local doctors led a protest march (in a place which had probably never seen such a thing before) saying it would cost lives. Of course we don't know how many lives it cost as "NHS reorganization" never appears on a death certificate, does it?

Both reorganizations were probably made by people who assume "everyone's got a car".

Lila

 

[dmc]

my mum has just been moved from a hospital 10 mins away from me to one that now takes me 30/45 mins to get too becouse they needed the bed even though there was a room with four beds which never seemed to get used.

 

[jenniferpa]

There is a possibly apocryphal story about someone parking in a disabled bay, jumping out of the car and striding towards the store. Another person looks at him and shouts "Alleluja, it's a miracle, he can walk!" I've always wanted to do something like that but haven't because 1) I'm a coward, 2) I'm aware that some disabilities aren't obvious and 3) I'm a coward (again).

My mother has a disabled badge, so when I take her out, we do use disabled spaces. I don't really mind how far they are away from the shop PROVIDED there is space to open the car door and get her in her wheelchair.

Jennifer

 

[Tender Face]

Blue Badges

Blue Badges... think I now understand why they changed the colour.... turns the air blue when you realise the bureaucratic nonsense it is going to take to renew my mum's 'Blue Badge' ....

My local council have written to say 'The government says that each renewal has to be treated as a new application' - so that's where our money goes, folks....!!! My local council seems to process new applications - let alone what should be a simple renewal - in the most convulated way you could ever dream up.. instead of just a cursory query to GP (Is she better or worse since the last issue? Is it permanent/temporary? etc) ...

£2 to cover the admin fee - assuming she's 'successful'??? Whhaaaattt? £20 wouldn't cover the admin fee the amount of paper work and goodness knows what ....

Covering letter tells us 'Your Blue badge is due to expire on 10/9/06' ... First question on application asked whether this is a renewal or a first application.... next question, when does your current badge expire.... WWWhhhhatttt? Why do we have to feed you info you already know????

Then we are told when we get the new badge (but that won't happen until we have sent 5 forms of A4 back, a visit to the GP for him to do some form-filling and then they will respond and then ask us to send even more stuff to complete and return!!!) we are asked that we return the old one - what for???? If it's expired, it's expired ... somebody please tell me there are safe and purposeful ways to recycle old 'Blue Badge' passes complete with my mother's identity.....???

Talk about going right to the wire... boy, do I NEED this holiday!!!

Hmmphhh. Karen