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Grrr - blue badge
Comments
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welshman1982 wrote: »No blue badge, no parking there. Its that easy.
I agree with this bit of your post but not the rest.
Too many people are afraid to question. The biggest fault lies with the supermarkets who take the time to put up signs politely requesting people not to 'abuse' the spaces.
What they should do is instead of having a bloke sat in front of a CCTV screen at the entrance doing not much else, make it his job to go outside at random intervals throughout the day challenging people with no blue badges displayed - or stickering those who might already be shopping inside.
If they're not prepared to take action against those using the spaces when they shouldn't be, then why not make do without the polite requests and make it a free for all?0 -
Its not that its misleading, as such. Its more to do with the way the country has adopted more and more illnesses as disabling....when in fact, if you look at it, just about every illness is disabling in some way. It doesnt mean that anyone with an illness should have a blue badge though and so I agree that the majority of blue badge holders should be wheelchair users.But to add - I do disagree that the blue badge should only be for people who use a wheelchair or have severe mobility problems - there are many other disabilities which can be limiting to mobility (eg being blind) but which do not involve using a wheelchair. It is estimated that 5-10% of the disabled population are wheelchair users - therefore the wheelchair symbol being used to represent disability can be viewed as being misleading.
The Blue Badge system was introduced for people who had severe trouble walking. With supermarket carparks, its not that other spaces are far away but that other spaces dont provide enough room for some to get in and out of their cars without causing accidents. And also, its sometimes not very safe for some people in wheelchairs to be navigating walking through the carpark.
Someone who has a heart condition, for example, does not have these same issues....even though they are still disabled in a sense. A person with a heart condition can open the car door safely, for example.
It shouldnt be granted on how well you walk....or at least I dont think it should.....and should really be concentrating on the ones who do need wheelchairs or walking aids.
Far too many people have blue badges.....which makes the scheme a little more than ridiculous anyway as you can never find a space now.... compared with 10 years ago.0 -
LittleTinker wrote: »
Far too many people have blue badges.....which makes the scheme a little more than ridiculous anyway as you can never find a space now.... compared with 10 years ago.
I don't think it's because of too many blue badges - I think it's because too many people nowadays want to protect their precious lump of metal, or can't be bothered to walk a bit further.0 -
As I said....far too many blue badges these days. Everytime I took my mum out every space was always filled with a BB holder.pepperwhitemini wrote: »I don't think it's because of too many blue badges - I think it's because too many people nowadays want to protect their precious lump of metal, or can't be bothered to walk a bit further.
10 years ago, there wasnt much of a problem at all......we could always get a space as there were much less blue badges about.
You cant even get a disabled space in the multi storey......and they are checked for badge holders.0 -
pepperwhitemini wrote: »I agree with this bit of your post but not the rest.
Too many people are afraid to question. The biggest fault lies with the supermarkets who take the time to put up signs politely requesting people not to 'abuse' the spaces.
What they should do is instead of having a bloke sat in front of a CCTV screen at the entrance doing not much else, make it his job to go outside at random intervals throughout the day challenging people with no blue badges displayed - or stickering those who might already be shopping inside.
If they're not prepared to take action against those using the spaces when they shouldn't be, then why not make do without the polite requests and make it a free for all?
And is that the same for the Supermarkets that have signs saying "Disabled Parking Only"?0 -
welshman1982 wrote: »Hi everyone. This issue really winds me up. The whole point of a Blue Disabled Parking Badge is that its only to be used by/for a person who is either unable to walk (wheelchair users hence the symbol) or is unable to walk without being in great pain or making their condition worse by walking. I am a wheelchair user myself and need these wide disabled bays in order to lift my wheelchair out of the car, put it together, then get into it. The amount of people who just park in these spaces because they feel like it or feel as if they have a good reason to use these spaces is crazy. No blue badge, no parking there. Its that easy. Many a time i've witnessed people parking in these spaces then jump out the car and go running into the shops. Obviously nothing wrong with them as they can run. Or if its raining people park in the disabled spaces as they are closer and they wont get as wet. I had to go through the process of applying for a blue badge and use it as your supposed too. If I was able to park and run into shops then I would be only too happy to park in the furthest space away from the shop and run in. Some people say they dont need a blue badge but are disabled. Well sorry but i have no sympathy for them atall. Its a case of going to your town hall/local council or getting someone to do it on your behalf and filling in one form and giving a few pieces of paper. Hardly rocket science. Elderly people i've seen parking in these spaces and get out and walk off no problems atall. Again, just becasue your old doesnt mean you can park in a disabled space.
I've lost count at the amount of people who have given me filthy looks and pointed and said 'Oh look at him, hes not disabled is he', as i've been parking in a disabled bay. Its as if becasue i'm 26 i shouldnt be parking their! I make a point then of opening my car door, lifting out my wheelchair and saying to them 'Look, i'm not disabled am i, I just bring this wheelchair out with me and sit in it as its easier for carrying my shopping in'. The entire blue badge system needs a complete overhaul. Too many people abuse it and too many people have blue badges who have no problems walking at all. I only wish they ones who abuse it had to spend a week in a wheelchair without the use of their legs and try and go out and park in a disabled bay only to find they cant as they are being abused by non disabled persons. Their attitudes would soon change.
