Parking and the elderly

[Ireallycantthinkofagoodone]

I recently attempted to renew a blue badge for an elderly (93 year old) relative. Despite him needing to use a walking frame or sticks, having had several falls, having stiff and painful joints, and a bit of confusion, he has been refused a blue badge.

I have lived in an area that had a ‘brown badge’ scheme, which were given to anyone over a certain age - I think it was 70 or 75. Now, not everyone needs to secure a space near to store entrances - I’m late 70’s myself and regularly walk 8-10k a day, but many people do need this, as they can’t confidently walk too far.

But aside from blue badge spaces, the only other close ones are parent and baby spaces. Why? I don’t understand why the latter can’t be further away, and wide enough to access car seats.

If my 93 year old relative is no longer entitled to a blue badge, I feel the only option is to park in a so called baby space, so that I can encourage his ongoing independence in choosing his food shopping. He just wouldn’t go if I couldn’t assist.

AIBU - Elderly people don’t need consideration in supermarket car parks

AINBU - If blue badges are being heavily restricted now, spaces in car parks should be set aside for the elderly, and parent/baby spaces moved further away.

I have a blue badge as I am physically disabled but I can't understand why an elderly man with mobility issues would not be entitled to one, that is crazy. Tbh if there are no available disabled bays my husband and i have been known to park in a parent and child bay. We display my badge clearly and if one is around we let a parking attendant know and they have alwaysjways been fine about it. My husband has been mistaken for my Dad on a number of occasions despite only being 5 years older than me.

Just use the parent and child spaces while you challenge the blue badge rejection.

There was a report on our local news about a man with a leg amputation whose application to renew his blue badge was refused. The council's excuse was that he hadn't supplied sufficient "proof" that he needed it, despite having to use a prosthetic foot and walking aids. And they were very quick to point out that they were "following national guidelines" - otherwise known as passing the buck. Local councils always claim to be short of cash, but are happy to waste it on re-assessing blue badge applications from people who are never going to get any better. At any rate, I've never heard of someone with a temporary disability even being awarded a blue badge in the first place, so don't see the logic in their insisting that all renewals need to be treated as new applications. In the case mentioned above, it's not as though the poor chap's leg is going to miraculously grow back, is it?

My mother who’s 91 has a BB due to her being wheelchair bound . She doesn’t drive but Im her carer . I need a wider space to get her wheelchair alongside the car for access . If the BB spaces are full , I park at the entrance and get her out of the car and into the wheelchair, often causing a traffic hold up . I go off to park and meet her at the entrance and do everything in reverse when we’ve finished . It’s not ideal bit I wouldn’t park in a P&C space .

I cannot believe how many idiots people on this thread either can't read or are not capable of employing some critical thinking but still assume they know better.

Its quite the worry.

Well said. The argument 'if you can do x you can do y' often misses the point and works against disabled people.

That’s unreasonable, an able adult, should be able to park on an end space, life is easier with kids than being disabled

For the amount of time that would have taken, it would be better to park in the parent and child space, unload your mother, then move yourself elsewhere. People who hold up the traffic in car parks, especially for how long that would have taken, are really annoying.

The best arrangement I've seen for P&C spaces had them round the back of the store, so not near the door, but no crossing traffic between the spaces and the supermarket door.
I think our local supermarket has a couple of benches near a drop-off layby immediately outside the front, making it an easy option to drop off a physically disabled adult and then go and park further away.

End spaces are not always available. People are debating here if you can be charged for parking in P and C spaces. As I said previously, supermarket car parking is usually on their land and they make the rules. The usual public car parking/ road parking rules do not apply. Sometimes these supermarket car parks are managed by private companies. They can send you a fine in the post if you don’t go by their rules. Yes this can be if you have incorrectly used a P and C space.

Do you think that disabled people don't need to be taken shopping either? What about days out? Perhaps just reopen the institutions for disabled children. Why wouldn't someone still want to be involved in running their house.
@Catapultaway if the supermarket is on a retail park, it can easily be half a mile. Ours is a third of a mile (just looked it up). Walking using the trolley as a walking aid, inside is a lot easier. Then there's the wheelchairs.

@Ireallycantthinkofagoodone as said, challenge the decision, take over the application.

I imagine that Dignitas will be mentioned in your next posting.

Ive had two childten under 2, and a patent with a wheelchajr who isnt disabled enough for aBlue Badge.

It was a hell of a lot easier to get the baby/toddlers out of the car and into a shop from a normal space than it is with the wheelchair user.

In supermarket car parks the disabled parking spaces never seem to be policed. I’m pretty sure if your elderly friend parked there without a blue badge he would be absolutely fine. I doubt that staff are going to get into a confrontation. Tbh they seem to just allow people to pinch things and walk out without being challenged, so I’m sure a 93 year old parking in a disabled spot without a badge isn’t going to be confronted. That’s the least of their worries.

But what do they do? There are no brown badge spaces, so what is the brown badge for?

Works the same as blue badge parking spaces, closer to amenities in city centres. I don’t much about these, I just noticed it was something when I was trying to argue my mums point when she was refused a blue badge. These are not a thing in the city I live in.

Exactly
There might be nowhere to sit .
They might get stressed and try and find the driver .
Other pedestrians walking about looking at their phones not their surroundings are a massive hazard .
They might get bumped into.
They might be robbed .