Parking warrior gets it wrong again

A North Canterbury woman has been left gutted by an anonymous note criticising her valid use of a mobility permit.

It was the second such note left on a Rangiora family’s car within two months.

The latest was left on the car of a woman who had parked behind the Gables Arcade in the town’s centre. It read: ‘‘Shame on you parking in a handicap car park grhh.’’

Reality Bites Cafe owner Karl Horwarth said he found the ‘‘very upset’’ woman, who was almost in tears, as he was leaving the cafe last week.

Horwarth, who uses a wheelchair himself, said the woman had a mobility permit for a disability that was not necessarily obvious.

‘‘I had a quick chat to her and told her not to get upset as I get notes like that all the time.

‘‘My car is a big four-wheel drive and I don’t look like I’m disabled, whatever that means, until I get out of the car.’’

Horwarth said plenty of people without permits did abuse disabled parking spaces, but the notes showed some people were too judgmental.

They were too quick to be the anonymous judge, jury and executioner, without taking the time to get their facts straight.

‘‘This sort of thing says a lot more about [the person who wrote the note] than it does about the problem of people illegally parking in disability spots.’’

A Waimakariri District Council spokesman said the car park was patrolled by the council. It had received only two complaints about disabled parking in that area this year.

In August, Rangiora dad Paul Francis was incensed when a note was left criticising his use of a disability badge. He had been at the swimming pool with his children, including Jack, 9, who has cerebral palsy.