Here here Welshman, I hear every word you say. I've been ill since I was 4 and got a blue badge as soon as I passed my test at 19 and just like you people would see me parking and give me dirty looks or ask if I was actually disabled because I was so young. It used to get on my s*dding nerves so I totally empathise with you.
Now I'm 43 so don't get as many looks but it still happens, in fact last week in the high street a bloke had pulled up in one of the on street blue badge bays to use his mobile. There were no other suitable spaces for me so my OH pulled up next to him and politely asked him if he could move up road a little to take his call as he didn't have a blue badge and I do and I need the extra room to exit car and for OH to get me into my chair. (I don't always use my chair but I still need the extra room to exit because I have to be physically helped out car cannot stand alone from sitting). Anyhow the man had the gaul to ask if either of us could walk, my OH kept his cool and pointed out that the phone user did not have a badge and that I do and needed the space. The man then said 'well haven't you got any legs then you disabled get on my nerves you think you're so special'. At this point OH lost it and went into one but I told him there's no point. So we ended up having to pull away and get back into the traffic, the minute we were 100 yards away the guy pulled out the space and another non badge user parked there. The guy just stayed in it out of spite. So I do understand your fury, sadness and all the other emotions etc but what can we do I sometimes think that some (a small mindless minority) able bodied drivers think we are taking the P having a 'special space' and why should we be so different.
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LittleTinker wrote: »As I said....far too many blue badges these days. Everytime I took my mum out every space was always filled with a BB holder.
10 years ago, there wasnt much of a problem at all......we could always get a space as there were much less blue badges about.
You cant even get a disabled space in the multi storey......and they are checked for badge holders.
I was under the impression that blue badges are not given out willy nilly. There is evidence on this thread that would seem to back that up, so if you find that every disabled space is taken by a blue badge holder these days surely that's not a bad thing? And don't forget the UK population is ageing.
I'm not disabled myself but when I go past the blue badge bays even when there are 20 or 30 at a supermarket I have yet to see every single bay being used by a blue badge holder - there have always been those who don't give a damn about other people using some of the bays. Those are probably the same kind of people who happily throw litter out of their cars too.0 -
Originally Posted by LittleTinker
As I said....far too many blue badges these days. Everytime I took my mum out every space was always filled with a BB holder.
10 years ago, there wasnt much of a problem at all......we could always get a space as there were much less blue badges about.
You cant even get a disabled space in the multi storey......and they are checked for badge holders.
why do you presume those blue badge holders are less deserving than your mum? perhaps the supermarkets and multi-storey car park owners should increase the number of spaces allowed for blue badge holders? some people who are not obviosuly diabled, have conditions which mean they can't walk very far without experiencing pain or discomfort (the cystic fibrosis suffer for example) .
i don't know how the badge system works - assuming the carer is not married to the diabled person, do carers get a badge for their car? and assuming the carer is married (or part of the immediate family) i now wondering whether the carers abuse the provision of the parking spaces by parking in them themselves even when their disabled companion isn't with them? perhaps that is why all the spaces are filled up?0 -
I had to register to this site because I needed to reply and rant!! My boyfriend was paralysed in a car accident a few years ago, he is 24 and drives an adapted car on motability which is great for his independance (he is paralysed from chest down and only has wrist extension and triceps in his arms) Obviously we get a lot of looks when we pull into disabled bays as a young couple, but it really annoys me that people have to come up to me... as im getting his wheelchair out the boot... and ask me "you do realise this is a disabled bay" just because we aren't old! i get so annoyed but mostly just shocked so can never come up with anything witty to say in return!! we need the space because our car door has to open fully to get the chair next to it, we wouldnt care if it was miles away from the shop, probably better as we wouldnt get so many people staring!!0
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I had to register to this site because I needed to reply and rant!! My boyfriend was paralysed in a car accident a few years ago, he is 24 and drives an adapted car on motability which is great for his independance (he is paralysed from chest down and only has wrist extension and triceps in his arms) Obviously we get a lot of looks when we pull into disabled bays as a young couple, but it really annoys me that people have to come up to me... as im getting his wheelchair out the boot... and ask me "you do realise this is a disabled bay" just because we aren't old! i get so annoyed but mostly just shocked so can never come up with anything witty to say in return!! we need the space because our car door has to open fully to get the chair next to it, we wouldnt care if it was miles away from the shop, probably better as we wouldnt get so many people staring!!
Firstly Welcome to the site td333, yes this is a common problem for the younger and even like myself middle aged disabled (see my post a few up and you'll see what happened to me) I understand your frustration and it's not nice but s*d the idiots I say either ignor them or when they ask 'are you disabled' maybe say what I sometimes do and that is 'not as disabled as your brain' :rotfl:Hugs.0
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