Motoring Discussion > being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: VxFan	Replies: 37

Thu 7 May 15 14:14   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - VxFan

A mother who battles chronic pain and used a disabled parking space in Tesco was left heartbroken to find a note on her car saying "being fat and ugly doesn't count as disabled - park elsewhere". tinyurl.com/o8hyf67 - (www.telegraph.co.uk/news) Sarah Metcalfe, who suffers from fibromyalgia, says she was horrified when she returned to her car and found the note on her car windscreen. She said that since the bays had not specified that a Blue Badge was needed, she used her own judgement given the pain she was in. --------------------------------------------------------------- My thoughts. Whilst I agree the note was out of order, she should have used her own common sense rather than judgement about whether a blue badge was needed or not. If it's a disabled bay then OF COURSE a blue badge should be displayed. Duh! And as she was with her 13 yr old son, why didn't she use her judgement and park in the parent/child bays, which are no further from the entrance than the disabled bays are? Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 7 May 15 14:27   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - No FM2R

Shocked, mortified and upset she did what all sensible people do in these situations; call the local paper and pose for pictures. I agree, being called fat and ugly was out of order. Being called a "b***** idiot" on the other hand may have been quite appropriate. Reply to this message | Report message       2

Thu 7 May 15 15:16   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - Cliff Pope

>> >> And as she was with her 13 yr old son, why didn't she use her >> judgement and park in the parent/child bays, Parent child bays are surely intended for parents struggling with pushchairs and toddlers, not teenagers who are technically children? Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 7 May 15 15:23   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - Armel Coussine

Anonymous rude letters left under wipers are so despicable that they should just be thrown away after a brief check to see if they are saying something helpful. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 7 May 15 16:44   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - Boxsterboy

She is no oil painting, but it is still a bit harsh. The offence stands, though - Parking in a disabled bay without displaying blue badge. "It's being processed" doesn't count, so she is bang to rights. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 7 May 15 18:03   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - Armel Coussine

>> She is no oil painting, but it is still a bit harsh. Public comment on a woman's looks is nearly always offensive in my book. Women care about the way they look, and that makes such comment, when negative, cruel. As for being fat, two thirds of us are according to my comic. Reply to this message | Report message       1

Thu 7 May 15 20:03   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - Bromptonaut

>> The offence stands, though - Parking in a disabled bay without displaying blue badge. "It's >> being processed" doesn't count, so she is bang to rights. It's a bay on a supermarket car park provided as a courtesy and/or for Disability Discrimination Act compliance by the supermarket. While they may 'contractually' require a blue badge no offence is committed so it's a bit difficult to be banged to rights. In last ten years both Mrs B and I have broken bones leaving us on crutches or in a wheelchair for longer moves. Blue Badges are not available for such disability and the corollary of widespread fraud is that even people with real long term disabilities have to go through a lot of hoop jumping to get a badge. People who are genuinely suffering from limited mobility should have no compunction in using the bays in supermarket car parks. Reply to this message | Report message       2

Fri 8 May 15 01:26   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - VxFan

>> Parent child bays are surely intended for parents struggling with pushchairs and toddlers, not teenagers who are technically children? Had she used it though, she wouldn't have angered the anonymous note writer. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 7 May 15 18:17   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - CGNorwich

Fibromyalgia is one of those mysterious diseases with no specifics test, no known cause, vague symptoms and necessitates weeks off work. Should easily qualify for a blue badge. Reply to this message | Report message       1

Thu 7 May 15 18:47   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - Zero

I've seen them uglier and fatter I have to say. Maybe she would have preferred a £60 fine? Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 7 May 15 19:50   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - Lygonos

Last time I left an anonymous note under a wiper was about 6 months ago at the entrance to the Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh. A Renault Scenic (with full complement of child seats) had front tyres worn through to the wires. The note simply stated "Your front tyres are about to explode!" Reply to this message | Report message       1

Thu 7 May 15 22:24   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - Armel Coussine

>> The note simply stated "Your front tyres are about to explode!" That wasn't rude, and it was helpful. You are of course a civilised cat Lygonos. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 7 May 15 22:27   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - Armel Coussine

>> I've seen them uglier and fatter I have to say. >> the ugly fat cow Tsk. Make your mind up Zero. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 7 May 15 19:54   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - Bromptonaut

It was a supermarket car park. The supermarket has no authority to charge fines. Reply to this message | Report message       2

Thu 7 May 15 22:08   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - legacylad

I hope the supermarket don't fine her. Looks like she spends a fortune there. Reply to this message | Report message       1

Thu 7 May 15 22:11   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - Zero

>> It was a supermarket car park. The supermarket has no authority to charge fines. Probably why the ugly fat cow parked there then. Reply to this message | Report message       1

Thu 7 May 15 22:58   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - Lygonos

