Blue Badge Violators

[SallyBear]

My mission in life is to embarrass those who feel it's acceptable to take their kids to school in their elderly mothers motability car (which is fine) but then PARK in the disabled space without a blue badge. I saw a mum from school park up in one outside school, I looked at her dash saw it was empty. I walked back to my car, picked up DS4's badge and went and tapped on her window. "Do you have one of these?" I asked, waving the BB. "What's one of those?" she asks. " A blue badge entitling the holder to park in this space, as long as the person it's for is in the car" I replied. "Oh I left it at home, but I have got a disabled tax disc!". "Not really the same thing is it?" I carried on by suggesting that she should display her badge next time. I know, I was being a bitch, but seriously?!!
Today I turn up at school. Disabled space is free, she is parked in a normal space.

that was the worst part of the school run at dd3's old school, so glad I don't have to that anymore! Unfortunately there was a small number of parents that really didn't care they didn't have a badge, the only one that could make them move out of the bay was the traffic warden.

I know it's a hollow victory, because in a perfect world I would gladly hand it and Beyonce Car back if they weren't needed. But sadly they are.

no, if it makes one person think then that is a good thing! Just there will always be a small group that really don't give a shit and that I found quite demoralising.

You've educated one more person in the world about not being able to get away with parking without a blue badge, you should feel good

I am constantly trying to hide my anger when we go to our local shops etc. I have a friend who has a wheelchair using daughter and needs space at the rear of her vehicle to enter and exit the ramp. She has polite signs in the window but still people park up her backside and therefore she often gets stuck and has to wait for them to return

Sometimes a bit of common sense would work wonders

I agree when it comes to blue badges needing to be displayed BUT please check carefully due to the many invisible disabilities that can necessitate a badge.

I know you know that Sally LOL, I mean people passing by on this thread.

I have been known to tackle people for idiotic parking on the school run when it is not blue badge related ie making it dangerous for pedestrians, particularly children. But the disabled spaces were only painted after DS left primary - otherwise I'm sure I would have confronted may more people over the years. The ones at his secondary school are always occupied by staff cars however, and DS says he only knows of one physically 'disabled' staff member, and he doesn't park there!!!!
I sadly don't think we will ever eradicate people's inconsiderate/entitled behaviour where disabled spaces are concerned. At our local supermarket, the customers clearly think that if you are disabled then you stay at home in the evening and on Sundays, so the blue badge criteria doesn't apply then!!! Usual handful of offenders at other times too of course.
Lexi we also have a rear access ramp for DD with a sign in the back window asking for people to leave room. Sadly, they often do not, which means I now don't risk parking on street when DD is with me as it could be hours before the 'idiot' returns to their car. In our local town, I could park on the road for 3 hours free with DDs badge - but daren't risk it in case we are blocked out of the car. This means we have to park on the council run car parks which are not free to badge holders - just so I can park in a bay & ensure rear access. Have tried raising this with the LA when they were recently reviewing parking charges for blue badge holders, but it fell on deaf ears!!!

I had a 'go' at a Sunday morning football team. I'd gone to the park with ds. Car park full. 3 disabled parking bays. All taken. We had to park on the road with the badge. NONE of the cars parked in the disabled bit were displaying badges. When they came off the pitch I watched them put their kitbags and boots in the cars parked there and then enquired..... "now, which of you fine, strapping and clearly fit young players are disabled?".

They were embarrassed. As they should be.

When using ds's blue badge with him in the car obviously, the only trouble we get always comes from OAPs who question why we have one This then spooks ds who bolts from the car and runs like the wind which then seemingly justifies their assertions that we aren't entitled and I have been threatened to be reported twice

we I'll tell you my tale, it's always good for a laugh...............
Came out of our local supermarket to find a police car parked in the next disabled bay to us. I ripped an envelope up and wrote on the back:
It's great to see the police force don't discriminate against disablility, however next time could you please use your badge!! I then stuck it to the window using the wipers, everyone watching was laughing, clapping etc
On the other hand I have had all the comments, looks etc and once while waiting for a space someone else older pulled up.............the old git decided to pull out of his space to free the space for the elderly and more invalid. So I went for someone else coming out, again the same happened, so on the next space my friend jumped in the space before any other car could get in and just as it was about to happen again she explained to the driver that I had a disabled child in the car, she was replied with all the effings and blindings under the sun..................as I proceeded to get DS in his wheelchair, the old man said you kids will do anything to get what you want!!!

