Disabled Parking

[Lindfield by the Pond]

We have 18,000 ST all awaiting kick off on 6th August that have paid their money. All making plans about what beer they will drink and discussing the quality of pies etc. Of that 18,000 there are 100-200ish that having paid their money and given the difficulties they have in getting to games, still do not know whether they can get there, as a result of piss poor planning. The ones they have forgotten about are the ones that need that sort of info weeks in advance as, unlike the Albion, they HAVE to plan to get through the day.

I still don't know what we are doing on the 6 Aug 2011. I have paid my money with everyone else and I know what we would like to do, however, I await the decision of the club. Maybe they will let me know on the 5th?

Rubbish. Life is shit enough as it is. Rant over.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

To be fair, Paul Rogers did have a career in the City before/while he was a footballer.

Doing what? I've worked in the city but I would not say I'm the best qualified person to deal with the legal and logistics of disabled parking.

 

[The Large One]

Doing what? I've worked in the city but I would not say I'm the best qualified person to deal with the legal and logistics of disabled parking.

That's not the point being made.

 

[portlock seagull]

So where do we go everyone? Collectively I mean? No one seems to be able to get through to the senior mgt at the club and this is beyond any of the helpful minor or middle managers.

Do we call the Argus, BBC local etc today? Warn the clubs press office and by default ask them one last time to answer all the issues publically and commit to a resolution timeline?

 

[clippedgull]

So where do we go everyone? Collectively I mean? No one seems to be able to get through to the senior mgt at the club and this is beyond any of the helpful minor or middle managers.

Do we call the Argus, BBC local etc today? Warn the clubs press office and by default ask them one last time to answer all the issues publically and commit to a resolution timeline?

As mentioned earlier. Fans Forum.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I am amazed that we are at this stage and disabled parking has not been sorted. As I understand it Martin Perry, Ken Brown and Sally Townsend have had meetings with BODS, this is why BODS members completed questionairres months ago. This information was available way back but the club sent out similar questionaires in June 2011. These questionairres were sent to all known disabled/blue badge STH's on the information held by the club.

A point of detail ... When you say that the questionnaires were sent to "all known disabled/blue badge STH's", was this questionnaire intended to go to all people who had a disabled season ticket at Withdean, but now have a full-priced season ticket at the Amex?

Because it certainly didn't reach them all.

Maybe it went to BODS members, but not to disabled fans who are not BODS members?

Or do you mean it went to purchasers of the segregated seats for disabled supporters at the Amex?

 

[HAILSHAM SEAGULL]

Ive applied for a disabled bay and the postman has just delivered..........feck all,

 

[teaboy]

Personally I find it incredible that we have a brand new, purpose-built venue built by a club that is well aware of disabled supporters (BODS, etc) but they seem to have this issue as an afterthought, if that!

Surely we should have a top class stadium with top class facilities and access for ALL. Why has this not happened? Who is at fault?

 

[British Bulldog]

Ive applied for a disabled bay and the postman has just delivered..........feck all,

I've just recieved my application form in the post this morning, £180 for a bleeding parking space well they can shove that right up they're ringpiece. Firstly I cant afford another £180 on top of my season ticket and secondly when I signed up for my season ticket I was told I would get a free parking spot at the ground because I use a wheelchair and a bleeding lie that turned out to be. It's not as if they even give me much time to think about it anyway because if I did want to pay for a parking place the application has to be in no later than tomorrow. I know one thing if they dont sort out all this stupid nonsense over disabled parking then they can gaurantee this will be my one and only season ticket I'll be buying, It's nothing short of a disgrace the way we are being treated and the club should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I've just recieved my application form in the post this morning, £180 for a bleeding parking space well they can shove that right up they're ringpiece. Firstly I cant afford another £180 on top of my season ticket and secondly when I signed up for my season ticket I was told I would get a free parking spot at the ground because I use a wheelchair and a bleeding lie that turned out to be. It's not as if they even give me much time to think about it anyway because if I did want to pay for a parking place the application has to be in no later than tomorrow. I know one thing if they dont sort out all this stupid nonsense over disabled parking then they can gaurantee this will be my one and only season ticket I'll be buying, It's nothing short of a disgrace the way we are being treated and the club should be ashamed of themselves.

I was told the wheelchair space will come with the ticket as well.

I also think it is a disgrace that they are charging for the spaces. I can see the arguement for not discounting disabled season tickets (not sure I agree with it, but I can see the case) but folk in wheelchairs have few or no other options but to use parking. It is very unfair.

 

[British Bulldog]

I was told the wheelchair space will come with the ticket as well.

I also think it is a disgrace that they are charging for the spaces. I can see the arguement for not discounting disabled season tickets (not sure I agree with it, but I can see the case) but folk in wheelchairs have few or no other options but to use parking. It is very unfair.

It is unfair and your right it's not a case of driving to the Amex because we want to it's a case of we have to.

 

[Superphil]

Please don't take offence to this, but isn't public transport, by law, accessible? So if you do not want to, or cannot afford to, pay for a parking space, you could use public transport?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Please don't take offence to this, but isn't public transport, by law, accessible? So if you do not want to, or cannot afford to, pay for a parking space, you could use public transport?

By law ... buses don't have to be fully wheelchair accessible until 2017 - although most buses used in Brighton & Hove already comply with the accessibility regulations. Coaches are generally NOT wheelchair accessible. Trains in the Brighton area are wheelchair accessible.

