To think if you’re a slightly more mobile BB holder you should park in the further accessible bay?

Goodness me what a silly young man. He must have placed the blue badge the wrong way round as the photo is on the back. Or did you break in to the car and turn it round to have a look?

@Coffeeishot I'm not sure why you’ve directed that to me/ my post. I’ve said quite generically that if more people are thoughtful the more people will benefit more often. That would include able people and less able people.

I’d agree with that as well 🤷🏻‍♀️ although thankfully in my local Sainsbury’s and my town’s shopping centre the BB spaces are never full as there are plenty - we’ve never not been able to get one when I’ve been with my dad.

ETA - well maybe not the “far end” but if the BB spaces were totally full I wouldn’t park in a space next to them.

My friend was offered a BB. And in her opinion she didn’t need one. She’d been sent to a rehabilitation class three times a week for a month to improve the range of movement in her back, but she was still able to work, shop, function even if she had to spend Sunday on the sofa to recover.

The class leader who suggested she apply, said that it isn’t just about what you can do right in this moment, but it’s about extending your ability for the rest of the day/week/month/year. Limiting the distance she had to travel over a car park may mean she has more mobility and less pain later.

So I voted YABU. Because if it helps anyone to live a better life, reducing the resources overall required to support them because they’re able to manage pain and energy levels better than they would be without it, then it has a positive benefit.

The better thing may be to look at car park and store design with access for different needs, front and centre.

Yes thoughtfulness is nice you will get thoughtful parkers, but maybe fully able bodies people should park at the far end of a car park for the less able because car parks don't have enough BB spaces.

Disabled spaces are like gold dust, especially at our local hospital. The idea that you can pick and choose your space is ludicrous.

You're underestimating the range of disabilities. My friend has MS and could manage the stairs and the class. But she'd be wiped out afterwards and needs the car nearby. That's just one example.

Some people would already do that, if they are able to. It does not really need to be said.

@CassandraWebb That makes sense.

Perhaps I’ve taken it a little bit literally. “We can’t police it so it can’t happen”. But I do agree with you that if everyone was thoughtful it could help to benefit everyone in need more often.

This reminds me of a scene on a cruise ship, a holiday in which we elected to take the stairs 100% of the time: witness groups of people arguing about how each of their loved ones’ disabilities meant they should all get in the lift first and not have to wait. ‘But my husband has recently had a heart bypass’ ‘but my mother has arthritis’.

Unfortunately, when everyone is special, no one is special.

I don't think op is talking about policing it, just about users of BB spaces being mindful

If I have my electric wheelchair I will park in the spaces furthest away (or even not bother with a BB space if in DH car as my chair fits in his boot)

If I am feeling really well I don't even use a blue badge space

If I am in a flare and can't use my chair (eg it's raining) then I need a blue badge space and use as close a space as possible

For those of us with fluctuating conditions I think that's just the basic decency of how we should use the spaces

Absolutely. No one else knows what anyone else is going through.

The OP is just suggesting a bit of thoughtful consideration about where you park, which seems reasonable to me. I am fully mobile without young children so happy to park further away and walk as I don't need to take up spaces closest to the shop. My late father was profoundly disabled so I am aware what a struggle simple tasks can be, even with accommodations like BB. We should all try to make it easier for each other.

That’s my point - I don’t think she was suggesting a tiered “system”. Just a general thought of “I won’t park in the closest one if I don’t need to.”

Despite my reply to PP just now, I would also say that OPs idea is probably unworkable. You just can’t guess who is coming in after you so you couldn’t know which is the most suitable place to park. Plus you don’t always know others’ access needs anyway. Plus some places only have one or two BB bays so what do you do then?

Hardly takes types of disabilities into account though does it? My cousin has a BB because of his skin cells don’t form correctly and any pressure on his skin for a short period of time causes blistering. It’s horrific. However, if he parks close and doesn’t walk far, it doesn’t happen - so he looks like he can walk no problem if he’s very careful of his condition.

he’s had a few people comment and has given them The Talk about his condition, referred them to the charity that supports people like him (Debra) - they’ve clearly regretted asking but honestly their ignorance needed addressing. It’s a ghastly thing to live with - and it’s hard to get a BB!

That’s a bit of a strange way to look at it. Let’s say BB bays are the entire first row of the car park (as is the case at my local M&S). If you have a motorised wheelchair and assistance in/out of the car you could easily park at the furthest bay before making your way to the shop entrance. You would still very much need the BB bay for the extra width required to get in and out of the car, and it’s over/ easier not to have to cross the entire car park which isn’t the most ‘pedestrian friendly’.

Yes we know what the op is suggesting, it isnt a parkers fault that her mother was elderly and she wanted other BB holders not to park so she could get closer, then she came up with the brainwave of a tiered parking system for BB holders.

And how would you police that?
BB spaces are limited enough anyway
Can we not just accept that if someone has been issued a blue badge it will be for a very good reaon.

I agree it would be better. Unlikely to happen, because many people think differently when behind the wheel and the law/society supports this.

In some cases I expect some people park in a certain place because reversing out (or in if they do that) is easier.

Exactly, that's a decent thing to do.
If I am in my electric wheelchair I don't even need the space to be close. Just wide and with a safe route

In fairness. If I could fold up the pushchair (eg preschool age child) then I did.
That's just human decency. Take what you need. Don't take things you don't need just because you can

I only use the blue badge spaces on days that I need to

Perhaps we should do this for pushchair spaces on buses. Perhaps someone without a newborn should think ' there might be someone with a newborn wanting the space so since mine is 6 months, I should fold up my pushchair or maybe not get on the bus'.

Not a goady thread. Not in the slightest.

To be fair, I don’t think OP is suggesting a formal system. Just that some BB spaces are further away than others (simply because they can’t all be equi-distant) and she thinks it would be nice for people to think “well I don’t need to be in the one right in front of the shop, I’m fine to use the one 20m over, so I’ll do that”.