School car park disabled spaces.

[ThisMustBeMyDream]

Can we have an honest discussion here?

I have 2 young children. One who is undiagnosed yet, but in time is likely to have an adhd/add diagnosis. He has a blue badge (for his safety).

Some days we don't need the blue badge. Some days we do.

He's at school, we live just under 1 mile away. Sometimes we walk. Sometimes we drive. When we drive depending on how the morning has gone, there are occasions I'd like to use the disabled space in the car park as it is quieter, and safer for me to unload him and his younger sibling. Not all days he has had a melt down in the morning, but I'd estimate one a week prior to school.

So far out of the approximate 8 times I've gone to use it, I've been able to use it twice. Two times both bays have been used by other blue badge holders which is obviously fine, I'll deal with the inconvenience. The other 4 times it has been used by people with no blue badge. Which is obviously less fine, and I really really resent the inconvenience.

This morning was one such occasion. Both spaces had cars with people in the drivers seat who were sat waiting. One woman was sat talking on her phone. I stopped for a moment and tried to gain eye contact to indicate the blue badge on the dash, and "shame" them in to moving. Neither noticed me. Then another car came behind me, so I had to pull away in order not to sit blocking the car park.

I saw the head teacher on the playground, so I did let him know all of the above and he said he would put something in the news letter, which is great.

But I'm wondering what the MN consensus is... as most people seem to have the attitude of "lazy parents" the second you say you drove to school. Is it unreasonable to drive just short of a mile when you have additional needs children, and expect a fair chance of using the disabled bay? Or is it entitled to expect to use the disabled bay in the school car park? The headteacher didn't give me the impression it was unreasonable. But when I've mentioned it to others they have said varying comments about just having to walk, or the car park is for teachers etc.

Just wondered what a more wider opinion was as I have been questioning myself.

I don't see why you're questioning yourself tbh. It's not easy to get a blue badge - if you've been issued with one it's because you've demonstrated that you need it. It means you can't walk far so the fact that school is only a mile away is irrelevant. Nobody should be parking in those bays unless they have a blue badge. I'm glad you raised it with the head, hopefully a word in the newsletter will help.

Knock on her windows next time and ask whether she’s forgotten to put out her blue badge, indicating you as a blue badge user need the space. If she refuses to move, take photos of her license plate and tell her you’ll be asking the parking warden to start making random visits to the school.

Disabled bays are for blue badge holders. Of course you should expect to be able to use it.

Unless there is a blue badge holding teacher then they are most certainly not for teachers.

Next time, if you can, I would insist non- badge holders move, call 101 if necessary. Contact the office staff and ask them to help you. The more times you do this, eventually something will be done.

Is it unreasonable to drive just short of a mile when you have additional needs children, and expect a fair chance of using the disabled bay?

No

Or is it entitled to expect to use the disabled bay in the school car park?

No

If your child has a blue badge then you are entitled to use the space for whatever reason, which are nobody's business but your own. It doesn't matter if some days he's able to walk to school - when you need or choose to drive, you are reasonable to expect not to find the space being used by a non-blue badge holder.

Oh and if there’s a Facebook parent group, post the bloody cars on there each and every time. Parents in our school started doing this to twats who park on zigzags and it’s worked better than school asking parents in newsletters.

I would’ve blocked them in and taken my children into school. Or parked in front of the entrance and done it.

You're far less confrontational than I would be. You are actually entitled to use those spaces, they are not. I'd be tempted to get out the car and knock on their windows/take phots and tell them I'm sending them to the police, or just sit there, blocking the car park, the road, the entire fucking city if needs be, until one of them moved.

If you have a blue badge you have a right to use that space unless another badge holder is there before you. Anyone else is being completely shitty in their behaviour. Any family living with a disability needs all the support and help they can get and anyone who obstructs them is actively making life worse.

I have strong feelings about people who make life worse for someone with a disability - in case you haven't noticed.

I wonder if I've just given other people who I mentioned it to the wrong idea?!

I would usually say something. I'm not the kind of person to hold back. However I am aware my children will be at this school a long time yet. I don't want to be seen as an argumentative trouble maker. My older son will have enough trouble making friends without his mum falling out with other parents!

