Do you regularly park in disabled bays?

[spoffle]

I had a big argument and lost my temper with a lady pushing someone in a wheelchair over this. I was at a motorway cafe with my daughter who was around 5yrs old. I didn't want to take her into the mens with me because she was getting older and I didn't feel she was old enough to go into the ladies on her own. So I took her into the disabled/accessible toilet.

When we came out I got a barrage of abuse from a lady waiting outside with an elderly lady in a wheelchair. I wouldn't have minded her politely questioning it but the attitude from her and her sense of entitlement was terrible. She was very rude and very aggressive. It's one of the few times I've lost my temper with anyone and shouted them down. I simply wasn't going to take that kind of abuse from anyone. The wheelchair bound lady in her care seemed quite ebarrassed by it. My daughter had just as much right as anyone to use that toilet.

I've never actually had any issues with people moaning about it.

However, she was completely on the wrong there, they aren't to be called disabled, or restricted to disabled people only because it's discrimination.

 

[Abyss]

I have never parked in a disabled bay unless I have a blue badge holder with me who is getting out of the car.

Based on some of the opinions in this thread I would high reccomend you read the rules relating to where blue badge holders can/can't park.

E.g.

Where I work, onsite to a city hospital, idiots park on double yellow lines and think they are entitled to as they have a blue pass. I experience it daily fully able drivers swearing at traffic officers as they been given a ticket meanwhile they been blocking ambulances and other hospital vehicles from working.

A blue badge entitles the owner to park for up to 3 hours on a single or double yellow line

Source: http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales...isabled_people_and_penalty_charge_notices.htm

 

[wilber]

I have once for a hospital appointment.

Everywhere was rammed full and the hospital has a 50+ disabled spaces all empty.

Due to **** up of an NHS in mid wales I have to travel 2 hours 30 minutes one way for these appointments.

Even though i do not hold a blue badge, I have 50% paralysis of my foot and have to permanently wear an uncomfortable brace to walk.

 

[logicfry]

one of my mates is able bodied but has a disabled child. she has a badge that she is only ment to use when her kid is in the car. but she takes the line that she has to look after her child all the time and the little bonus of parking in the disabled bay is her right as a parent of a disabled child.

is that right?

by the letter of the law she can't do that.

parent and child spaces at the supermarket is fair game though as they are made up by the supermarket and not set in law. I have parked in them in the past when with my mum, who's child i am.

a lot of the time we're in a van with a trailer so park accross many bays about as far away from the shop as possible. again it's kind of using more than needed but just using 2 lengeth ways would mean hanging out a fair bit at both ends.

 

[Jonnybmac]

i use them only on a night when theres lots of them available and i know nobody will be using any.

 

[beachBOYken]

This again. What does a disability look like? It isn't necessarily an obvious physical impairment.

This!

 

[-BA-]

The irony of these two posts finding themselves next to each other in a thread started by Diddums was not lost on me; not sure maccapacca intended his reply to follow Luke's though.

 

[spoffle]

one of my mates is able bodied but has a disabled child. she has a badge that she is only ment to use when her kid is in the car. but she takes the line that she has to look after her child all the time and the little bonus of parking in the disabled bay is her right as a parent of a disabled child.

is that right?

by the letter of the law she can't do that.

parent and child spaces at the supermarket is fair game though as they are made up by the supermarket and not set in law. I have parked in them in the past when with my mum, who's child i am.

a lot of the time we're in a van with a trailer so park accross many bays about as far away from the shop as possible. again it's kind of using more than needed but just using 2 lengeth ways would mean hanging out a fair bit at both ends.

In supermarket car parks, disabled bays aren't illegal to park in if the council doesn't manage the car park. So in such a situation there is no legal recourse to doing so.

So no they aren't set in law either. Legal doesn't mean morally right age illegal doesn't mean morally wrong.

 

[Orionaut]

This again. What does a disability look like? It isn't necessarily an obvious physical impairment.

People diagnosed with Terminal Cancer get Blue Badges as a matter of routine. (At least they did 7 years ago)

They can nevertheless appear fine however to the casual eye.

Appearances can be deceptive.

 

[spoffle]

People diagnosed with Terminal Cancer get Blue Badges as a matter of routine. (At least they did 7 years ago)

They can nevertheless appear fine however to the casual eye.

