Lack of accessible taxis after dark leave people with disability feeling forgotten

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-15/alice-springs-disability-transport-options-after-dark/105645000

> With fewer than 15 wheelchair taxis in town and providers fearful of having "their windows rocked" after dark, people with disabilities in Alice Springs feel deserted and forgotten. 

Disability advocates want more Alice Springs transport options after dark

With fewer than 15 wheelchair taxis in town and providers fearful of having "their windows rocked" after dark, people with disabilities in Alice Springs feel deserted and forgotten. 

ABC News
Using this excuse to post one of my favourite things: "we're disabled, Daniel, we're not werewolves" 😍
@3TomatoesShort it's not like some of us don't have fucking jobs to try and survive under capitalism
@Dangerous_beans
True - but of course, even if the reason is something Daniel wouldn't approve of in the least, we still have just as much right to be in society 😤

@3TomatoesShort @Dangerous_beans why are the taxi drivers scared of their windows being broken at night?

Even in my town here in England (which has plenty of its own social problems) this is extremely rare, and a further big problem on its own the Council should be investigating.

Are taxi drivers in Australia also often from ethnic minoriities, and is this motivated by racism?

@vfrmedia @3TomatoesShort honestly, Alice Springs politics are complex due to racism against the Indigenous community there and I'm guessing that interacts with this in complex ways. I don't know enough about the local taxi industry to say anything more. It's part of Australia where there's a lot of poverty and racism, and a complex history

@3TomatoesShort

Headline: "Twitter user shocked to learn people who are disabled between 9AM and 5PM are disabled at other hours too!"

There might be less demand for parking overall outside business hours but that doesn't suddenly mean disabled spots aren't needed. (They're wider for a _very_ good reason!)

@3TomatoesShort I don't know where this dipshit lives but every damn market, mall and restaurant around me stays open well past 5pm.
@3TomatoesShort fuck off Daniel dickhead! I'm a bus driver and anyone of any capability can catch a bus anywhere anytime. Is parking different?

@3TomatoesShort
I do like it, but it does show a weakness to disabled parking (or parking in general) attached to specific buildings and business...

If that entrance is closed, then no one can use it and hence won't be using the handicap parking; or the parking lot with the van parking gets closed because the business is closed/remodeling/etc but the van parking is still needed for the neighborhood or building. For example: the farmer's market or bar that borrows the bank building's parking lot

A really large business may have way more (or less) handicap parking assigned due to being based off the maximum size and use plan of the building rather than the event, which leaves empty paving everyone - including handicap people - have to walk around.

tl dr;
Handicap parking should probably move around with pop up events and construction; and have hours to match the businesses and neighborhoods they serve.

@3TomatoesShort not driving, but having disabilities, the ONLY on-street parking should be for disability transport. Everyone else should get public transport from a parking tower
@sortius
I have a bunch of complicated thoughts about this but I also don't have the energy to type it all out 😅
@3TomatoesShort it's tough, but if you can walk, you can park somewhere sensible. I sit in the pub and watch people get booked all night; able drivers are just cunts
@sortius
My reservations are to do with the accessibility of public transport (I will not allow my children to use it during high levels of covid transmission, but they "can walk"), and the unlikeliness of achieving a society where everyone who needs a disability parking permit/accessible travel services can actually get access to that.
@3TomatoesShort I get COVID stuff, but why are you heading to anywhere that needs parking if you aren't masking?
@sortius
We are masking, but on a very crowded, poorly ventilated bus/train during especially high transmission, that is still more risk than I am happy to take on. No one's lining up to help us if we get even more fucked than we currently are, I can't take chances I don't need to. Not gonna feel bad about driving in that situation when so many people flit around in planes 🤷🏼‍♀️
@sortius
I'm also super curious why you would assume we're not masking?
@3TomatoesShort Daniel Lawson’s post also contains an implicit assumption that “really disabled people” don’t work.
@3TomatoesShort I was travelling in a place in Denmark with public transport. It was my job to interview people there. The questions was not about the real problem. Mostly about the driver, cleanliness of the bus and so forth. The stories I heard and the lack for me to report the real problems that people told me. One route was very hard. It was awful. The names they called me…
And I don’t blame them.
They built a elder community outside of town.
@mutter01
Gosh, that sounds super stressful, and frustrating.
@3TomatoesShort It was. I also had some moments where I just sat and hold hands with someone that had a story to tell. I loved it and hated it. I could do nothing but listen.

@3TomatoesShort public transportation every day. But then they took weekends away. Everything funny in the town happens in the weekend.

I cried every time I had to go there. They hated me. I don’t blame them.

@3TomatoesShort Parking should only be available from 5 PM to 9 AM Monday to Friday and weekends. I cannot see any reason is no reason genuinely able-bodied people with jobs would be out beyond these times. /s
@Elizafox @3TomatoesShort Exactly my feeling. Either people need to park outside of 9-5, and the assertion is invalid, or people don't need to park outside of 9-5, and the assertion is unnecessary.
@3TomatoesShort same shit as senior/student discounts in gyms being only valid during the darndest hours
@me
Ooh I hadn't heard of that happening, how utterly ridiculous!
@3TomatoesShort a Polish multi-gym employee benefit card: a cheaper card for over 60, but valid only before 4pm: https://www.kartamultisport.pl/en/multisport/cards/multisport-senior
MultiSport Senior

The MultiSport Senior Card is addressed to persons over 60 years of age. It allows the users to take advantage of thousands of sports facilities across Poland. See the details

@3TomatoesShort not exclusively werewolves, anyway