225 euros paid

Car towed away: anger over fine for blind person

Gülfide Egrigöz has a valid disabled pass, but the blind woman from Traun still has to pay the fine for being towed away.

(Bild: Einöder Horst/Horst Einöder/Flashpictures)

A blind woman from Traun (49) had forgotten to put her disabled pass in her car in the hectic rush when she parked in a disabled parking space. The vehicle was promptly towed away at a cost of 225 euros. The woman feels abandoned.

An urgent need and a moment of carelessness - that now costs Gülfide Egrigöz (49) from Traun 225 euros. The blind woman has a disability card, but of course it is not her who drives the car, but her assistant. The two were out and about together in Linz the previous week to attend an appointment. "We parked in a disabled parking space. It was very hectic because I had to go to the toilet urgently," says the woman from Traun, describing the situation. And so it happened that she forgot to put her ID card in the car.

Car was already gone
When the two ladies returned to the car half an hour later, they were in for a shock: the car was gone. They then spotted a police patrol nearby and asked the officers where the car might be and why it had been towed away and why they hadn't been given a ticket. "The officer said: 'Imagine you're disabled. Can't walk or are blind like you, would you prefer the car to be towed away or for the whole thing to be dismissed with a fine?' I have to say that I'm always on the road with a cane and you should actually be able to see that," the blind woman wondered.

No mercy
After a few phone calls, it was clear that the car was on the premises of a towing service. Egrigöz showed her disabled pass there, but it didn't help. She had to pay 225 euros. "I can't understand why you can't get help in such an exceptional situation," she says.

10 percent discount
The "Krone" asked the towing service whether they could be accommodating in this case - the woman had a disabled person's pass. "We have no leeway here, it's regulated by law. But we gave her a ten percent discount, which we are allowed to do." Egrigöz will contest the fine for parking illegally.