Stepping over the line
June 28th, 2010 at 4:00 pm by David FarrarThe Manawatu Standard reports:
A wheelchair-bound Palmerston North man on a crusade to stop the abuse of disability car parks was involved in an altercation he claims ended in him being tipped out.
The fracas happened on Saturday evening when Nicolas Steenhout confronted a woman after she pulled into a disability park at Melody’s New World on Broadway Ave.
She did not have an orange mobility card, which permits the use of disability car parks.
The Manawatu Standard understands Mr Steenhout reached into the car and grabbed the steering wheel.
The woman warned him to let go, before reversing slowly out of the park but Mr Steenhout clung to the wheel before being thrown out of his wheelchair.
Mr Steenhout does a public service with his website where he publishes photos of cars parked in disabled parking spots. All power to him for that.
However he crossed the line by reaching into the car and grabbing the steering wheel. He has no right to do that, and if he got injured from the woman leaving, he has himself to blame.
UPDATE: Nicolas has said that he disputes the Standard story, and that in fact he is unable to reach in and grab the steering wheel
Tags: Nicolas Steenhout
June 28th, 2010 at 4:05 pm
Given the pig headed arrogance of how people park in Palmerston North I’d say nicholas was at the end of his rag and if we’ve learned nothing else in this country its that the people who make the most noise get the attention.
The incident began with someone choosing to take a park they were not entitiled to. Nicholas escalated the situation, he didn;t create it.
Two wrongs, not one.
Vote:June 28th, 2010 at 4:16 pm
Let’s see if the police characterise him as a “vigilante”, as they do when anyone else intervenes when they see a law being broken. Same principle at stake.
I predict a “nothing to see here, move on” response as they won’t want the comparison being made.
Meanwhile, from the article:
A true “campaigner for justice” would want his message out on as many media as possible, not be angling to sell his story to the TV.
Vote:June 28th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Any story created by activist or “crusader”…DELETE
Vote:June 28th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
This highlights a major blight on media coverage, especially TV. Some may see it as a free market with a buyer and seller, but the end result is crap news, most of which these days leaves an impression of five minutes of fame or money rather than content.
Vote:June 28th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Grabbing hold of a steering wheel to prevent someone moving qualifies as attempted kidnapping in my book.
This wasn’t a council-owned disabled car park, but one designated by a shop on its own property. It is up to the shop to enforce its own property rights, not a member of the public.
Vote:June 28th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
This is not very caring and sharing of me but let me ask this question. Do other people think there are lots of disability carparks,in fact too many for the relatively small amount of people in wheelchairs? All the shops seem to have 2 or 3 or 4 and they are hardly ever filled.
Seems like an oversupply of disabilty carparks to my mind-well in our town anyway.
Vote:June 28th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Nic has indicated that the version of the story that was printed isn’t correct ( eg that he wouldn’t even be able to reach a steering wheel). It is perhaps unfortunate that he wasn’t able to tell his side of the story to the reporter. I very much doubt that he’s being paid by Campbell Live for his story.
My feeling is that if the professions with full-time advisers have problems dealing with the media (See Len Brown and Chris Carter) it’s a bit to much to expect members of the public (even those with a bit of advocacy experience) to be able to decide which media to talk to and who to promise exclusivity to.
Vote:June 28th, 2010 at 4:49 pm
I never park in disability parks but would love to give someone a $500 fine by taking their picture in one!
Vote:pity the fine is so low
June 28th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
Well done Scoot, the single most CRAP excuse used today.
All the shops “seem” to have. Done a hard count have you? Do you know how many people are classed as disabled and have the choice of either using a disabled park or going home?
Ah fuck it, who needs details like that when you just be a knee jerk reactionary.
Vote:June 28th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
Bit of a tricky one, on public parking spaces I would say good for him, but for private land I’m not sure he should be doing anything other than reporting them to the landowner ? Murky.
Vote:June 28th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
Curious choice of headline – makes one wonder how a wheelchair bound person “steps” over a line.
Vote:June 28th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Scott, there masy currently be an oversupply of wheelie carparks, but that’s just ensuring there is sufficient to meet the demand when your apparent stupidity sees you needing one.
If you would like to use one its quite simple – pay the price of being disabled.
Vote:June 28th, 2010 at 4:57 pm
The supermarkets should police their disabled parks .
Not being racist or weightist, the offenders I see are usually overweight and not from a european background.
Maybe, the overweight issue could addressed by parking further away. Walk off some lard.
My father (he had a disabled permit) was abused a few times for pointing out to people that they were not entitled to use disabled parks – he gave this up though as the type of people who often use disabled parks are usually the type that don’t mind giving someone the bash.
