AIBU Parent & Child Space

[Noapologiesthisisme]

My DD (8) Is recovering from a dislocated knee. She is able to go out tomorrow and I have borrowed a wheelchair. Any twisting to her knee is very painful. Would I be unreasonable to use a parent and child space so I can help her out of the car into the wheelchair?

As a blue badge user, I wouldn’t be in the slightest bit bothered if OP used a disabled space for the wheelchair. The needs are no different to ours just because they are short term. I know how hard it is to transfer someone to a wheelchair without the space.

I think I’m the instance of temporary ‘disability’ such as a broken leg, I’d use a disabled space.

you can't without a blue badge

Actually, you can without a blue badge if you are disabled. The badge has no legal status in a private car park.

@Radziwill Sorry, I don’t agree at all. If you have short term mobility issue, you’re not entitled to any help with access?? That’s a pretty cold hearted stance.

No one is suggesting that people hop into a disabled bay just because they feel a bit achey. Someone may be genuinely and seriously incapacitated for 4-5 months but still wouldn’t get through the blue badge process in time.

Those spaces are for people with mobility issues. There’s not going to be a deluge of people - the number of extra people who could legitimately qualify would be tiny. And in all our local supermarkets the disabled bays are virtually empty.

As I say, I’m a blue badge holder and so are several family members. If someone has a genuine mobility issue, even if it’s only short term, they absolutely should receive the same support with accessing the store as someone with longer term problems.

But also, as I said above, there’s currently no mechanism for that and there really needs to be.

@Radziwill

Why is it that threads like this always result in blue badge holders having to defend their right to their own spaces? On trans threads, the consensus (rightly) tends to be that women have the right to our own spaces, no questions asked, regardless of whether using the men's facilities makes trans people feel scared, dysphoric, invalidated, etc. But then on threads like these, blue badge holders aren't afforded that respect. Same with threads about buggies in wheelchair spaces on buses.

Anyway, OP, of course you should use the parent-child spaces. It's just a marketing con, it's not legally protected like disabled spaces are.

This ,my son has a blue he has severe autism and learning disabilities and we need the space not only to get him in and out of the car safely but they are usually next to the shop so it's a safety issue he's been awarded by the LA because he meets the criteria as he gets high rate mobility under the severe mental impairment rules .

[quote SpidersAreShitheads]@Radziwill Sorry, I don’t agree at all. If you have short term mobility issue, you’re not entitled to any help with access?? That’s a pretty cold hearted stance.

No one is suggesting that people hop into a disabled bay just because they feel a bit achey. Someone may be genuinely and seriously incapacitated for 4-5 months but still wouldn’t get through the blue badge process in time.

Those spaces are for people with mobility issues. There’s not going to be a deluge of people - the number of extra people who could legitimately qualify would be tiny. And in all our local supermarkets the disabled bays are virtually empty.

As I say, I’m a blue badge holder and so are several family members. If someone has a genuine mobility issue, even if it’s only short term, they absolutely should receive the same support with accessing the store as someone with longer term problems.

But also, as I said above, there’s currently no mechanism for that and there really needs to be.[/quote]
And what do you class as mobility issues ?
My son can run ,jump ,walk as fast as the wind so no physical disabilities but he's a blue badge holder due to his severe mental impairment I can guarantee his need is greater than someone who has temporarily broken a bone

@ancientgran

x2boys It is maddening isn't it.

Totally!

Well I learn something new every day on here - if I was with a wheelchair user I would just use a disabled parking space, blue badge or not. Good to learn that you're not meant to.

Blue Badge holder, have needed one for years but only "qualified" last November, so had to use P&C or closest available space to the door until then, at considerable discomfort. They are hard to obtain for a reason, so that the spaces are not abused. Even with a badge there have been several instances where all the disabled bays are taken, and at least half aren't badged. Taxi's particularly seem to use them like pick up/waiting spaces, infuriatingly.

If your area has more disabled bays than needed, great, but in the very major city i live in, it's 50-50 if i get one or not. I would indeed object to "temporary" use for a broken leg etc. Use the P&C courtesy spaces if you need more room/need to be closer to the shop, or get dropped off at the door in the taxi bay before the driver parks (since you won't be the one driving with a broken leg). Disabled people get discriminated against and overlooked far too much already, don't try to take away the one legal protection they have to try to accomodate them!

And If some blue badge holders start agreeing it's fine for anyone with a temporary disability to use the space it's going to become like parents with children in buggies feeling their need to use the wheel chair space on buses is comparable be careful what you wish for

And what do you class as mobility issues ?
My son can run ,jump ,walk as fast as the wind so no physical disabilities but he's a blue badge holder due to his severe mental impairment I can guarantee his need is greater than someone who has temporarily broken a bone

Literally no one is saying his need is not greater, what we’re saying is there’s room for people who are temporarily impaired to be given temporary badges so they can use the spaces too.

@Newuser82 some children even at 9 have little or no road sense.

Also not all people with disabilities including children with disabilities are entitled to a blue badge.

@x2boys My son also has a blue badge for the same reason as yours.

