To think some busy car parks have an excessive amount of disabled spaces?

[coffeeforone]

Every time I go to my local Sainsbury's, i very rarely find a free Parent & Child space, or any space that is not at the very far end of the car park. I've noticed this more recently as I'm heavily pregnant and have a 2 year old so would love a P&C space. There are only 12 parent & child bays, but there are 18 disabled spaces, the vast majority of them are always free. Given the ratio of parents with young children to blue badge holders in a supermarket at any one time, would it not be more sensible to have, say 12 disabled and 18 P&C bays, or even half & half? I've noticed this in places like IKEA and other big supermarkets too (but haven't actually counted the bays!)

What gets me at our shopping centre is how far away the disabled bays are. Surely they should have them closer?!!!!!

How is that any different to a person with a less visible disability who might have to go home because they can’t breathe well enough to walk further to their destination, or because they might faint if they try to walk too far, or because the extra walking distance would leave them too fatigued to do whatever they had traveled there to do

Please point out where I've said it's any different?

That's my personal experience. Before I had my wheelchair I had the same issues as you have outlined.

Oh, I do apologise, I thought you were referring to when I said I have to go home if I can't park in a disabled space as I can't get my wheelchair out.

I was going to say, I've been supporting those with invisible disabilities too

Branluese, what do you mean when you say most disabled (it's disabled people btw), don't have mobility issues?
Where are you getting this from, because I don't look like I do, yet I drive a motability car.

I do think its better that there are too many than too few, but it is frustrating sometimes.

I sincerely cannot imagine a world in which folk are frustrated because they are able-bodied and see empty BB spaces. Mind.truly.blown.

Empty BB spaces are great for me since then I can park in them!
I walked around Morrison's for 15 minutes last week with a trolley to lean on and that was an achievement for me, made possible by being able to park right at the door.
I was still in agony and struggling to breathe by the time I left though, and that's just 15 minutes

Nice to be called names for giving my opinion as a disabled person. What I thought of saying before, but didn't, is that as some BB users don't appear to need the extra SPACE, just the proximity to the shop/not having to cross the car park etc, which I get, I sometimes think there could be wide spaces for those who physically need it to get out of the car, get the wheelchair out etc, and then normal size spaces for those who don't need that extra width at the sides. But the wide spaces would be more desirable, so that wouldn't work. I for one would gladly go a bit further away as long as I could have the space I need to get in and out of the car. Re the quoted figures about BB abuse, I would guess that is a fraction of the actual abuse, as it is surely rare for anyone to question a BB user, or even non-BB user wrongly parking in a BB space.

ginghamstarfish I never called you names, I’m not sure anyone did.

Your original post read badly, and I responded.

It's not obvious who needs the extra space. Those without a physical disability can still need the extra space.

They need to monitor the parents and pram spaces as so many people take the piss. They are meant for getting babies/toddlers in and out of car seats. They aren’t meant for older children who sit in the front seat and can get in and out of cars themselves. They need to either police them and fine people who park there with older children or get rid of them entirely.

Re the quoted figures about BB abuse, I would guess that is a fraction of the actual abuse, as it is surely rare for anyone to question a BB user, or even non-BB user wrongly parking in a BB space.

Are you having a laugh? I've lost count of the number of times I've been challenged. If you genuinely think it's rare then you've been extremely lucky.

Gingham the quoted figures about BB abuse, I would guess that is a fraction of the actual abuse, as it is surely rare for anyone to question a BB user, or even non-BB user wrongly parking in a BB space

I allowed for that in my post ie 2.8 million. 1000 prosecutions, let’s double that or even say 10,000, 20,000 misuses etc, it’s still a very small minority!

I would hope it would be rare for anyone to question anyone with a B.B. the public cannot police it. if you think there is a blantant misuse report them!

Spot on, Francis. Wish they'd just get rid of the P&C spaces entirely. Problem solved! And require all prams to be folded before getting on a bus, there, no more battling over the disabled area that wouldn't even be there had it not been for disability campaigners.

gingham I too never called you any names, I did respond to what you said though and I'll respond again now (however I did say that all people can be dicks whether they have a disability or not, that was a generalisation and not aimed specifically at you). How dare you decide who does and doesn't need extra space. I don't have a wheelchair because I couldn't self propel and can't afford anything else. I do however need space to be able to move myself round in the seat, try to hold the hand thing on the roof in an attempt to help myself out of the car. I've had to try and do it in a regular space and every time I hit the car next to me. I don't want to be responsible for smashing people's paintwork up! Frequently if there are no spaces then my husband will drop me off and find somewhere to park and the same on leaving. Having to wait for him takes extra on the precious minutes of energy I have. I don't leave the house that often, usually once a week but don't worry, I'll stay home more now because I don't have a wheelchair therefore I shouldn't be using a B.B. wider space hmm
It's really not nice making judgements about anyone let alone people who are in the same boat as you so to speak.

Ds needs the space and proximity. He may not look like he does but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t need it!

‘They really don’t.

Parent and child parking spaces are not obligatory, nor are they essential.’

Than why have them??

I will repeat either monitor or get rid

I’d rather they got rid of them and extended the disabled area to stop lazy CF’s parking in them

I’ve broken my ankle. And foot. I can’t weight bear. My other knee is dislocating due to not coping with the weight due to an old injury.

I won’t get a blue badge. Obv, because it’s a short term thing.

I shall be parking in the parent and child spaces when I’m out to let me open the door, so I’m close as well so I don’t have to walk too far.

Zero fucks do I give.

They need to make spaces larger in general to stop idiots clanking their doors against your car, no respect for others.

Also people who park over the line meaning the space next to them can not be used...