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Original poster

Asked someone to move from the disabled bay

279 replies

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 12/12/2021 15:11

No real point to the thread really. But today instead of us driving off and trying to find somewhere else to park in our town, dp stopped and told someone who was just sat in a disabled bay with the engine idling with no badge to move (nicely). The guy did move and pulled up further along. We were able to park up with a much shorter walk!

Why do people think it's ok to park in disabled bays when they don't need them? We would have normally just driven off and I would have possibly had to have stopped in the car if it was too far for me to walk. People don't seem to care their actions have concequences.

OP posts:
bigbluebus · 13/12/2021 07:49

I think it is more to do with the 'popping' mentality rather than specifically taking blue badge spaces. In our village there are 2 shops by the crossroads. People consistently park on the double yellow lines at the crossroads because they are "only going to be 2 minutes ". Only that 2 minutes is often much longer when they start chatting with someone they know/there's a queue. In the meantime a bus/lorry comes along and can't turn the corner and traffic chaos ensues.
One of our town supermarkets has a bus terminus. It happens to be near to the ATMs in the wall of the supermarket. So everyone just popping for cash parks in the bus bays. A bus arrives and can't park.
Their perceived chance of causing inconvenience because they'll only be a couple of minutes (in their mind) trumps the needs of everyone else. And so the same applies to blue badge spaces.
There are of course always a number of people who will park in blue badge and parent and child spaces just because they don't care and don't see why others should have special treatment but for many the 'I'll only be a couple of minutes/X is staying in the car and can move' makes it OK in their minds.

Hoppinggreen · 13/12/2021 07:58

@AllThingsServeTheBeam

Regardless, she shouldn't be parking in the disabled bay if she hasn't got a BB
This is the real point. You should not park in a disabled space without a Blue Badge. As people have said it’s impossible and unfair for other car park users to judge if someone is entitled to a disabled space or not based on appearance so it’s very simple Blue Badge - you can park there No Badge - you can’t And if I am trying to find a space with my Mum I certainly will check if the people occupying the spaces have a Badge and if it’s not displayed I will politely ask if they have one
Original poster
AllThingsServeTheBeam · 13/12/2021 08:08

@bigbluebus

I think it is more to do with the 'popping' mentality rather than specifically taking blue badge spaces. In our village there are 2 shops by the crossroads. People consistently park on the double yellow lines at the crossroads because they are "only going to be 2 minutes ". Only that 2 minutes is often much longer when they start chatting with someone they know/there's a queue. In the meantime a bus/lorry comes along and can't turn the corner and traffic chaos ensues. One of our town supermarkets has a bus terminus. It happens to be near to the ATMs in the wall of the supermarket. So everyone just popping for cash parks in the bus bays. A bus arrives and can't park. Their perceived chance of causing inconvenience because they'll only be a couple of minutes (in their mind) trumps the needs of everyone else. And so the same applies to blue badge spaces. There are of course always a number of people who will park in blue badge and parent and child spaces just because they don't care and don't see why others should have special treatment but for many the 'I'll only be a couple of minutes/X is staying in the car and can move' makes it OK in their minds.
This is the thing. The 'only 2 minutes' people need to have their attitudes changed. I hope the guy we questioned won't do it again.
OP posts:
amillionmenonmars · 13/12/2021 08:09

People who park in BB spaces who are not entitled to are idiots - there are too few of these spaces in the first place, and the impact they can have on a person who needs that space can be severe.

Parent and child spaces I can't get too het up about. Before anyone says I'm anti child - I'm not - I have two of my own.

Yes, having extra space at the side of the car is helpful, especially with car seats and prams to juggle. What I don't understand is why parents demand the use of these wider spaces when there acres of empty spaces with masses of extra space at the far end of the car park. I just park further away from the store. No issues with space when they are empty all around you.

I don't understand why supermarkets put parent parking right by the shop. Put it further away. It is no problem walking further to the shop with a child. And if they are further away they will be less attractive for the lazy customers, and less likely to be used.

Hoppinggreen · 13/12/2021 08:29

In our local Sainsburys the P&C spaces are in a separate area with a safe walkway to the store. They are not right by the door.
Funnily enough nobody who doesn’t need one uses them and there is always one available

Original poster
AllThingsServeTheBeam · 13/12/2021 08:40

@Hoppinggreen

In our local Sainsburys the P&C spaces are in a separate area with a safe walkway to the store. They are not right by the door. Funnily enough nobody who doesn’t need one uses them and there is always one available
Same here. But there are always people parking in the disabled bay to use the cash points
OP posts:
PomegranateSeed · 13/12/2021 10:20

People have no idea what it’s like to have restricted mobility. I would include myself in that but I do try to be thoughtful and would never use a blue badge space.

