Disabled Parking Bays

Pat__3

I understand your views Poppy9 and know what you mean, I't got to grips with it now.

But just one thing about the Blue Badges is that they have to be re-newed every 3 years and they have to meet that criteria on re-newal. They are not awarded for life, unless there is exceptional circumstances.

jellyhead

if you feel you need disabled parking short term i believe you can ask at asda customer services for permission to use their disabled bays, you have to tell them why you want it though, e.g. just had an operation etc.

shrek101

I think there are some real selfish people out there who couldn't give a monkeys about other people but themselves. I often shop at Morrisons who have plenty of parking bays for those with kids/ and disabled people. I unsure about the disabled parking bays as some people appear able bodied but you don't know about the circumstances. But for children's bays I regularly see this abused, they drivers may have kids but I don't see kids around when they get in the car etc. Perhaps they think the bays are for people with kids irrespective of whether they have them with them or not

I have kids myself but rarely go shopping with them not to supermarkets as its uncool for them (there at that age) but I feel that the bays are designed for young children at mind.

Still what really gets up my nose is the idiot drivers who block areas where the kerbs are dropped. But hey as long as they are not put out.

Poppy9

if you feel you need disabled parking short term i believe you can ask at asda customer services for permission to use their disabled bays, you have to tell them why you want it though, e.g. just had an operation etc.

If the councils painted yellow boxes on the road by dropped kerbs it might help the problem. Then again people ignore the yellow zig zags outside schools. Why is it whenever you need a TW there isn't one and when you don't there are 2!!!

crana9

 If you note from previous post  I mentioned a friend with Rheumatoid arthritis was turned down twice.  So I know how people with arthritis look.

so you think all people with arthritis look the same?

Addy

This is one of my bugbears!!

My son has a non-permanent hip condition, which means although he can walk short distances, needs to use a wheelchair a lot of the time. No problem getting a blue badge and it came through very quickly - very supportive G.P.

We usually have no problem finding a disabled parking space EXCEPT.....at school.

At the school there is a big car park with 6 wider disabled spaces right next to the entrance, yet more often than not all are taken by parents who cannot be bothered to walk the extra 20 seconds that parking in another bay would take. Often there are people sitting in the parked cars, waiting for the other parent to come back.

I have complained till I'm blue in the face to the school office and it's been mentioned several times in the school newsletter.

Some days I get so peeeeed off with this that I park so that I'm blocking as many of these ignoramuses in as I can without blocking the way past. Then when I've dropped the kids at their classes, I'll make sure I spend as long as I can chatting to the other mums...then I usually have to go to the school office to pay for lunches, drop off forms or whatever...generally pass the time of day. Can take 20+ minutes sometimes ;D

I only ever use/display the badge when my disabled child is with me, it's a godsend in town but I would so much prefer to have him not need it.

Sort of on THAT subject....we were preboarded onto a flight back from Rome last year. As we were trying to get through the hordes to the front, one of the other passengers looked down at my son in his chair and said gruffly "oh, YOU'RE lucky!!" Obviously referring to the fact that we were being allowed onto the plane first. I cannot repeat here what my reply was to him :-X

Poppy9

This is one of my bugbears!!

My son has a non-permanent hip condition, which means although he can walk short distances, needs to use a wheelchair a lot of the time. No problem getting a blue badge and it came through very quickly - very supportive G.P.

We usually have no problem finding a disabled parking space EXCEPT.....at school.

At the school there is a big car park with 6 wider disabled spaces right next to the entrance, yet more often than not all are taken by parents who cannot be bothered to walk the extra 20 seconds that parking in another bay would take.  Often there are people sitting in the parked cars, waiting for the other parent to come back.

I have complained till I'm blue in the face to the school office and it's been mentioned several times in the school newsletter.

Some days I get so peeeeed off with this that I park so that I'm blocking as many of these ignoramuses in as I can without blocking the way past.  Then when I've dropped the kids at their classes, I'll make sure I spend as long as I can chatting to the other mums...then I usually have to go to the school office to pay for lunches, drop off forms or whatever...generally pass the time of day. Can take 20+ minutes sometimes  ;D  

I only ever use/display the badge when my disabled child is with me, it's a godsend in town but I would so much prefer to have him not need it.

