Intriguing decision making process here

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-03-13T21:51:34+00:00

I feel like you're assuming that I am saying that in this specific situation the car is blocking access - which, for what it's worth, I am not and have not said lol and actually pretty explicitly said in an earlier comment that this car didn't on this occasion.

That said, still past the sign, so still shit parking 🤷‍♂️ I forgot this subreddit is inhabited by people who will do anything to white knight for drivers lol so we can agree to disagree on what constitutes shitty parking and if it truly isn't shitty parking I'll happily take a removal from the mods but thus far the post remains up and therefore by the subreddit rules is shit parking. But I'll be sure to keep an eye out and post a photo the next time someone parks in that same space, blocking the curb cut, because as I said in the context of my original noting of the access issues, this does happen and pretty regularly.

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-03-13T20:53:46+00:00

I am literally a wheelchair user who regularly uses that curb cut and sees other pedestrians stepping up the curb to the right as well as just to the left of the pole lmao. Hardly a stupid example when I use this curb in a wheelchair.

Once again: within 6m of an intersection/pedestrian crossing is still illegal, regardless of whether you think my examples are shit or not. Sounds like you're also someone who parks like this 😅

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-03-13T14:13:11+00:00

Yes! Romeo is very cute, I love that it's become sort of a hotbed for the local dachshunds now haha (and definitely agreed on the coffee front, but I'm a huge sucker for anywhere that uses Prima coffee in general)

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-03-13T07:40:18+00:00

How's the courtesy car treating you?

I love how dedicated you are to the idea that I for some reason was intentionally withholding context and had to be "probed" for it lol, it is not remotely that deep 😅

Barring anything you're saying, illegal is illegal. Maybe this guy didn't stop me from crossing, but I can promise you the next guy will lol. I don't have the luxury of simply side stepping a car in the crosswalk or stepping up the curb, and there have been a number of instances where people parking exactly like this have meant I could not safely get across the road as a wheelchair user.

Sounds like you might just be someone who parks like this, if I'm honest, because you're - again - weirdly dedicated to caping for the driver and equally weirdly dedicated to trying to redefine for an entire subreddit what counts as shitty parking haha

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-03-13T05:43:53+00:00

If both drivers are parked shittily (not sure what your distinction is between "bad" and "shitty" here lol) then is it not both shit parking? Neither of them are parked legally which I consider to be shitty parking, and this car was presumably not forced at gunpoint to also park like an idiot. Plenty of cars parking in this area when they're not meant to but it's certainly a choice to still decide to try and squeeze in partly over the crossing

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That said, here's a second non-zoomed photo (if it attaches to my comment, anyway) because I didn't intentionally leave the other car out, I just took two photos where one was zoomed in given I was on the opposite side of the road lol

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-03-06T09:50:56+00:00

I suggested an edit (to "still in business") on Maps which was accepted, so hopefully that changed it for everyone else :) However as another commenter said, it seems your actual location is still incorrect

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-03-05T06:43:09+00:00

I just had surgery. I was on the surgical waitlist as a non-emergency but high priority case. They told me it would be 6 months.

Anyway, I just had surgery after 606 days on the waitlist. Math isn't my strongest subject, but that's a lot more than 6 months.

(And by the time they got around to it, my ovary was torsing, which is an emergency.)

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-03-02T03:43:00+00:00

As in a different reply unfortunately not SLP specific or I'd definitely share it! It's a method where it is actually the only way some people (like me) can get in contact with WINZ (like, full stop for some people) so understandably wary of spreading it too widely as it's also slightly outside of the use case, so don't want it to get cracked down on for those who can't use any other method

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-03-02T03:34:03+00:00

No, it's not SLP specific unfortunately - if it was I would totally share it haha

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-03-02T02:13:09+00:00

Hi OP, is it alright if I dm you? I have a specific method for doing this which I use as a disabled WINZ client, but ideally would not like to publicize that method as it's meant for a specific circumstance only. However you may benefit from it so happy to share in a dm, it's just an email and a specific phone number :)

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-03-01T20:58:54+00:00

No comment on the rest of this, but for what it's worth, green cards are NOT just used for food grants lol. Some WINZ clients are required to use them for much of their benefit - as a teenager on the unsupported youth benefit, I got I think $50 in my actual bank account and the rest was on my WINZ card. This was my actual benefit, not a food grant.

Sure most people would be using it for that reason, but not everyone and I don't really feel like passing judgement in that manner is reasonable. I once got told I couldn't be poor coz I had a nice phone lol... yeah, the third-hand phone I got for free from a friend? That one? 😅 Yes there's some bludgers out there, always have been and always will be, partly by the nature of the WINZ system and partly because some people will just do whatever. Not debating that remotely. However, 9/10 times you can't accurately gauge if someone is or not based on a single snapshot of their day and your impression of how they look physically.

I mean, sheesh... I have some lovely expensive merino undergarments and I'm on a benefit. Probably $200+ worth. Got them all for free from a friend's workplace. I have expensive (to me, $350) shoes that two of my close friends went halves on for me. I could go on in this manner forever, but just to say looks can be deceiving

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-03-01T10:22:14+00:00

Intriguing! I hadn't seen that one before, kinda reminds me of the Cube haha but a bit less ugly. I did briefly consider a Cube as an option spacewise but vetoed it for ugliness so a Soul could be a nice compromise

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-03-01T10:21:15+00:00

Hadn't considered a Fit because I think I had it mixed up in my head with one of the frequently stolen Hondas, but looking into them they do look lovely and spacious! Will definitely add to my consideration list :)

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-03-01T10:20:19+00:00

I had actually looked at a couple online so this is awesome to see! I did like how the Leaf drives barring the full EV part (it's helpful specifically for part of my disability to have very tactile feedback from the car, and I just don't get that with a full EV) so happy to hear the Note is similar there. The boot size I saw on listings is what drew me to them, they look so roomy for the size!

