Stepping over the line

The Manawatu Standard reports:

A wheelchair-bound Palmerston North man on a crusade to stop the abuse of disability car parks was involved in an altercation he claims ended in him being tipped out.

The fracas happened on Saturday evening when Nicolas Steenhout confronted a woman after she pulled into a disability park at Melody’s New World on Broadway Ave.

She did not have an orange mobility card, which permits the use of disability car parks.

The Manawatu Standard understands Mr Steenhout reached into the car and grabbed the steering wheel.

The woman warned him to let go, before reversing slowly out of the park but Mr Steenhout clung to the wheel before being thrown out of his wheelchair.

Mr Steenhout does a public service with his website where he publishes photos of cars parked in disabled parking spots. All power to him for that.

However he crossed the line by reaching into the car and grabbing the steering wheel. He has no right to do that, and if he got injured from the woman leaving, he has himself to blame.

UPDATE: Nicolas has said that he disputes the Standard story, and that in fact he is unable to reach in and grab the steering wheel