[ad_1]
Supplied
ZM radio station has copped flak for editing a photo showing staff parked in disabled car park in Dunedin on St Patrick’s Day.
A popular radio station whose staff parked in a disability spot to hand out a prize has acknowledged it “wasn’t acceptable”, but says it was due to safety concerns.
ZM uploaded a photo to its Instagram page on Friday, taken during a busy St Patrick’s Day on Castle St, Dunedin.
The photo depicted ZM’s Black Thunder – a roving vehicle driven by staff who handed out spot prizes – on top of disabled car park markings outside a University of Otago study centre.
After criticism, ZM removed the photo and uploaded a near-identical version with the disabled markings photoshopped out.
READ MORE:
* University tight-lipped over ramifications for St Patrick’s Day revellers
* Wellington police to ticket own for parking in disabled space
* Invercargill woman with Crohn’s disease abused for using disabled car park
Supplied
ZM Dunedin uploaded a photo which showed they parked in a spot dedicated to people with disabilities.
A spokesperson for the station told Stuff they parked in the spot temporarily “due to safety concerns”.
“While our team were looking for a car park, several people spotted our vehicle and started to surround it, including some who appeared to be intoxicated,” the spokesperson said.
The team made the call to park in the disabled car park “periodically, due to safety concerns for themselves and those around the vehicle”.
Supplied
The photoshopped version ZM later uploaded.
They were there for “less than two minutes”, in which time they handed out a prize and took a photo of the winners, before leaving.
“Nonetheless, they know parking there wasn’t acceptable,” the spokesperson said.
Staff were reviewing the situation and their on air giveaway process to ensure it didn’t happen again, they said.
[ad_2]