Using a disabled badge illegally

[Funkyslippers]

Hi. I was supposed to meet my disabled friend yesterday at a shopping centre for coffee. Day before she gave me her blue badge so I could park near the cafe when we meet as I was going to drive her home (she was getting a lift there). I parked up, went to the cafe & waited for her. After about 20 mins she rang to say she'd just been sick so couldn't come. I then drove home. I'm worried about using the badge illegally, is there any way parking attendants can tell?

Absolutely but SDad used to get himself into knots over both

tbh this arrangement is a bit weird and i wouldn't do it.

If you want to meet friend again, park up, and then when you are about to leave get her BB and move your car round so you spend minimal time blocking a disabled space. Worst case is you have to just bring your car round and block the car park a bit while you collect her.

So would I get fined there & then by a warden or would I get something in the post?

"Who can use the badge?
The badge is for your use and benefit only. It must only be displayed if you are travelling in the vehicle as a driver or passenger, or if someone is collecting you or dropping you off and needs to park at the place where you are being collected or dropped.
"

from the actual instruction with the badge (I have one)

So no OP, you weren't doing anything wrong as the intention was to collect her/pick her up. That she didn't show up is not your fault, the intent was there.

Now can people who don't have blue badges, please stop spreading false information like its the truth, when they have no fucking clue.

They do.

And they need to get out if it is something like going shopping. You can't take gran to the supermarket, use her badge to park in the disabled bay and then leave her in the car.

Some very weird interpretations of the BB rules here. What the OP did was fine - she was collecting the BB holder, so used it to park close as close as possible to where her friend was going to be.
If this weren’t allowed, nobody would ever be able to drop off or collect their disabled relatives from appointments.

And no, you can’t use a BB to run errands for the holder if they’re not going to be in the car at some point. Not in any council area.

That was what I thought as well.

Exactly- the holder of the blue badge can be fined £1k yet a lot of people don’t realise that-they think they can sit in the car while someone goes and does their shopping.

Exactly- the holder of the blue badge can be fined £1k yet a lot of people don’t realise that-they think they can sit in the car while someone goes and does their shopping.

They know it. At least the BB holder or their appointee/carer/parent should. The information is given with the BB. I think a lot of people are just arrogant and entitled.

So can someone who knows for sure confirm: if I was caught, would it be a fine there & then by a warden or would it come in the post?

@Funkyslippers If no one confronted you about it at the time, you’re fine. And it’s the BB holder who would be in trouble and potentially lose their badge.
But you’re fine anyway, because you weren’t doing anything wrong.

My son has a blue badge and a mobility car, he's 15.
The blue badge is for his use and we swap it between cars (I prefer driving mine, dh drives the mobility car as he's main carer). We only use it when ds is in the car and he's getting out.
If we're dropping him in town we might pull into a accessible space to get him out but then will park elsewhere or go home or whatever.
The mobility car is used for my son (school runs/ hospital trips/ days out) but can be useful without him in it otherwise dh would be stuck at the destination.

Op you won't have been caught because no one looking at the badge whilst you were away from the car would know what you were doing or why.