The case of the missing disc: (The kindness of strangers.)

Grant has a disabled disc so that he is legally allowed to park in a disabled bay.
In the past these discs would be stuck to the windscreen like a license disc but nowadays they make them "portable" with a hook to hang it over the review mirror so that the disabled person is not limited to one vehicle.
That makes sense, but we live in Cape Town i.e. gale force South Easter wind a lot of the time!

So the story goes like this: the disc was there one day and not the next! We turned the car upside down (not literally!!) and searched in amongst the toddler debris and came up with: 4 plastic fish, 2 plastic horses, 2 coke bottles, at least 1 pair of shoes, 1 blue matchbox car, a lot of papers and a number of other things but - no disc!

So, we were destined to visit the traffic department to acquire a replacement. Now a visit to the traffic department does not conjure up positive emotions for me! It has invariably been a place of intense frustration, complete disbelief at the level of incompetence and/or inefficiency and finally utter despair! I realize I am painting all employees with the same brush and that is probably unfair and inaccurate but I have never had a positive or even remotely pleasant experience at the traffic department!

Anyway, they only replace/issue discs on a Wednesday and we had to have 2 items in our possession before we could pluck up the courage to go: 1) a letter from the doctor to verify that Grant is disabled and 2) ID (passport) photo's.
Now I just have to say that this is a replacement and considering that a large percentage of people applying for /in possession of these discs are paralysed it seems strange to me that we have to present a letter from the doctor saying that he is (still) disabled.
The traffic department must know of some secret procedure that can reverse paralysis because surely if you are coming to replace an already existing disc it must have already been proven that you are disabled. Anyway, that's just my little rant!!

So, last Wednesday came and went without the letter or the photo's and it's only when you need something and don't have it that you realize how much you depend/ed on it so parking became a bit of an issue and we decided that today was going to have to be the day.

So by this morning I still did not have the letter (although it had been written) nor the photo's (which were on my computer and had to get to the printer at the pharmacy!) and I was running very late to fetch Grant and head off armed with all the necessary items to the traffic department!

When I finally got all my ducks in a row and headed out the door to the car I found a letter in the letterbox addressed to Grant with an unfamiliar name and address on the back of the envelope. I decided not to open it because it was not addressed to me and tossed it into the passenger seat and went on my way.

When I finally got to Grant an hour later, he found the envelope and opened it while I was packing the wheelchair into the boot.

What was inside? Our missing disabled disc!!!

Some kind soul had found it and taken the trouble to find out our address and send it back to us.

You cannot imagine my relief!!

I actually felt lighter!!

So, Thank you S. Kruse, whoever and wherever you are, for your honesty and for taking the time to mail it back to us. It's probably more than most people would have done.