28 April 2011

Is this for real? Paying for disability parking at Canberra Airport

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From the Canberra Airport website:

DISABLED PARKING

A number of designated disabled car park spaces are conveniently located in the airport car parks. To access these parking spaces, enter the car park via the boom-gate and take a ticket from the machine as you would normally.

Upon leaving the terminal you will need to pay for parking at the pay machines before returning to your vehicle. Our pay machines have been specifically designed to enable people in wheelchairs to access them with ease. If you experience any difficulties with the ticket or pay machines, press the help button and a member of staff will come to your assistance.

[my emphasis]

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OpenYourMind2:50 pm 03 Jul 12

Funky1 said :

gazzo1365 said :

When was the last time you tried to pick someone up kerbside in Sydney?You havent been able to do it there for years.
I asked the question why you cant do pick up anymore and was told it is because its a security matter.that makes it end of story.

Agreed that it’s a security matter. It relates to the security of their parking income! 🙂

Oh come on, stop with the sarcasm. Don’t you realise if the disabled park for free or people just willy nilly pick up weary travellers from the departure area then you are letting the terrorists win.

Disinformation2:14 pm 03 Jul 12

GuyIAm said :

The other thing that really peaves me is that you cannot pick anyone up even if you can see them standing there 20 feet away

no you got to pay park to collect them.
Thanks Canberra Airport for all the great considerations for the old and infirm

What part of 10 minutes free parking don’t you understand?
How hard is it to wait until someone calls you on a mobile so that you can drive into the pay park area, load luggage and people and drive out within 10 minutes?

I really can’t see the problem to get around having to pay for parking if you have a mobile phone or a prearranged routine.

gazzo1365 said :

When was the last time you tried to pick someone up kerbside in Sydney?You havent been able to do it there for years.
I asked the question why you cant do pick up anymore and was told it is because its a security matter.that makes it end of story.

Agreed that it’s a security matter. It relates to the security of their parking income! 🙂

devils_advocate11:07 am 03 Jul 12

bethybobs said :

Also a little off topic but I was pleasently surpised recently arriving at one of South Korea’s airports. The subway ride from the airport to the centre of Seoul cost about $1AUS. Clean, convenient and fast. Sure beats the 15min ride from Sydney Central that costs a whopping $12 or whatever it might be now. This was the first airport I have come across in a long time with cheap public transport. At first I thought I got the currency conversion wrong :D.

Singapore is about the same, changi to marina bay sands is a couple singapore dollars, a buck and some change in AUD.

ConanOfCooma said :

Am I missing something? Do disabled people normally get everything for free, or seomthing? I know I have to pay for parking at the airport, why would a disabled person be any different? It’s not a public parking site, it’s privately operated, so waivers do not apply at all, nor can they be expected.

Do you complain at Woolies when you have to pay for your groceries?

+1

troll-sniffer11:15 pm 02 Jul 12

Canberra Airport remains the only airport I’ve ever been to that is mean enough to charge for the baggage trolleys. Sure it’s their right but it leaves a bad taste in the mouth of visitors used to more civilised attitudes to patrons.

funny all the comments grumbling about free disabled parking mostly at local shops or shopping centres or even the airport…. if there’s no disability to pull out a wallet or purse at the shops then paying to park at the door shouldn’t be a stretch….

“a bloke leaps out of the AFP van and books them.”

No they don’t, as has been previously articulated…….but your comprehension has been shown to be less than top notch on more than 1 occasion

You can do a “kerbside” pick up in the multistory car park, as long as you are in and out quickly – at least it happened to me last time I flew into Canberra. Not sure what the time limit would be but we were parked for about 5- 10 mins and no charge at the pay machine.

Felix the Cat4:47 pm 13 May 11

ConanOfCooma said :

Do you complain at Woolies when you have to pay for your groceries?

When I’m paying $13 per kilo for bananas I sure as hell do!

Every US airport I’ve used has very well-thought-out arrangements for people to pick up their friends and relatives, they actually facilitate it. You can’t park there, so many airports have Park And Wait lots outside the airport, on the approach road, with big LED signs with status of arrivals. Your arrival phones on their mobile, says what number they’re near (yep, they have big numbers along the pick up area) and in you go to get them. Works for hotel shuttles and chauffers, too.

The Canberra airport, in contrast, lets people stand at the kerb outside arrivals, but if their rides drive in to get them, a bloke leaps out of the AFP van and books them.