Sort of on THAT subject....we were preboarded onto a flight back from Rome last year. As we were trying to get through the hordes to the front, one of the other passengers looked down at my son in his chair and said gruffly "oh, YOU'RE lucky!!" Obviously referring to the fact that we were being allowed onto the plane first. I cannot repeat here what my reply was to him  :-X

Wow you are lucky to have parking spaces at the school. All the schools down here don't have any allocated parking. Outside my school there is just 7 spaces on the road. The row of houses opposite the school have all turned their front gardens into full width drives so there is no parking there. Disabled children in the school have transport provided by the Council. These taxis park in the busy bay. Chaos everyday!!!
Bit mean blocking in non blue badge holders in Car park. What if one of the children they are bringing to school has a temp disability like a broken leg they might also need the space. What if a grandparent who is a blue badge holder is dropping off able bodied kids - should they be allowed to use space. Better to ask school to get school prefects to monitor. Might deter spaces being abused.

With regards to "oh, YOU'RE lucky!!" comment from fellow traveller perhaps he/she was just being friendly. It seems you can't win. Disabled people, especially those in wheelchairs and down from adults eyeline, often complain that people ignore them or talk to their carer but not them. I doubt the person who made the comment was being rude or offensive. They will now think twice about talking to a disabled person after a public tongue lashing.

Addy

Nope, it's the same able-bodied parents with able-bodied children who park in the disabled bays every day.  Most wouldn't dream of it. In fact, even before my son was awarded the blue-badge I felt uneasy about using the spaces, even though he was at that time completely non-weight bearing. The school receptionist got quite annoyed about it!

It's a Primary School, so no such thing as prefects. Newly built, hence the car park.

The comment in the departure lounge was after a four hour delay. Nobody was in a very good mood. There was nothing friendly about the comment (I did say "gruffly"!). My son is in no way "lucky" with his condition and I would gladly have stood at the back of the queue, boarded the plane last and stood all the way home if it meant he could run around and kick a football with his mates.

Poppy9

Addy

I am no way implying your son is lucky with his disability. I was merely highlighting that the comment from the fellow traveller may not have intended to imply that either. He could have been saying you were lucky in that the airline recognised your need to have priority. |He might have been trying to break the ice if other passengers were staring because you were boarding first. He might always speak in a gruff manner - that is some peoples way. For your sons sake try to put a positive spin on things - help him to see that most people are kind and generous even if some are clumsy in showing it. If my child is bullied I always try to make them understand why the other child feels the need to dominate them. This has had an amazing effect and the school bully who started picking on little poppy in reception found her actions only met with understanding smile and then being blanked. She gave up after 1 month. Sadly 2 classmates who were also picked on by this young bully endured until year 2. Their parents tried to teach their children to retaliate, one parent even cornered the child and threatened her!!! This just gives the bully what they want - Attention.

Crana
similarly if a pensioner has a go at you for something you surely wouldn't be put off speaking to anyone old for the rest of your life..?

Don't get me started on old people Why are so many rude to children. They let doors go in their face, they never say thank you when a child holds a door for them, they push in front of them in queues. I know it's easy to "miss" people when they are below your eyeline but even so! Where are all the nice cuddly, friendly grandparents in City Centres ???

Addy

Addy

I am no way implying your son is lucky with his disability.  I was merely highlighting that the comment from the fellow traveller may not have intended to imply that either.

So should I have smiled sweetly and ignored it, thereby giving my son the impression that people can talk to him or us as they please? After nearly a lifetime of ignoring ignorant comments and behaviour one way or another - as women we are conditioned from birth to be passive and accepting, I have now taught myself to be assertive and unaccepting of such injustice.

I'm not a feminist - I was active and still have strong principles in the area of Father's Rights too (not purple-flour throwing though lol). I think as people we need to have more thought and consideration for others. Your method of dealing with the bullies may have stopped them bullying your daughter, but it didn't stop them altogether, they simply moved onto other victims. Nor did it teach her that she didn't deserve to be bullied.

Sometimes we need to speak out and act towards injustices, or how else will things change?