Disabled parking police

[essentialwaitrosesmokedham]

Why are people always giving people shit for parking in the disabled bays and interrogating them on whether or not they're truly disabled? Non-driving cyclist here so I have no skin in this game but I always think it's so crazy to give a shit about whether or not someone using a parking space is actually disabled or not.

And you wonder why entitled arses in blue badge spaces are called out?

My child is disabled (permanent wheelchair user).
The limited spaces is a huge issue for things like hospitals in particular. I’ve missed appointments circling a car park and having access to BB spaces is crucial for her.
Because it’s the law I wouldn’t even contemplate parking in a disabled bay without her unless I was collecting her - but that only applies to her school.
Anyone who antagonises me about having a BB (and I’ve had some) because I’m the driver will get short shrift.
If I saw someone else apparently not disabled using a disabled bay WITH a bb I’d assume they were dropping off/collecting a disabled person BEFORE I’d assume they were twats

Anyone parking in a disabled bay without a BB isn’t someone I’d person challenge but Ud be delighted if someone did. It’s a real “fuck you” to disabled people and believe me there are plenty of those in life already.

My 12 YO has a blue badge. Obviously he can't drive but the badge has his picture and name on and can only be used if he is in the car.

And if people without badges park in disabled spaces there wont be spaces available for people who actually need them so thats why there might be anger involved. Surely you can understand that OP?

Question: was that before or after you went through the phone book and called strangers with rude-sounding surnames before immediately hanging up?

People like to brag about endangering cyclists (I'm a driver, by the way, I just have control of my own temper, and hobbies, and a job, so I don't spend every waking second frothing about cyclists)

Oh dear, God forbid if some one exited a car, not behaving disabled enough. What is wrong with some people?

I think op just wants an argument. 🧐 But fwiw so many people in disabled spaces are CFs who don’t have a disability or a badge. How do I know? My mum was in a wheelchair until she died and as a child we really appreciated when we couldn’t get to Tesco because Derek in his twatty plumbers van thought it was ok to park in the last empty disabled space. If you can change a boiler you have a moral duty to fuck off and walk from a regular space. Police do fuck all about it so I’m grateful to those who challenge people. I’m sure someone will be along in a min to set us all straight though on how much harder it is being completely able to walk half a mile around Tesco but not 20 feet further across the car park. 🙄

It would be very stupid for someone to challenge another just because they looked fit & healthy. If they have a blue badge that's all that's required. Are you saying you'd challenge people parked in a gym disabled parking space with a blue badge?

How does that work? Are you in the UK.

Here Blue badge goes with the disabled person, they aren't issued to carers so can only be used when it's needed by the disabled person. If the carer used it without the disabled person present then that would be considered fraud.

The council parking enforcement where I live at often fining people for using someone else's blue badge.

My son has one and he would never be able to drive but it's still issued in his name, me & DH & his carers have to keep passing it around in order to use it. If I used it when he wasn't with me I would get fined.

You can use it if you're parking to collect or drop off the disabled person

Spoken like a true cyclist 😂

Exactly! I’ve got a blue badge, I have severe arthritis affecting most joints, I can walk but have some good days but my knee could lock or give way at any time with no warning so although I might be able to walk into a shop, I am prone to falling or having to be supported to get back into my car. This has happened a few times and is very embarrassing. I no longer go shopping alone for this reason. I also cannot bend my knees fully so I need to be able to open my door fully so I can actually get in and out of a car. I also go to the gym because exercise helps me manage my pain and strengthens my joints. Obviously I’m not running or weight bearing in the gym but I’m often a bit stiff after a workout so I can’t walk too far to my car. If anyone dares to challenge me then quite frankly they will be told to fuck off. I was once filmed by a BB police type walking back to my car. I smiled and flashed my thigh to calf leg braces (she couldn’t see these under a long skirt) and she quickly put her phone away while her husband apologised on her behalf.
My husband politely challenged a van driver who was pulling into a disabled space at a hospital last week. There were no other spaces and the driver admitted that he didn’t have a blue badge and he let us have the space. If he had said that he did have a blue badge then whether we believed him or not we would not have challenged him. We were glared at by an older couple when we were pulling into the space but as soon as they saw me hobble out on crutches they drove on. It’s stressful enough for disabled people worrying about whether they will get a parking space without having to worry about judgement from the blue badge police!

I don’t have an issue with someone saying “excuse me I think you have forgotten to display your badge” if there isn’t one on display - someone said that to me once and it saved a fine because I had genuinely forgotten to display it.

It’s when people get confrontational and expect you to justify parking there it’s an issue!

Incorrect. A friend of mine runs a community support agency for elderly and disabled people in the U.K. and she has a blue badge for this purpose.

Why would you park in a disabled space when there are so many other spaces?

I have a BB. I rarely use it because if I'm able to manage without, I leave the space for anyone less able to manage without one.

Those spaces are necessary for some people to be able to get out of the car physically or to walk a greater distance. They're also for children who cannot be safely managed in car parks

they are not for CF BMW drivers who want extra space for their cars or LF who can't walk across the carpark.

HTH

That's not actually strictly true. I have eye appointments I'm not able to drive after & use a voluntary service that helps in these type if situations (I do oat, but it's cheaper than a taxi & a better experience). They all have BB through the organisation to use when they are doing the voluntary driving if necessary. I only found out as I had taken mine the first time in case we needed it. & the driver told me about the ones they have. I was surprised but it does make sense. Not everyone they help would have thought to get one or remembered to take it & they do lots of hospital appointments where the ordinary parking can be a long way from the entrance

@essentialwaitrosesmokedham your mistake was admitting you are a cyclist. This thread will not go well for you. People might otherwise have agreed with you, but they won’t now. The sheer nerve of a cyclist having opinions on what people do with their cars 😉

WFWIW though, I disagree with you. It’s not like e.g. disabled toilets, where you might not know if someone is entitled to use them. Blue badges are issued. If the blue badge is not on display (and issued for the person who is using the vehicle) then I think it is fair to challenge.

My. DH has had a blue badge for over 30 years. I think we've come across people questioning it once maybe twice. Is it a thing?

Actually, I think their mistake was saying they didn't care about disabled spaces. I don't give a shit if they cycle.

What about the people in London who are disabled, find public transport unbelievably difficult and a car is the only sensible option?
what about people who can’t cycle for various reasons?
Maybe they should stay at home?
I think you are being a bit selfish in your attitude.

But they shouldn’t be using it unless he’s with them. It’s to make his life a bit easier.

Oh that's interesting. How could I get one ?
Or is it paid carers only? Could I get one for the carer?

We end up leaving it in the wrong car & then not being able to use it when we need it.

Yes that's how it is in my area. I was just interested in pp response that it was issued in the carers name rather than the disabled person so she could use it without them. That's not how my DS works

It’s for organisations that transport a lot of people with disabilities. So a local organisation to us who run a support centre for the disabled and have their own mini bus have one for when they take the people in their care out.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/blue-badge-can-i-get-one/can-i-get-a-blue-badge#blue-badges-for-organisations

That's not true. As I said before, a carer can use it to drop off or collect a disabled person (and whilst assisting with mobility etc)