Disappointed that Longleat no longer accepts Blue Light Card.

[Dietcokeimonmyknees]

Longleat safari park no longer accept blue light card.. I’m so disappointed. They only accept emergency service ID now. I work in education and can’t only assume I no longer fit the bill 😒

HRT payer definitely doesn’t necessarily mean a great salary

I complained to my gym that it wasn’t right or fair that I was paying more than certain members (BLC holders) and they reduced my membership to their level. Why should I pay more and subsidies others just because of a job.

Guessing they told you to keep that to yourself!

DH is a teacher and he’s always scared to use his Blue Light card in case an emergency happens and people think he’d be useful 😂 Like, if someone in the queue behind him collapses, and he’s rushed over, all he can do is quiz them on times tables.

I don’t get any perks or discounts or bonuses or benefits. I’m in the private sector. Minimal pension at 6%. I don’t think it’s common at all.

Are you being serious?

Not entirely, but he is a bit cautious about using it

I find this a very sad and self serving attitude. Personally I don’t begrudge emergency services or the armed forces getting discounts even though I don’t benefit myself.

That poster is subsidising those discounts. The gym and the supermarkets and Longleat aren't absorbing the loss, they're passing it on to other customers.

And it isn't just people in the emergency services or armed forces.

I don’t see why this always devolves into a moral issue of who is ‘deserving’ of discounts.

Ultimately BLC is a for-profit organisation funded the membership fee and commissions that retailers pay for when members make a purchase. Essentially for these retailers BLC is a marketing tool and they pay for leads.

Now I can hypothesise that Longleat maybe removed the discount for teachers because they perhaps have too many people that now come outside of term times (the only times teachers would go) such that discounted tickets are now crowding out full paying customers.

I'm happy that my salary is great, thanks. I can buy what I like, afford my mortgage and bills, and save about 2k per month into investments and pensions.

It doesn't actually matter what the salary is or whether you think it is a great salary if the above is the case.

No, they don’t.

Yep, a lot of places have stopped or reduced BL discount now since more and more people are eligible to get one.

I remember when it cost £5 for 5 years, now it only lasts 2 years. Used to quite often get free tickets for events, that's virtually impossible to get now. Usually if you sign up with email, with a lot of brands you can get a better discount that way anyway.

A bit like Costco is only meant to be for certain sectors, but all and sundry seem to go there these days.

I honestly can’t fathom why.

He must be cautious about opening a door!

Nope. I've never worked anywhere where you get discounts. And most people who get discounts from their own employer don't get discounts from other places as widespread as the BLC as it's their employer only, so if you're not a customer of your employer, you get nothing.

It actually costs you because shops and theme parks etc will increase their "headline" prices to compensate for the discounts/freebies given to other groups of people. They WILL be making up the discounts from other customers rather than suffer a reduced profit.

Exactly!

Lots of us go above and beyond every day in jobs putting us at huge health and personal risks and don’t expect rewarding for it 🤷‍♀️

I always get scared someone will say something along the lines of “oooh what is it you do?” Expecting me to be a brain surgeon, or a oncologist saving children with cancer.. and I have to say “I work in a school” 😭😭

All this thread has done is make me absolutely sure of the bean soup theory being alive and well.

Most jobs have perks, students get student discount cards.

I have in the last 6 months of work:

• Saved a child life recognising anaphylactic shock and acting appropriately.
• Helped many children come out of their shell and grow in confidence.
• Become the ‘best friend’ of a ND child.
• Been confided in over a child’s loss and grief.
• Had 4 sickness bugs
• Caught head lice
• Got strep throat
• Had uncountable amount of sore throats and colds
• Been responsible for and cared for your children while you also work.
• Am not allowed to take holidays during term when the price is a third of what it is during half term holidays..

I think a bit of money off here and there isn’t unreasonable and I don’t know why people think teaching staff don’t deserve a discount on some select places/retailers 🤣

A bit like how universal credit receivers get £1 ticket days to certain attractions and theme parks. It’s just nice for low income workers to have something nice once in a while, no?

Do you still get a BLC discount at Asda? I am eligible for a BLC but haven’t applied for one yet, I don’t eat at restaurants or buy many clothes so not sure if its worthwhile for me.

I think it was reasonable that anyone in regular contact with the public through work during the pandemic got a discount, but it's not the pandemic any more.

Pretty much anyone can have a blue light card now. Longleat have decided it’s not worth doing anymore. Makes sense.

I think you make a lot of good points, many places do still take it and have welcomed education staff to be part of it. They are just as underpaid and undervalued as many of the others who qualify for it.

Students get discounts because they don't have much money, obviously.

Are you actually low income? I'm sure there are plenty of people who earn less than you - I have no idea why you think you should get a discount. Head lice and strep throat caught at your workplace are nothing to do with whether you deserve a discount at Longleat.