Disabled man fined for using disabled bay
2013-01-09 09:53
Durban - A disabled man is fuming after being fined R300 for
using a parking bay for the disabled while on holiday in Margate in KwaZulu-Natal.
Pretoria resident Etienne Buys told Beeld he was in his brother’s
car when they pulled up in front of a Wimpy while on a family holiday last week.
A local traffic officer was standing in one of the two vacant disabled bays,
talking on his cellphone.
According to Buys, his brother hooted to get the officer's
attention so that he could step aside and they could park.
The officer then told them they couldn't park in the
disabled bay because the car did not display a disabled sticker.
Buys got out of the car and into his wheelchair, explaining
to the officer that he was in his brother's car which did not have a disabled
sticker. A Wimpy staff member gave them a temporary disabled sticker to use,
but this did not deter the officer from writing out the ticket.
"It was clear from the outset that he just wanted to be obstinate while having an 'I
am in control' attitude," said Buys, who has been in a
wheelchair since a car accident in 1993.
The Port Shepstone traffic department did not respond to a
request for comment.