Melbourne Tullamarine Airport also has a small pick up area, and last time I was there I was pretty sure the airport was bigger than Canberra’s airport. Yet it seems to work well. No one can “wait” there for someone to arrive. A very alert traffic guy or girl will make sure you move on if you do. It is for people to swing by and pick someone up already waiting. Works well.
Also a little off topic but I was pleasently surpised recently arriving at one of South Korea’s airports. The subway ride from the airport to the centre of Seoul cost about $1AUS. Clean, convenient and fast. Sure beats the 15min ride from Sydney Central that costs a whopping $12 or whatever it might be now. This was the first airport I have come across in a long time with cheap public transport. At first I thought I got the currency conversion wrong :D.

vg said :

Please, regale us all with your contemporary airport security knowledge and experience.

You first.

You’re always hinting at some secret security/law enforcement insider knowledge.

Out with it!

I have a sneaking suspicion that you are the guy in the AFP-marked van at Departures, booking people trying to get their friends.

georgesgenitals3:51 pm 12 May 11

vg said :

Clown Killer said :

vg said :

“The “security” excuse is the standard one, and I don’t know anyone who really believes it.”

Give Glasgow Airport a ring and see if they disagree with you

Yeah, ’cause the only people at an airport with a bomb would be trying to leave. See that’s where the logic defeats the bullsh!t. If it was a security issue you wouldnt be allowed kerb side drop off either.

Please, regale us all with your contemporary airport security knowledge and experience, and I’m not talking about you locking yourself in the bogs in the old Canberra Terminal in 1995.

Alternatively, how about you explain the protective security risk that is being mitigated by not allowing parking there?

Clown Killer said :

vg said :

“The “security” excuse is the standard one, and I don’t know anyone who really believes it.”

Give Glasgow Airport a ring and see if they disagree with you

Yeah, ’cause the only people at an airport with a bomb would be trying to leave. See that’s where the logic defeats the bullsh!t. If it was a security issue you wouldnt be allowed kerb side drop off either.

Please, regale us all with your contemporary airport security knowledge and experience, and I’m not talking about you locking yourself in the bogs in the old Canberra Terminal in 1995.

Clown Killer2:29 pm 12 May 11

vg said :

“The “security” excuse is the standard one, and I don’t know anyone who really believes it.”

Give Glasgow Airport a ring and see if they disagree with you

Yeah, ’cause the only people at an airport with a bomb would be trying to leave. See that’s where the logic defeats the bullsh!t. If it was a security issue you wouldnt be allowed kerb side drop off either.

vg said :

“The “security” excuse is the standard one, and I don’t know anyone who really believes it.”

Give Glasgow Airport a ring and see if they disagree with you

Well, looks like one person believes it.

vg said :

“The “security” excuse is the standard one, and I don’t know anyone who really believes it.”

Give Glasgow Airport a ring and see if they disagree with you

No… I could just call Sydney Airport, and get the same answer.

georgesgenitals1:02 pm 12 May 11

vg said :

“The “security” excuse is the standard one, and I don’t know anyone who really believes it.”

Give Glasgow Airport a ring and see if they disagree with you

You can drive right past the front of the terminal. Do you really think a naughty fanatic will be worried about a parking fine? And assuming said naughty fanatic leaves the vehicle – are there procedures in place to remove the vehicle quickly? I’d be impressed if someone who stopped a car, walked quickly to a waiting vehicle and was whisked away could be caught.

“The “security” excuse is the standard one, and I don’t know anyone who really believes it.”

Give Glasgow Airport a ring and see if they disagree with you

At Perth airport they have a bloke who moves you on if you wait in the pick-up bays for more than a certain amount of time (2 minutes?). Works pretty well out the front of the airport, though you end up with a lot of cars parked on the verges of the roads approaching the terminal.

gazzo1365 said :

When was the last time you tried to pick someone up kerbside in Sydney?You havent been able to do it there for years.
I asked the question why you cant do pick up anymore and was told it is because its a security matter.that makes it end of story.

‘Security’ is their way of not wanting to explain it. Picking up passengers works well if you manage to coordinate properly, the problem is youve got space for maybe 20 cars in the pick-up area, so assuming everyone came and left straight away, you could almost pickup 10% of passengers from one plane in a round. Try bringing in 200 cars to do pickups, and a few people are held up waiting for their bags or the kids in the toilet, and suddenly all those convenient parking spaces are being taken up by cars parked and waiting. Maybe we need an automated process, pick-up and set-down bays, with sensors that issue you with a fine if youre there for over 2min.

gazzo1365 said :

When was the last time you tried to pick someone up kerbside in Sydney?You havent been able to do it there for years.
I asked the question why you cant do pick up anymore and was told it is because its a security matter.that makes it end of story.

