Grrr - blue badge

Unity

Babshubbie wrote: »

Of course it would be impracticable and unworkable, but that wasn't under discussion. The greatest number of accidents, I believe, is for the under 25 age group, but of course it is impracticable to retest those also. So why not lean on the pensioners? They are easy meat.

As far as the penultimate para is concerned, I have never been questioned by anyone so far, young or old.

Finally, I agree with the last sentence.

It did indeed used to be the under 25 age group where the greatest number of accidents occurred but the Department of Transport has documented the trend away from this: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/research/rsrr/theme3/olderdriversaliteraturerevie4770?page=12

Furthermore it now appears that older drivers are now more likely to be caught by speed cameras: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/article5282700.ece

Believe you me, I am no 17-year-old girl racer , I look pretty young but I'm just backdated :D:D.

I gave up driving for health reasons, because of strong medications etc., despite a love of driving and suffering the loss of my independence, but as Spock said: "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one". It's not that the elderly are easy meat at all, it's just that a lot of them refuse to see the danger they pose to themselves and others.

Babshubbie

Unity wrote: »

It did indeed used to be the under 25 age group where the greatest number of accidents occurred but the Department of Transport has documented the trend away from this: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/research/rsrr/theme3/olderdriversaliteraturerevie4770?page=12

Furthermore it now appears that older drivers are now more likely to be caught by speed cameras: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/article5282700.ece

I appreciate the research you have done, but I draw different conclusions, or rather the report on accident statistics point up different conclusions. See "When statistics based on all severities are examined, there is no age-related increase in number of accidents for the over 60s."

Reading the second link, I note that "The age group most likely to have a speeding conviction changed from 24-34 in the earlier period to 45-59 in the later period." So the numbers of speeding offences increased for OAPs but not enough to place them in the "most likely" category.

We are, and it is largely my fault, I am afraid, way off topic and I apologise for this.

minnie123

code-a-holic wrote: »

As a parent, I see the need for these spaces. When you have a baby sleeping ina 1st stage car seat, and you want to keep them that way in the supermarket, you need to get the seat out. In a normal space you can not open the door enough to get the seat out. Actually. in the stage 2 car seat i would struggle to manovure through a half open door to un do seat belts and get kids out without banging the car in the next space.
In a parent space you can fully open a door to be able to get the children out without causing damage to other cars.
I once challenged someone in a parent space next to me. the bloke was sitting in this brand new mini. He explained to me the car was brand new and he wasnt going to risk someone else banging a door in to it. so he would use a parent space and sit guard while the mrs shopped!

Im also disabled with a BB. I get filthy looks if i use a Disabled bay and then proceed to get 3 children out of the car. I rarely am able to go out with the 3, but taking any of them out and about is literally a huge pain in my back! I think many would assume if i can take my children out im not disabled.

I totally agree - I think a lot of people without babies think these parent child spaces are there because they are close to the store - that is not the case it's because they are wider to enable you to get the baby seat in and out without damaging other peoples cars. Baby safety equipment is so bulky these days compared to years ago. Although these spaces are abused I saw a mother and her 7 year old use one the other day - now why would a 7 year old need more space to get out. I felt like shouting are you still breastfeeding him then!! I think they should be for children up to age 3 maximum.

Also another point people say they are taking up disabled spaces - but how many disabled people are there in comparison to people with babies!! And how many disabled spaces in comparison to mother and baby spaces. I always struggle to get a mother and baby space whilst there are always disbaled spaces free!!

mancitychick

minnie123 wrote: »

I totally agree - I think a lot of people without babies think these parent child spaces are there because they are close to the store - that is not the case it's because they are wider to enable you to get the baby seat in and out without damaging other peoples cars. Baby safety equipment is so bulky these days compared to years ago. Although these spaces are abused I saw a mother and her 7 year old use one the other day - now why would a 7 year old need more space to get out. I felt like shouting are you still breastfeeding him then!! I think they should be for children up to age 3 maximum.

Also another point people say they are taking up disabled spaces - but how many disabled people are there in comparison to people with babies!! And how many disabled spaces in comparison to mother and baby spaces. I always struggle to get a mother and baby space whilst there are always disbaled spaces free!!

spot on!;)

Unity

minnie123 wrote: »

I totally agree - I think a lot of people without babies think these parent child spaces are there because they are close to the store - that is not the case it's because they are wider to enable you to get the baby seat in and out without damaging other peoples cars. Baby safety equipment is so bulky these days compared to years ago. Although these spaces are abused I saw a mother and her 7 year old use one the other day - now why would a 7 year old need more space to get out. I felt like shouting are you still breastfeeding him then!! I think they should be for children up to age 3 maximum.

