MatejaPintar's Weblog

Za življenje po smrti / For Life After Death

Ena od tistih zaobljub, ki sem si jih dajala vsako leto, pa mi je do sedaj nekako ni uspelo izpolniti, je bila tudi ta, da bom postala darovalka organov. Po mojem mnenju bi to morala biti že kar dolžnost vsakega človeka, osebno pa si tudi želim, da bi lahko v primeru, da mene doleti nesreča (smrt), vsaj pomagala nekomu drugemu. No, danes sem na Zavodu za transfuzijsko medicino končno oddala pristopno izjavo in tako sedaj pozivam tudi vas, da (če še niste) ravnate enako. Za več informacij si lahko ogledate spletno stran Slovenija Transplanta http://www.slovenija-transplant.si/index.php?id=darovanje-organov-in-tkiv&L=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gomaloka.com%2Fcmd.doc%3F

One of the resolutions I kept repeating to myself every year but somehow never managed to fulfill was also to become an organ donor. I believe that to be almost an obligation of every human being, and personally I would, in case of an accident (death) very much like to at least help somebody else. Well, today I finally managed to sign up and so I’m now encouraging you all to do the same (if you haven’t already)!

Parkirna vojna, 3. del: Luksemburg / Parking Wars, Part 3: Luxembourg

Medtem ko se v Sloveniji občasno jezim, da policisti in redarji tistih, ki parkirajo na invalidskih parkirnih mestih, ne kaznujejo dovolj pogosto, pa človek praktično ne more reči, da je bil v Luksemburgu, če tem še ni dobil listka za napačno parkiranje. Moja »bilanca« po 5 mesecih življenja tam in še 2 nekajdnevnih obiskih so trenutno 4 tovrstne kazni, eni pa sem za las ušla.

Prva pravzaprav niti ni bila zares moja: zgodila se je prvi vikend moje luksemburške prakse, ko sva se v soboto zvečer z enim od sostanovalcev z njegovim avtom odpeljala v mesto. Avto sva samo za 2o minut, ker nobeno drugo parkirišče ni bilo prosto in ker sem jaz konec koncev le invalid, pustila na invalidskem prostem mestu, in šla na krajši sprehod/ogled. Ko sva prišla nazaj, naju je na vetrobranskem steklu , ker moj kolega seveda ni imel invalidskega parkirnega znaka, čakala kazen za napačno parkiranje na mestu za invalide: 50 evrov.

Nato mi je 5 mesecev nekako uspelo preživeti brez kazni, zadnji večer v Luksemburgu pa sem, tako rekoč za poslovilno darilo, dobila naslednjo. Ta večer smo v enem od lokalov s prijatelji imeli mojo poslovilno zabavo in ponovno sem, tokrat s svojim avtom, povsem regularnim parkirnim znakom in vsem, kar spada zraven, ponovno parkirala in mestu za invalide. In ko sem, ob kakih štirih zjutraj, prišla nazaj k avtu, me je tam ponovno čakala kazen ZA NAPAČNO PARKIRANJE NA INVALIDSKEM PARKIRNEM MESTU. In na njej je med drugim pisalo, da je bila izdana ob 3.15 zjutraj. Policist očitno mojega znaka ni videl, česar mu ob omenjeni uri niti ne morem preveč zameriti, prej ga lahko le pohvalim za vestno delo

Tretja in četrta kazen sta sledili predlani poleti, ko sem se v Luksemburg vrnila na desetdnevni dopust in praznovanje svojega rojstnega dneva. Ko sem ob enajstih zvečer po dolgi vožnji končno prispela tja, sem, ker so bila vsa parkirna mest za invalide zasedena, parkirala na povsem običajnem pred prijateljičinim blokom, kjer sem spala. Naslednje jutro – kazen. Malo zmedeno sem brala obrazložitev v francoščini, ki je trdila, da sem parirala izven označenega mesta in blokirala izvoz iz garaže in nato ugotovila, da je eno od koles res mogoče 10cm čez črto, ki je označevala parkirno mesto, kar pa seveda nikakor ni onemogočalo dovoza v omenjeno garažo. Navajena tovrstnega pretiravanja zaradi listka niti nisem zganjala kakšne pretirane nejevolje, avto pa sem naslednji večer le prestavila na enega od zdaj prostih invalidskih parkirišč. In naslednje jutro? Okrog polovice mojega avtomobila je bila skopana nekakšna ograjena jama z znakom delo na cesti – mene pa je seveda pričakala že zelo znana rožnata ovojnica s kaznijo, ki je bila tokrat obrazložena s tem, da moj avto pač ne bi smel biti parkiran na mestu, kjer popravljajo cesto…

No, med mojim zadnjim obiskom maja lani pa sem za las ušla prvi kazni, ki bi si jo dejansko zaslužila: ko sem šla na obisk na moje staro delovno mesto, so bila parkirna mest za invalide ponovno zasedena in tako sem avto pustila ne enem od tistih namenjenih taksijem. Ravno ko sem se vrnila, je kakih 50m stran proti avtu že hodila redarka in tako sem se karseda hitro pospravila v avto in odpeljala stran.