It’s standard procedure at the Sydney Domestic Terminal, at least for Qantas (T3). Just not at the International Terminal. Both terminals also now have the new pick up arrangements identical to those at Canberra Airport—grace period in a paid parking area. It probably encourages a good use of limited space, since drivers & arrivers are encouraged to use mobile phones to coordinate themselves better and scoot away quickly instead of loitering about as does tend to happen.

After a decade of forced parking for pickups at Sydney International Terminal, this was a welcome concession.

The “security” excuse is the standard one, and I don’t know anyone who really believes it.

gazzo1365 said :

When was the last time you tried to pick someone up kerbside in Sydney?You havent been able to do it there for years.
I asked the question why you cant do pick up anymore and was told it is because its a security matter.that makes it end of story.

And yet, you can drop people off kerbside, right at the front door to the new terminal. Try it, you follow the sign that says “Departures” and go up a fancy new ramp. Security my arse. Security of profits, maybe.

Who cares what you can or can’t do in Sydney? This isn’t Sydney. Fact is, they’ve made it very difficult for people to pick up friends and relatives at Canberra airport, and given Canberra Airport’s well documented interest in making money, it’s not a stretch to draw the logical conclusion.

georgesgenitals10:09 am 12 May 11

LSWCHP said :

gazket said :

Nearly all people I see using disabled car parks are fat fatties. Pensioners have to pay what makes fat fatties any different.

Does RA have any sort of award for an outstanding contribution to public discourse? If so, I would like to nominate this post for that award. The eloquence and grace of expression, combined with the sentiment that is expressed is almost more than I can bear.

Unfortunately it seems to be ineligible because of lack of committment. Use of the term ‘fatty boomsticks’ would have made all the difference.

gazket said :

Nearly all people I see using disabled car parks are fat fatties. Pensioners have to pay what makes fat fatties any different.

Does RA have any sort of award for an outstanding contribution to public discourse? If so, I would like to nominate this post for that award. The eloquence and grace of expression, combined with the sentiment that is expressed is almost more than I can bear.

When was the last time you tried to pick someone up kerbside in Sydney?You havent been able to do it there for years.
I asked the question why you cant do pick up anymore and was told it is because its a security matter.that makes it end of story.

As a disabled driver I am not so shocked about paying, but totally blown away by the fact that disabled drivers have to travel further to the airport terminal than folks with rental cars. The other thing that really peaves me is that you cannot pick anyone up even if you can see them standing there 20 feet away no you got to pay park to collect them.
Thanks Canberra Airport for all the great considerations for the old and infirm

bd84 said :

The horror! Having to pay for parking like everyone else, poor sods..

I don’t see why the government allows disabled drivers to park in most car parks for free all day. They should be treated with the same timed parking fees as all other users. Fair enough to allow space for disabled drivers close to entries etc, but there is no reason for them to be exempt from paying. It’s a just a politically correct concession to allow people to have a false sense of being nice.

I agree with the extension of time, as most genuine users of disability parking cant simply park, run into the shops and be out 2min later, where a more able-bodied person can, but I also agree that the current system of alllowing all-day parking doesnt really work. I think the rule should be changed so parks over 1hr become all-day, anything else becomes 2hr.

This is the problem at the airport. People with a disability dont mind paying their way, but for the airport to financially penalise the driver for taking more time, seems to be the problem. Maybe options need to be looked at like being able to present your disabled parking label to have your parking ‘validated’, or even issuing a magstripe card with disability permits, which is universally accepted by boom-gates so the system can apply suitable concessions. There are many options.

dvaey said :

molongloid said :

Am I missing some info here? Why wouldn’t you pay? What has that got to do with the disability? …. Are you saying that in other locations disabled parking is for free? I never knew that. Seems a bit odd.

* For an unlimited time, if the time limit on the parking sign is more than 30 minutes.

This is a slight tangent, but I am looking out the window of my office at a Civic street with 1HR metered parallel parking. Every car space within sight is taken up by a vehicle with a disabled permit. The majority of these cars will remain there all day, many returning every day. I don’t want to cast aspersions on the disabled, rather point out that the policy of allowing unlimited time parking for any area marked over 30 minutes is flawed. In this case it prevents people with business to conduct in the area from having access to convenient short-term parking.

vg said :

“I wonder if the AFP that books people in arrivals, also wander upto the carpark to book people parked illegally?”

