So off I trundle and lo and behold - cars parked everywhere and OF COURSE no parking within easy walking distance of the front door of the centre and .......... numerous cars parked in permit ONLY bays, WITHOUT permits.
So I proceed to take photos of several vehicles.
Photos all taken at Epping Plaza, at 3.38pm TODAY the 5th March 2013
XHR-045 - Parking in Px2 Parking - No permit visible
YOU-243 - Parking in Px2 Parking - No permit visible (green line denote the Px2 parking; the blue ford next door is the one featured above)
SRN-260 - Parking in a 'blue' disabled bay - no permit visible
Now this thug - deserves a little more than a byline, he attacked me, threatened to smash my phone and did hit my hand. Intervention by a lovely biker, (my angel in dark leather) preventing the parking deviant from taking taking further aggressive action. (BTW - He was a HUGE guy, both tall and wide) and had obviously used his size in the past to intimidate people and get his own way.
His excuse - My mum is renewing her permit inside???????????????
Ummm - NO - Permits for disabled parking are issued from council offices NOT shopping centres.
I leave the scene, to avoid further confrontation, walking about 200m and sitting down on public seating INSIDE the shopping centre. Noting that the person IN the vehicle DID NOT follow me inside at this stage.
5 minutes later I am being verbally abused, I look up and realise it is the same *cough* gentleman that physically assaulted me before, this time he had a baby on his hip and a mouthy girlfriend/wife in tow. They both started to verbally abuse me. Two rent-a-cops were nearby, I called them over, they reluctantly came over and intervened. Basically said 'you won't park there again, will you?' Not a word to me and then wandered off.
How can ANYONE DO anything when people are quite happy to assault people, simply because the honest people in world point out that perhaps the parking offenders inadvertently parked in disabled bay without realising?
Makes me realise that some people PURPOSELY park in these bays, simply because it's convenient FOR THEM.............
Previous posts on the same subject - photos included NO Permit No Park
Don't suggest I call someone:-
Police - It's private property,
Council - We will send someone when we can
Centre Management - We can't do anything
Rent-A-Cops - IF they speak English, have no desire to get involved
SO WHO DO YOU CALL?
Posts
Incredibly disgusting! I really feel for you and am so disappointed you had to endure that attack. I don't who to call. Start with your local member and see what they suggest? I'd like to know more about this and who we SHOULD contact in difficult times such as yours. Please stay safe ;-)
ReplyDeleteAnon (1) - the local 'member' said Oh Crikey...................
DeleteWas once told that if you need help don't yell out "HELP"...nobody will answer. However if you call "FIRE" there will be a mad rush,you will have witnesses and maybe, just, maybe some upstanding citizens will help you. And most likely it will be the most unlikely that will help. Stay Safe
ReplyDeleteJoe
Anon (2) - I can see that yelling Fire would possibly work, but I was talking to the guy, not threatening him, asking if he was aware he was parking in a permit ONLY zone, NOT abusing him, not accosting him. He was just pure violence (BTW - my Purse was under my arm, my phone in my hand) I did NOTHING to threaten him.
DeleteSaw a sign at Hervey Bay a few years ago in a carpark adjacent to a number of disabled parking spaces, "Ignorance is not a disability"
ReplyDeleteSome people just do not care.
Derek - You are right, some people JUST DO NOT CARE :(
DeleteAgree with anon. re: yelling 'Fire'. It's what I was taught also - especially women under attack.
ReplyDeleteI can't apologise on behalf of this bully Heather - he is not of my species. But if you keep openly photographing cars you are gonna cop more of it, and next time you might not have help around. You're not a ninja any more. A diary note with time, date, numberplate, make and type of car and the year is all that is required for legal purposes. It is information you could not have obtained unless you have seen the car. Where you saw it can be argued.
Can I suggest you're thinking too local, too low. You need to aim higher and hit the minister with the facts you mentioned about nobody accepting the buck. Council won't respond to you, but they don't respond to me either. A concerted campaign could raise awareness about this issue. You can start your own petition or join an existing one to exert pressure on larger groups.
I understand. I too had a battle with council to try to get a disabled carpark designated right outside our local chemist. I don't have a permit, and couldn't use it, but I recognise the need for others. Was knocked back on the grounds that there weren't enough spaces in the carpark. There are about a dozen or so. I could take it no further. I didn't have the energy to fight it.
Delete(Corrected a was to wasn't)
DeleteTyabb - I never was a ninja (well alright ONCE!) But nothing something I intentionally did or intend to do. I wasn't openly photographing him, I wasn't covertly photographing him (until later) either, I was just asking "Are you aware this is a permit zone..." as is my usual approach, not defensive, not accusing.
I have too much else on my plate to go any higher than my blog. my blog is an outlet and not much else. There are only so many fights I can fight and this is not another I need to add to the list. There is a community that is far more important than me out there, one that like me, won't speak up either. We are similar in that way