To ask what disability a person could have

[Margomyhero]

to park outside the gym and run 30 minutes on the treadmill?

I am genuinely curious about this one.

I got out of my car and parked in a car park near the leisure centre. It's a LOT cheaper than the car park in the leisure centre grounds. As I locked up and headed towards the leisure centre I saw a young man park in the disabled space and get out and go the same way as me.

He went on the treadmill and ran for 30 minutes. I know that as I was doing the same.

So - before I judge him unfairly what disability which warrants a blue badge could this man have which would allow him to run for 30 minutes - after sprinting up the 2 flights of stairs to get there?

Was he a genuine recipient of disabled space parking or was he just avoiding paying the charge (which by the way is 5p for the first hour ).

Lala sorry I didn’t explain that very well. Copy and paste explains better than me!

‘On-street’ parking meters and pay-and-display machines
Badge holders may park for free and for as long as they need to. You must display the Blue Badge.

‘On-street’ disabled parking bays - signs have a blue wheelchair symbol
You may park for free. Unless signs say otherwise, you may park without time limit. You must display the Blue Badge (and the blue parking clock if the bay is time limited). Always try to use these bays instead of parking on yellow lines.

Off-street car parks (such as supermarket, hospital or local authority car parks)
Off-street car park operators should provide parking spaces for disabled people. However, it is up to the car park owner to decide whether badge holders can park free of charge.

But where are you copying and pasting from?

www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-blue-badge-scheme-rights-and-responsibilities-in-england/the-blue-badge-scheme-rights-and-responsibilities-in-england#when-you-need-to-use-a-parking-clock

This is a reputable source for BB parking. www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-blue-badge-scheme-rights-and-responsibilities-in-england/the-blue-badge-scheme-rights-and-responsibilities-in-england

I have one partly because I’m autistic and it gives me greater independence and a sense of safety. It means I can go places without a carer, which costs more money than a blue badge. I was hearing Scottish government are going to be offering more autistic people blue badges for this reason.

Maybe he’s autistic too?

Where I live, our BB equivalent is strictly for physical mobility issues only. Sensory or cognitive disabilities do not qualify for a permit - so it isn't issued for people with Autism, etc, blind people, or even people using canes/walking sticks only. It is hard to qualify, and I still get abused because I was too "young" , didn't "look" disabled, etc. I would be housebound without it, yet look "normal".

Not rtft but I recently took my mum in a wheelchair to the Trafford centre. There were hundreds of BBs taking up all the disabled spaces so we ended up parking 200 metres away in a normal space and squeezing through cars/ up and down kerbs trying to get to the entrance. I only noticed a handful of people during the day that had any sign of mobility issues. I do think the system is taken advantage of by a lot of people

They've clearly missed a "usually" from the statement "you may park for free".

Our council did away with free parking in 2015. BB holders are not restricted to the time limits, but they still have to pay.

I have a brain injury but drive. I was also given a years free gym membership through the Stroke Association as part of my rehabilitation. The effects of my disability aren't physical, but affect the way my brain works; planning, processing, memory, speaking.

Hopefully this image I found on Google has attached to this post.

Looking at the long numbers down the middle this badge has 1135X0715 after the badge serial number - this is month/year of birth - the letter is always X (male) or Y (female) - expiry date of the badge. The picture tells me the badge holder is a male aged 82 - born Nov 1935.

I used to work in the disabled badge department for a local council until I was made redundant in Jan 2017

exfury really! I didn’t know that. I’m not a BB holder, I often drive someone with one and have never had to pay for parking in my area. I assumed it applied to most areas.

only noticed a handful of people during the day that had any sign of mobility issues.

Again another judgement. Even after pages of possible scenarios someone still comes along and think one mobility issue trumps anything else. I HATE this mentality. If people are using their own issued B.B. then it's none of anyone else's business why they have said badge.

Thank you lildevil i had no idea that's what the numbers meant!

Whampiece - and yet despite your very vocal posts, you have nothing to say about people abusing the spaces (because it DOES happen; only a fool would think it didn’t!). Surely you should be bothered about that too.

The month and year of birth are in the badge number but I've returned to or left my car without ds being in it so the age not tallying with the person you see doesn't mean it is being misused.

Of course I despise people who abuse the spaces. I thought that went without saying!

The point I was trying to make here is that lots of people genuinely have B.B. but also don't appear to have mobility issues.

It's bloody hard enough living with a disability without other B.B. holders sitting in judgement over WHY you have yours!

I didn’t know that abit numbers. RHanks heads up. Glad it’s not full date of birth though glad not well known don’t want my age broadcasted!

What happens with the small overlap between people born in, say, 2015 and 1915 lildevil?

Right and I get that, having seen my friend whose father had a stroke and was left severely incapacitated, and another whose mother hung onto her space for ages after a knee replacement (she was fit enough to walk around 18 holes of golf, dragging a bag of golf clubs - surprise surprise she lost the B.B. at the next review despite claiming it still hurt!).

I used to get really cross watching both their kids borrow the badge when it had nothing to do with an errand for their parents - they’d simply park and head off to the pub for lunch or something. That’s very different to helping someone with a disability collect a prescription or shopping.

But if we’re not allowed to question anyone, ever, how can we change people’s mindsets on that being ok?

You are not allowed to borrow the badge for errands. The badge holder has to be in the car at some point but you would need to watch cars arrival and departure from the space to know that it was being misused.

But if we’re not allowed to question anyone, ever, how can we change people’s mindsets on that being ok?

I don't think a genuine B.B. holder should ever be questioned. Neither do I think that question the type of person who misused a B.B. will ever stop them being a dick.

It's not the man on the streets job to question these things. Encouraging that only makes more B.B. holders feel judged. It shouldn't happen.

My DH has a B.B. He has visible mobility problems, however literally every single time i park the car (he can no longer drive) there are judging eyes waiting for us to get out of the car. People walk past and look back to ensure we have a B.B. it's a constant judgement. Life really is difficult for him (and DC and I) since he became disabled and we could do without Tom, Dick and Harry taking on the role of judge and jury every time we go to the bloody shop.

Spikey - I still think there’s a bit of a moral difference. But if anyone on here had seen my 33 year old friend get out of the car and jog off to the pub, and commented on it, most of the responses would have been, “how do you know she doesn’t have a hidden disability?”

I think there must be a balance between not making things harder for people and not assuming everyone has good motives. I just don’t get the selfishness of it - be glad you’re fit enough to walk the extra few hundred yards and leave the space for someone who needs it (and not because it’s raining and the disabled spaces are under an awning and you’ve just had a £50 blowdry, which was my friend’s reason when I called her out on it ). I’m wondering how we can find that balance - maybe we all need to be more vocal with people we actually know?

Menieres disease.

Fluctuating deafness with vertigo, tinnitus, sometimes vomiting. May be quite unsteady crossing a car park but would be fine on a treadmill.

This post is really disgustingly ableist. It's no wonder people abuse disabled people for not looking disabled enough.

Some disabled people have limb problems. They are not sick. Some have brain illnesses. Some have cancer. Some have invisible illnesses that come and go. Some have a stoma bags and things you can't see. Some have autism.

All of them are none of your business.

Yesterday I painted my dining room doors.
Today I am in my wheelchair.
For a month, I was in bed in agony. Yesterday was the first "OK" day I've had in a month.

In future, why not just mind your own?

Consider yourself v fortunate if you can’t imgine why someone might need a blue badge if they don’t have obvious disabilities. They try to imagine. It isn’t bloody hard.