Appearances can be deceptive.

That can't be right. Surely you're not disabled unless you're in a wheelchair, slumped to the side with a vacant expression on your face all day every day?

 

[timebomb26]

I don't park in disabled bays, because I'm not disabled.

 

[Em3bbs]

Never park in disabled bays.

I am always curious why parent and child spaces are nearer to the entrance as well. Surely they should be as far away from the front to help deal with our child obesity problems. Would help mums shift those last few lbs of baby weight too.

It's not just mothers that do the weekly shopping you know.

As mentioned before in the thread it makes it a lot easier for parents to get kids in/out of the car, especially if they are infants or toddlers who wouldn't be walking that much anyway. In an ideal world all parking spaces would be the same size as those in the parent and child bays. I don't always use them as you see kids pushing trolleys around them a lot.

 

[logicfry]

No. I have legs, which work.


However...


One thing which annoys me is when cars with badges pull into the space, then the able-bodied person in the vehicle gets out and walks to the shop, leaving the actual badge-holder in the car. Apparently those spaces are there to provide the disabled with better views.

so instead of the able bodied person running in to grab whatever and taking 2 mins. instead you'd rather they got out, got the wheel chair (or whatever) out and then helped that person into the shop, for a single or couple of small items and then help them back to the car, put all the stuff away, help them into the car etc. using the space for 15-20min instead of 2-5?

 

[logicfry]

In supermarket car parks, disabled bays aren't illegal to park in if the council doesn't manage the car park. So in such a situation there is no legal recourse to doing so.

So no they aren't set in law either. Legal doesn't mean morally right age illegal doesn't mean morally wrong.

even though the supermarket has to supply up to 6% disabled spaces when they build the carpark?

 

[spoffle]

even though the supermarket has to supply up to 6% disabled spaces when they build the carpark?

That's a different matter altogether. They have to accommodate that car park to ensure people with physical disabilities are easily able to use the parking facilities. The spaces themselves are bigger to facilitate a wheelchair user getting out with their chair without damaging adjacent cars.

The same way they are legally obliged to provide ramp access if the entrance to their store isn't flat enough for a wheelchair user to access.

 

[Sanchez]

I don't park in disabled spaces ever. Nor do I park in P&C spaces when I don't have my daughter with me. This does get me very annoyed though, in fact the death penalty should be enforced for people who park in these spaces when they have no child in the car. I've taken to shouting "Oi, I think you've forgotten you child!" to the morons that use the spaces when they don't have a kid with them. Oh, and if your kid is out a child seat then you don't qualify for P&C spaces either.

 

[Hades]

That can't be right. Surely you're not disabled unless you're in a wheelchair, slumped to the side with a vacant expression on your face all day every day?

I assume it's because their condition can turn very quickly and unpredicatbly. By the time they need a wheelchair they may still be waiting for the blue badge application to be approved.

 

[spoffle]

I don't park in disabled spaces ever. Nor do I park in P&C spaces when I don't have my daughter with me. This does get me very annoyed though, in fact the death penalty should be enforced for people who park in these spaces when they have no child in the car. I've taken to shouting "Oi, I think you've forgotten you child!" to the morons that use the spaces when they don't have a kid with them. Oh, and if your kid is out a child seat then you don't qualify for P&C spaces either.

The king has spoken, everyone obey his highness. His word is absolute.

 

[Clarkson]

Never parked in a disabled space. I always drive past the unnecessarily vast amount of unused disabled spaces and park on level 9640 of the car park where the normal spaces are. (If one can be found).

 

[Youstolemyname]

It's not just mothers that do the weekly shopping you know.

As mentioned before in the thread it makes it a lot easier for parents to get kids in/out of the car, especially if they are infants or toddlers who wouldn't be walking that much anyway. In an ideal world all parking spaces would be the same size as those in the parent and child bays. I don't always use them as you see kids pushing trolleys around them a lot.

Doesn't explain why they are always near the front though. I get that they need to be a bit wider for people to manoeuvre the kid out of the car seat and in to the pram etc, but not why they need to be right next to the door. This deprives lazy people of a great space meaning they have to illegally use the disabled bay or sneakily park in the drop off/pick up bit.