To think that there are too many disabled parking spaces?

[Vagabond]

I have just returned the Uk after a 13 year absence and cannot believe the number of disable parking spaces - everywhere. Of course, I absolutely agree that there should be spaces allotted for the disabled. But the percentage of disability spaces in any given parking lot are not commensurate with the number of disabled shoppers. I feel that this is 'tokenism' as opposed to practical planning.

BTW - I have a 'badged-up' disabled parent who completely agrees with me.

I wouldn't be able to say so unless I myself were disabled and felt there were loads of spaces to choose from everywhere I went. If that is the case, its a possibility.

Is it not worked out on some kind of formula? I wouldn't go so far as to say its tokenism. I'd like to think a disabled person could always get one, if not nearly always.

Hard to say if you are being unreasonable unless I knew more about just how many spaces we are talking! I dont think its ever a bad thing to have over provision, its a damn sight better than underprovision.

Well, I'm a badged up disabled parent and I disagree with you.

In the local tesco, there are about 16 disabled spaces. and several hundred 'normal' spaces.

So only 16 disabled people can do their shopping at any one time if they need those bays.

Then there's the TWO disabled spaces outside the row of shops.

Or the ONE disabled space on the high street.

There is tokenism. The token disabled spaces. Clearly there is need, because they are always full and you quite often find a queue. Or you're circling the car park until one becomes available.

Out of interest. How can you tell who's a disabled shopper? How do you know how many of the people you see in the shops have a disability?

Not everyone with a disability is in a wheelchair or looks at death's door, you know.

Any thread that mentions parking spaces ends up going loopy. I can't remember seeing any car parks that had an unreasonably large number of disabled spaces though. They generally seem to have one row of disabled spaces, one row of p&c spaces and the rest are for everyone else.

no idea.

I can only speak about the ones opposite my house next to a brand new block of flats (300 flats). There are 8 spaces, 2 are disabled parking spaces. They have not yet been used since the car park was finished 6 months ago.

This will be because the car park is opposite the shopping centre where people can park on the double and single yellows for free (as they should be able to).

No, I think they've got it roughly right.

About the right number of P&T too.

Never many free where I live either. Local supermarkets never seem to have enough tbh.

yabu

yabu
I would go into reasons why
but can't be arsed.
I just suggest you try being the carer of someone who relies on these spaces to live a normal life before you judge.
but you won't

I often struggle to get a disabled space when I need one - need wide access to get wheelchair in. More spaces needs in some places I think - especially hospitals!

hmmm i dont know on this one...

i do know there is not enough mother and baby spaces..and it pisses me off when people without babies or people with 10 year olds park in whats there....

"But the percentage of disability spaces in any given parking lot are not commensurate with the number of disabled shoppers. I feel that this is 'tokenism' as opposed to practical planning. "
How do you know this? presumably, esp in supermarkets where everything is related to demand and profit, it is actually quite well worked out according to likely number of shoppers and % of disabled people!

DS has a Blue Badge, and I can't say we always find a space! (we don't need one at present, but at times he is a wheelchair user I have more often found that all disabled spaces were full than we were parked in a wasteland of vacant spaces.

I think it depends on the area and the shop.
Local morrisons - loads of disabled spaces, but quite an elderly population and all tend to be full, so could probably do with more.
Asda and waitrose 20ish miles away, loads of disabled spaces but nearly all are empty every time I've been there. If you visited one of these, you would assume there were too many.

I would never have agreed with the OP, had I not taken a trip to a shopping centre which is normally too far for me (was taking a friend somewhere). The amount of disabled spaces compared to regular spaces or even P&C ones was staggering. I had to circle for ages looking for a space that wasn't marked for disabled badges.

Ordinarily, I wouldn't agree though. Tesco seem to be quite shocking in the other direction, hardly any disabled spaces outside my local store.

There is a need. Much better to have too many than too few.

I have said this before but am always wary of piping up on these threads....

The planners at our local Sainsburys (and Tesco for that matter) must have got their numbers round the wrong way as there a loads of disabled bays which are always 2/3 empty. I mean rows and rows and rows, everywhere you look!

Disclaimer: I don't care how many there are, I'm not complaining about it. It just tickles me when people say there aren't enough where they live because we could send loads if it were possible!

Golly, great responses and lots of food for thought. I completely agree about disabilities not being visible. I am very happy to be proven unreasonable. Thanks for your time. I shall change my attitude.

we always have problems finding one wherever we go.

Apart from Ikea but OH NEVER comes to Ikea with me so I dont use them there.

Actually now we are on the subject, the Ikea ones annoy me because although there are a lot, they go in a line away from the store. Surely they should be in a line along the front?

Words fail me...

In my area I think there are the right amount.

I have noticed though that they tend to be used more at certain times of the day, so perhaps you just tend to be up and about at roughly different times.

Yes, that always makes me MrsDV. Our M&S has it right, the first four spaces in every row. Makes much more sense.

Although the one on our street for the guy that died 2 years ago is pretty annoying.

It's news to me that it is possible for a parking space to have a disability. :o