PC or not to be PC Page 2

Quote: Nick Nockerty @ 16th December 2015, 9:09 AM GMT

Totally agree. I can't see the common reference. But with the wheel chair, it's funny because we suspect people lie about disabilities to manipulate. Maybe not a problem if you have a wheel chair, as you're unlikely to be challenged. But for all those with disabilities you can't see, it's a big problem. A woman with MS wrote in the papers recently, about a bile note on her car saying "where's your wheel chair". If there's an element of doubt, bullies play on it and criminals target them. That sketch promotes the element of doubt against a group that is still underrepresented and underground as it is. OK done my bit for society, that lot's on their own now.

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Depending on individual circumstances, beliefs, whether someone is pre-disposed, gullible or easily susceptible then this sort of thing could indeed reinforce or introduce the notion that people lie about disabilities to manipulate, just as they may believe that all on benefits are dishonest, immigrants steal our jobs, blondes have more fun, Uri Gellar really can bend spoons using mystical power... I don't think you can generalise or make sweeping statements about 'what people think' about wheelchair users or people with disabilities. People in wheelchairs can be challenged as well as people without obvious disability.

Going back a few years when my wife and I ran a large guest house we had to cater for disabled guests of course, but being a Victorian property it was not always easy to accommodate as we would have liked; but we did have one downstairs room that was adequate and we had a "2" rating I think it was for the level of disability that we could handle. Don't know how it is now, but then there were three acceptable levels.

Anyway, I digress and ramble, so essentially we were "covered", BUT what used to annoy me was we would get what I called the "Disability Mafia" (some twat with nothing better to do and has taken it on themselves to police the situation) ring up to check that we were catering for disabled people by pretending book a room and then query the disability facilities by being quite aggressive in saying things like "Oh, so you haven't got this" or "You haven't got that" (a lift!! full disabled toilet/shower etc. etc.)

NO, you f**king twat because that is why we are level 2 and do out best, now f**k off and go and annoy somebody else.

Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 16th December 2015, 9:42 AM GMT

Going back a few years when my wife and I ran a large guest house we had to cater for disabled guests of course, but being a Victorian property it was not always easy to accommodate as we would have liked; but we did have one downstairs room that was adequate and we had a "2" rating I think it was for the level of disability that we could handle. Don't know how it is now, but then there were three acceptable levels.

Anyway, I digress and ramble, so essentially we were "covered", BUT what used to annoy me was we would get what I called the "Disability Mafia" (some twat with nothing better to do and has taken it on themselves to police the situation) ring up to check that we were catering for disabled people by pretending book a room and then query the disability facilities by being quite aggressive in saying things like "Oh, so you haven't got this" or "You haven't got that" (a lift!! full disabled toilet/shower etc. etc.)

NO, you f**king twat because that is why we are level 2 and do out best, now f**k off and go and annoy somebody else.

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:-0 That is totally unacceptable! There are gradings as you say and as long as you are clear about what facilities you have and are complying with whichever act it is, Disibility Discrimination Act possibly, then they have no right to do that whatsoever. It's like access to shops and services, they have to make 'reasonable adjustments.' My local post office was targetted and there was even a story on the local news about them not complying but the truth was they had private agreements with their locals which they couldn't advertise for security and privacy reasons. What made it more disgusting was that our local MP knew this and he was on TV supporting the campaigners. I recently stayed at a B&B who advertised that they were wheelchair accessible. My husband phoned to check specifics and it was indeed exactly what we needed. We had a long chat with the owners while we were there and they said that to comply completely (level 4 or whatever it is nowadays)they would have to fit a certain type of thermostat in the shower etc. etc. and it was too expensive to do all those things for the predicted return they would get. I think that's perfectly fair - they advertised accurately and did not claim to be something they were not. The problems start when people advertise as being wheelchair friendly when they mean something like a wheelchair can access the ground floor, even though there is no bathroom downstairs. Sadly that happens a lot, there is no governing body to regulate all these adverts or check all the properties, but that does mean that you get volunteer groups and organisations who take it upon themselves to do these checks and publish reports, sometimes unfairly. I belong to a group who does this sort of thing but never ever without asking permission, stating what they would like to check and organising an interview first. That, I think, is fair enough for everyone.

Now that my wife is ironically wheelchair bound, I have to comment on Blue Badge parking.

It is a parking lottery when I have to take her to the hospital, and I do wonder about some of the supposedly "disabled" drivers, but realise you have to be careful what you say.

However, a few months back when I missed a space, it was taken up by a middle aged couple with youngish son all of whom leapt out of their car and legged it quite quickly into the hospital with no apparent disability. Hmmmm