Paddy McGuinness

[Clitheroekid]

You may well have seen the furore created by Paddy McGuinness complaining aboiut someone criticising him for parking in a disabled space - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-50289637

His excuse was that his children were autistic, and therefore disabled, and that he was therefore entitled to use the space.

He's received widespread support for his stance, and a great deal has been made about the fact that not all disabilities are visible.

In itself, that's a perfectly fair point. However, I don't see how that justifies what he did.

The whole point of disabled spaces is to reduce the distance that a physically disabled person has to walk to the shop / whatever. But so far as I'm aware it's no more difficult for an autistic child (or adult for that matter) to walk the normal distance than it is for a non-autistic person. So even though autistic people may be disabled in the sense that they are suffering a disability I can't see how that alone should entitle them to use spaces that are genuinely needed for physically disabled people?

Judging by the DM comments section I'm in a minority of one, but it wouldn't be the first time!

[didds]

I'd say it depends what challenges the autistic person has to face walking to the store that a disabled space prevents having to deal with

Those challenges of course may differ from person to person.

Meanwhile a physically disabled person may have full use of both legs and balance of course.

didds

[gryffron]

The whole point of disabled spaces is to reduce the distance that a physically disabled person has to walk to the shop / whatever.

Not true. Some mentally disabled people qualify for blue badges. But the point here is that the decision is made by experts and based on medical need, not the whim of parents. If his children did not have a blue badge, hang him high!

Gryff

[PinkDalek]

The tweet says had the relevant disability badges on display.

[staffordian]

I'm glad that I'm not the only one struggling with the logic of extending the blue badge scheme to non mobility disabilities.

Particularly in supermarket car parks and the like, where spaces tend to be close to the entrance, these spaces may well be taken by people well able to walk from a normal space, forcing those who have real difficulties with mobility to park further away.

I must confess an interest here. My wife has great difficulty walking, and finds movement very painful so reducing the distance she has to walk is extremely helpful to her. Additionally, the wider space offered by a disabled parking bay is essential as she needs the car door fully open to be able to swing her legs out, so parking in standard spaces is challenging.

I quite understand the wish to make life simpler for anyone with a disability of any sort, but to my mind, offering totally mobile disabled persons the ability to use disabled parking bays is totally illogical and muddled thinking, and smacks of political correctness taken too far.

[bungeejumper]

Very hard to judge without knowing the exact details. We know a couple with an Aspergers son who has to be kept on a leash whenever he's anywhere near a road, because his traffic awareness is less than zero and he'll run anywhere. He's a nice lad, and he means no harm, but the worry for his parents is constant. Especially now that he's hitting teenage and is bigger/stronger than his mother.

Much though I dislike the lunatic Mr McGuinness, I reckon he deserves the benefit of the doubt. And surely, if he's got the disability badges, then that's the end of the story?

BJ

[Leothebear]

Disabled bays are too often allotted to overweight people who'd rather not burn any precious calories walking too far to the shop, when they really could do with any exercise.

[Scott0966]

If you go to the original tweet from PM and read some of the comments you might pick up some of the difficulties that are faced by those with autism. My wife and daughter are autistic but we wouldn't apply for a blue badge. However, I do get to see first hand the levels of anxiety caused by different situations and fully understand how changing something most of us find simple by effectively easing parking restrictions can help.

[gryffron]

There's a group who visit my local supermarket regularly. Approx 8 young adults with pretty severe mental handicaps, with 4-5 carers. They arrive in a minibus always parked in disabled (with badge). I guess the objective is to familiarise them with crowds, and shopping. Some of them just cling to the carers' trolley, the others "help" by selecting items off the shelves. They are supervised constantly. I wouldn't want to be the one responsible for shepherding them across a busy car park!

Likewise, an elderly friend with Alzheimers was prone to wander off without regard to traffic etc. Small children do this too? - yes, they do, but are easier to contain. Also drivers expect small children to behave erratically, and slow down. They don't expect an adult to walk in front of a car.

IME It's not exactly easy to get a blue badge. Overwhelmingly the people who have one deserve it. Whether their difficulty is physical or mental.

Gryff

[sg31]

If he or his children have a blue badge (properly issued, not stolen) then he is entitled to the benefits it provides. If he hasn't and used the space provided for a disabled person the authorities should take the same action as they would if a normal person misused a disabled space.

The fact that this guy is a C list celebrity is irrelevant.

[Howyoudoin]

What the BBC story does not tell you - but the original Tweet does - is that the man who castigated Guinness for parking in a disability spot, was also parked in a disability spot and seemingly able bodied.

So there was one bloke with a hidden disability having a go at another bloke with a hidden disability (or family member with a hidden disability) for not looking disabled enough.

The World is a very strange place.

HYD

[wheypat]

I am the parent of an autistic child. He's nearly 15 now, big and strong. He has zero concept of how cars work and what would happen if he walked in front of one. That's why we have a disability badge so that we can go places and he doesn't get killed walking across a car park. And yes, pavements and crossing the road have equal challenges, but at least we can park near the front of the supermarket.

That's why.

[didds]

Disabled bays are too often allotted to overweight people who'd rather not burn any precious calories walking too far to the shop, when they really could do with any exercise.

are they? really? I never knew.

didds

[panamagold]

Can't see what the problem is here.

If you are in need of and in possession of a blue badge, use it wherever the entitlement is allocated, which generally is next to the entrance to a supermarket. If you disagree then call for those who are fitted with the task to determine a persons entitlement to change the requirements for that entitlement.

As an aside, I've never understood why anyone who is using a supermarket carpark and is capable of stringing some logic together, why they would consider parking near to the entrance to the store in the first place if there is space available elsewhere.

[didds]

As an aside, I've never understood why anyone who is using a supermarket carpark and is capable of stringing some logic together, why they would consider parking near to the entrance to the store in the first place if there is space available elsewhere.

I think its something like the "rules don't apply to me" syndrome

didds

[swill453]

I'm very comfortable with the fact that there are "invisible" disabilities, and that we have a system in place to judge who should and shouldn't be allowed to park in disabled spaces.

Given the above, if the vehicle is displaying the appropriate permit then there's simply nothing to be said. End of conversation. Move on to something more important.

Or vote for a party that will change things to better meet your opinions, if one exists.

Scott.

[stewamax]

My wife has great difficulty walking .... Additionally, the wider space offered by a disabled parking bay is essential as she needs the car door fully open to be able to swing her legs out, so parking in standard spaces is challenging.

My wife has a Blue Badge. She can - slowly - walk the length of any supermarket car park. But she cannot get out of (or into) a car unaided: she needs the door swung fully wide and me positioned at the outside edge of the door to gradually lever her out (or in). As a matter of principle, we do not park on single yellows or otherwise restricted spaces but use the badge strictly for the mobility reasons it was awarded.

[redsturgeon]

Who is Paddy McGuiness?

Am I alone in never having heard of him?

John

[sg31]

Who is Paddy McGuiness?

Am I alone in never having heard of him?

John

You've not missed much.

[swill453]

Who is Paddy McGuiness?

The first paragraph of the BBC story linked to in the first paragraph of the opening post in this thread would have told you. Not much effort really.

Scott.