Vote:June 28th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
What is the point of these disability “permits”? If you’re disabled then you should feel free to park in a disabled spot. Why should you need a bit of paper to give you permission to do this… it is like a person with dodgy eyes needing a government permit before they’re allowed to buy glasses.
Vote:June 28th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
Muzz
Agree totally. work in your town all the time. I wondered why the traffic was so shit getting around town. Went to the police and asked. Palmy traffic lights are not synced, they all act independently, thats why its so stop start.
They park crapperly out of sheer frustration but also the old mate in the chair should be taking photo’s only a lot of people will just run him over
Vote:June 28th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Rubbish. A disability park has a giant yellow, international-standard pictogram of someone in a wheelchair in it. If you are too frail and dottery to see that and get your head around what it means, you shouldn’t be in charge of a motor vehicle.
What is needed is exactly what Mr Steenhout is doing – naming and shaming lazy / inconsiderate pricks who steal disability parks. I wish him a speedy recovery.
Hopefully Campbell will instigate a regular slot on his programme of some of these busted photos.
Vote:June 28th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
I’m disappointed to see David presenting supposition as fact. As I am the person who is responsible for this incident being known about, by my posting on Twitter, I wish to set a couple of things straight.
I heard the incident and tweeted, “Nic is being attacked and I don’t know where he is – he hit his ICE emergency number on his cell so I heard it. Freaking out.” As a result of what I heard, and my concerns about his safety, I called 111 and reported it to the Police.
This was a nasty incident which is in the hands of the Police.
Being frightened, worried, and not knowing where the call had come in from, I stayed on Twitter responding to friends in a public medium. My Twitter username is “elpie” if anyone wants to read them.
Nicolas did not reach into any vehicle to grab a steering wheel – he is physically incapable of doing so. Nor did he (or I) negotiate with any media. At no stage did either of us reach out to, contact, or negotiate with any media whatsoever. Media approached us individually and collectively. Each of us gave our word to relay the full details only to Campbell Live and not to do interviews with other media until after their show aired.
One newspaper refused to take “no” for an answer. As far as I am aware, they did not talk to Nicolas, myself, the other parties involved, or any eyewitnesses. The statement they were given, by both Nicolas and myself, was the same each time they called – that no comment would be given until Wednesday because we had given our word to Campbell Live that we would not discuss it until their story was run.
Media interest in the story has been overwhelming. All, but the one that makes those unsubstantiated claims, respected my wish, shared by Nicolas, to speak to only one. Campbell Live was the first to make contact and the one I trusted to report as fairly and accurately as possible, with both sides of the story given if they can do so.
Don’t believe everything you read in the media (or if you do, use some commonsense before republishing it as fact). I have a lot of respect for David but am very disappointed he didn’t use his usual critical eye when reading a story that casts the victim in a bad light without offering any verifiable fact.
Vote:June 28th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
maybe impound the car for 30 days would be better than a fine?
Vote:June 28th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
It’s a sad world when selfish and inconsiderate fuckers think it is OK to stop off in a disabled parking space. What the fuck is wrong with people? Why is it so hard to walk 50 metres and leave the space for someone who physically can’t?
The shops don’t police them very well and that’s a problem as people don’t have any consequences for their actions. Sounds much like the rest of our society really.
Vote:Maybe it’s a good opportunity for the tow truck drivers to make an easy buck like they do elsewhere – instant towing and a $200 price tag to retrieve the vehicle.
June 28th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
Apart from the fact that the woman in question ran over Nic in his wheelchair and deserted the scene, it’s worth noting that she wasn’t spoken to by the Manawatu Standard.
Melody the New World store manager didn’t apparently see the “fracas” but nevertheless, was able to confirm the woman’s story. How? Where are the witnesses?
Why would Nic in a wheelchair even think of grabbing the steering wheel, ignoring the medical fact that he couldn’t, and hang on?
Obviously, the Manawatu Standard has its own axe to grind which is quite apparent from reading the story. MOST IMPORTANTLY, David, Nic wasn’t interviewed by Bronwyn Torrie at the Manawatu Standard.
I guess by “stepping over the line” you meant that it’s not on for disabled parking space infringers to run over disabled people who protest against such abuse, which is commendable.
Vote:June 28th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
I assumed the MS story was correct. I said I support the work Nic does. My comments of stepping over the line was clearly in relation to the report that he had reached in an grabbed the steering wheel.
I presume a complaint has been laid with the newspaper over the story, and there will be a complaint to the press council if they do not retract?
Vote:June 28th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
Nice to see somebody standing up for the rights of the handicapped.
Vote:June 28th, 2010 at 10:05 pm
I get about and observe that most trouble comes from large vehicles containing large people who are too lazy to park a wee bit further away from the crips designated area and who get a bit aggressive when asked to move.