Za konec moram povedati, da nobene od zgoraj naštetih kazni nisem plačala; moji tamkajšnji prijatelji, ki so zdaj že pravi izvedenci pri tem delu, so se namreč na vse z dokazili uradno pritožili. Ker pa do zdaj (vsaj kolikor mi je znano), na nobeno od pritožb nismo dobili odgovora, sem pred naslednjo potjo v Luksemburg za vsak slučaj raje zamenjala avto – novemu lastniku mojega starega pa parkiranje tam toplo odsvetujem

While I’m in Slovenia often upset with the police for not punishing those who park in disabled spots, one can hardly claim to have visited Luxembourg if not received at least one such fine. My current »score« after having lived there for 5 months and 2 extra visits lies at 4 parking fines and one I escaped in the last moment.

The first punishment wasn’t really directed at me: it was received on the first weekend of my internship in Luxembourg, when one of my flatmates took me downtown in his car. We left in a parking space for the disabled for only about 20 minutes to do some sightseeing as none of the others was free and I, after all, am disabled. When we returned the windshield was already “equipped” with a fine: 50 Euros.

I somehow managed to get through the following 5 months without being fined, but on my last evening in Lux I, as a sort of farewell-present, got the next  ticket. I was having my good-bye party in a pub downtown and I again, this time with my car, a perfectly valid disabled parking sign and everything one needs, parked in a disabled spot. And when I, at about 4am, got back to the car, I once again got that fine FOR PARKING IN A DISABLED PARKING SPACE. It said, among other things, that it was issued at 3.15am. the officer in charge apparently hadn’t seen my sign, but considering the late/early hour I can’t blame him/her too much for that, I’d rather congratulate them on being to persistent in their work

The third and fourth fines followed in the summer of 2009 when I returned to Luxembourg for a few days on holiday and to celebrate my birthday. After I’d arrived at about 11pm after a long ride from Slovenia I left my car, since all the disabled spaces were occupied, in a completely normal parking spot outside my friends building where I was staying. The next morning – a fine in my window. A bit confused I read the explanation in French claiming I was blocking a garage door and then noticed one of the wheels of my car indeed was about 10 centimetres over the parking line, but that of course in no way obstructed the entrance or anything else. Used to such extreme measures by the Luxembourgish police I wasn’t even upset about it much, but moved my car to a now free disabled spot in the evening anyway. And the next morning? Half of my car was surrounded by a hole and a kind of road construction site, and of course my car was decorated with the so familiar light pink fine ticket, which this time claimed my car wasn’t supposed to be parked in a construction site…

Well, but during my last visit to Luxembourg in May last year  I managed in the last minutes to escape the first punishment I’d have actually deserved: when I was visiting my old work place, all the disabled spots were occupied and so I left my car in one of those intended for taxi drivers. Just as I returned, about 50 metres away a police officer was already walking towards me and so I got into my car as quickly as possible and drove away.

I have to say in conclusion that I never paid for any of the above mentioned fines; my friends in Lux, now trained professionals on this matter, namely contested all of them, attaching all the necessary documentation. But as we got no answer to any of the complaints until this day (at least not that I know of), I just in case bought a new car before going to Luxembourg again – and I would strongly advice the owner of my old car against parking there

Parkirna vojna, 2. del / Parking Wars, Part 2

No, pa da nadaljujem moje »vojno poročilo«: tudi če na mestu za invalide parkiraš povsem legitimno, se ti lahko zgodi marsikaj. Na primer: Pred leti smo na prosti dan med evropskim prvenstvom z ekipo najeli taksi, da nas odpelje v enega od nakupovalnih centrov. Ko smo prispeli tja, je ravno pred nami na zadnje prosto invalidsko parkirišče zapeljala ženska v (spet) kabrioletu. Ko je opazila, da smo iz taksija začeli zlagati vozičke, je rekla: »Joj, se opravičujem, da sem parkirala tukaj, ampak to mesto je edino v senci, na soncu pa bi se moji usnjeni sedeži preveč segreli…«

Tole pa je približen potek pogovora, ki sem ga imela z varnostnikom pred mojo fakulteto, kjer so parkirišča ograjena z dvižno zapornico, za katero imam ključ:Varnostnik: »Gospa, parkirišče je povsem polno, tu ne boste mogli parkirati.« Jaz: »Ampak saj vidim prosto mesto za invalide tule pred mano.« V: »Ja, ampak to mesto je namenjeno invalidom.« J: »Pa saj jaz sem invalid.« V: »Kako to mislite?« J: »Sem invalid na invalidskem vozičku – poglejte, tule zadaj je!« V: »Ja, kako je pa to mogoče, saj ste blond in čisto suhcana!« (?!)