I used the word mobility as a generic catch all but intended it to cover both physical and other types of needs. I apologise as you’re right, that wasn’t clear.

Our family has several blue badge holders which cover a wide range of disabilities. Children and adults. I completely understand the differing needs.

This isn’t a case of competing though. “My sons needs are higher so therefore if you just have a broken bone and can’t walk you shouldn’t get help”. Is that what we’re saying? Because I’m not on board with that at all.

A temporary scheme should easily resolve the issue.

It’s unbelievably selfish to suggest that your needs trump someone else’s. And I repeat, I say this as a blue badge holder.

Someone who has a short term disability is very unlikely to have the experience, knowledge, mobility aids or support to help them get around. Acknowledging that they have a genuine need to use a disabled bay is the fair and right thing to do - and could really help make a difference during an extremely difficult time.

In most car parks it simply isn’t true that there is room for people who are temporarily disabled to park in blue badge spaces.

If the scheme where to be extended to include those with temporary disabilities then you would also need to increase the number of spaces places are required to provide to meet the massive increase in use it wokld create

it's not legally protected like disabled spaces are.

Disabled spaces are not really legally protected in private car parks. There is a building requirement to provide them, there is no requirement to manage of police them, that is at the discretion of the car park operator.

In most car parks it simply isn’t true that there is room for people who are temporarily disabled to park in blue badge spaces.
if the scheme where to be extended to include those with temporary disabilities then you would also need to increase the number of spaces places are required to provide to meet the massive increase in use it wokld create

In some places this is the case, but it’s a lot better than it used to be as building regs changed to increase numbers. The ones at our local supermarkets are rarely fully. In general when I see all the spaces full, at least a third are taken by non badge holders. Proper policing of these spaces would solve that problem.

And If some blue badge holders start agreeing it's fine for anyone with a temporary disability to use the space it's going to become like parents with children in buggies feeling their need to use the wheel chair space on buses is comparable be careful what you wish for

That happens anyway so your point is moot.

@BoredZelda

As a blue badge user, I wouldn’t be in the slightest bit bothered if OP used a disabled space for the wheelchair. The needs are no different to ours just because they are short term. I know how hard it is to transfer someone to a wheelchair without the space.

I think I’m the instance of temporary ‘disability’ such as a broken leg, I’d use a disabled space.

you can't without a blue badge

Actually, you can without a blue badge if you are disabled. The badge has no legal status in a private car park.

Well some of us have experience of having fines for using them and forgetting the blue badge. Surely the land owner can impose rules on who can use their car park? At our local supermarket there is a sign on the disabled spaces warning you that you can be fined if you use them without a blue badge.

@BoredZelda

it's not legally protected like disabled spaces are.

Disabled spaces are not really legally protected in private car parks. There is a building requirement to provide them, there is no requirement to manage of police them, that is at the discretion of the car park operator.

In most car parks it simply isn’t true that there is room for people who are temporarily disabled to park in blue badge spaces.
if the scheme where to be extended to include those with temporary disabilities then you would also need to increase the number of spaces places are required to provide to meet the massive increase in use it wokld create

In some places this is the case, but it’s a lot better than it used to be as building regs changed to increase numbers. The ones at our local supermarkets are rarely fully. In general when I see all the spaces full, at least a third are taken by non badge holders. Proper policing of these spaces would solve that problem.

And If some blue badge holders start agreeing it's fine for anyone with a temporary disability to use the space it's going to become like parents with children in buggies feeling their need to use the wheel chair space on buses is comparable be careful what you wish for

That happens anyway so your point is moot.

At our local supermarkets the disabled spaces are frequently full, in one supermarket the spaces closest to the shop are P&C and they are frequently empty.

As long as it's a parent/child relationship there's no age limit, you could have a 70yo parent with a 45yo child and it's fine.

Where it becomes wrong is if it's a different relative with a child, eg grandparent and child wouldn't be allowed to use the space.

I think anybody using them is a bit of a fool apart from in cases such as yours where you need the space for a wheelchair. They aren't necessary for people with babies or toddlers. Nice to have but so ridiculous to hear people moaning that someone else shouldn't be using them because their child is older or they are an injured adult. If you can't get a toddler out of your cat without a special massive car parking space your car is unreasonably big.

@MorningStarling

As long as it's a parent/child relationship there's no age limit, you could have a 70yo parent with a 45yo child and it's fine.

Where it becomes wrong is if it's a different relative with a child, eg grandparent and child wouldn't be allowed to use the space.

Are you joking?

@MorningStarling

As long as it's a parent/child relationship there's no age limit, you could have a 70yo parent with a 45yo child and it's fine.

Where it becomes wrong is if it's a different relative with a child, eg grandparent and child wouldn't be allowed to use the space.

Wind up?

I assumed @MorningStarling post was tongue in cheek?

Parking in a disabled bay without a blue badge is wrong; it reduces the number of spaces for people with permanent, long term disabilities.

If more room is needed to get out of a car, there are usually loads of empty spaces at the back of supermarket car parks. In all honesty, I think P & C spaces don't need to be right at the front of car parks either.