Might need to get your facts straight as you’re wrong about the AFP once again. CAG has its own parking marshals that deal with those issues

And the car they sit in, waiting for their prey, has a great big AFP painted all over it. It’s there right now, in the taxi area where people who’ve just arrived walk out of the terminal.

ConanOfCooma8:06 am 29 Apr 11

Am I missing something? Do disabled people normally get everything for free, or seomthing? I know I have to pay for parking at the airport, why would a disabled person be any different? It’s not a public parking site, it’s privately operated, so waivers do not apply at all, nor can they be expected.

Do you complain at Woolies when you have to pay for your groceries?

jasmine said :

Why does anyne have to pay for parking at the airport? That is the real question. Airports used to be about people being dropped off or picked up from planes. Now as someone once put it, airports have become nothing more than retail malls with runways.

In my utopia parking would be free. Parking is what you need to do to go to work, do your shopping and got to the movies (among many other things). Why do you need to pay to simply park your car? It beats me. If you have a disability you don’t have the option of using public transport. The only way to beat the profiteers at their own game is not to use the facilities. Consumer power is strong but we never use it often enough and we pay the price.

+1

Like it or not we live in a city that was designed around private transport. Low density, the “town centre” design and urban green belts mean that public transport will always be impractical, prohibitively expensive or both. Despite the grubbyment’s and the developers’ best efforts to fill all the green space with hideous blocks of flats and to reduce block sizes to a few centimetres, we’re not Sydney yet. Until we are we’ll need adequate roads and adequate parking.

Mr Lubberlubber11:19 pm 28 Apr 11

Paying standard rates for disabled spaces in prime locations and almost guaranteed availability sounds pretty fair to me.

I use quite a few airports and they are all out to get you with their parking fees. It’s one of the more stable and significant cashflows at the Airport now (obviously including the car pars servicing all the offices).

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that they offer ten minutes free parking for pick-ups the other day and didn’t know Sydney has 15 minutes as I use cabs or rental cars there. You would need at least five minutes more to get where you need to go at Sydney airport.

It’s really not that far to walk from being undercover at Canberra Airport. I just wonder what the final arrangement will be when everything is finished as it changes every week.

Why does anyne have to pay for parking at the airport? That is the real question. Airports used to be about people being dropped off or picked up from planes. Now as someone once put it, airports have become nothing more than retail malls with runways.

In my utopia parking would be free. Parking is what you need to do to go to work, do your shopping and got to the movies (among many other things). Why do you need to pay to simply park your car? It beats me. If you have a disability you don’t have the option of using public transport. The only way to beat the profiteers at their own game is not to use the facilities. Consumer power is strong but we never use it often enough and we pay the price.

The horror! Having to pay for parking like everyone else, poor sods..

I don’t see why the government allows disabled drivers to park in most car parks for free all day. They should be treated with the same timed parking fees as all other users. Fair enough to allow space for disabled drivers close to entries etc, but there is no reason for them to be exempt from paying. It’s a just a politically correct concession to allow people to have a false sense of being nice.

georgesgenitals9:20 pm 28 Apr 11

What are you? Some kind of commie? Jim Snow paid good money to the Liberal Party for that airport, and now he’s kind enough to make sure that his pay stations are wheelchair-friendly and all you can do is carp. The man’s a saint. A SAINT I tell you!

Geez bloke, did the liberal party kill your cat or something?

No, but the Labor party wants to.

What are you? Some kind of commie? Jim Snow paid good money to the Liberal Party for that airport, and now he’s kind enough to make sure that his pay stations are wheelchair-friendly and all you can do is carp. The man’s a saint. A SAINT I tell you!

Geez bloke, did the liberal party kill your cat or something?

I can’t believe that you don’t realise he’s a SAINT! He’s going to bring wealth and 24 hour a day flights to Canberra! And OVER Canberra. And he’s letting disabled people help the cause by making it easy for them to put their money in the machines! He’s a goddam SAINT you understand?

“I wonder if the AFP that books people in arrivals, also wander upto the carpark to book people parked illegally?”

