Galway Advertiser 2008/GA_2008_06_12/GA_1206_E1_016.pdf 

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GALWAY VOICE

June 12 2008

Why should parents with kids get shop parking priority over heart patients and elderly?
Dear Editor, You've heard the story of the old lady who, when asked why she had been standing at the foot of the escalator for 20 minutes, replied, "But I haven't got a dog". Well, a similar but much less humorous incident occurred in the car park of Joyce's Supermarket, Athenry, on Friday last. Let me first make two relevant facts clear. One, I have always respected and never used parking spaces designated for drivers with a physical handicap; two, I am a mature single person who has decided not to marry or become a parent. As I often do, I parked my car, not in a wheelchair-designated space but in a space which had an icon of an adult and a child painted on it. There are quite a few of those spaces in this particular car-park and I have often tried to determine the reasons for putting them there. The only conclusion that I could come to was that possibly the owners want parents with a child or children to be able to park close to the doors of the supermarket because they spend more than single people. Realising that there were no spaces with a heart painted on them (for people who have just returned to driving following heart-surgery), no spaces with an ear painted on them (for drivers with impaired hearing), no spaces with `OAP' painted on them (for senior citizens), I decided that those parent-child spaces were unfair and possibly discriminatory against minorities who would have as much need, if not more, to park close to the supermarket entrance. May I add that these parent-child spaces are closer to the door of this store than the wheelchair-spaces, a fact which leaves me perplexed. Anyway, as I sat in my car, preparing to do my weekly shopping, I noticed a small, well-dressed man, in his late 40s or early 50s, gesticulating at me and obviously very angry. As I got out of my car. I asked, "What's wrong"? He approached me with a face like thunder and asked in a British accent: "Where are your children?" My first reaction was to laugh as I didn't know that it was compulsory in a democracy to "have children". I stuttered a stupid answer, "I'm not married" and he gave a sneering laugh. "You're a sad individual," he sneered, "I'm not surprised that you're not married." "Hold on," I replied, "It's my decision not to marry or procreate. I've paid enough in taxes in the past 40 years to rear 10 children and I simply don't agree with this discrimination which I believe, may be illegal." My logic only seemed to fuel this furious man's temper and he squared up to me in the foyer of Joyce's and shouted "Get out of my face you @*&%$#@ or I'll make you". He stormed off, swearing out loud as he went. I stood there shaking and shocked. I know that this country's constitution holds `the family' in high regard but I also know that single adults who have had open-heart surgery or a condition which does not entitle them to disabled parking facilities have a civil right not to be discriminated against or treated in this aggressive way, simply because they have decided that they don't wish to marry or have children. I hope that this `knight in shining armour' reads this and if his temper has subsided slightly, he might think twice before defending the decision by the management of a shopping-centre to give priority to parents with children over disabled drivers, senior citizens and other less able adults. I also call on any reader who agrees that this is a form of discrimination to write to businesses who put these spaces closer to their doors than their disabled drivers' spaces and inform them that just because an adult decides to procreate, an automatic right to park closer to a shop entrance is not bestowed on them. Having a debilitating illness, a disability or growing old is not optional - becoming a parent is. Yours, Angry Athenry man (name and address with editor)

Cross Street The enigma of junction gives punctuation way to traffic over pedestrians
Dear Editor, Your columnist Barnaby ffrench confesses to a difficulty with punctuation. "Who decided," he asks, "where a comma goes, where a colon ..." He will be interested to learn that the author of a short-line sonnet in my collection shared his bewilderment but finally mastered those marks, as is evident in his verse. Readers may like to try reading it before consulting the transcription given below. I made a # Of the Put a cheery ? Until a , Added "notes" And a In the background (And this is) Ending with a grand & Here is the transcription: I made a hash Of the backward slash Put a cheery Query Until a Cedilla Added notes In double quotes With a macron In the background And this is In parenthesis And ended with a grand Ampersand Yours, Alf McLochlainn 22 Lower Salthill. Dear Editor, I would like to express my dismay at Galway City Council's decision to tarmac over the cobblestones at the intersection of Cross Street and High Street/Quay Street. Never mind the resultant loss of aesthetics, I think the tarmac creates a more dangerous junction. This intersection sees a very high volume of pedestrian traffic and a comparatively low volume of motorised traffic. The cobblestones provided a change of road surface that put the motorist on alert and encouraged them to slow down. Having uninterrupted tarmac and fresh painted lines lull the motorist into a sense of security whereby they need simply follow lines laid out for them. They are not encouraged to slow down, and it appears the motorist should automatically presume right of way while everybody else should get out of their way. No doubt we'll soon be seeing the bullish motorists in their SUVs blasting their horns at crowds of pedestrians to clear out of their "right of way" through this junction, despite the reality that at any time of the day pedestrians outnumber motorists here. While I would be in favour of pedestrianising this entire area, if cars are to be permitted they should not have priority. Galway City Council would do well to inform themselves of "Living Street", "Woonerf", and "Shared Space" concepts of urban design instead of the motorist-first point of view the new tarmac and road markings indicate. Yours, Joseph Doyle, Shantalla.

Council must tackle Crestwood safety concerns
Dear Editor, At a recent city council meeting I sought an update on the situation regarding the acquiring of the lands at Crestwood on the Coolough Road, and was disappointed to be advised that the land in question will now have to be acquired by compulsory purchase order. Some time ago I tabled a `notice of motion' to acquire this land either by agreement or by CPO. Following discussions at a recent city council meeting the majority of councillors agreed to give the owner of the land one month to either enter into agreement of sale, or otherwise to commence the CPO process. At various stages while this process was taking place I made enquiries as to how the sale agreement was proceeding, and the information I received was that it was progressing. This went on much longer than the one-month period that had been originally agreed, and the situation now is that the sale by agreement has failed. This has now been a cause of great concern, particularly for the residents, as CPO tends to be a long and somewhat tedious process. This stretch of road in question has no footpaths or public lighting and since August 2007 there have been 14 accidents, many of a serious nature, it is miraculous that a fatality has not occurred. Since last November I have lobbied regularly to have warning signs, highlighting the dangers on the road, erected so the high number of motorists who use the road may be alerted to the dangerous bends there, but to date these signs have not been erected. I do acknowledge, however, that markings were put in place on this road requesting drivers to slow down, and full credit is due here to Mr Michael Nugent, senior roads engineer. This area is not getting the priority it deserves in regard to the safety of all road users. I have had many meetings over the years with city officials and the residents of Crestwood and Carraig Ban in which this issue was highlighted. The meetings took place in City Hall and little or no progress was made until I highlighted the dangers in the local media. I hold grave concerns for the safety of the many pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists who use this road and I am seriously concerned by the lack of action being taken by City Hall. Too many people have had near misses and their patience is wearing thin. People are feeling very powerless. Do we have to wait until there is a fatality until action is taken? The city council needs to take immediate action to make this road safe, and I now call on them to issue a public statement so the general public know what is happening. Yours sincerely Cllr Terry O' Flaherty North and East Ward.

GALWAY VOICE - HAVE YOUR SAY

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