I did not realise until all this trouble over parking in Lynn came about how unfairly the disabled actually are treated when it comes to parking fees all over the UK.

It takes us longer to shop as I have pointed out in the past though no one has taken this on board; getting wheelchairs out of cars, assembling scooters, using hoists, just our movement alone is slow, painful.

My wife and I have now realised why when we go to Norwich we never get to all the shops we wish to but pay high parking fees.

It is me with my scooter; getting in and out of shops and around them is terrible, even out on the street, people do not see us at all, they walk backwards from something or stop dead, walk across etc.

I have never said "excuse me please, thank you, I am here" so much until I became disabled.

Sooner or later one of us will have an accident going to and from the ticket machines.

I cannot make it to the machine and back on my crutches anyway so I have to go straight into the motorbility place and get my scooter first which can take from a few minutes to 15; I always use the toilet as being diabetic I am always in and out of toilets.

I will then go back and get a ticket but I expect I will get a parking fine.

People wrote into the Lynn news with venom stating we wanted to be equal.

What did they mean by this?

We can never be equal as our different disabilities make us so unequal in so many different ways, too many to mention.

ACCESS TO ALL SHOPS

So now we have to pay, is the council going to put as much effort into giving us access to all shops now as it did bringing this unfair charge on parking?

I mean access to all shops not just here and there plus: will doors be left open on all shops, counters we can get our wheelchairs and scooters up to so we can pay without touring the shop to find an assistant to help.

If the council is going to charge us then at least be fair, give us more time on our tickets, or make it a flat rate.

Remember we pay our taxes, council tax etc which goes towards many amenities we cannot use, more so than other people.

Make all the shops drop their steps so we can enter in wheelchairs and scooters, and doors that we can open in some way, after all we are also customers.

Wisbech is even worse for access though they are fairer to all on parking.

In reality no-one should be paying to park, the shops need custom from all and the shopkeepers pay heavy rate bills so parking should come from this.