Might need to get your facts straight as you’re wrong about the AFP once again. CAG has its own parking marshals that deal with those issues

Deref said :

What are you? Some kind of commie? Jim Snow paid good money to the Liberal Party for that airport, and now he’s kind enough to make sure that his pay stations are wheelchair-friendly and all you can do is carp. The man’s a saint. A SAINT I tell you!

Gold!

Erg0 said :

Westfield Woden has their disabled car parks inside the boom gates. I can’t think of anywhere else that doesn’t do this.

Echo Point at Katoomba, Blue Mountains. I know this as I was there today. Pay parking anywhere within 500 metres of the 3 Sisters lookout but disabled parking is free

amarooresident35:21 pm 28 Apr 11

I thought the idea of disabled parking was that it is close to the entrance of the building so it is convenient for the user – didn’t realise it should be free as well.

Nearly all people I see using disabled car parks are fat fatties. Pensioners have to pay what makes fat fatties any different.

Rawhide Kid Part34:27 pm 28 Apr 11

Deref said :

What are you? Some kind of commie? Jim Snow paid good money to the Liberal Party for that airport, and now he’s kind enough to make sure that his pay stations are wheelchair-friendly and all you can do is carp. The man’s a saint. A SAINT I tell you!

Yeah…. A bigger saint for letting all those SES volunteers pay for the privilege of parking over there at Fairbairn ESA HQ to do their Volunteer work.

What are you? Some kind of commie? Jim Snow paid good money to the Liberal Party for that airport, and now he’s kind enough to make sure that his pay stations are wheelchair-friendly and all you can do is carp. The man’s a saint. A SAINT I tell you!

EvanJames said :

What is more screech-worthy is the way the airport has made it very, very difficult to pick up friends and family. While you can go up the new ramps to the top level to drop people off at the kerb, on the ground level where arrivals come out of the terminal, they have big Do Not Enter signs, a line of taxis, and an AFP vehicle to book anyone who drives in.

Arrivals passengers are out on the kerb, waiting for their rides to come and get them, but if they drive into that area, they get booked.

They’ve got some designated pick up area, but it’s across the road and through a car park and last time I waited for a ride, I didn’t see any signs telling you about it.

who ever heard of an airport making it very hard to be picked up from the airport? Snow evidently wants people to either park in the pay park when they come to pick people up, or for the arrivals to catch a taxi.

I wouldn’t bother screeching about it until all of the new Terminal is completed. IIRC a pick up area will be part of the completed terminal

Holden Caulfield said :

I agree with your basic premise about making it hard for pick-ups…

When I have a need to collect someone from the airport I just collect them at the drop-off point. Not strictly kosher I guess, but has worked okay so far.

I now plan ahead and ask people arriving to get the lift or escalators upstairs and wait at the Departures kerb.

We’ve been caught out a few times before that though. And judging by the numbers of people standing with their luggage outside the Arrivals door, people get stung every day.

EvanJames said :

What is more screech-worthy is the way the airport has made it very, very difficult to pick up friends and family. While you can go up the new ramps to the top level to drop people off at the kerb, on the ground level where arrivals come out of the terminal, they have big Do Not Enter signs, a line of taxis, and an AFP vehicle to book anyone who drives in.

Arrivals passengers are out on the kerb, waiting for their rides to come and get them, but if they drive into that area, they get booked.

They’ve got some designated pick up area, but it’s across the road and through a car park and last time I waited for a ride, I didn’t see any signs telling you about it.

I did a pick up on the weekend. The pick up area is in the car park, and is labelled as such. The signs also state that there is a 10 minute grace to pick someone up from the car park. The only shelters I saw, in event of rain, were where the ticket validation stations were. I was only picking one able-bodied person up, so they could lift their things into the car boot without my help. If there were multiple people (especially kids), and multiple bags, loiter time could be longer, exceeding the 10 minute grace.

I used a credit card to enter and exit, so I’m not sure how the ticket validation works, which would add more time (or less maybe, depending on how much more grace time I have after validating the ticket before exiting). The exit terminal has a screen showing how much value was deducted from the card.

I didn’t know what pick up was like until I got there, so the signs were welcome. The Canberra Airport site has information on new pick up arrangements at: http://www.canberraairport.com.au/air_toAndFrom/pickup.cfm

EvanJames said :

who ever heard of an airport making it very hard to be picked up from the airport? Snow evidently wants people to either park in the pay park when they come to pick people up, or for the arrivals to catch a taxi.