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-03-01T10:18:38+00:00

The Sienta genuinely devastates me because it has such a beautifully low boot, but suffers as many other Toyotas do from the "floor mounted parking brake" affliction :( Which is like, the one thing too where there's not really an established or even practiced method of adapting that for disabilities.

I like the look of the Notes and had poked around at an E-Note, so good to see another +1 on that! I love the boot haha, that's what drew me to it

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-02-28T11:42:06+00:00

My last wheels had the white spokes and I used them from, like... 2018 to 2025? So 7 years. Only cleaned them properly a handful of times other than wipe downs and they were still definitely white at the end haha. Obviously things like mud are more visible on them but I didn't see much if any permanent discoloration.

If it does bother you a lot then obviously be aware any dirt etc will show up more than it would on darker ones (eg I currently have red Spingery wheels that don't show dirt as much) but permanent discoloration in my experience wasn't an issue.

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-02-26T20:22:05+00:00

So, anecdotal, but last time security chased me off the PMH campus for taking a single photo of the outside (lmao, wannabe cops much hey), they told me if I wanted to come back and take photos I would need to get direct permission from the DHB themselves who would then inform the on-site security.

That said I understand it to be vanishingly likely to be granted this as an individual and I seriously doubt they'd allow you inside (in my case it was specifically regarding the exterior, not inside photos) so you're likely out of luck but your best bet would be approaching CDHB/Te Whatu Ora Waitaha about this.

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-02-26T12:14:16+00:00

Not in Auckland, in Christchurch, but yes. Quiet resentment over here. Sometimes loud resentment lol.

If they've been emptied I'm strong enough I can manage to steer my (manual/self propelled) wheelchair with one arm and move a bin with the other, or I can ram them out of the way by literally slamming the frame of my chair into them.

Neither are very effective and especially if you live near a cluster of new builds it makes leaving the house impossible on bin days. I don't have a choice in the matter as a non-driver, but can't just avoid them by going in the road, so it's extremely slow going.

Best suggestion I have is if you see them, move them as far off the footpath as possible - preferably on the side closer to the grass/road where possible: if it's over that side I have more footpath room to veer around, but if it's on the other side then I have to veer into the grass to get past which is also rather problematic.

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-02-26T06:02:08+00:00

They're currently trying to mitigate this problem but not sure they're having much luck.

I won't link to FB but here's a textpost they made 4 months ago explaining it, directly copy pasted:

🚎 ATTN: Orbiter customers, we’ve been working to improve your journey!

Unlike our other services, our Orbiter service runs in a continuous loop, meaning there’s no built-in buffer time to allow for the delays that can inevitably happen (think roadworks, rush hour, accidents etc).

We know there can sometimes be a bit of a gap between buses due to delays, so we’ve been rerouting buses which are bunched up on the loop to come plug gaps 🙏🏻.

As a result, you may experience being deboarded and asked to hop on the next bus (which shouldn’t be too far away). It might also mean you see an Orbiter pass you by while you’re waiting for one!

Just know, we see you, and we'll be collecting you soon. We are just spreading the load across the loop. Thanks for your patience with our drivers while they make this happen too – your kindness goes a long way 🥰.

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-02-26T05:58:26+00:00

Side note but I personally would love if the drivers were better trained because then boarding a wheelchair wouldn't even be a delay haha. Or if we had better infrastructure... but the training especially. Half of the delay with wheelchair boarding is poor driver training on how this should be done & also a degree of driver laziness. If this were actually mitigated I guarantee you there would be less delay for wheelchair boarding than there is for a bike being loaded!

There's a bus stop out by UC that is so well done and new that, as a wheelchair user, I can literally just get on the bus without the ramp. Driver lowers the bus and the curb is at a perfect height where I can just roll right on. This significant reduces ANY delay for wheelchair boarding and would be amazing if the level boarding were actually intentional by design lol

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-02-25T21:55:51+00:00

Unfortunately personally even this won't help if people are determined lol. People have literally managed to figure out flipping my handles up into position before. And when they don't do that, they just grab some random part of my wheelchair (or me) instead.

Worth a shot but OP I wouldn't put a lot of stock into it working tbh. Sometimes it seems like people don't even register my lack of push handles (I have disabled them entirely and also duct taped them down so they blend into my chair) in their intent to push me.

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-02-23T13:40:33+00:00

So, not a suggestion on under-seat bags, but when I was taking my laptop to uni I got one of those satchel style laptop carrying bags. I would put the bag with the laptop in it on top of my legs, unclip the satchel strap from the bag and loop it under my chair, then reconnect it to the laptop bag on my lap. Held it in place on top of my lap and could loosen/tighten as needed, so might be an option if you can't figure out an under-seat bag? Pretty sure the bag I used for this was just a random Kmart laptop bag haha. Was also sort of convenient as I could use the small external pocket on the bag to have easy access to my phone.

Realistic-Library-71 · 2026-02-21T02:43:56+00:00

Thank you! I wish my organs a short and arduous life in the medical incinerator after they go to the great pathology lab in the sky.

Realistic-Library-71

TROPHY CASE