But:-

Most buses, but not all, have wheelchair access and a variety of other features – such as a single entrance step, priority seating and well-positioned grab rails – that are designed to welcome mobility impaired passengers to use buses. On matchdays, however, these buses are likely to be full, with standing passengers. This will especially be so in the case of post-match buses, during the period when queues will have to be cleared. The experience of travelling on a crowded bus is not satisfactory for people who cannot stand comfortably on a moving vehicle, or need assurance that a seat will be available to them, or who suffer from being jostled by other passengers. Access to a designated wheelchair space, if required by a wheelchair user, is also not always practicable on a crowded vehicle.

Similar issues apply to crowded trains. Passengers with mobility difficulties are likely to find the crowded conditions very uncomfortable and access to priority seats will be difficult. The designated wheelchair space on a train is generally very attractive to groups of standing passengers, because more people can stand in that area. This is particularly the case on short-distance journeys, such as those that will serve Falmer station.

 

[British Bulldog]

Please don't take offence to this, but isn't public transport, by law, accessible? So if you do not want to, or cannot afford to, pay for a parking space, you could use public transport?

I see Lord B has given a very good reply to your post that covers all of the public transport issues for a disabled fan. If I used public transport then train would be my only viable option and in all honesty trying to get on a train post match is going to be bad enough for an abled bodied fan, trying to squeeze in with a wheelchair will border on the impossible.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Please don't take offence to this, but isn't public transport, by law, accessible? So if you do not want to, or cannot afford to, pay for a parking space, you could use public transport?

In theory I am sure some could. Reality is a lot different though.

As a way of highlighting the difficulties disabled people face maybe I could leave you in a wheelchair on a door step in, say Newhaven, and ask you to make your way to Falmer using public transport? I'm serious by the way. Will you accept my challenge?

 

[portlock seagull]

All of the most recent points just illustrate the absence of planning disabled parking has had by the club, in contrast to disabled fans themselves who must plan and this do and did many many months ago. Hence the shambles (not too strong a word, we're not talking about pies here) that, as predicted, been allowed to happen. Perry, as stadium project director, is totally to blame for letting this happen and has not helped matters by continually ignoring fair questions from lots of people along the way.

If theres one story the argus should pick up on from NSC it's this one.

 

[libra-gully]

All of the most recent points just illustrate the absence of planning disabled parking has had by the club, in contrast to disabled
If theres one story the argus should pick up on from NSC it's this one.

Well Mr Naylor. What about it?

I have a few comments to add (for a change!)

1. At my ST presentation, I sat with my carer, in front of the guy across the desk, I was told there would be a space for all disabled and then he further said "there will be nothing else to pay other than the cost of your tickets". It appears that clearly this is no longer the case as the club is asking for a further £180

2. The club have known I attend with a carer for months, and so if the policy is those with a carer get a space, why has nobody had the courtesy to tell me to stop me worrying about it.

3. Last week, I was asked to climb two flights of steps with crutches at the stadium as there was no other entrance, according to the steward.

4. I use public transport when I can as a proud man, but Christ getting buses are painful in more ways than one. Sadly, despite provision by Brighton Buses often I end up having to stand as the bus is so busy.

5. To test a claim by Mr Perry (charming man) two weeks ago I forced myself to travel from home to Falmer. Normally this journey would take at the most 25 mins in the car allowing for queues at Woodingdean lights etc. On the bus it took 75 mins including one unavoidable change at 2pm. Sorry, even allowing for the new "R" bus route from Rottingdean, public transport is challenging at best!

6. This afternoon, I finally recd the club's letter re; parking. Even though I put my name forward weeks ago, the letter was dated 15th but the franking said 20th!! No wonder it only arrived late today!!

7. I won't listen to any criticism of BODS. I KNOW that they tell the club things, but the club has to listen for their efforts not to be wasted. Keep up the good work Tina.

8. What really gripes here, is the fact that when it suits the club quotes the DDA against us. For example the removal of admission concession, and now car parking. Yet when well experienced and qualified people such as BODS say things to the club, they cop a deaf 'un, as my old Gran used to say. That to me is a short term relationship that is going nowhere fast.

9. I have been told by two senior club employees that they HAVE to abide by the DDA. Yet when questioned/challenged both were very defensive, as if I was an ungrateful sod.

Do we have to accept that we are just a nuisance to the club?

So once again Mr Naylor, how about putting your position to a better more practical use or are you afraid of losing your press pass?

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I think a lot of issues are down to intepretation of "positive" discrimination. I had a customer today who asked why I was being "overhelpful" to a wheelchair bound customer who I had just served , so I just pointed to the sign at the front of the checkout which denoted it as wide enough for wheelchairs and the trolley attachment to get through and said "we're always happy to help".

 

[libra-gully]

I read here on NSC at least six other posters, all saying that they were told at the time of purchasing their ST that a disabled parking space will be free.

Now, with just days before kick off, the club inform us that there is to be an added cost of £180 for parking.

Can any of the legal eagles on here clarify, has any contract law been broken here, either in writing or verbally?

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

 

[Lindfield by the Pond]

Rang on Monday, and was told I would get an application form, and it didn't arrive. Rang today, was told forms would need to be in by Friday, but they will make exceptions for those that did not receive the application form? Not how sure this is, or how good the system of managing it would be, given the general confusion, contradictions, and duff information I have been told to date. Anyway, they said they would send me an electronic copy of the form by 17:30 today.

Referring to my point above on confusion, duff info, I have not received the form.

Expecting this fairly standard fare from the Albion, I have booked a half day holiday off work to go down to the Amex to get it sorted in person.

Really shouldn't have to do all this. Let down again.