If she can't walk 50 yards I'll do an Ashdown and eat my hat. Blue Badge my harris. Reply to this message | Report message       1

Fri 8 May 15 19:31   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - BiggerBadderDave

Poor lass. I'd slip an anonymous note under the wiper - "I'd do you". Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 8 May 15 22:46   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - Ted

Dave...I EMailed you when you were over here for a meet....didn't you get it ? Or perhaps you were getting something else :-) Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 9 May 15 16:40   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - VxFan

>> Dave...I EMailed you when you were over here for a meet....didn't you get it ? You should have left a note under his wipers ;) Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 9 May 15 16:57   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - Bromptonaut

>> Fibromyalgia is one of those mysterious diseases with no specifics test, no known cause, vague >> symptoms and necessitates weeks off work. Should easily qualify for a blue badge. www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Fibromyalgia/Pages/Introduction.aspx Just 'cos cause is unknown and diagnosis difficult it doesn't mean every potential sufferer should be regarded as a malingerer until proven otherwise. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 9 May 15 17:46   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - CGNorwich

>> >> Just 'cos cause is unknown and diagnosis difficult it doesn't mean every potential sufferer should >> be regarded as a malingerer until proven otherwise. I think it is a sound starting point. Last edited by: CGNorwich on Sat 9 May 15 at 17:46 Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 28 May 16 20:42   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - zippy

>> >> Fibromyalgia is one of those mysterious diseases with no specifics test, no known cause, >> vague >> >> symptoms and necessitates weeks off work. Should easily qualify for a blue badge. >> >> www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Fibromyalgia/Pages/Introduction.aspx >> >> Just 'cos cause is unknown and diagnosis difficult it doesn't mean every potential sufferer should >> be regarded as a malingerer until proven otherwise. >> Agree wholehartedly! My ex (we still get along famously) has Fibromyalgia. Got it after being very ill in intensive care for the flu that wiped her out when she was 40! She has never ever taken the mick or tried anything on to get benefits, car etc. She looks fine but is in constant pain and you can see it in her movements. She doesn't complain but on many days she just has to give up after a few hours because it exhausts her. It is such as shame as it has taken a toll on her and her life, she was so energetic before and if there was a cure she would jump at the chance of taking it. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 28 May 16 21:50   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - mikeyb

My mates wife as been diagnosed. It appears to flair up about 6 weeks into any new job....... Reply to this message | Report message       1

Sat 28 May 16 22:44   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - Slidingpillar

Fibromyalgia is one of those mysterious diseases with no specifics test, no known cause, vague symptoms and necessitates weeks off work. Should easily qualify for a blue badge. As I understand the disease/condition, it's not a shoe in for a blue badge as not only do degrees of affectedness vary, the condition also varies with time. A blue badge condition is essentially where there is a difficulty in walking, and it's permanent. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 28 May 16 22:50   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - R.P.

A close friend, an intelligent and professional woman, was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, she battled and lost her fight to lose her job due to "ill=health" she was treated for it for at least two years until she was finally correctly diagnosed with a serious neurological condition. "Fibromyalgia" changed her life forever. She has a blue badge and she rather wishes she didn't Reply to this message | Report message       2

Sun 29 May 16 10:19   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - Harleyman

I have absolutely no doubt that there are people who genuinely suffer from this condition, whose lives are blighted as a result and who get along as best they can; they have my sympathy. The unfortunate thing is that fibromyalgia seems to be one of those conditions which also attracts people whose only symptoms of the illness tend to be an unnecessary dependence on the use of a single NHS elbow crutch for moral (not physical) support together with a compulsion to screw the state for any sort of finiancial assistance they can possibly gain without having to do anything more than waddle round town all day. I long for the days when GP's were sufficiently savvy, and safe enough from the threat of legal action for libel etc. to be able to issue the sufferer with a diagnostic note stating the cause of the illness as "Plombi Oscillans". Last edited by: Harleyman on Sun 29 May 16 at 10:19 Reply to this message | Report message       2

Sun 29 May 16 10:26   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - Roger.

My elder nephew's wife suffers from this ad I have no doubt that it is a genuine illness. She is devastated by not eine able to work full time as the money is needed. Reply to this message | Report message

Sun 29 May 16 10:29   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - Runfer D'Hills

I have a brother in law ( public sector worker ) who has managed to be off "sick" for some trumped up reason for three months every summer for the 20 odd years I've known him. He's 52 and can retire at 55 but he is quite open about his intention to go off with "stress" on his 54th birthday because his employer has a policy of allowing a year of sickness before a contract can be terminated. Scandalous but apparently not uncommon. Reply to this message | Report message

Sun 29 May 16 10:39   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - sooty123

