Disabled Waterlooville man’s mission to keep streets safe sends message to drivers: ‘don’t park on the pavement, you idiot’
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Malcolm Garbutt, a 74-year-old mobility scooter user, lives in Lavender Road in Waterlooville.
He has spoken out about the many cars and vans that are parked on the pavements around his area, saying that he and others are put at risk by having to go into the roads to get around the vehicles.
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Hide AdMalcolm points out that parking in this way violates rule 244 of the UK Highway Code, which prohibits leaving a motor vehicle parked on a pavement as it may obstruct and inconvenience pedestrians - especially those with visual impairments, people with prams or pushchairs, and wheelchair users.
He said: ‘It makes me so angry, it works me up so much. They’ve got car parks to park in. Why do they need to park on the pavement?
‘If they’re parked across the pavement, not only myself but mothers with pushchairs and prams, or someone in a wheelchair, they have to go off the pavement, into the road where they can’t see what’s coming.
‘As they pull out, they could be run over by a car or van. It’s just not safe.’
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Hide AdMalcolm has a debilitating disc disease which gives him chronic pain, which is why he uses a mobility scooter.
He said: ‘It is road legal, so if really necessary, I can use the road. I only go on the road when the pavements are too bumpy to use.
‘Usually if I have to go on the road because the pavement is so rough, I’m told to eff off, get off the effing road.
‘There’s no need for aggression. I’m not aggressive to anyone. I might ask them questions: ‘why are you parked on the pavement?’, which is a simple enough question.’
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Hide AdTo get his message across, Malcolm has been handing out printed notices which read: ‘Don’t park on the pavement, you idiot.
‘It’s illegal and dangerous for pedestrians and disabled users.
‘You would not have done this on your driving test, so why do it now?’