I parked in a disabled bay yesterday and a traffic warden shouted OY whats your disability then? I said Tourettes now F*** off you c***   On a serious note though,Mrs Pond has had her benefits stopped on the report of a twat of a dwp doctor who examined her for at least 5 minutes despite surgeon's and doctor's reports...it's going to appeal but that could take weeks.sounds like you and her share the same sort of condition cissy,her spine has been fused in the lower vertebrae and she also has trouble with her legs,poor sod takes so many pain killers,it's no wonder she dont rattle!                                                                                                                                                                             

The rules have changed recently, you have to prove you are not capable of any work at all. So if you have no legs you can sit at a table and type or a checkout.  What gets me is that people who claimed before October last year are left alone, so it does'nt apply to them.  The law is stupid in many ways. This is all because the government wants to improve their figures for people in work!

save money more like! what gets me is these people who claim everything and smoke like chimneys,have the latest plasma tv's dvd's and the kids all have brand new bikes while a genuine working man is struggling just to feed his family!                                                                                                                                                                             

Linda... I have been on DLA for over 5 years, albeit originally for mental health problems (like BC I have PTSD and associated problems)..only in the last claim did they finally give me a mobility rate because of the arthritis, and the fact that I have a crumbling disc in my neck... neither of which are going to be mended in the near future, if ever.   That said, I am studying now so that in the future I will be able to return to work, and actually have started the ball rolling to becoming a Mencap Support Worker... I tell the DSS all of this, but it seems they are not happy until they have me pinned down to a job that I hate, and would never turn up for! So next friday I have to go to a medical and somehow prove the level of pain I am in, and that I am mentally unstable (ok..that part should be easy lol)...   I know, I am ranting now... but yes, there are a lot of people who get DLA and don't warrant it, unfortunately it is that minority that tar us all with the same brush.                                                                                                                                                                             

Your absolutely right. Good luck for Friday mines on Tuesday.  I'm going to finish now cos I just get all worked up and stressed about the whole situation and there are better things to do in life, like biking. lol x                                                                                                                                                                             

I parked in a disabled bay yesterday and a traffic warden shouted OY whats your disability then? I said Tourettes now F*** off you c***   Pond................soooooooo funny                                                                                                                                                                             

Cissy, the college should have a bod who is responsible for the needs of their disabled students. Find them and have a dialogue regarding the fact that you are entitled to park in a disabled bay but you cannot securely attach your badge to the bike. If they have any sense for there own job security they will have words with the right people to leave you alone.   As for disabled bays in general and traffic wardens...... I parked my ambulance in a disabled bay outside a shop one as it was the most convenient place to stop to access the casualty. this was an emergency call with lights and noise to boot. we had the patient in the back of the bus still with you lights on and a parking monkey started to put a ticket on the ambulance.   I invited him into the cab for a conversation about the parking explaining to him that we are responding to a 999 call and we have the patient in the back. His response was "then move" so we did. We did a blue light run to the hospital but didn't give him the opportunity to get out of the ambulance. Although he was scared out of his skin going though red lights he still issued the ticket.   I believe that after he complained to the police that he was kidnapped by in an ambulance and the police backed us up he was sacked by his company for being a total pratt for not realising that if an ambulance is parked with it's blue lights on then it is there for a reason and a little discretion is advised.   So you are leaning on an open door with me there. Plus being deaf myself i get hassle as i have an invisible disability. When you ask someone to repeat themselves repeatedly they tend to get a bit peeved.                                                                                                                                                                                 

post of the day, pagan Lost for words at such a jobs-worth XX                                                                                                                                                                             

When he still issued the ticket i was lost for words. Very nearly used sign language. I had he probable would have woken up in the bed next to our patient. we took in.                                                                                                                                                                             

  Brilliant!                                                                                                                                                                             

I recall being in my mate’s car a few years ago and we parked in a disable space. He suffers from MS and he did have a badge displayed. He has had MS for near on 20 years I recon but on good days you wouldn't be able to tell he is a sufferer. Anyway, as we walked away from the car he was accosted by a proper numpty and was questioned as to his ailment. The look of total confusion on Mr Numpty's face when my friend told him he was blind was priceless LOL                                                                                                                                                                             

    ROFLMHO                                                                                                                                                                              

Linda... just dropping by to wish you luck for your medical today mate! Let me know how it goes... still stressing about mine on Friday...   Back to the subject... so often I am too accosted in Tescos car park for daring to park my car in a disabled bay with a disabled badge clearly displayed. One day, a total Hook Tosser, accompanied by his brood of about four kids took a very slow walk around my vehicle, stopping and staring at the disabled badge, then in a very loud voice saying to his brood, "That must be a stolen badge!!"....   I was on my way to the door of the store... I stopped, turned, hobbled back to the sforementioned tosser, and said "Pardon? Would you like to repeat that to my face?".....needless to say he chose not to repeat his accusation!                                                                                                                                                                                 

It's particularly fun when you can't get into a disabled bay for love nor money, cos a bunch of lazy-arsed able bodied folk have used them all up and you have to park in the street. ("I'm shopping for my bed-ridden/housebound husband/mother/goldfish" is NOT a valid excuse to be a lazy bitch and use a disabled bay Walk a few yards FFS, and be grateful that you can!)