>> Scandalous but apparently not uncommon. >> I work quite a bit with CS, I know their sick policy is pretty tough, lots of questions return to work interviews and the such like. Genuinely interested, which bit of the public sector does he work in that lets him have 12 weeks off 'sick' each year? I assume there's nothing actually wrong with him? Reply to this message | Report message

Sun 29 May 16 10:55   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - Bromptonaut

My induction interview on entering the CS in 1978 included a warning against using the concession of un-certificated sick as extra annual leave. Words used were along line of 'it happens elsewhere but I won't tolerate it on my watch'. I was given the same line several more times when moving jobs both in grade and on promotion. Never worked anywhere where the practice was widespread. There was once a well paved route from long term doctor confirmed sick to ill-health retirement. Very attractive to the over forties as it allowed added years/unreduced pension. That door was closed over ten years ago with a fit for work test and dismissal for those who failed. Before that there was a increasingly strict regime of back to work interviews etc. In my latter years - 2008 on - anything over three weeks was referred to occupational health. However for stress etc that reference was immediate. Only avoided it for my hip injury (six weeks) because my boss and I found a caveat about conditions with a definite and time bound prospect for recovery. Reply to this message | Report message

Sun 29 May 16 18:48   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - R.P.

Certainly in the current climate in the Police he'd have been subjected to a great deal of scrutiny..certainly there's a quite tight sickness policy with my current employer. CAB was pretty grim, we successfully fought to have 3 months sickness with full pay if one was unfortunate enough to be ill. You then were on your own apart from SSP (around 80 quid a week). Advice from the Union was to take out an insurance policy for any time greater than this. I have a friend who works in quite a senior position for a local authority, he used to bunk off a few days here and there....things have changed for him now and is reluctant to go off sick because of the intrusive supervision that happens when he does. Reply to this message | Report message

Sun 29 May 16 21:52   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - legacylad

An acquaintance of mine recently retired in his late 50s as a sparky working for the local council. He told me that he did all his shopping...food, clothes, etc in works time. He had a council liveried van which he took home at night and used it at weekends to stay in his weekend cottage. He even used it to help folks move house! Hard to believe the council had no tracker fitted to see where their vehicle was, such as a shopping centre for two hours on a Wednesday afternoon. Or 40 miles away alternate weekends. And he took several sick days to go walking each year. Without word of a lie, as some one who used to have his own business, he told me that early on in his new job he felt guilty about taking home that salary. Reply to this message | Report message

Sun 29 May 16 21:55   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - No FM2R

My experience of the Public Sector would suggest that the only poeple who find the sick leave processes restrictive are the honest people who have a degree of pride. The lying, shameless, little skivers seem to lead the life of Riley. Reply to this message | Report message

Sun 29 May 16 22:04   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - sooty123

He had a council liveried van which he took home at night and >> used it at weekends to stay in his weekend cottage. He even used it to >> help folks move house! Pretty common for people to use company vehicles outside of work for all sorts of things. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 30 May 16 05:47   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - Harleyman

Back in the days when working for the council generally meant lower pay than comparable jobs in the private sector, there was considerably more tolerance of that sort of thing as it was generally understood to be a perk which offset the carp money. Ditto the odd little jobs "on the side" or bits and bobs of workwear (the yellow overtrousers were a popular one with us young bikers) that you could get for yourself if you had a mate who worked for the council. Nowadays public sector pay is much more comparable with private sector, and in some cases much better overall despite recent pay freezes, but there are bound to be some who want the penny and the bun. That of course is also the era which spawned the old jokes about it taking ten times as many council staff to change the proverbial light-bulb, as it did in the private sector. That is still the case, however these days a good half of them are either Elf and Safety inspectors or internal auditors. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 30 May 16 07:51   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - sooty123

there was considerably more tolerance of that sort of thing >> as it was generally understood to be a perk which offset the carp money. Ditto the odd little jobs "on the side" or bits and bobs of workwear (the yellow overtrousers were a popular one with us young bikers) that you could get for yourself if you had a mate who worked for the council. Using a company vehicle outside of work i don't think is some sort of council only perk. For example i can't think of anyone that i know with a vehicle from a private company that isn't allowed to use them outside of work. I don't think that's the same at all as stealing some clothes. Nowadays public sector pay is much more comparable with private sector, and in some cases much better overall despite recent pay freezes, but there are bound to be some who want the penny and the bun. >> The public sector is a big place, i can only say what I've seen. I know quite a lot of people who have left the public sector. I can't think of one that took a pay cut or stayed the same. They all, that i remember got a nice pay rise, one bloke i know near tripled his pay doing the same job. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 30 May 16 08:44   being fat and ugly doesn't count as being disabled - R.P.

There was a hue and cry amongst the workers at Democratic People's of Anglesey Council when their management wanted the LA's fleet fitted with trackers. That would never do Reply to this message | Report message