Vote:So nobody asks them to move anymore. Without a back-up team of heavies, nor would I. Welcome to Auckland.
June 28th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
I must admit to agreeing to a few disabled parks around the place, but there are places where they are used to excess – foreample at a timber fabrication plant I visit daily, where the entry to the offices can onkly be gained by two flights of stair, and the factory is protected by Health and Safety from the depredations of the handicapped.
In public areast when i learned they paid a fee to have a pass, but like others, I think many could actually benefit from parking up the raod and walking to where the need to go. Truly handicapped – no problem. Fat, useless and lazy, forget it.
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 12:04 am
Are there any Standards in the Manawatu? Slow (and by that I mean a snail with a fucking leg, or what ever they have, in a plaster-cast) news day? Bugger me gently, do people read this gobshite?
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 12:38 am
An aspect of this issue not yet commented on is the scant attention New Zealand’s media pays to disability issues. I suspect this is the reason Nic chose to remain silent following an expression of interest from Campbell Live.
There are few disabled people working in mainstream media in this country, and very few stories on disability issues that don’t have a touchy-feely “aren’t you disabled people marvellous” angle. The basic human rights of the tangata whenua, ethnic minorities and other historically disadvantaged people are well understood and reported on, which is perfectly appropriate. However very few issues with a purely advocacy focus involving the disabled are. If I’d been the victim of an incident like this, and Campbell Live had expressed an interest, such an expression is so rare that I would have declined to talk to anyone else too, if Campbell Live had imposed this as a condition of running the story. This is really an indictment of the place issues like this have in NZ media.
What’s also appalling is that the victim in this case, who has been left with physical injuries, has his name printed in the story, while the woman who parked where she had no right to park has her anonymity protected. Something is seriously wrong with this picture.
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 8:23 am
jmosen: Attitude TV goes to considerable lengths to find the core of their stories. As an able-bodied viewer, I see numerous occasions where they needed to/could have kicked some ass. But they didn’t, and that’s important for engaging the viewer. They seem to be after something other than mere support and what they are achieveing is change. Perhaps they understand that change comes from comprehension of a difficulty without it necessarily and angrily spelled out and shoved in anyone’s face. It’s an in-depth show covering a huge range of practical issues, at a human level, rather than a, “Hey look, we’re disabled and it all so much harder type approach”. The whole point of the Attitude show seems to be to recognise, but move past, definitions of disablility. It is only the time slot of the show that reduces it’s effectiveness.
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 8:56 am
Attitude TV has it’s place, but it is hardly what I’d call serious current affairs.
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 11:43 am
jmosen: that may have something to do with nobody caring. I wouldn’t watch a story about the disabled for being disabled any more than I would watch a story about Maori for being Maori. How boring. The difference is not that the media don’t care, it is a) there are many more Maori, and b) one group is politically well organised, the other is not.
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
That is correct. Legal advice is also being sought.
@jmosen – Campbell Live did not impose any conditions but said they preferred we didn’t speak to other media until their story airs. I’m really grateful that they asked us to do that – Nicolas is still in pain and the constant media attention over the past three days has been very stressful.
I understand the the story will now be going to air on Wednesday.
Vote:June 30th, 2010 at 12:23 am
Good on Nic Steenhout, more power to him. I have a disabled friend, and the trouble he had finding disabled parks because they were occupied by the SUV’s of fat stupid slags whose only disabilities were low IQ and a bad attitude!
I would never park in a disabled spot full stop, unless I had a disabled passenger and the appropriate card. I prefer to walk anyway. As wreck1080 points out – “the type of people who often use disabled parks are usually the type that don’t mind giving someone the bash.” and as RPM said, anyone that doesn’t understand what a disabled car park is for shouldn’t be in charge of a motor vehicle full stop.
What is needed is more harsh enforcement. When able bodied drivers are observed parking in disabled spots, their vehicle is towed and impounded and can only be recovered on payment of a $500 fine plus $100 a day storage costs, plus payment of all other outstanding fines. The sort of people that do this are the sort of people we need removed from the road anyway – fat useless and lazy as I think kaya said, and they tend to be aggressive as well as noodle pointed out. Getting them off the road is likely to have a big payoff for road safety for all of us, not just the disabled.
Regards
Vote:Peter Jenkins
Webmaster for Sensible Sentencing Trust
June 30th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Wednesday on Campbell Live
Vote:Nick Steenhout regards it as a public service. He publishes photos of cars parked illegally in disabled parking spots. But on Saturday, wheelchair bound Nick got more than he bargained for when he confronted a woman for parking in a disabled carpark outside a supermarket.