To have parked in a disabled spot today

[AuntiePickleBottom]

my mum recently broke her leg, she has a full cast on, I took her food shopping today so parked in a disabled bay as there is no way my mum could of used crutches far or get out of a normal spot, my mum used one of the wheel chairs supermarkets offer for the customers.

thing is there are only so many bays,if people get temporary badges, then forever disabled people, you know the ones who will always be disabled forever will end up having to go home, so P&T bays would solve the problem, they are not as important as disabled bays, are near the shop and won't mean someone else will have to go home

The trouble is, not everywhere has P&T bays. I remember a news report 4 years ago on two mums whose toddler daughters were in double leg and hip casts for 6 months to correct clicky hips. A normal space simply wasn't wide enough to allow them to open the passenger door and get their DDs out but the council wouldn't give them temporary parking badges. They could park in a deserted spot of the carpark but there is not guarantee that it will remain deserted.

There was also a news report on the BBC website a few months ago where one of their journalists in a wheelchair was putting the point across that lost of people with blue badges don't really need wider spaces, just spaces closer to the shop, so he quite often ends up driving home because there are no wide spaces left too.

that can be true, we have a WAV, with a rear lift, so tbh we don't need the wide space in the same way as someone who has a side one, or needs side access, but we need to be near the shop. perhaps some disabled bays, but normal size would be a good idea, they could take away a few P&T bays if needed. I suppose it would also help if it was more widely known that if you have a BB you can park in P&T bays,

Blue badges aren't reserved for those with a permanent disability anyway. My dad had one on two separate occasions in his life - once for recovery from a stroke and once for recovery from a bmt. A condition doesn't need to be lifelong before you are entitled to a bit of help in life!

I don't think you were being unreasonable. Dropping off impractical as you'd have had to get out of the car to help her get out then put her somewhere. Taking wheelchair to normal spot impractical due to space. You did the best you could.

Manic the criteria is a minimum 3 month duration, so not lifelong but certainly long term.

I had an idea today, perhaps the nhs could have permits that allows people with limited mobility. Dated with the person photo in front with short dates.

Any one misusing them could face a fine

Oh God,, they take away P&T and I can't go out. I give up! Being stuck in fucking halfway house is a PITA at time. Not as big a PITA as being in a chair I know but fucking annoying nonetheless.

The doctor told me one of the questions she would be asked when 'the BB people' contacted her would be 'Is it a permanent disability?'

I am not sure temporary ones would work tbh even though it seems a sensible idea, well, not unless there is a massive increase in the number of disabled bays provided.

You know, I think the temporary ones they had planned here were supposed to be an addition- pink badge spaces. Still had to apply but lesser criteria and not quite as near shops etc, second tier I guess: possibly absorbing P&T but you could apply if you had a baby IYSWIM. pregnant women in last trimester, families like mine where there are children getting LRM DLA (we have two on it). I get tired of the looks if we park in PP&T without ds4 (ds3 is 8 now) but can;t park in BB (and never would) so actually have given up. Clearly a system that has left this family housebound at times due to SN is failing but I doubt anything will happen- numbers game innit? We don;t need a BB badge really, we need SSD respite and an extra adult for certain trips- but does feel like we fit into a nowhere zone where nothing is done. SSD say they'd back us if Welsh BB criteria changes to include ASD; BB criteria doesn't cover us, we don;t and probably should not get HRM as it's the cumulative effect rather than just one of the boys (3 on spectrum, one suspected ADHD).... I understand from an economic POV that we're the anomally it would cost too much to cover but still, with 3 appointments this week and no idea how I can cope with ds4 it gets tiring. And ds3 + ds4 is a no go.

I have had my BB for a year now - I have never had any 'looks' or anyone saying something to me, have I just been lucky so far?! It isn't immediately obvious I have a limp unless I am very tired either.

If that's to me though I don;t have a BB, I get looks if I think sod it and park in a P&T with older but SN ds3.

I was physically assaulted in an Asda car park for parking in Blue bay.
Had Orange badge at time for eldest (youngest was below 3 so didn't have his at that time), had all 4 kids with me; elder son running amok in very busy car park (market day n everyone parked in Asda), youngest, non walking at 20 odd months but weighing an absolute tonne, in my arms.
Old boy screaming abuse at me about how I had no right to park there as I wasn't disabled and my kids looked fine etc etc..., ended up shaking my arm the one holding bubs and me nearly dropping him...daughters chasing all over for older boy who was only 3...

Security called the police, They urged me to press charges but by now I was distraught, my kids were in tears, the boys overly anxious and screaming, I just wanted to get the bloody shopping done and go home in safety.
The police followed this bloke all round the store tho to make him uncomfortable; every time he stopped they stopped and glared at him!
That cheered me up a bit.

OMG

The thing is, the stupider the rules become, the more people will think they are an ass. Saying that someone with a broken leg should not park close to a shop if they can is just dumb, so people will just ignore it.

sorry peachy, didn't think of people like you have a as an apology

Physical assault and criminal damage.... lovely.

But sadly it doesn't Riven, I used to have to battle through car park with DS in case he took off across the roads but I was just a bad parent with a naughty child don't ya know.

A few years back I read it was meant to be added to the criteria for the BB but it never happened.

Should be the same throughout the country, DS has complex needs as well but is much better since being on new meds.

problem is, if ASD meant you qualified for a blue badge then there would need to be a hell of a lot more disabled spaces!

I'm a teacher and there are 2 children with ASD in my tutor group of only 16.

I suppose they could try and monitor a level of severity but I imagine it would be pretty subjective and difficult to work out.

Don't worry sevenfold, was tired and in pain and in a grump

Not really Manic, severity in ASD can be attributed quite easily using different scales that are already in existence, and the HFA / AS / Autism criteria is far more basic to ascribe than most people think and is a 2 minute flowchart.

But actually where ASD is accepted it is supposed to be done on safety: so a child that randomly bolts out in traffic or throws himself down would need one.

ASD does qualify actually for HRM but you need to fight and I couldn't face it, haven't been out of the arena for too bloody long and need a break.

What I do think is that multiple dx'd children (or adults with children) should qualify for a BB if they have LRM given you would need to be pretty dim not to understand that holding on to a few kids with SN going to be hard work. I don't want HRM and the money because ATM we don't need it (might well change) in order to run the second car we rely on, but a BB would change so much. Two, potentially 3 times LRM surely is obviously going to be a challenge?