Disabled Parking

Never.

A close friend has a Blue Badge and a disabled daughter. She never fails to park in the disabled bays even when her daughter is not with her (I do not agree with this and tend not to accept her offers of lifts because of it).

At the same time, she complains about people parking in disabled bays who do not need them. On one occasion, just the 2 of us went out to the theatre and there were only 3 disabled parking bays. She parked in one. Leaving only 2 for a whole theatre's worth of people.

She basically parks where she wants, yellow lines etc., just wherever she feels like it because she says her Blue Badge gets her off all charges.

My gp told me to park in the disabled space (tiny village gp with very small spaces) when I had appointments with my baby twins and toddler, but generally I wouldn’t.

That said, my dad has lung cancer and a brain tumour which causes him to hallucinate. He didn’t qualify for a disabled badge (dad got confused about feet and meters and assessor only accepted his first answer - I’m still furious) and was told “you don’t get it for terminal illness, only when you move to end of life”. Obviously dad doesn’t drive but mum has to drop him at the supermarket front door and go and find a space. I wouldn’t blame her for using a disabled space but she’s very law abiding.

I don’t get why some people find this so hard. Unless the person who has the blue badge is getting out of the car and/or into the car you don’t park there.

the only time I park in a disabled space without disabled DS is if I am picking him up from college as he needs the spaces to get in.

I used to park in disabled spaces when taking my Grandad to places but he had a blue badge.

Never parked in a disabled bay on my own or as an alternative to baby & toddler spaces.

It genuinely baffles me as to why people would without a blue badge.

Yes, with my son with his blue badge, with my dad with his blue badge, with my mum with her blue badge. On my own no.

I’m sorry but I still don’t understand what’s your question there
Can you elaborate?

It's absolutely not. Having kids is a choice, and doesn't mean you're in pain or struggling to move (obviously some people have pregnancy/birth related disabilities, but those people would be able to use spaces for disabled people legitimately).
No, I'd never be so selfish, OP, and it's awful that people who are actually have kids.

Mums with babies shouldn't park in them UNLESS one of them has a BB. Yes I park in them because I have a BB.

We are all probably all aware that certain disabilities aren't obvious. What to my mind is very very obvious is that people are borrowing BBs and using them to park in Disabled Bays so their wide car isn't inadvertently damaged by people opening car doors.

Before I had a BB I used them when with a friend who was on crutches after surgery and I think that was valid so feel no guilt about it.

Now I don’t think that’s the point of tge OP but I feel there is an issue the current BB system.
Basically you get a BB for 3 years then need to renew it. There is no system in place for a short term use of a BB space. I’m thinking about babies with hip dysplasia that are in a cast. Or adult who’ve had a hip replacement. Someone who is struggling during let’s say cancer treatment. All short term but all needing space to open the door or to be close to entrances.
Id like to see something like this too.

🤣🤣

Under no circumstances. Do you?

If your frustration as a BB holder is that they are always taken up then I sympathise as the carer/chauffer/cook/cleaner/psycologist/physiotherapist) of a disabled wheelchair-ed person who has their own BB.

However, when I look around they are filled with cards that have badges on the dash. There are simply so many BB holders now. I blame the NHS - leaving people's health to rot with total inaction... to the point where their bodies no longer work. That's our experience, anyway.

I never would as I remember a very powerful print ad - an image of a disabled parking space and the strap line was ‘Is this the only time you put yourself in my place? ‘

Nope, nor in parent spaces either. It's just laziness and selfishness when people do it.

I only ever parked in parent spaces when I had a baby/toddler and needed the extra width to open the door and/or needed to be close to the trolley bay where the baby carrier trolleys were kept.

Likewise, now, I have DH with a blue badge and we only park in disabled bays when he is getting in/out of the car and we need the extra width space or to be as close to the place we're visiting as possible. Never when I'm going in somewhere and he's staying in the car, and certainly never when he's not even in the car.

Do any of you park in disabled parking spaces? If so, can I ask you why? I’m not talking about mums with baby’s who need to get car seats out

Ate you saying you don’t have a disability and use Blue Badge bays as a parent and child bays?

Because you absolutely shouldn’t be.

My parents, now long dead, both had blue badges in their final few years. When I drove them places in my car, I used their badges and we parked in disabled spaces.

I have never parked in a disabled spot in any other circumstances.

Yes I park in disabled space because I have BB.

I’d like to understand your comment about ‘not mums with children who need more space’?
because as far as I’m concerned, they shouldn’t be using them either…..

Why would
you think Mums with babies have any more entitlement to disabled spaces than anyone else? They don’t.

Before I had a BB I used them when with a friend who was on crutches after surgery and I think that was valid so feel no guilt about it.

Are you suggesting mums with "baby's" should be able to use disabled spaces when they aren't disabled?

Do any of you park in disabled parking spaces?

Yes

If so, can I ask you why?

Because my child has a blue badge, having been given one by sending evidence of disability from several professionals

Any of who? We park in disabled spaces because DD1 has a blue badge.

I honestly think this is fine,
our surgery has disabled bays but they don't mention for BB only so are free to use.