Elpie:

Lyderies: Hi All

Would my car below be illegally parked?

We have been parking like this for over a year and never had trouble with tickets until recently

https://i.imgur.com/3567YyW.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/lEewWxl.jpg

Who do i call to argue this? The Auckland council?

Cheers

I'm going to try to be polite even though I don't feel very polite after seeing your photos. 

My partner uses a wheelchair. He's also been hit by a car after being forced onto the road by an inconsiderate driver that blocked the footpath.
The way you are parking, someone using a wheelchair cannot even get around your car to get onto the road. That drain makes the car impassable. A wheelchair user would have no option but to turn around, try to find a manageable curb cut, and cross the road. Crossing roads is always a dangerous manoeuver. If a neighbour came along and parked the same way the person using a wheelchair would be stuck with no way out until someone decided to move their car. We've had that experience and I can tell you it's very far from nice.

I realise you probably didn't think this through but please do consider other people.  

mattwnz: It isn't really completely blocking the footpath, as the pedestrian could easily walk, around it and would still be completely safe. Wheelchairs maybe more difficult, but if the car is only parked there for a few minutes, then I can't see a major issue as the odds of someone in a wheelchair coming along would be really low in a short period of time. If it was more than a few minutes then it could be a problem. But I guess the law is the law and it means no stopping at all, and footpaths aren't engineered to hold the weight of vehicles. But kiwis have been parking like that forever. But it does seem somewhat petty to be fined rather than warned.  The thing is that we have laws and regulation  around many things, but they are never policed properly. Many houses have unconsented works on them, which are potentially unsafe, but unless the relevant authorities are made aware of them, noone would ever know, and even when they are made aware, often nothing is done, as it is expensive to police and control. They are also usually given warnings rather than fines.

KiwiNZ:

mattwnz: It isn't really completely blocking the footpath, as the pedestrian could easily walk, around it and would still be completely safe. Wheelchairs maybe more difficult, but if the car is only parked there for a few minutes, then I can't see a major issue as the odds of someone in a wheelchair coming along would be really low in a short period of time. If it was more than a few minutes then it could be a problem. But I guess the law is the law and it means no stopping at all, and footpaths aren't engineered to hold the weight of vehicles. But kiwis have been parking like that forever. But it does seem somewhat petty to be fined rather than warned.  The thing is that we have laws and regulation  around many things, but they are never policed properly. Many houses have unconsented works on them, which are potentially unsafe, but unless the relevant authorities are made aware of them, noone would ever know, and even when they are made aware, often nothing is done, as it is expensive to police and control. They are also usually given warnings rather than fines.

In the circumstances photographed I would have limited options, I could turn around and not complete my journey. I could attempt to go around, however looking at the curbing etc I would risk tipping my chair and risking serious injury. If I do negotiate the curbing I would have to then go on the road and again at needless risk.

It my seem a petty thing only needing a warning but this sort of things occur a lot. There is enough obstacles to getting around in a wheelchair without adding completely avoidable ones.

mattwnz: 
Totally, and if it ends up blocking access to someone is a wheelchair, then it is definitely a problem. I was really meaning if someone stopped there for a minute or two, perhaps to open a gate or garage door or dropping something off, before moving on quickly, so they could easily move it if someone in a wheelchair came along.

Rickles:      >LOL I might just have to do that :-)<

When's the leaving party? <G>

Elpie:
This is the same "excuse" people use when they take mobility car parks "for a minute or two". People that don't use wheelchairs or that don't have a spouse/partner/child using a chair have no idea how many barriers are put up by those "minutes or two". They can't be expected to understand either but it would be great if people (generally, that is - not pointing fingers at anyone) were more aware.

Bung:

Elpie:
This is the same "excuse" people use when they take mobility car parks "for a minute or two". People that don't use wheelchairs or that don't have a spouse/partner/child using a chair have no idea how many barriers are put up by those "minutes or two". They can't be expected to understand either but it would be great if people (generally, that is - not pointing fingers at anyone) were more aware.

I saw a variation on the usual theme this afternoon at the local supermarket. A woman parked in one of the mobility parks with the appropriate permits etc on dashboard but she was waiting for her able bodied companion to finish the shopping.

Elpie:

mattwnz: 
Totally, and if it ends up blocking access to someone is a wheelchair, then it is definitely a problem. I was really meaning if someone stopped there for a minute or two, perhaps to open a gate or garage door or dropping something off, before moving on quickly, so they could easily move it if someone in a wheelchair came along.

This is the same "excuse" people use when they take mobility car parks "for a minute or two". People that don't use wheelchairs or that don't have a spouse/partner/child using a chair have no idea how many barriers are put up by those "minutes or two". They can't be expected to understand either but it would be great if people (generally, that is - not pointing fingers at anyone) were more aware.

Imagine heading off in your car to an appointment and finding traffic stalled along the way because some driver has done something stupid. Annoying eh? Now, imagine that happening several times on the same day. Every day. This is the kind of frustration wheelchair users face in their daily lives. Those minutes or two add up and they are not just occasional occurrences.