Pave Paradise, Put Up A Parking Lot

What are disabled bays for? Why are they put right next to the doors of shops etc? Answer, so that people with disabilities can access those stores without having to walk very far. Simples right? Well not according to Halfords, Dunstable. Here they are in place so that a small tent can be put up where a mechanic (and I use the term loosely) can sit under it waiting to install car seats, radios etc, etc. The tent covered two of the three disabled bays outside the store (the third bay being occupied by a car without a badge) while just a few yards further down there was a whole raft of mother and child bays standing completely empty. When the disabled bay to mother and child bay ratio is one to three wouldn't it make more sense to pitch your tent in the mother and child bays instead of in the only two empty disabled bays? Maybe its because mothers with babies are more able and more likely to kick up a fuss? After all if you are disabled and cannot access the store you cannot complain. Or better still why not use a couple of ordinary bays just opposite the doorway, which were also standing empty? That would not annoy or inconvenience anyone.

My husband went in, after parking in one of the empty ordinary bays opposite the shop, and tried to find someone to complain to. After being ignored by the various teenagers on duty who seemed more intent on arranging their social lives than actually serving customers he gave up and returned to car without buying anything. 'If they cannot bother to speak to me then I cannot be bothered to shop there.' Which to be fair is only the gist of what he said, he actually said a lot more than that for quite a few minutes. I am not going to let it lie and have e-mailed Halfords head office with a lengthy complaint and a picture of said tent attached. I'll let you know the result. Honestly, if the shop owners insist on misusing this facility what chance have we got against the usual dunderheads?

I'm shattered after yesterday's trip out so spent the day relaxing in front of the TV. Watched the qualifying for tomorrow's Grand Prix. I've driven around the circuit at Monaco so this Grand Prix always reminds me of good times, I absolutely loved that holiday. Caught my breath when Perez crashed into a barrier. Motorsports fans are accused of only watching in the hope that one of the drivers will get hurt, or even better die. Nothing could be further from the truth, obviously there are some who do watch it for that reason but they are very few. On the whole we watch because we appreciate the skills required to drive just inches from the barrier at up to 200 miles per hour. Like footballs fans we usually support a team but also have favourite players and there is nothing we dislike more than seeing a driver having to be whisked off to hospital after a serious incident. I shall be watching the race tomorrow with fingers firmly crossed than no one else comes to grief.

Nothing on the TV tonight because of some football match, this apparently was part of the reason for the horrible traffic in London yesterday. A perfect opportunity for another film night. Not sure how many more of these we are going to have as a family as Laurence is now actively looking for his first home. This time next year I'll have one gone and another preparing to go. I was discussing this prospect with Laurence who in all seriousness asked me what I would do with all the time I'd suddenly have on my hands. Wouldn't I be terribly bored? I love the way children presume that you will be unable to find anything to do when you are no longer picking up, cooking or washing for them. I assured him that I'd find something to fill in the yawning gap he will leave behind. Personally I'm looking forward to only having to use the washing machine two or three times a week instead of every day.