You have a blue badge because you need one. A friend of mine (a blue badge holder) told me how she has to regularly park across car spaces in her work car park, thus blocking cars in. These are cars without blue badges, in spaces reserved for and clearly marked for blue badge holders only. She parks the other cars in, goes to work and gets on with her day. If she’s asked she’ll move her car when it is convenient for her.

People don’t make the same
mistake again.

Disabled bays are for blue badge users. If you have a badge you’re entitled to use it and shame on those parents without one who are parking in those bays. At our school if you used a disabled bay without a blue badge you’d get moved on. We have people in the car park specifically to deal with piss takers.

They shouldn’t use it if they don’t have a badge. It wouldn’t be tolerated round my sons’ school as everyone knows the people who use the blue badge spots so you’d get death stares and probably somebody knocking on the window to let them know that they’ve erroneously parked.

You're entitled to the badge, therefore you are entitled to use the space. I would chap the window and ask them if they could move if they don't have a badge.

Also block them in and go and do what you have to do (if you can - depends on the lay out of the car park though)

Well, this morning, I finally had enough. My son had a medical appt today, for which it meant a change in his whole routine. We had a very difficult morning because of it. I really wanted to use the disabled space, because I wanted to make drop off as smooth as possible.
So when I pulled in, and found both spaces taken with no blue badge holders, I saw red. To make it worse, one of the culprits this morning was the same as yesterday afternoon (there hasn't been a single blue badge holder using them all week).
So I blocked the wankers in. It took skill, as I was careful not to block anyone else. But I did it. I then sauntered in nice and slowly, dropped my son with additional needs first. Then I waited for nursery to open for my youngest (starts 5 mins after everyone else). Took him in, had a nice chat with his teachers as I don't usually take him on Friday and it's a different teacher. Gave him an extra long cuddle... then slowly sauntered back to my car.
In the meanwhile, I could see both parents sat from the window of nursery, with reverse lights on....
Neither of them said a word to me on my return. I really hope I made them late for the rest of their day... they had at least a 10 minute wait from the school going in, to me returning to the car!

YANBU to drive when you need to
YANBU to use the BB spaces
YANBU to block in twats who park in them

YABU a little unreasonable not to make someone waiting in a car aware you need the space. Well, you would be at our school anyway. Parking is a nightmare, it’s on a main road with 95% of kids being picked up by parents or taking school coaches/public busses. 3 cars ‘waiting’ in the BB spaces reduces the number of cars ‘circling’ and makes it a tiny bit safer for the kids.

No one would mind moving if you needed the space, ‘a slight tap on your horn and indicate that you need the space’ and it’s all yours.

No one would actually PARK there though, not even the ones who otherwise park like a blind moose.

How did his appt go?

‘Waiting’ in BB spaces isn’t ok. If you don’t have a BB you do not go in them be it for 1 minute or 1 hour. The onus shouldn’t be on someone who needs a BB to get someone who doesn’t to move. It doesn’t matter if the parking or one way system is a nightmare. They are not yours to use, ever!

I would take photos and report these people to the school office every single time. I'd also ask the school to put up a sign saying that illegally parked cars (ie. those without BB) would be reported to police/towed away/whatever is relevant.

If that didn't work, I'd call in the relevant authorities myself each time, whether that be the police, parking inspectors or whatever.

It's unreasonable to use a disabled space without a blue badge FULL STOP. You don't need to justify whether you should use a car for a short journey or not. You have chosen to and have a blue badge so have every right to expect to use the parking space assuming no other blue badge uses are also using it.

Is the school private land? If so a blue badge is technically not applicable. Provided the vehicle contains a person who is disabled by definition under the Equality Act then certainly for private businesses they must make reasonable adjustments which may include disabled parking.

As someone can qualify under the EA but still not have a blue badge, and equally as per the blue badge handbook that they do not apply on private land, it can become difficult if not impossible to enforce on private land. It's exactly the same as appeals with private parking companies.

Basically what I'm saying is you've no way of actually knowing that the people parking in those spots aren't legitimate users. I would certainly ask the school to try and address this. The solution is probably going to be for individuals to apply for a permit and have the gates closed. That may not be practical for the school of course.