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[w3526602]

I have a friend who lost his left leg just below knee in a motorcycle accident.

Hi Richard,

If your friend is interested, it may be possible to regain some sort of motor-cycle entitlement. I dealt with one case, where a rider with one hand was able to operate the clutch, by turning the lever through 90*, and pressing down with his wrist. If the medics don't agree, demand a driving test ... with the examiner expecting you to drive safely, and NOT a brain-washed tyro.

When I was in charge of a Medical Enforcement team at DVLA, albeit nearly 40 years ago, we bent over backwards to help people to keep driving / riding .... although we were very strict about those with epiletics and diabetics keeping to their medication requirements. Young men were the worst culprits, seeming to think that life had dealt them a rotten hand.

Virtually every day, each team would get about five reports from driving examiners, about candidates who failed their driving test without turning a wheel ... they couldn't read a number plate at 25 yards (I think they were given a second attempt, although that was not a requirement). Officially, they should have been Medically Debarred from driving, immediately.  In practice, we gave them a few days to provide an optician's certificate to say that they were able to meet the required standard.

I have no recollection of anybody (handled by my team) failing to meet the required standard ... after they had bought a pair of spectacles.

My mate (Reg Gen of Shipping) had a quad heart by-pass, refrained from driving for a month, like his surgeon told him, then carried on.

Similarly, I waited a month after they drilled a hole in my skull. I never informed DVLA. If you ask nicely, I'll let you poke y finger into the hole in my head. After that operation, Barbara phoned to see if I was awake yet ... heard me chatting up the nurses. Oops!

Shifting the gear lever was just a smidgen uncomfortable after breaking my left collar bone ... I estimate I was running in excess of 20mph, when I let go of the pony's leading rope. She waited for me, a few yards up the road, let me lead her back to her stable coal cellar. I could feel yesterday's "knitting" coming undone, some weeks later.

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[w3526602]

Hi Richard,

Aha! Somebody who has achieved VAT Exemption. So it can be done!

The saga continues ....

I've been looking into renewing Barbara's Blue Badge. The rules seem to have changed.
(P1. The Blue Badge holder must be unable to reach a parking meter, (Presumably unable to feed it it.)  Visions of doing a test run to the nearest parking meter. Barbara is unable to reach any electric light switches in our house ... she prods them with her stick ... which she carries in her wheelchair, especially for the occasion. The switches are 1200mm from the floor.

2. The Blue Badge holder must be the driver., to claim free parking. Presumably the passenger is still required, in order to unload the chariot.

3. Barbara is unlikely to meet a parking meter ever again. But it would be nice to be able to use the DISABLED bays in supermarkets, doctors surgeries,
etc. I presume that she is not allowed to use "Mother and Child" parking bays, although she needs the driver's door wide open, plus a bit more.

3.1. My since departed son-in-law, used to take one of our grand-children (when small), so he could use a M&C parking bay. I wonder if there is a market for full size, realistic looking dolls.

3.2. Totally OT ... but it's worth buying a DISABLED WC key, probably under £5 from whoever sells them (charity shops?) It used to cost £1 to use the public facilities at our boat mooring, but the disable cubicle was free ... IF you had a Key. Probably useful if you have a herd of sprogs, and there is a queue for the regular facilities.

4. More OT. Councils in London used to pay pub land lords to make their toilet facilities available to passers-by. I think it was £600 per year. Still?

5. A member of this forum commented on my comments about Barbara's disabilities. Thankyou for your concern, but SHE is well capable of putting me in my place.

6. We wandered into some sort of children's care home, probably Barnado's, before departing to the Far East (Royal Australian Air Force Butterworth, close to Penang. The Ozzies were fighting in Viet Nam, just two hoots and a holler away. I suspect my Bloodhound SAMS persuaded the bad guys to keep their distance ... although the new Ozzy CO never arrived, believed shot down. Big screech from Barbara, year's later. "What do you mean ... it was a war zone?").

Back on topic ...Barbara was promptly surrounded by assorted infants, all clammering to learn what was wrong with her arm. They had obviously been taught not to consider their disabilities as handicapped elephants in the room

I have seen Barbara and a Police Sergeant standing in the middle lane of the M4, traffic passing both sides, wagging fingers in each others faces. It ended with   "Get your wife out of my site, and I'll say no more about this!"   An offer to good to refuse. "MOVE IT!"

Who else would put the Sec of State for Transport at ease, by asking if his MGB had heavy steering (Yes)

Now married for30 days under 57 years, and I still wake up screaming.

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PS. FAO Richard.

In my time in DVLA Medical Branch, our objective was to keep disabled licence holders driving if at all possible. I'm sure my team dealt with a one legged motorcyclist ... but that was over 40 years ago, and details have faded. If your mate doesn't have a car licence, I suggest he looks at motor-cycle combinations. Alternatively, assuming he doesn't have a car licence, he should be covered to drive a motor tricycle up to about 400kg. A Stimson Scorcher kit tricycle should be quite interesting ... if he can find one. Or a Citroen 2CV reduced to three wheels, with a hand clutch. Some 2CVs had a TRAFFICLUTCH, which I think was centifugal, so you could stop with declutching.  In my time in Medical Branch, our brief was to keep disabled people driving, if at all possible ... and safe. I have dealt with both hand and foot amputees, but it was many years ago.

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