HOW dare Ms Hammond call me selfish (Letters, September 29). I am one of those who think far too many car parking spaces are given over to the disabled.

Ms Hammond might do better to vent her spleen on the so-called disabled who abuse the system.

Don't get me wrong, nobody wants to be disabled - but what is disabled?

My husband is 70 years old. He suffers from ulcerative colitis, arthritis, diabetes, suspected angina and a resident kidney stone but he is not considered to be disabled and does not get any help from the state.

And against all odds, he still does a little part-time job.

Forgive us then, when we see a person park their brand new 4x4 in a disabled space and sling their disabled badge onto the dashboard, then jump in a sprightly fashion out of the car and make a dash for the exit door.

Then we do feel a little resentful that we have to struggle up or down stairs from our allotted bit of the car park.

Obviously these people with their brand new cars (have you noticed they're mostly brand new, not old bangers like the rest of us?) have forgotten to bring their disabled relatives with them but still feel justified in parking in the privilaged space.

Then, of course, there is the other situation whereby you use the system to get a new car but the poor person who it is intended to help never actually gets to go out in it.

So, Ms Hammond, before you go pontificating about selfish people, look at the wider issue.

You'll be surprised how many of us nice, right-minded citizens feel this way.

We are all sympathetic to the truly disabled but not to the abusers of the system who you are all-embracingly championing.

JOSIE GOODREAD

Wishaw Close

Greenlands