Is this entitled of me?

[Mailfuckoff]

I took my dc shopping at Westfield today for a treat as they have a disney shop and a lego shop. Ds needs a wheelchair for shopping as his legs get tired for long distances. We have a bluebadge for him as well. Firstly I couldn't find a disabled spot which meant it's tight getting ds and wheelchair out. Secondly there is no discount for the car park at the weekend which I didn't know so it cost my 9 pounds to park there. Am I being entitled to want wheelchair spaces and a discount on my parking charge as driving to the shopping centre is our only option.

No you aren’t. Access for disabled people is terrible and I am sorry this happened. I hope you and your son had a nice time despite this.

I can absolutely see why you would want a disabled space but not discounted parking. A lot of people may have to drive for various reasons and a lot of disabled people would be able to use public transport.

You couldnt find any disabled spaces at all or the ones you found were already occupied?

Never been but i cant imagine they dont have any at all

I saw a sign saying disabled spaces were full, this was at 11:30 so half an hour before the shops opened

You aren't being entitled to expect enough disabled parking spaces.

You are being entitled to expect your parking discounted. There are many people who have to drive to go places. That's life.

Sadly any discount on parking tends to increase BB abuse. As soon as our council started charging for on-street BB parking (same as regular parking), most of the spaces mysteriously became free .

On occasion, when BB parking is all taken, I've dropped DW off (she uses a wheelchair/scooter) and the parked normally. But I am well aware not everyone can do that.

I don’t think it’s particularly wrong but if he’s an occasional wheelchair user. Assumedly his wheelchair folds and he can get in and out of a car? I am a bit bemused when people in wheelchairs need close proximity to shop entrances when it makes no difference if they’re in a chair being pushed. I get wider spaces for permanent wheelchair users and close proximity for people walking with rollators or similar but can’t see it’s not possible to park further away and just push the chair.

The costs of being disabled are massively higher than being non disabled. On average, £500 a month higher.

It’s only fair disabled people gave reduction in parking rates especially as £9 is extortion’

Driving to a shopping centre is the only option for many people.

You are angry because all the disabled spots were taken and you didn't look at the charges before parking?

YABU.

It's the wider space as he needs to swing the door wide to get in, especially if I need to support him into the car. Obviously I an push him from anywhere in the car park but having a wider space is useful. Thanks for all the messages. The cheaper parking is nice but I accept this is slightly entitled.
He's too young to leave out of sight line so I couldn't drop him and park elsewhere.

275 spaces were full before the shops even opened?! Jeez. I was at Westfield today and the ‘standard’ spaces were mostly empty.. I even got a Parent and Child space which is unheard of! Maybe people were parking there fraudulently?

BlairWaldorfsHeadband it’s pretty well-known being disabled isn’t cheap. I had a blue badge for a few years but it would never have occurred to me that parking ought to be cheaper.

A wheelchair user might be driving themselves to the car park, and be self propelling their wheelchair.
The person pushing a wheelchair May themselves have difficulties, my DM has to push her husband around, and she's 81!
Anyone who begrudges disabled parking spaces being near an entrance, or being free is, quite frankly, a nob!

I am a bit bemused when people in wheelchairs need close proximity to shop entrances when it makes no difference if they’re in a chair being pushed.

Could make quite a difference for the person doing the pushing though. That's without taking into account that lots of car parks are terrible for pedestrians.

In general, disabled parking provision in England is shite. End of. I think the worst must be Touchwood (Solihull) which has an entire floor of disabled parking. Which sounds good. Unfortunately the only way to access it, is to queue with the non-disabled parkers as there is only one way in. You aren't allowed to queue, unless you want a ticket (and police are very hot on this), so if you get to Solihull, and find there's a queue into the car park (which is a lot), you can jolly well spin around, until it's gone, or (better option, really) just not shop at Solihull.

Last time we braved it, we waited 30 minutes in the lane ... when we got to the basement, there were about 10 cars there. Complete waste of disabled parking. The only thing which was less impressive was the customer services reps attitude.

Let's leave it there, before someone pops up and suggests taking the bus .......

One of the reasons why discounted parking is offered is because it usually takes longer to get around.

it’s pretty well-known being disabled isn’t cheap. I had a blue badge for a few years but it would never have occurred to me that parking ought to be cheaper.

I think a lot of things should be ex cheaper for the disabled, or that more people should be entitled to PIP/an equivalent. It’s not fair that disabled people have to lose out financially because of their disability.

That's without taking into account that lots of car parks are terrible for pedestrians.

Although, in many cases, better than the actual pavements.

Anyone who has got a BB should have adequate parking (enough spaces, big enough & close to the shops) and get free parking IMO.

Having a disability costs a huge amount and has a massive impact on earning potential for not just that person but other people in the family as well. Those of us currently not needing a BB are just lucky. We don't deserve the easier life we have, so extending some support to those needing it shouldn't be such a problem.

Which Westfield are you talking about?

If someone doesn't drive to the shopping centre they'll need to get public transport. For a family of three that could easily be £9. Why do you expect a discount on parking?

Westfield white city. It was our first time there so I may have missed some things as the parking signs weren't clear but as far I saw there was a red zero next too the disabled parking sign

Sadly any discount on parking tends to increase BB abuse. As soon as our council started charging for on-street BB parking (same as regular parking), most of the spaces mysteriously became free

Why presume that people were abusing it and now just that disabled people are less likely to have spare money to spend on parking? It's another cost on top.

Parking for people who need disabled spaces shouldn't be discounted on the basis of "aw, they're disabled", but shopping can be an arduous task when you are disabled, and free or discounted parking makes it a tiny bit more accessible for those who have cars.

Yanbu. In a carpark such as this there should be shedloads of disabled spaces. Council run carparks absolutely ought to offer a discount/free parking but it is hard to control private ones like this.

Anyone who has got a BB should have adequate parking (enough spaces, big enough & close to the shops) and get free parking IMO.

Sadly, that just increase the incentive to abuse BBs.

If I were King, one day, I would magi-clamp every car using a BB in a BB space, and get the driver to show me the reverse of the Blue Badge, and explain to me where the beneficiary is. If they aren't with the car, then I'd confiscate the car.

Seems fair to me.

The alternative involves rusty nails, and castration. But that wouldn't work on all abusers.

(I know for a fact that the above check would catch FiL, who treats MiLs BB as his own. Good thing we're NC really).

I have to give a little big-up to Sainsburys (or their parking contractors) who I have seen carefully inspecting cars in BB spaces and slapping tickets on them at two different stores.