Fury as Royal Mail van takes up disabled spot

[POSTMAN]

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http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimage/1.6715175.1430289434!/image/1669536897.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_620/1669536897.jpgROYAL Mail has come under fire after one of its drivers parked in a disabled bay – when there were other available spaces nearby.

The Royal Mail van was photographed in a disabled bay at Purbrook Chase precinct, off Crookhorn Lane, Crookhorn.

The picture was taken by a Crookhorn resident who was shocked to see the van reverse into the space and the postman walk into the nearby Co-op, which contains a post office.

The 41-year-old, who did not want to be named, was angry as his wife is disabled with fibromyalgia and relies on disabled spaces.

The man said: ‘At the time I was just waiting at the bus stop. The Royal Mail man just turned up and reversed into the disabled space and went into the post office.

‘There were two or three spaces to the left that he could have parked in. I waited about five minutes for my bus and he was still there.’

Three years ago the same scenario was reported in The News when a resident, Andrew Bundy, said he had seen Royal Mail vans regularly parking in the disabled bay.

At the time Royal Mail officials said it was ‘unacceptable’ for employees to park in disabled bays.

The man added: ‘I thought they would have learned their lesson by now, but obviously not.

‘It just seems a joke because if someone is severely disabled and turned up they would have to walk further.’

By law, it is offence to park in an on-street disabled space without a valid blue badge, unless there is a ‘reasonable excuse’. If taken to court, it can carry a maximum fine of £1,000.

However, it is understood the precinct is privately owned and it is not an offence to misuse a disabled bay on private land.

Spokeswoman Val Bodden said: ‘Royal Mail always advises our drivers to park safely and responsibly while collecting or delivering mail and we will repeat this message to our drivers. On this occasion, the driver was in and out of the premises in Crookhorn in a short time frame, collecting mail from the post office within the store.’

[NWpostie]

I think you need to put it in perspective that van driver would need the shortest and safest route to his van and collection point and this would take most of 10 minutes to do his collection, he would be gone, its a completely different ball game from when you see a rich person or worse a young woman with her hair all done up in rollers in a range rover, chelsea tractors or BMW driving skinhead thug parking on the spot all day, yes I have seen it myself, do these moaning busy bodies complain about them ?

[Lounge Lizard]

I think you need to put it in perspective that van driver would need the shortest and safest route to his van and collection point and this would take most of 10 minutes to do his collection, he would be gone, its a completely different ball game from when you see a rich person or worse a young woman with her hair all done up in rollers in a range rover, chelsea tractors or BMW driving skinhead thug parking on the spot all day, yes I have seen it myself, do these moaning busy bodies complain about them ?

Indeed, and have they forgotten that it's Her Majesty's mail and so we're exempt from all road traffic regulations ? Aren't we ?

[Pompey Boy]

As a person with disabled and elderly parents past and present this stinks and cannot be excused Piss poor PR for RM.

[Lounge Lizard]

As a person with disabled and elderly parents past and present this stinks and cannot be excused Piss poor PR for RM.

Pommy,
I'm not sure of the relevance of you having disabled and elderly parents past and present but, away from the confines of a Mail Centre, us out on the public highway are under such pressure that such transgressions, regrettable as they are, are sometimes unavoidable.

[NWpostie]

Pensioners and moaning goes together surely as night follows day, the complainant was probably waiting for the outrage bus to come to their bus stop, then you can hear them a mile off moaning, you can probably smell the wee before you see them.

[Pompey Boy]

Old people do lots of strange things, but not all disabled people are old.

As I said very poor PR for Royal Mail, and the contents of a thread like don't doesn't help. Have the moderators gone on holiday?

[Pompey Boy]

As a person with disabled and elderly parents past and present this stinks and cannot be excused Piss poor PR for RM.

Pommy,
I'm not sure of the relevance of you having disabled and elderly parents past and present but, away from the confines of a Mail Centre, us out on the public highway are under such pressure that such transgressions, regrettable as they are, are sometimes unavoidable.

LL the relevance is that it is very difficult taking disabled friends and relatives out. You need to park as close as you can get to where you are going, get the wheelchair out of the car etc etc. Disabled spaces are a great help. Do you have any disabled friends or relatives and do you have any experience of how difficult it can be trying to get them out and about?

