To think that there are too many disabled parking spaces?

[Vagabond]

I have just returned the Uk after a 13 year absence and cannot believe the number of disable parking spaces - everywhere. Of course, I absolutely agree that there should be spaces allotted for the disabled. But the percentage of disability spaces in any given parking lot are not commensurate with the number of disabled shoppers. I feel that this is 'tokenism' as opposed to practical planning.

BTW - I have a 'badged-up' disabled parent who completely agrees with me.

I have no problems with P &c bays just the parents who think that having a child makes you some how entitled to consider your self on par to being disabled.
that always happens on these threads, a few idiots who can't understand that being disabled is not always visible, and isn't a life style choice.

But no one is saying disabled people should not have 'one sodding thing to help them'.

You've obviously experienced terrible difficulties in car parks. I don't mean me actually but quite early on in this thread it turned into a disabled rant and I'm still trying to propose that car parks are badly planned and that perhaps they could be administered in such a way that everyone can use them.

It is difficult trying to get a carseat strapped correctly for instance if there is no room to manoeuvre whether you are disabled or not.

It is not ok for people who are quite capable to deny someone else out of selfishness like in the examples you give but equally those badges that are falsely acquired and exploited.

But hey let's not try to work it out. Let's just be angry.

MrsBananaGrabber Fri 19-Nov-10 20:20:15
Not that it bothers me but where I am (Ex Pat in Canada) there are loads...........infact I was waddling over to Babies R Us last week and for the first time noticed that there were 7 disabled spaces right outside, like I say it doesn't hurt to walk but 7 is crazy and outside Toys-Babies R Us.

You moaned about 7 bays outside toys r us(round our way there isn't taht many)

but you don't have to take the car seat out of the car to get a baby in and out?

misdee you do if you want to make it hard

ah right, thats where i've been going wrong for 10yrs

I'll admit that I was thinking more along the lines of old people with disability issues than children, not thinking that many old blue badge holders shop at toys r us, they are always empty though.

Brass

there's one he'll of a differance from getting a baby into carseat you reckon that's hard try getting a larger child or adult in to a car then because some twunt parked to close

yanbu.

them bloody disabled people get everywhere don't they. fuckers.

P&C spaces are usually almost all available after about 6pm. We used to do a tesco shop in between tea and bedtime before DS2 got his blue badge. We haven't worked out when the spaces for blue badge holders are usually free yet though.

2shoes the chip on your shoulder is yours. You've now resorted to being rude, is that because you have nothing intelligent to add?

Thanks wubblybubbly your examples are more eloquent than I have been able to express.

My point is that all sorts of people (hence others) could do with more space to park so why not plan accordingly?

I think if we all stop driving and ride horse instead we wouldn't have a problem!

Also said Toys R Us has new and expectant mother parking (across a busy road for some reason) but I wouldn't park my lazy arse in that with my two older DC and my massive bump because I know what an pain it is to get a car seat out if the next person is too close, also over here cars are massive, most people have mini vans or SUVs, very dangerous for little absconders.

But why call for an end to P&C spaces? How is that going to make life easier for disabled people?

brass, but others do have space to aprk, dont they? in the rest of the car parks?

brass your idea wouldn't work and would leave disabled people unavble to park within a manageable distance of where they want to go. Although having read the thread I don't get some of the aggressive rhetoric directed towards.

goinground they're both valid. Why can't you see that? The problem is the twunt who parked too close and the lack of space but you're angry at the baby and mum, the mastectomy / chemotherapy candidate, the knee replacement candidate....whatever.....

Er yeah that makes sense.

brass you make no sense

Really, what we need is disabled spaces right outside the store.

The rest of the spaces need to be wider to accomodate today's bigger cars. All spaces should back onto a pavement for safe walking to and from the shop and then there would be no need for P&C spaces.

Having said that, you've still got the problem of the elderly or infirm who don't qualify for a blue badge possibly having to walk a considerable distance to the store.

Perhaps we could have signs above the spaces like those on the buses? Some people might be considerate enough to take heed?

misdee I said earlier I don't mind how far away P&C spaces are. But obviously the distance would be an issue for those that have temporary mobility issues but don't qualify for a badge.

2shoes I think brass is referring to my earlier post about how the P&C spaces made it possible for me to get out after I'd had a mastectomy and chemo.

And how my DM would have been housebound for months if she didn't have me and DS to take her to the shops after her knee replacement. She couldn't drive, couldn't walk, could barely get in and out of the car. Having DS meant we could use the P&C spaces and she was able to get out because of that.

How about starting a shuttle service like the Disney world car park.........you are parked in cucumber, then hop on the milk float type vehicle and off we go, right to the entrance

There are some horrid attitudes on this thread!

wubblybubbly that is actually a good idea.
have a few spaces a bit wider than the norm, but not looking like disabled/P&C nad put that on them.
then old people/pregnant and people who should have a BB but don't could use them.

Can I just give you all a big group hug?