Včasih pa te kdo tudi skoraj nadere… Pred še enim nakupovalnim centrom sem voziček ravno pospravila v avto in se že skoraj odpeljala, ko je na mestu zraven mene parkiral starejši gospod, stopil iz avta tako blizu mojega, da nisem mogla odpeljati stran in mi potrkal na šipo, rekoč: »To parkirišče je namenjeno invalidom!« Pa jaz spet: »Saj jaz sem invalid!« »Kje imate pa voziček?« »Tule zadaj.« »Kje imate pa parkirni znak?« »Tu spredaj na šipi!« »Aja…« Jaz, tokrat že malo bolj agresivno: »Ja, in invalidsko parkirno mesto potrebujem malo bolj kot vi!«

Doletelo me je že tudi to, da me je, ko sem se vrnila k avtu, na vetrobranskem steklu čakal listek z napisom »Vzeli ste moje parkirno mesto, vzemite še mojo invalidnost«, ki ga je tja očitno zataknil nekdo z mojim podobnimi frustracijami, ki ni opazil, da imam invalidski parkirni znak (in tudi že »svojo invalidnost«.

No, v predprazničnih dneh, ko je parkirna situacija v nakupovalnih centrih in zunaj zaradi snega vsako leto najslabša, pa sem podobno neumnost zagrešila tudi sama; precej neprijazno sem namreč (prvič v življenju, kako tipično) s parkirišča želela spoditi žensko, ki sicer ni bila na invalidskem vozičku, je pa kljub temu imela (česar seveda nisem videla) znak za parkiranje. Tako da tale blog posvečam njej kot opravičilo in z upanjem, da je svojo nejevoljo nad mano stresla na koga, ki si to dejansko zasluži

Well, let me continue my »war report«. Even if you completely legitimately park in a disabled spot, interesting things can happen:

A few years ago my team and I took a taxi to a shopping centre during a free day at the European championships. When we got there, the last free disabled parking space was taken just in front of us by a woman in (again) a convertible sports car. Noticing us trying to get our wheelchairs out of the taxi, she said: “Ohh, I’m so very sorry for taking your spot, but it’s the only one in the shade and my leather seats would just get too hot in the sun…”

And this is approximately how a conversation between a security staff and me went in front of my faculty, where one needs a key (which I poses) to get to the parking lot: Security: “Miss, the parking lot is completely full, you can’t park here.” Me: “But I can see a free disabled parking spot right in front of me.” S:” Yes, but that’s for the disabled.” M:” Well, but I AM disabled.” S:”What do you mean?” M:”I’m disabled and a wheelchair-user – see I have it here in the back!” S:”Oh, but how’s that possible, you’re so blond and thin!” (?!)

Sometimes you can also get almost screamed at… At another shopping centre parking place I’ve just put my wheelchair back in the car and started driving off, when an elderly man stepped so close to my car I couldn’t continue without driving him over and knocked on my window saying: “This is a disabled parking spot!” And I again:” I AM disabled!” “And where’s your wheelchair?” “Here in the back!” “And where’s your parking sign?” “Here on the windshield!” “Oh…” And me, this time already a bit more aggressive: “Yes, and I need this parking spot a bit more than you do!”

I’ve also already got one of the notices saying “You took my parking spot, take my disability as well” on my windshield, probably from one of the people who suffer from similar parking frustrations like me and who hadn’t noticed that I do have the disabled parking sign (and also already “my own disability”.

In the days before Christmas, when the parking situation is even worse than usual, in shopping centres because of the crowds and outside because of the snow, I did one similar stupidity myself: I quite rudely (for the first time ever, how typical) tried to prevent a woman from parking in a disabled spot, because I saw she didn’t have a wheelchair in her car, but (which I of course didn’t see) she did have a disabled parking sign nonetheless. So I’m dedicating this post to her as an apology and hoping she used the anger I’d caused her to be mean to someone who actually deserved it