Despite a whole ream of notices on the back of my parents' car asking people to leave enough space for its disabled passenger to get his chair up the ramp that's going to drop down from the car, there's always some numpty who decides he's going to dump his motor about 3" away.

So far, we've been lucky and the car in front of ours has been moved within about 10 minutes of waiting, or the driver of the car blocking access returns... Never so much as a sheepish look, let alone an apology.

My parents take a dim view of my threatened wheelchair mods, e.g. extendable spikes a la chariot-stylee, although my Dad has wished on more than one occasion that he wasn't paralysed, purely so he could kick the offending motor!

Perhaps they'd let me get one of those scrolling signs for the back of the car. "Please don't park too close. Seriously. We need 3m at least to drop the ramp and get the wheelchair up it. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Back off! FFS! Can't you READ? Move your damned motor, or we'll move it for you!"
                                                                                                                                                                             

Thanks cissystar, all done.  As it happened I was not well so I suppose that was a good thing.  Waited 30mins after appointment time (don't know why they bother with times) to be assessed by someone who did not understand my condition.  Great, spent 45 mins talking about it and answering silly questions. Then I had a physical, which was'nt too bad.  Oh well, will just have to wait and see how things go, should hear in a week or two.  Not been able to get on my bike for several weeks now, so hope I am well enough for the Wakefield Meet.

 Hi everybody! I feel a bit "shy" here - it's my 1st time posting,so, here it goes    I've been made redundant on 22/7/09- now I'm on employment & support allowance!    I've been working since I came to London ( same year Diana died), and paying taxes - not that bad  Well, think I deserve now getting some help - could still be working now- if my ex manager was better person ( or different one)- and doctors  will had told me what is going on "inside " my head! Also my ex left me ( 1 year ago), had an accident with the bike - got stolen after 2 weeks...and then ... my mother died...!  Have been under a lot of stress lately, depression; but I want to get another bike - might not be right time now- but it feels like having a bomb in my head ( maybe two ) and I wanna enjoy riding a bike - till I'm able to   I just have to buy a bike wile I still have the money of my insurance ( and from the guy who hit my bike)!   Was 41 when felt in love with bikes , never liked them before...   Everybody thought I was having a middle age crisis - but no - I'm 48 and more "in love"  with bikes , than ever...    Lena, X                                                                                                                                                                             

Hi Leninhabiker, sounds like you have had a rough time of it.  Never mind, the only way is up now eh.    Kwak has a kawasaki small cruiser for sale, have a look at the posts, probably a bit like mine.                                                                                                                                                                             

Hi Leninhabiker, sounds like you have had a rough time of it.  Never mind, the only way is up now eh.    Kwak has a kawasaki small cruiser for sale if your interested, have a look at the posts, probably a bit like mine. Or you might prefer a bigger bike. Hope things work out for you.                                                                                                                                                                             

     Hi Linda , thanks for the welcome !      Bikes like "Virago" style - are no good for my knees, I've to seat straight on the bike ( as on a horse ).    Want o get a smaller one , because will pay less Road tax, etc!    Can't be too small - so I  'm thinking between a 250cc and 500cc...    I love bikes like street fighters,  trail/enduro ,  the ones that look sexy and have a small petrol tank!    Better if they are not very high - my legs are not short- but I like to feel the ground ( every bit under my sole)!    Don't feel confidant with long/ big tanks - will lose my balance easy when I turn the bike slow...yes ,my fractured toes can say that, lol     Aw, I look fussy - but have to feel comfortable riding a bike!    Will find one - just have to keep looking for it...    Lena, x                                                                                                                                                                             

Hi again, I have knackered knees, hips and hands.  My Virago 250cc, means I can sit back and put my legs forward none of this croching or bending the knees to much.  The best thing is it is light, i can place all of my two feet on the floor and it corners great.  Would like a more powerful one but don't think I would be able to control it with my knackered fingers.  I have an adaption which makes the clutch control a lot lighter.   Anyway, hope you find what your looking for.