[Lounge Lizard]

As a person with disabled and elderly parents past and present this stinks and cannot be excused Piss poor PR for RM.

Pommy,
I'm not sure of the relevance of you having disabled and elderly parents past and present but, away from the confines of a Mail Centre, us out on the public highway are under such pressure that such transgressions, regrettable as they are, are sometimes unavoidable.

LL the relevance is that it is very difficult taking disabled friends and relatives out. You need to park as close as you can get to where you are going, get the wheelchair out of the car etc etc. Disabled spaces are a great help. Do you have any disabled friends or relatives and do you have any experience of how difficult it can be trying to get them out and about?

I myself have a disability under the Equality Act.

[Pompey Boy]

Sorry to hear that LL - I do too. All the more reason for us to support people with disabilities.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Have the moderators gone on holiday?

Yes - I am a Jedi baby so I took some annual leave.

However, despite his distasteful attempt at humour NWPostie has broken no rules. I suppose it does reflect somewhat on his politics which to me appear to be exclusive rather than inclusive, but hey thats his right in a democracy.

[Pompey Boy]

I feel very uncomfortable with a thread that appears to be having a go at the disabled and the elderly. Let's not forget that we owe many elderly people for their actions during WWII. Also, lets not forget either our younger servicemen and women returning home with disabilities. Surely all of these people are worthy of our help and respect. Nuff said.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I feel very uncomfortable with a thread that appears to be having a go at the disabled and the elderly. Let's not forget that we owe many elderly people for their actions during WWII. Also, lets not forget either our younger servicemen and women returning home with disabilities. Surely all of these people are worthy of our help and respect. Nuff said.

I am in complete agreement, his views are allowed in a democracy, but the validity of them is non existent in my own opinion, and if I may be so bold probably shows a certain level of cognition that most of us try to exceed.

[Lounge Lizard]

I feel very uncomfortable with a thread that appears to be having a go at the disabled and the elderly. Let's not forget that we owe many elderly people for their actions during WWII. Also, lets not forget either our younger servicemen and women returning home with disabilities. Surely all of these people are worthy of our help and respect. Nuff said.

Pommy,
We're not all "having a go at the disabled and the elderly" but suggesting that assistance for them should be proportionate, and I didn't only start having consideration for those less fortunate than myself once I too suffered a disability.
Yes, "we owe many elderly people for their actions during WWII" except it's not so many now, and as for "our younger servicemen and women returning home with disabilities" I blame Blair.

[NWpostie]

Have the moderators gone on holiday?

Yes - I am a Jedi baby so I took some annual leave.

However, despite his distasteful attempt at humour NWPostie has broken no rules. I suppose it does reflect somewhat on his politics which to me appear to be exclusive rather than inclusive, but hey thats his right in a democracy.

Hang on a minute, what has politics has got to do with my comment ? I don't see the connection. I hope you were not trying to have a dig because of our previous political discussions ?

For the record I have my run ins with moaning old buggers who gave nothing to do with their time other than to moan about the most petty thing. I have no time for Victor Meldrews who make posties and other public workers lives harder for no other reason to give them a pathetically warm glow over what little power they can gain in their short time left on earth. They will not be remembered fondly.

HOWEVER I have plenty of time for the genuinely needy disabled people and genuinely nice old people, either to drop the mail in the house fir them if they are immobile or help them across the road.

Don't you dare try to link politics with my semi sarcastic comment about Victor Meldrews it's disingenuous and does you no service, to assume I'm an intolerant right winger is quite frankly very insulting and indicates your own pre judgement before facts, for the record I'm middle of the road, I'm not tied to any particular political party, I'm not a sheep, I think for myself and vote as I see fit I have voted left and right depending on policies.


For the record Post Vehicles are allowed to bend traffic rules in the execution of their duty, such as crossing bus lanes or double yellow lines to a post box, on occasions they are permitted to use disabled spot if security considerations requires it as can be seen in the original post, at all times you should always try to keep am eye on your van and watch for suspicious characters, even then the stop over is not likely to be more than 10 Minutes as per scanning windows. That us why we carry the crown on our vehicles.