Blue badge parking and non emergency midwife appointments

[sparklesandbling]

I know I know this old chestnut again but I am full of sugar and just a tad pissed off.

Second time a midwife on routine appointments at child centre has felt entitled to park in blue badge space. The other space today was also used by non blue badge holder - I checked.

Why does she feel entitled to park there when car park busy? there is a perfectly good road outside the car park in which she could park her car!
I have DD who is blue badge holder and the space is essential for getting her safely in and out of centre.

Please tell me I ANBU?

[NorthernLurker]

If you're just dropping dd off couldn't you block said midwife in? How do you know it was the midwife's car and that she definately doesn't have a blue badge anyway?

[Weegiemum]

I hate this. I have a bb that I only use on days I can't walk far (about 10 days a month in between my treatments).

Today I had a consultant appointment at the hospital and all the bb places in the closest car park were taken by people without a badge. As we arrived at 8.40 (for a 9am appt which took 20 mins but we didn't leave until 11.25 - whole other rant) I can only assume it was staff. Dh took number plates down but reception said they couldn't take any action!!

I only use the space when I really need it. I'd really rather people who never needed it, never used it!!

[dayshiftdoris]

Forget ALL of the other routes of complaint...

The midwife, even if employed by the SureStart Centre will be attached to the local NHS Trust, even if its just for her supervision.

Call the maternity unit and ask to speak to the Modern Matron... Make it absolutely clear that she has, on a number of occasions prevented you from accessing a disabled parking space with your DD and that you have spoken to the centre to no avail.

I would let her know you have evidence of this (pictures) and that you expect it to stop completely. She has no BB and therefore NO right to park there.

If she starts offering compromises or excuses mention the local paper.

I guarantee that it will stop either straight away or after one reminder.

To my mind the NHS trust will see it as bringing the profession into disrepute.

[NorthernLurker]

Do you definately want to bring the big guns to bear on this though? She has a midwife delivering an important service there. Whilst there were spaces on the road when you got there can you be sure that she ignored them when she arrived? Of course the spaces should be free for those who need them - but I think the midwife has a side to this story too and a blanket policy of shooting her at dawn is maybe missing something.

[MidniteScribbler]

I made a woman cry this morning because she was parked in the disabled space at day care when she had no right to be. There was only one other car in the whole car park, and even the space next to the disabled was free, so she had no reason other than laziness, which even she admitted. Quite proud really.

[sashh]

I think the midwife has a side to this story too and a blanket policy of shooting her at dawn is maybe missing something.

The midwife is able bodied, she does not need that space.

OP I had a problem at one work place, the same person was not only parking in a disabled space, but one that was reserved for me.

I made a remark about how I wanted to key the car

The next day I was met by security who said I'd made a threat. I told them I hadn't, I said I felt like it but did not indicate I would.

But they stopped her.

Have you seen those leaflets you can get that say 'if you want my space you can have my disability'?

As this is NHS they have an obligation called 'the equality duty', it means they not only have to not discriminate but that they actively should be looking at ways to be more accessible.

They are breaking the law and you could get compensation if you were to take them to court. But it is a lot of hassle.

[Tee2072]

Isn't it illegal to park there, no matter where it's located, without a BB?

It certainly is in the US and if it isn't here, we need a campaign.

[Dawndonna]

Northern et al
As I said before, if people have choices, eg. the midwife, then they should be using the spaces provided for them. Those of us that need blue badge spaces often have no choice. There has been many a time when I've sat in the car with a crying toddler saying: 'why don't people like us Mum'. She's 16 now, so I just block people in. Until I've got her out and into her wheelchair. The point is, is not about bringing in the big guns, although we should, it's about informing people that they have choices that we don't and if that means making a fuss, then so be it.

[SirChenjin]

Those of you who are defending us poor NHS folk - please don't. We're not actually allowed to park in blue badge spaces on site, and if we do we can expect to be told to move immediately. If we persist then it can become a disciplinary matter.

[SoupDragon]

How do you know it was the midwife's car and that she definately doesn't have a blue badge anyway?

Presumably because there wasn't a blue badge in her car. That's a big clue.

[Pixel]

Yes, it's not enough to own a blue badge, it has to be correctly displayed. There have been cases here where people have got a fine for having a perfectly valid badge displayed upside down.

[Flisspaps]

Do you have a healthwatch scheme in your area? You can contact them too

[SauvignonBlanche]

YANBU - complain!

[sparklesandbling]

Hi thanks everyone. I think I will complain.
I am not normally confrontational but the next person who needs the space might have the same problem.

I know the midwife has no need to park there and she has no blue badge as she blocked my car in about 3 weeks ago and as we were leaving she pointed at DD and said 'oh I blocked u in, do u need me to move?'

Because of the way she had parked I could just about get out and as we were leaving I did not want to delay as DD would have kicked off so I said that I could get out and left it like that! Stupid I know!

She was sheepish and appeared embarrassed but obviously was just because she got caught in the act!!!

Oh and the space she was parked in that time has hatched lines across and DO NOT PARK across it.

[SirChenjin]

Good for you Sparkling, hope you get a resolution.

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

Midnite - how did you do that?

OP YANBU

[decaffwithcream]

"she blocked my car in about 3 weeks ago and as we were leaving she pointed at DD and said 'oh I blocked u in, do u need me to move?' "

Did she point at your DD and say that because she had spotted that your DD was disabled and that therefore you were the people she had blocked in?

Your poor daughter. My (very obviously disabled) child hates being pointed at. I don't think much of her way of dealing with that.

So she was aware she had blocked a car in the disabled space - and did it anyway.

And now she goes ahead and actually takes up the space herself.

Her embarrassment didn't result in much self-reflection then.

If she is blocking in cars parked in the disabled space, and the receptionist is defending her parking there, I wonder if she feels it is "her" space?!

[DoubleLifeIsALifeHalved]

Definitely complain, disabled bays are there for a reason, they are not a friendly preference or a vague indication that anyone can park there as long as they feel they need to... And it makes me sad and angry that people don't give a shit about why someone might have a blue badge in the first place.

Life as a disabled person / mum of disabled person etc is HARD, not a tiny bit more tricky, but horribly drainingly gut wrenchingly and soul destroyingly hard. If someone decides their 'need' is greater than that, cos they're late, or tired, or can't find a space, or have a heavy bag... Well, that shows they have NO IDEA.

It doesn't just make it 'a bit more inconvenient' for a disabled person, it makes life impossible. It means disabled people can't be independent, it pushes people further indoors, out of society, out of sight. And it's horribly horribly cruel. Not exaggerating, that's the very inconvenient truth.

(Grrrrr. Rant over)

[Mspontipine]

LaGuardia Mon 29-Apr-13 14:03:25
I wonder if the day will ever come when people just mind their own business.

But wouldn't MN be a very dull place indeed.

[MrsSpagBol]

LaGuardia please read Doublelife's post.

[SirChenjin]

Well said DoubleLife

[DoubleLifeIsALifeHalved]

Thank you! It's something I feel quite strongly about... And attitudes are getting worse, not ok, I wish people would realise what they are doing :(

[PigeonPie]

I was without my BB for a month after the old one ran out and I had to wait for assessments etc for the new one. It was awful and I don't want to repeat it but it has made me realise how much I do need it and how much I appreciate that extra help.

OP, I would definitely take it further - it's just not acceptable.

[greenfolder]

they have identified that they need 2 disabled spaces. surely they can bung a sign up on one of the other bays saying staff only? they are a doctors ffs.