A message to the morons..............

[peckham parkie]

............who have been heaping abuse and ridicule on the lady in a wheelchair walking her dog in and around Peckham Rye Park.

It's an electric wheelchair you fools. The dog isn't towing her! Did you REALLY think it was?

This lady has stopped coming to the park at certain times of the day because of face to face abuse, snide comments, dirty looks and mockery.

If you have any decency, and are also capable of coherent speech, please tell her you are sorry when you see her next.

If I hear of this happening again, or witness such harassment, I will involve the police.

Mark Newell

Park Liaison Officer

Peckham Rye Park

07940 743929

mark.newell@southwark.gov.uk

[Huggers]

despicable. Will keep an eye out for her on our walks.

[boomerang]

I hope none of the morons who ridiculed this poor lady are capable of being members of this forum?? And if so, should bow their heads in shame.....

[KidKruger]

Parkie - I suggest a .22 rifle for this kind of pest, or one of those Black Widow catapaults.

[Jason]

Good on you Mark. These idiots will help me focus when using the punchbag in the gym later. Some people really are unbelieveable.

[Alan Medic]

692 confessions so far.

[sophiesofa]

Whilst I agree with the content of your post the word 'moron' can be viewed as offensive and I feel you should edit your title. There's no need for that kind of language IMO.

[boosboss]

Moron is mild over what I think of the scum!

[sophiesofa]

Two wrongs (though on very different scales) don't make a right though ;)

[Saffron]

moron: (noun) 1. Informal. a person who is notably stupid or lacking in good judgment.

If the shoe fits, etc.

;-)

[bonniebird]

Moron is perfectly reasonable to use in my opinion, in this case, their are other words Mark could have used, moron is mild.

[sophiesofa]

But saffron another definition says this:

"2. Psychology A person of mild mental retardation having a mental age of from 7 to 12 years and generally having communication and social skills enabling some degree of academic or vocational education. The term belongs to a classification system no longer in use and is now considered offensive."

I personally associate the term as taking the piss out of people with mental health issues.

As I said it's just my opinion and it seems I'm in the minority so I won't argue for the sake of it (anymore!)

[Andrew1011]

Mark, thanks for drawing attention here to this abhorrent behaviour towards a disabled person. However, there has recently been a marked increase in hate related harassment and crime towards disabled people in the last couple of years, and it has to be stopped. I suggest that you also contact the Southwark safer neighbourhoods teams on 020 7525 5777 or by email at sasbu@southwark.gov.uk to report this.

It's also perfectly understandable in the circumstances that you should refer to the perpetrators as 'morons' and it seems to divert from the issue of harassment of the disabled person to pick you up on it.

[tomsav]

If you can't call someone who mocks a lady in a wheelchair a moron then frankly I give up.

Fair play to the parkie.

[jctg]

KidKruger Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Parkie - I suggest a .22 rifle for this kind of

> pest,

Park Keepers should definitely be routinely armed. To the teeth preferably.

[peckham parkie]

Sorry if I caused offence Sophie but I was thinking pretty much exactly of Saffron's definition when I included that word in the title. Having spoken to the lady for about 20 minutes, and having heard of the upset caused to her, I'm more than happy with my choice of word. I thought it rather restrained in the circumstances.

Andrew. Thanks for the advice but I have already notified the SNT through the warden reporting system. SASBU will only become involved once we find out details of the perpetrators. I have more information than has been published, but not names and addresses yet.

If anyone does witness such a crime taking place, please call the police on 999 immediately. Please don't assume it won't be taken seriously.

Just to clarify for all, the police Safer Neighbourhood Team for your area can be contacted most easily by dialing 101. They also have their own individual office and mobile numbers which can be found on the Met Police website.

To report all low level anti-social behaviour such as noise/neighbour nuisance, littering, dog fouling, graffiti etc...... call the Council ASB hotline on 020 7525 5777. Depending on the issue and it's seriousness, it could be dealt with in a number of ways ranging from a visit by a council officer to prosecution.

Mark Newell

Park Liaison Officer

Peckham Rye Park

07940 743929

mark.newell@southwark.gov.uk

[JohnL]

I'd say this must be children doing this.

What adult wouldn't know about electric wheelchairs and would mock someone. So it's probably complain to the school.

[Otta]

  Quote

there has

recently been a marked increase in hate

related harassment and crime towards

disabled people in the last couple of years,

Can you provide any links to articles about this, I am interested. I've not heard anything like this.

[Saffron]

sophiesofa Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> But saffron another definition says this:

>

> "2. Psychology A person of mild mental retardation

> having a mental age of from 7 to 12 years and

> generally having communication and social skills

> enabling some degree of academic or vocational

> education. The term belongs to a classification

> system no longer in use and is now considered

> offensive."

>

The term is considered offensive when used to describe people who are actually mentally retarded. It doesn't sound like the people in the OP's statement are truly mentally retarded. However, it DOES sound like they are seriously lacking in good judgement. Indeed their behaviour could probably be considered criminal. I'm not usually one for name calling, but it this case "moron" (definition 1. stupid or lacking judgement) does appear to fit and would be considered descriptive rather than insulting. xx

[prdarling]

Good on you parkie and I applaud your restarint at the use of the word morons to describe these bottom feeders. Would doubt that they would be suffuiciently literate to use the forum, but a good flag to other park users, thanks

[prdarling]

...and I am literate enough to spell restraint...it was a typo, before anyone has a pop at me

[Alan Medic]

What's a 'bottom feeder'?

[KidKruger]

Bottom of pond life, feeds off the waste at bottom of the pond.

Kind of a 'lower-end of the food-cycle' kinda thang.

[KidKruger]

...as opposed to one who likes 'to rim'.

[snowy]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> there has

> recently been a marked increase in hate

> related harassment and crime towards

> disabled people in the last couple of years,

>

> Can you provide any links to articles about this,

> I am interested. I've not heard anything like

> this.

http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/the-hate-crime-dossier

http://www.disabilityhatecrime.org.uk/

Along with the growing trend of defining disabled people as 'scroungers' etc.

Not London specific, but there are national programmes in NI & Wales to tackle crime targeting disabled people:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14884754

And Be Safe Stay Safe in NI.

The Scope report here; http://www.scope.org.uk/news/paralympics-attitudes-survey cites

47% said people?s attitudes towards them have got worse over the past year (May 2011: 37%)

66% of disabled people say that they have experienced aggression, hostility or name calling (May 2011: 41%)

And Saffron, did you really use the phrase 'mentally retarded', are you American or Ricky Gervais?