To find this odd ? Disabled parking spaces.

[itsgettingwierd]

So today ds and I travelled to a sporting event for para sport somewhere we've not been before.

We knew there were lots of public car parks.

So we arrive, park, and I do to the machine to buy a ticket for 4-6 hours.

Note: car park is 24 hours and all ticket options available.

At the machine it says blue badge holders get 3 hours free. Fab I think and ask the attendant if I have to come back after the 3 hours to pay for the remaining time or how does it work.

Nope - I'm allowed 3 hours in the car park only. That's it.

It seemed really odd to me. My county allows 3 hours only if you park on double yellows which I've never done but all car parks you've paid as everyone does and can have as long as you need. At sports centres we've never been limited to time and it's been free like it's free to everyone.

The attendants reasoning was "to make it fair". But I don't get that. How's it's fair if you're disabled you can only stay somewhere for 3 hours but if you're able bodied you can stay all day?

I'd be happy to pay as don't think disability is a reason to need free parking - but it is a reason to need accessible parking so you can actually get out of the car!

@rwalker

I'd just take it on the chin and pay in full like everyone else

I have now lost count of the amount of times OP has explained that this was not an option. She couldn't pay and stay in the bay. She could only stay in the BB for a max of 3 hours and then had to leave.

She could not move into a normal space as her wheelchair accessible car was too big.

@rwalker

I'd just take it on the chin and pay in full like everyone else

So you didn't even read even half of the OP before posting this ridiculous response?

OP

Was it a city centre car park?

I know one space in my local town that was used almost exclusively by a shop owner so it could not be used by anyone else.

She always travelled with her able bodied husband so could have been dropped of and collected.

The council changed the parking to 3 hours only and no return for 1 hour.

Now she is dropped of by her husband, who moves the car to the disabled spave mid afternoon.

OP

Please do follow this up, if a para event or training is taking place it is obvious that there needs to be accessible parking, even if it is just for that day.

One college I worked had a system where you booked parking and they took note of whether you needed the actual BB space (there were only 3) or you needed to be close to the door, in which case you would get an ordinary space reserved for you.

Many people do not think logically, my brother had a recent argument at work with regards to visial fire alarms and where they should be placed, the manager wanted it only in the disabled toilet and not the normal toilet because the manager considered a Deaf person would use the accessible toilet.

I had a discussion with my local hospital, they started charging for parking for staff and visitors, they turned a group of BB bays into staff only. But this was the bays outside rhumatology, you'd think anyone with a brain would realise rhumatology might have a few disabled patients.

The truth is the single most effective measure to prevent abuse of blue badge spaces is to charge for them.

They do charge for them £10 in England. And they are hardly a luxury item . Disabled people have to park near amenities where it usually costs in town, because erm you know we can't park further away "to walk in."

That's what makes "the community and facilities" accessible, and the free element of it acknowledges that disabled people don't have a choice.

I don't know many disabled people that are flush with all this extra money to afford to pay extra for a DPB so that it 'isn't abused'- it's hard enough to get a DPB and reviews at least 3 yearly at minimum anyway .

Disabled people are one of the poorest groups in society, as usually work is limited too and has extra disability costs which aren't all covered by PIP even if you are 'lucky enough' (although I wouldn't say having a severe enough disability to get one is lucky) to be awarded it (DPB isn't exclusive to PIP/ DLA claimants so it doesn't follow you'll get both).

Just adding in a wider perspective as it's strange to hear people may think being so disabled that you are awarded a DPB (blue badge) is somehow advantageous to rest of the general population. I'd take no disability over occasional free parking - as I can't walk- any day of the week!

It's interesting that some PPs have missed the point that disabled bays are wider for a reason.

When you use a wheelchair or need help out if a car (for eg using a swivel seat and handy bar lever) or have a ramp that comes out of the side where the disabled person sits in the car (which isn't often the boot at the back!) , then the extra space at the side is crucial to disabled person getting in and out of the car. Or they will be trapped outside the car or trapped inside the car as another car is parked too close for access to be used. Normal car parking spaces don't have room for a wheelchair or walking aid to be used to get up drivers seat or to be brought alongside the car for back/ front passenger seat to enable the person to get out or in, let alone ramps. Sometimes the disabled bays are barely wide enough for this too.

@rwalker

I'd just take it on the chin and pay in full like everyone else

How many times does the op have to explain. She was willing to pay. She was not allowed to. She cannot park in a standard space as she needs to extra space to get her DS in and out of the car.

The easiest way to tell of something is ableist is to apply to any other group.

So everyone can park long as like as long as they pay. Unless you have ginger hair/glasses/under 30/have Asian heritage then only park in 5 spaces and have move after 3 hours. Yeah sounds legit

@ikeptgoing

The limits to disabled parking of 3 hours usually apply when there are equitable limits to other non disabled parking or where others are unable to park at all (such as on certain double yellow lines)

Yes! That's how it works on my county/LA. Double yellows etc have a limit of 3 hours.

The truth is the single most effective measure to prevent abuse of blue badge spaces is to charge for them.

My La do. You pay the same as everyone else does. And use the space as long as you need it.

I wanted to pay to stay in this space for as long as I needed it.

I was told I couldn't.

@rwalker

I'd just take it on the chin and pay in full like everyone else

Read the thread.

I wanted to. In my home town I do.

I wasn't allowed.

They don't allow disabled people to use Bob spaces in the car park for more than 3 hours.

There was no option for ds to need to be there for more than 3 hours or be disabled for more than 3 hours.