WTF DE? Given he ahs a visible disability, that's just ridiculous!

My dad is disabled and has a blue badge. When he first became disabled he was much more militant.

He printed up leaflets that said "if you want my disability, then you can park in this space, blah blah blah..........."

Love the envelope on the police car Dev

We've only just started on the Blue Badge journey, and I worked so hard to get DS one, that I am buggered that I will lose it due to flagrant disregarding of the rules. Hence my "former smoker stance"!!

I did check that there wasn't any hidden disabilities, and if she had whipped out a blue badge to show me I would have gladly apologised for doubting her. As it turned out it's her mother who's registered disabled, but doesn't live with her, nor was in the car with her...

Love your police car story Dev!

It's shocking that its the elderly who are the most indignant about them, as I swear blind that they think the blue badge parking outside a SM eg. Tesco's has "Parking for Derek Small only" written on it!!

sally, you could always go for the 'you forgot to put your badge up' approach in case you're worried about having a go at people who have simply forgotten like I have done I once got into an arguement outside school one morning when I couldn't park to drop dd3, the bloke who'd parked over both bays just laughed at me, I called him a few names, not one of my finer moments so I tend to not bother these days. And the entitled arse still kept parking in the bays. I've only been challenged once, by an older lady, dh reckons I have a 'back off or else' look. I so wish dd3 had no need for a blue badge.

SAlly if its a Motability car belonging to her mother, then using it to take her ds to school is probably not within the allowed use. Ditto the exempt tax disc - they should only be used when the disabled person is in the car, or for their benefit.

Starfish true but Mum could quite easily be doing a drop kids and run to help Mother or get her shopping errand couldn't she? I imagine that is how many carers of elderly people who also have their own children run their day- drop kids at school and scurry over

Often see non blue badge holders in the disabled space at nursery meaning I've had to struggle with a 3.8 year old CP child who has to be carried as he cant walk!

If I saw the owner I would say something but I think its one of the staff as I was the first (proxy) parent there!

Sad and irritating fact of life, misuse of motability cars and disabled badges!

I do the 'passive agressive' "oh youv'e forgotten to put your blue badge up, I wouldn't want you to get a ticket...." it allows me to be shocked... what do you mean you don't have one???

For us (BB is for dh, not ds) it's the people who are "just" that irritate me most, ie Oh I'm just doing X or Y... like that makes it ok...

My MiL was terrible when her mother was alive. Mil in her early 70's and though her hip and knees were playing her up, she didn't have a blue badge. So she used to use her mothers! It drove me mad!!! I told her that if she was caught that they would take it away and hamper her chances of getting one later. It did the trick.

DD has a blue badge now, and I always worry that people are going to be arsey when I park in a disabled space. Last week we had a hospital appointment and I parked in a disabled space. There was an old chap sitting on the bench by the spaces and I prepared myself for battle... I put up the BB, got out of the car and decided that, since we had plenty of time and we were close to the door, DD could walk (she's an independent walker, but slow and tires quickly due to CP). I saw him watching us, and gritted my teeth, waiting for the comment. He looked at me and smiled - and said 'She's doing well!' I'm sure we'll meet our fair share of unreasonable ones though.

(And notice how, even though we are all in the same boat and I know you realise that if DD has a BB she must need it, I still felt the need to justify it because I said she could walk...)

Love your story dev :o

The best bit of disabled bay abuse I've seen was by a twat of a BMW driver (what a surprise ) who parked on the yellow criss cross section between 2 disabled bays. Unfortunately it was the one and only time I couldn't find a parking attendant to ticket him /her.

At our local shopping centre someone parked on the yellow hatched area, leaving the disabled bays on either side empty.

Am unsure whether to be slightly satisfied that he left the disabled bays empty, or frustrated that many people could then not use the disabled bays.