A few years ago, a relative had to use a wheelchair for a while. I was shocked at the lack of access and amount of planning needed to attend hospital appointments. It really opened my eyes as to what wheelchair users go through and makes me really sad that people (like the man in the blue badge space) being so thoughtless can be so impactful.

Innocenta · 13/12/2021 10:27

[quote AllThingsServeTheBeam]@daisypond you need a BB to park in a diasbled bay.[/quote]
If anything they're given out a bit too easily, since there's a lot of pressure on BB spaces, and the criteria have been expanded. Some people have literally no choice other than a BB space, while for others it's more of a benefit - not easy to resolve in a fair way.

Theremoresefulday · 13/12/2021 10:29

If anything they're given out a bit too easily,

Not my experience at all.

TheresAStarmanWaitingInTheSky · 13/12/2021 10:34

Is it because they are absolute a*holes?

My dad was wheelchair bound for a couple of years before he died. I took him to a busy area at Loch Lomond, we couldn't get a disabled parking spot as they were full, the ones I checked didn't have blue badges. I wish I had taken it further.
I would never park in one without having a badge as one day one of us may need that parking space. Karma may happen.

LadyCleathStuart · 13/12/2021 10:51

If anything they're given out a bit too easily

I don't think this is the case at all. My Mum got hers years ago and it was a total pain in the arse getting one then, I understand it is even worse now.

But this belief is what I think leads to lots of the general arsehole behaviour that goes around from both non bb holders parking in spaces thinking they aren't causing a problem and other bb holders being horrible to those they deem 'less disabled'.

Original poster
AllThingsServeTheBeam · 13/12/2021 10:57

@Innocenta too easily? What do you base that on?

OP posts:
Theremoresefulday · 13/12/2021 11:09

I was turned down for a blue badge the first two times I applied. Even though I was walking limited distances and that only with crutches.

Sidge · 13/12/2021 11:37

@Theremoresefulday

If anything they're given out a bit too easily,

Not my experience at all.

Not in my council area 🙄

DD has an indefinite enhanced rate mobility and care PIP award. I still had to fill out a 27 page online application detailing why she wanted a blue badge.

I bloody hate BB space abusers. Their shitty, lazy, entitled, selfish behaviour needs calling out.

Sidge · 13/12/2021 11:38

Sorry @Theremoresefulday I quoted the wrong post.

Should have been @Innocenta

Theremoresefulday · 13/12/2021 11:39

I could only get it once I’d been awarded pip for mobility and I had to have 8 points for mobility before I could have a blue badge.

If you don’t have the pip you don’t get the blue badge.

Original poster
AllThingsServeTheBeam · 13/12/2021 11:43

@Theremoresefulday

I could only get it once I’d been awarded pip for mobility and I had to have 8 points for mobility before I could have a blue badge.

If you don’t have the pip you don’t get the blue badge.

Same here. There isn't an option unless you have PIP
OP posts:
Innocenta · 13/12/2021 11:44

[quote AllThingsServeTheBeam]@Innocenta too easily? What do you base that on? [/quote]
I'm not a fan of the criteria being widened, personally - or I think there should be two levels of badge, something like that. There absolutely are people who need priority spaces for 100% genuine and serious reasons, but there isn't a perfect overlap with the needs of those who can only park in BB spaces.

I definitely don't pretend to think I have the answer, though. Any solution is unfair to some!

Nevertime · 13/12/2021 11:45

I think in the case of the chap in your example, in his head, he genuinely thinks it will be fine because he'll move if someone needs it (as he did).

Of course in most cases he wouldn't know that someone who needed it had driven past...

Innocenta · 13/12/2021 11:45

@Sidge Completely agree with you and all PP about space abusers and "just popping" people Angry

Original poster
AllThingsServeTheBeam · 13/12/2021 11:50

@Innocenta so who do you think shouldn't have a BB?

OP posts:
Innocenta · 13/12/2021 11:51

[quote AllThingsServeTheBeam]@Innocenta so who do you think shouldn't have a BB?[/quote]
Not any specific person, of course!

Original poster
AllThingsServeTheBeam · 13/12/2021 11:51

@Nevertime

I think in the case of the chap in your example, in his head, he genuinely thinks it will be fine because he'll move if someone needs it (as he did).

Of course in most cases he wouldn't know that someone who needed it had driven past...

I agree. We'd have normally just driven away. But dp said it wasn't on and asked the question
OP posts:
Original poster
AllThingsServeTheBeam · 13/12/2021 11:55

@Innocenta ok then what conditions do you think shouldn't be considered for a BB?

OP posts:
Nevertime · 13/12/2021 11:59

Years ago I used to play badminton weekly with a man who had a blue badge because he'd had polio as a child. He was obviously one of the lucky ones as he would play engergeticaly for hours and usually won

He was proud of his badge and thought it funny that he had one .

It was years ago though, presumably things are different now.