Parking in disabled spaces when disabled person sitting in car

[Mokel]

If the blue badge holder isn’t going to leave the car, the car shouldn’t be parked in a disabled bay.

The purpose behind disabled bays is for disabled people don’t have to walk far to entrances to shops, doctors etc. If not leaving the car, there’s no need to park up there.

If a non disabled person is going to leave the car leaving the disabled person in the car, they should be parking in a normal parking space.

"The concerned passer by/OP would need to reference the face on the badge with the face of the person in the car."

There could be more than one BB holder using the vehicle. At times we have had three in our car and we haven't kept swapping the badges over according to who is in and out at any particular point.

How is your mother inconvenienced by you driving around to find a normal parking spot if she’s not leaving the car?

I struggle to understand how anyone can get worked up about this. If I saw someone sitting in a car in a disabled space, if I thought about it at all I would assume that they were just waiting there for a valid reason.

The 'concerned OP' wouldnt have any right or power to ask to see the picture on the BB and then furthermore - peer through the car window to check that they look like they do in the picture! It's also none of their business.

There are also different rules on car-parks, shopping centres etc rather than on-road parking.

Because it means she’s sitting in the car for longer. She gets uncomfortable sitting for too long but also getting in and out of the car is painful her. She also needs to be near a loo.

Source for this?

@AutumnCrow your GP may be able to help: they can sometimes request a pharmacy (in your case one with parking) get a drug in stock for a patient.

I hope they can. I’ve always thought the getting out the car rule was mostly so that bb holders wouldn’t get bullied by their families to tag along on every errand: you should be able to rest at home when you need to.

@phishy I guess my question is do you think it's okay that another disabled person might have to abandon their errands because you simply want to get your mum home more quickly and not have to drive around looking for an appropriate space when she isn't leaving the car?

Because it makes it harder for disabled people who do need to get out of the car?

It's not unusual to go somewhere and find all spaces taken

No, because I am immensely fortunate enough that I don't need one, and I wouldn't be enough of an arsehole to harass a disabled person because they need to sit in a car for reasons that are none of anyone's business and are impossible to ascertain just by looking at them.

In this situation you should move the car to a non-blue badge space once you've determined the badge holder is not getting out of the vehicle.

Blue badge spaces are NOT to provide you somewhere to park your car, leave the badge holder in the car where you can safely see them. You do risk losing her badge if you are caught doing this.

What if the blue badge holder has their badge for mental health reasons, is too anxious to leave the vehicle and needs to be parked in the blue badge space so they can see their carer at all times?

The badge has to be displayed in a manner that would allow any traffic warden/ parking attendant to view.

I completely agree with you OP, but not all octogenarians can see the logic / remember the rules. They construct their own understanding of what that the blue badge represents to them. A few times my father has insisted that I park in the disabled bay when he’s been waiting in the car for me to run his errands and I’ve refused.

The side of the BB with the photograph is not on display in the car !

Source? No idea - but, just common sense as how can you show front and back at the same time?

I was always under the impression that you had to show the front side as how would they know it was the person in the picture anyway if they weren't in the car? A lot of blue badge holders cant drive anymore so rely on other people to take them places.

How do you know the person leaving the car did not have a disability? Disability does not automatically mean you have a cane, or a walker.

No point arguing with someone who thinks they’re always right though, even when I’ve explained that it could make life difficult for a disabled person when I can walk the distance. No logic 🙄

How do you know they aren’t both disabled? Don’t fall for the visible disability trap..not a good look

what does it matter? they have a disabled badge, they are allowed to park their car in their spot.

how do you know that the person sat in the car IS the disabled person?

i have a blue badge, my DH does not drive, i do. I have mobility issues but nothing too obvious. (i have other invisible disabilities i wont go into). people scowl and tut when they see me get out of the drivers side..

mind your own business

I note that a couple of posters have said that there are lots of BB spaces where they live, that appear to be unoccupied in supermarkets etc. I wish that were true for where I reside. The BB spaces are constantly in use, many a time I have had to abandon my shopping trip due to this. It is frustrating, but I would never question anyone, if I saw them sitting in their car, in a BB space.

"The side of the BB with the photograph is not on display in the car !"

If ds and his grandad were in the car it would be possible to tell from the other side of the BB who owned that particular badge.

It does seem very rude to use a disabled space if a non disabled person only is getting out of the car. If that person is indeed not disabled …who knows

Especially rude if other disabled people haven’t got anywhere to park.

I’m disabled, and you’re right. Unless the disabled person is leaving the car, they don’t need a disabled space. Fit relatives don’t count.

How are they going to see their carer at all times if they're going into shops?