antiquity
01-13-2003, 08:54 AM
Wheelchair vigilante leaves a mark
Jan 13 2003
Robin Turner, The Western Mail - The National Newspaper Of WalesÂ*
POLICE are looking for a wheel-chair-using vigilante who has been damaging the cars of able-bodied motorists using parking bays meant for the disabled.
Around five cars are thought to have had windscreen wipers snapped off in the direct action campaign in Swansea. Some motorists have returned to their vehicles to find angry notes on their windscreens.
The lone campaigner, dubbed "the orange badge avenger", has struck in Swansea's city centre and in outlying areas such as Gorseinon and West Cross.
While most of the target vehicles have been parked in disabled parking bays without displaying orange badges, some have earned the vigilante's wrath because they are parked partly on the pavement, causing difficulties for disabled pedestrians.
A number of victims have notified the police.
One woman who had a note placed on her car in Swansea city centre yesterday said, "I was only a few minutes, and it was to pick up my disabled grandmother from church.
"I think whoever is doing this should think carefully because there are sometimes good reasons for using a disabled parking space.
"I would agree though that if you do not have any disability it is completely wrong to park in a designated disabled bay."
It is thought the vigilante is using a wheelchair because of the way windscreen wipers have been snapped off. The damage may be being caused by a person using the wipers to pull himself or herself up from a wheelchair.
The person behind the attack is signing the notes the Disabled Drivers' Association.
But Pauline Baker, of the Norwich-based organisation's Swansea group, said yesterday the DDA had nothing to do with the incidents.
She said, "Whoever is doing this does it without any authority from the association."
A spokesman for the Disabled Drivers Motor Club added, "Obviously no-one would advocate taking the law into your own hands but there does need to be greater monitoring of misuse of disabled parking spaces. They are there for a reason."
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/page.cfm?objectid=12526423&method=full&siteid=50082
Jan 13 2003
Robin Turner, The Western Mail - The National Newspaper Of WalesÂ*
POLICE are looking for a wheel-chair-using vigilante who has been damaging the cars of able-bodied motorists using parking bays meant for the disabled.
Around five cars are thought to have had windscreen wipers snapped off in the direct action campaign in Swansea. Some motorists have returned to their vehicles to find angry notes on their windscreens.
The lone campaigner, dubbed "the orange badge avenger", has struck in Swansea's city centre and in outlying areas such as Gorseinon and West Cross.
While most of the target vehicles have been parked in disabled parking bays without displaying orange badges, some have earned the vigilante's wrath because they are parked partly on the pavement, causing difficulties for disabled pedestrians.
A number of victims have notified the police.
One woman who had a note placed on her car in Swansea city centre yesterday said, "I was only a few minutes, and it was to pick up my disabled grandmother from church.
"I think whoever is doing this should think carefully because there are sometimes good reasons for using a disabled parking space.
"I would agree though that if you do not have any disability it is completely wrong to park in a designated disabled bay."
It is thought the vigilante is using a wheelchair because of the way windscreen wipers have been snapped off. The damage may be being caused by a person using the wipers to pull himself or herself up from a wheelchair.
The person behind the attack is signing the notes the Disabled Drivers' Association.
But Pauline Baker, of the Norwich-based organisation's Swansea group, said yesterday the DDA had nothing to do with the incidents.
She said, "Whoever is doing this does it without any authority from the association."
A spokesman for the Disabled Drivers Motor Club added, "Obviously no-one would advocate taking the law into your own hands but there does need to be greater monitoring of misuse of disabled parking spaces. They are there for a reason."
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/page.cfm?objectid=12526423&method=full&siteid=50082