Parents stop parking in disabled spaces outside leisure centres

[OutForBreakfast]

I am so fed up of people with no blue badge parking outside leisure centres in disabled spaces while they pick up their child. I am sure in their mind they think they are only going to be a minute. But every week we have to wait until a space becomes available and so are late for an activity. Parking further away and walking there is not physically possible, which is why we have a blue badge.

And yes it is always parents doing this, every single time. They come strolling out of the centre with running kids and if I say anything they always claim to have a Blue Badge although they never have one on display. There are three spaces so it is not like this is just one family. So selfish.

Is it the people who drive large, expensive cars? I’m a blue badge holder myself and I’ve found that it’s the people who have expensive cars that they don’t want scratched so they either park in a disabled space or a parent and child space (without a child) as they’re bigger spaces. That, or they’re massive idiots who don’t understand the consequences of a disabled person not having access to that disabled space.

I have a disabled DS with a blue badge. You wouldn't know it to look at him. I've lost count of the time people have walked over giving us hacky looks, then suddenly look away once they get close enough to spot the badge.

OK, three or more disabled families at the same time is relatively unlikely, but not impossible, so maybe the problem lies with the leisure centre not providing enough spaces.

@Sprogonthetyne Presumably you display your blue badge? These cars never have a blue badge.

@glossypeach Yes! Big fancy 4x4's. Just park further away and bloody walk.

Happens all the time at the one we go to. It's a tight, busy car park so all the big 4x4s park in the disabled bays because they can't park their parent wagons properly or because they're late and they can't be arsed parking further away and making little Rocco run to class.

(Both my parents are blue badge holders, people parking inconsiderately drives me nuts)

My son has a blue badge and can run and jump.,we also have a mobility car, he gets it under the severely mental impairment criteria ,we do display the badge though .

Happens everywhere , when challenged it’s always its only five minutes - m drives me nuts

It's very unfair

Do remember not everyone with a disability looks disabled. My dd is entitled to a badge but would look fine to you. We don't actually have one as I don't actually need it, the criteria is met though

You need to get there earlier so you're not late for the activity I guess. And/or block them in and display your blue badge if you're feeling brave. You're right it's wrong but account for it in your own timings and keep complaining to the centre.

Park behind them, put your badge up and go in to your activity!

We have a blue badge holder who doesn’t ‘look’ disabled but we always display a B.B. it’s infuriating when people take the spaces needed by disabled people.

That's fair enough but until you apply for a blue badge, you're not entitled to park in the space, even with a hidden/less obvious disability. Same with anyone else who meets the criteria for a blue badge but doesn't have one or hasn't applied for one.

Those spaces are reserved by law for those who actually display a blue badge. Anyone else who parks there will be breaking the law.

Agree with this. Unless they’re actually inconvenienced they won’t stop.

(Used to live by a school. You can imagine.)

I find a lot of women (not all, bust most) that drive these large 4x4s struggle to get in and out spaces. It is beyond me why anyone gets a car they cannot drive properly.
Have you spoken to the centre. Maybe if they know they can have a member of staff 'police' it for start and end of child's classes.

we need some kind of bollard/entrance that you need to scan your card IMO

Very frustrating my dc are always commenting on 'posh cars with no blue badge'.Happened to us last week at dcs large secondary school parents evening. When I complained that none of the cars blue badge spaces were displaying blue badges head teacher said it was lazy parents and nothing he could do! So I with a blue badge had to park a distance away and then struggle to access the building.

@gogohmm Disabled spaces are for blue badge holders. If you really think you are entitled then apply. If I am honest I am not sure I believe you. Plenty of people think they should have a blue badge but are not entitled, the criteria is strict. Because blue badges also means reduced on street parking costs and I see no reason not to access that if you are entitled.

And of course people can run and be entitled to a blue badge. But I meant it is not even as if these kids pr adults have a temporary physical disability when they would not be entitled to a blue badge, but would be experiencing difficulties. They have no blue badge and no sign of temporary difficulties. They just cant be bothered walking from car park further away or they do not want their cars scratched.

It will be the same ones who illegally park outside schools endangering children walking to school.

@Spotsstripes That is really selfish of them.

If you don't need a Blue Badge then you shouldn't be parking in Blue Badge bays.

OP, are these council run leisure centres? I would take pictures (including lack of displayed BB) and send to your council's parking enforcement team.

Also complain to centre management, Tell them their lack of action is discrimination against your diabled child.

Yes I've seen them doing this at my leisure centre too. I always look at the long line of SUVs in the disabled bays and think there's no way they are all disabled! And they also park in the drop off/collection lane for ages, even though you are meant to be there seconds while you pick up or drop off.

When I complained that none of the cars blue badge spaces were displaying blue badges head teacher said it was lazy parents and nothing he could do

well if it's a state school and council property presumably he can get the council civil enforcement people in to ticket the cars. If it's a private school they'd have to employ a private company to issue contractual penalty notices which would be enforceable as long as the signs were clear that only blue badge holders could use blue badge bays and that there wasn't a get-out for SUV drivers.

That isn't relevant here. If you want to park in a blue badge space you must have the badge. If you feel you qualify but don't have one, that doesn't mean you can use the space.

Anyway, I can't understand why anyone who qualifies wouldn't get one, it makes such a difference.

I don’t agree with this. It’s just as often men as women who can’t drive or park those big cars. Lots of men take up wider spaces with them, or just park across two ordinary spaces.

But I agree with the OP - don’t park in a disabled space unless you have a blue badge and are displaying it.

Unfortunately, having children doesn't stop absolute dicks from being absolute dicks. There is a woman whose DD used to go to nursery with my DD; she was incandescent one time because she'd been given a ticket for parking in a disabled bay, because she genuinely did not understand that they are not the same as parent-and-child spaces. She expected me and the other parents to share her indignation. Someone pointed out P&C spaces aren't a legal thing but a courtesy. It didn't go down well.