Hi everyone - I was wondering if my recent, slightly odd experience [see following story] was common in our PD community ...
About 3 weeks ago, I parked outside my local train station [Orpington] one rainy morning and displayed my recently received Blue Badge in my front windscreen, as required, as this was a disabled parking space. As I left my car, I was conscious of somebody staring at me full-on [normally the other way around with my PD!] and when I looked over at the person, I noticed a smartly dressed, professional-looking, lady in a banking type 'uniform' with her gaze firmly fixed upon me. I thought that she might be looking at somebody behind me, so I looked around, but I was alone. I tried to ignore her stare, but had to walk up and past her to get into the station main entrance, so no avoiding passing close by to her.
As I walked up slowly, she seemed to make her stare even more pronounced towards me; but I carried on walking. When I had passed her and gone inside the station ticket office, I glanced back and, to my amazement, noticed that she had now walked all the way over to my car [at least 50 m and in the rain] and was actively checking my Blue Badge: all very bizarre indeed!! I am sure she did not work at the station, nor was a parking attendant, so I still do not know why she acted in this strange way.
Have you have encountered this type of weird behaviour? Any ideas here most welcome.
I don`t have a Blue badge, but I know there`s a lot of publicity because some people do misuse them. Maybe that`s why that nosy woman did what she did--not that it had anything to do with her.
Hi Frances - you have a good theory here I think, although I suspect that I might never discover what actually motivated this lady to behave in this strange way! Best regards.
ive also felt that ive been watched as i get out of car when using blue badge . ive assumed all they see is relatively young person (im a young looking 57 !)so assume must be abusing it ....not helped if my walking ok at that time . what they dont see is the off time when i really struggle .
I too have noticed more interest in my use of my blue badge following the press about borrowed badges.
When I applied I wrote down "I only set out from home when my meds are working so by the time I park up I'm apparently normal. However, should the meds wear off while I'm out I can barely stumble 20m so I need to know my car will be close by so I can take refuge from the stares of others and take meds and wait before I'm fit to drive home."
I'm 54 so the stares when I park up are ever present, until they see my GDNF infusion port in my skull and the operation scar if I've recently trimmed my hair. That does the trick no words exchanged.
On the other hand how was nosey person not to know if you were picking up the badge holder from the station. That's one reason why the photo side isn't on display as there would be many more incidents if people could see the face and photo didn't match without knowing the rules about disabled passengers
hi kendo ,not seen you around for while but then again ive not been so good myself ,hows the gdnf going are getting treaded by dr alan whone . I had to go upto the new brain centre last week tweaking meds & dbs .out of this world the new southmead hospital also had to go & get new generator fitted early this yr. ALAN WHONE and his team are great lot of people miracal workers.nice to see you again & all the best with gdnf
Hi, yes Alan and the whole team are fantastic. The GDNF/Placebo infusions continue every 4 weeks though that's all we're free to say in the blind trial phase. The next phase has begun for the earlier recruits where the Placebo element ends and it's GDNF for certain. So the trial is running to plan.
hi kendo My old generator still had enough life in as im a were of it .had new battery no change my arms,head and hands completely under control but my walking was getting worse went up to see if Caroline could tweat me up to see if she could help my walking so on the Wednesday turn my dbs to current power instead of direct power this loosen me up and at the same time said she thinks new my meds were not working so good but went home feeling great you would not know I had pd.but that night 8pm stated to shake my head ,srms also walking went bad went to bed sleeping tablet kick in .Next morning hand was calm still in bed and told wife to go work one hour later got up in total mess was going to phone ambulance .but phoned wife to come home not got here home ever before so my wife contact nurse Caroline she is great known here 3.5yrs she said would wait until got there live in weymouth got there had wife one arm Caroline other could not walk in right mess put me back to old settings dbs great but walking no better so she said find where professor alan whone was .he was on ward rounds they both stayed on a Friday night to 7pm till I was sorted gave some entacapone week later having new med getting really good on time now.There the best can not find words to describe them all.gus hope you respond to the real gdnf kendo
I have no doubt this is related to the plethora of "Benefits" TV and press unconcealed vitriol empowering a public vigilante mob element in society today.
There have been times when my difficulty in getting into the car has needed to be BAFTA nomination (runner up) standard to defuse public reaction at the time. Even then, they're probably thinking how can I be fit to drive.
PD even has a peculiar trick to play in that while I may be ponderous when traversing slowly, I could sometimes, if feeling provocative, have someone pass me in slow mode only to have me run past them and then enter slow mode again entering the car with the door wide open. Even better open the boot with golf clubs on show.
I'm thankful PD allows me periods when I can still play golf, but it's difficult to get the public to understand it limits you 100% of the time with the exception of when your meds are helping you feel normal enough to venture out in the first place.
Performing a little exhibition like Quasimodo on ecstasy with some saliva dribbling from the corner of your mouth will soon send those nosey buggers packing!
Hi Pokermid - good idea [I like your thinking here!] ... I guess I could go down on all fours in the car park and bark like a dog, but then again, I might get reported by the lady to the RSPCA and bundled into a dog rescue, caged van and carted off:-) Cheers, CF