The Canberra Airport arrangement mirrors that at Macquarie-owned Sydney Airport International Terminal. Except with far less traffic, less annoying parking police, and expensive train stations. And the international terminal also has “new” 15 minute grace time, after a decade of forced paid parking to do any pickups. Note that at their domestic terminal, pick up is free, and traffic can be even worse.

Not defending the pickup situation at Canberra Airport—rushing to avoid a fee is particularly bad in the presence of multiple parked cars and strolling pedestrians. Just trying to pass this information along. Personally I think a grace period in a paid car park is a reasonable idea, in a high volume airport, which I didn’t get the impression Canberra was. But 10 minutes is a little short.

Holden Caulfield11:53 am 28 Apr 11

EvanJames said :

What is more screech-worthy is the way the airport has made it very, very difficult to pick up friends and family. While you can go up the new ramps to the top level to drop people off at the kerb, on the ground level where arrivals come out of the terminal, they have big Do Not Enter signs, a line of taxis, and an AFP vehicle to book anyone who drives in…

I agree with your basic premise about making it hard for pick-ups…

When I have a need to collect someone from the airport I just collect them at the drop-off point. Not strictly kosher I guess, but has worked okay so far.

molongloid said :

Am I missing some info here? Why wouldn’t you pay? What has that got to do with the disability? …. Are you saying that in other locations disabled parking is for free? I never knew that. Seems a bit odd.

From http://www.tams.act.gov.au/move/parking/act_mobility_parking_scheme


MPS permit holders can also park free of charge at meters and in ticket parking areas:
* For up to 2 hours, if the time limit on the parking sign is 30 minutes or less; and
* For an unlimited time, if the time limit on the parking sign is more than 30 minutes.

The same extended time limits apply to other government car parks and on-street parking spaces that are free, but time restricted. For example:
* If the time limit on the parking sign is 15 minutes, a permit holder can park for 2 hours; and
* If the time limit on the parking sign is 1 hour, a permit holder can park for an unlimited time.

Note this only applies to public parking, it is up to private operators whether they wish to honour these rules or not.
I wonder if the AFP that books people in arrivals, also wander upto the carpark to book people parked illegally?

johnboy said :

My fault, fixed.

Thanks, but now I’m just more confused. Is the height of the machines at issue?

Why would they not have to pay? Presumably there is a pay machine close to the entry of the terminal?

“Our pay machines have been specifically designed to enable people in wheelchairs to access them with ease. If you experience any difficulties with the ticket or pay machines, press the help button and a member of staff will come to your assistance.”

What’s the big deal?

Erg0 said :

Westfield Woden has their disabled car parks inside the boom gates. I can’t think of anywhere else that doesn’t do this.

Also, I can’t see where your emphasis is in that passage (unless you italicised the whole thing).

My fault, fixed.

colourful sydney racing identity11:01 am 28 Apr 11

joingler said :

Personally I don’t see the big deal. As long as the car parking spots are easy to get to and paying is not a hassle what is the big deal?

I expect to have the PC brigade on me for this one…..

Nothing to see here. As you were gentlemen.

What is more screech-worthy is the way the airport has made it very, very difficult to pick up friends and family. While you can go up the new ramps to the top level to drop people off at the kerb, on the ground level where arrivals come out of the terminal, they have big Do Not Enter signs, a line of taxis, and an AFP vehicle to book anyone who drives in.

Arrivals passengers are out on the kerb, waiting for their rides to come and get them, but if they drive into that area, they get booked. They’ve got some designated pick up area, but it’s across the road and through a car park and last time I waited for a ride, I didn’t see any signs telling you about it.

who ever heard of an airport making it very hard to be picked up from the airport? Snow evidently wants people to either park in the pay park when they come to pick people up, or for the arrivals to catch a taxi.

Westfield Woden has their disabled car parks inside the boom gates. I can’t think of anywhere else that doesn’t do this.

Also, I can’t see where your emphasis is in that passage (unless you italicised the whole thing).

Shut up and pay it like the rest of us.

I could start a campaign to make you pay for parking all over Canberra if you wanna pick a fight.

Am I missing some info here? Why wouldn’t you pay? What has that got to do with the disability? …. Are you saying that in other locations disabled parking is for free? I never knew that. Seems a bit odd.

Personally I don’t see the big deal. As long as the car parking spots are easy to get to and paying is not a hassle what is the big deal?

I expect to have the PC brigade on me for this one…..

StrangeAttractor10:31 am 28 Apr 11

Given the way the airport seems to operate these days, I reckon you’re lucky not to have to pay extra!

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