Wow this is awful @itsgettingwierd Where I live, (and a few of the surrounding towns,) you get free parking for disabled for 4 hours... Then you can pop a pound into the machine for another 2 hours on top, or 3 pounds for another 4 hours.

Soooo, you can get 8 hours parking for 3 pounds (first 4 free, and 3 pounds for the next 4 hours.) You do have to come back to the machine after 4 hours - but most people don't mind that, as they time what they are doing around the town, so they can get back after 4 hours, then pay £3, and then come back again later...

I agree that you should complain to the council.

@itsgettingwierdrwalker
I'd just take it on the chin and pay in full like everyone else

Read the thread.

I wanted to. In my home town I do.

I wasn't allowed.

They don't allow disabled people to use Bob spaces in the car park for more than 3 hours.

There was no option for ds to need to be there for more than 3 hours or be disabled for more than 3 hours.

Having had a spell in a wheelchair myself and Blackpool which iso me local to me has the same 3hour rule on it's parking if you use a disable bay . I'd park at the end or if there was an empty space next to it so could transfer out or if not ask one of the attendant to help you safely get DS out of car if that means stopping traffic for a few minutes .

I suppose it could be to free up disabled spaces for other disabled drivers. So one car wasnt blocking a disabled space all day. I think thats fair enough.

@Viviennemary

I suppose it could be to free up disabled spaces for other disabled drivers. So one car wasnt blocking a disabled space all day. I think thats fair enough.

Because disabled people couldn't possibly need a space for a day, could they ?

Some folk should try and use lift in a wheelchair - it would crush their faith in humanity in an hour.

@itsgettingwierd

So today ds and I travelled to a sporting event for para sport somewhere we've not been before.

We knew there were lots of public car parks.

So we arrive, park, and I do to the machine to buy a ticket for 4-6 hours.

Note: car park is 24 hours and all ticket options available.

At the machine it says blue badge holders get 3 hours free. Fab I think and ask the attendant if I have to come back after the 3 hours to pay for the remaining time or how does it work.

Nope - I'm allowed 3 hours in the car park only. That's it.

It seemed really odd to me. My county allows 3 hours only if you park on double yellows which I've never done but all car parks you've paid as everyone does and can have as long as you need. At sports centres we've never been limited to time and it's been free like it's free to everyone.

The attendants reasoning was "to make it fair". But I don't get that. How's it's fair if you're disabled you can only stay somewhere for 3 hours but if you're able bodied you can stay all day?

I'd be happy to pay as don't think disability is a reason to need free parking - but it is a reason to need accessible parking so you can actually get out of the car!

This is absolutely nuts!!

@Viviennemary

I suppose it could be to free up disabled spaces for other disabled drivers. So one car wasnt blocking a disabled space all day. I think thats fair enough.

Drivers who don't need disabled spaces aren't limited to 3 hours in that cat park though, so it is discriminatory. And I'm not a blue badge holder.

Something similar happened to my Grandma several years ago - except there was inadequate signage so she didn't realise and got a fine. She appealed and the fine quashed on the grounds of it being discriminatory. I'd be complaining op, it's unlawful.

@Viviennemary

I suppose it could be to free up disabled spaces for other disabled drivers. So one car wasnt blocking a disabled space all day. I think thats fair enough.

Why should disabled people be limited to three hours when everyone else could park for as long as they liked? Why is that level of discrimination acceptable to you?

At the sports centre here parking is limited to 3 hours, except those with Blue badges who are allowed 4 hours because the council stated that they recognise it can take people with some disabilities longer to do things than fully able bodied people.

YANBU this is discriminatory!
If they have that many disabled people using the space they’ll need to make more.

Make sure that para council holds events in different place - or at least pay to have the use of multiple ‘normal’ bays as disabled bays.

@Viviennemary

I suppose it could be to free up disabled spaces for other disabled drivers. So one car wasnt blocking a disabled space all day. I think thats fair enough.

I think you’ll find that Blue Badge holders ‘use’ a space rather than ‘block’ it. When attending an all day event.

@Viviennemary

I suppose it could be to free up disabled spaces for other disabled drivers. So one car wasnt blocking a disabled space all day. I think thats fair enough.

But an able cosied person could 'block' a parking space for as long as they wanted. They could park all day.

It's not fair. It's discrimination to provide a different and lesser service for those who are disabled.

If there aren't enough spaces (there were anyway) make more. Don't discriminate.

I think you’ll find that Blue Badge holders ‘use’ a space rather than ‘block’ it.

For a lot of able people, disabled are in the way wherever they are.

You can move to another space and pay . But it would have to be a regular bay which isn't ideal for wheelchair or aid users. It's an odd rule but yes a fair one too . If disabled spaces are used all day then other disabled users don't get the same opportunity to use.

Write to your council for clarification or private car park owner about what options you have.

Sorry his happened . Often it's almost as tho we can't possibly leave the house and live independently without some barrier

If disabled spaces are used all day then other disabled users don't get the same opportunity to use.

Then they need more disabled spaces. People using the other spaces get to stay all day meaning that others don't get the same opportunity to use. It is NOT fair, it is discriminatory and if someone chose to take it up it is almost certainly illegal.

@Rhumatoidwarrior88

You can move to another space and pay . But it would have to be a regular bay which isn't ideal for wheelchair or aid users. It's an odd rule but yes a fair one too . If disabled spaces are used all day then other disabled users don't get the same opportunity to use.

Write to your council for clarification or private car park owner about what options you have.

Sorry his happened . Often it's almost as tho we can't possibly leave the house and live independently without some barrier

It's not a fair one, it's is discrimination. You evidently have no idea as parking in a regular bay 'isn't ideal' it's fucking impossible.