Also another point people say they are taking up disabled spaces - but how many disabled people are there in comparison to people with babies!! And how many disabled spaces in comparison to mother and baby spaces. I always struggle to get a mother and baby space whilst there are always disbaled spaces free!!

Firstly I have no axe to grind over the parent and child places - but I think it's a little unfair to say that children of seven shouldn't be using them. Research has shown that children's road sense doesn't develop until much later - in fact up to age 10 or 11 they have little perception of speed and the likelihood of accidents.

This is getting off the topic of blue badges and perhaps there's a difference in population in various areas. At my local Sainsbury's the disabled spaces are very often full, and not well policed (used by those needing the cash-point:rolleyes:) whereas the parent and child spaces stand empty.

annie12

hilstep2000 wrote: »

I have MS, and have a Blue Badge. Sometimes I don't need it, sometimes I do. My daughter gets very cross with people who give me the LOOK, but I just ignore them.
I have some stickers that I got from "Active Mobility" They say "Gee thanks, you've taken my space, do you want my disability too?" on them. I stick them on people's cars that are parked in disabled bays without a badge up!:T
I went to my sons' college the other day, and had to show the gate man my photo on my badge. He said he'd had 15 that day, and mine was the only genuine one:eek:

I have MS too, my walking can start off ok but rapidly go downhill.
I find the attitude of some elberly people infuriating, they look so angry at me when I park in a disabled bay with a blue badge?
The think only the elderly can be ill :rolleyes:
I like the idea of your stickers

Tally-Ho_2

I took mum Christmas shopping on Saturday and couldn't find a disabled space at one shopping centre (all full). However we drove to the other one and there were quite a lot of empty disabled spaces.

We quickly found out why though, as soon as we had parked, the car park warden pounced wanting to see both the blue badge and make sure we had a disabled tax disc. Fortunately we were in mum's Motability car so no problems there.

I did feel a bit sorry for the warden as he said he had had a lot of abuse for enforcing the bays, particularly as you now need to have the disabled tax disc as well as a bb to park in them (which is stated on all the signs) but it was nice to see the rules being enforced for a change and it certainly made parking a lot easier.

Tally

Thorntonone

i have to say that i never knew you had to have diabled tax {i dont as i dont get dla} but i do have a blue badge "confused"

Ames

It's only in some places that you have to have the disabled tax disc, it's better to check if you're going somewhere outside your own area.

Unity

Tally-Ho wrote: »

I took mum Christmas shopping on Saturday and couldn't find a disabled space at one shopping centre (all full). However we drove to the other one and there were quite a lot of empty disabled spaces.

We quickly found out why though, as soon as we had parked, the car park warden pounced wanting to see both the blue badge and make sure we had a disabled tax disc. Fortunately we were in mum's Motability car so no problems there.

I did feel a bit sorry for the warden as he said he had had a lot of abuse for enforcing the bays, particularly as you now need to have the disabled tax disc as well as a bb to park in them (which is stated on all the signs) but it was nice to see the rules being enforced for a change and it certainly made parking a lot easier.

Tally

I have both the disabled tax disc and the BB, so really I should be clapping my hands at the thought that I'd actually be able to get parked. However I think this is a really unfair way of policing bays. If someone gets the lower rate mobility component but don't get the tax exemption, they may still have a right to a blue badge. There are also those people who feel they are financially secure and don't need DLA and therefore don't claim it - but they still need the blue badge. In addition there are of course those who have applied and been refused and who are awaiting appeal - I mean there's something that never happens :rolleyes:;) but it doesn't affect the fact that they are still disabled.

What about those who become disabled after the age of 65? They're not entitled to claim DLA, but theoretically could still obtain a blue badge - so they are going to be discriminated against on the grounds of ageism - I'd like to see how that looks in the local papers!

The rules have already been tightened so that now if a traffic warden asks to see the photo on the BB, it has to be shown - this wasn't always the case, but that should be enough. So long as the badge is being used for the person travelling in the car, they are entltled to use it on the public road. If shops decide to 'over-police' then customers can choose to shop elsewhere and good luck to 'em;).

Personally I think this should be challenged by letters to newspapers etc. and I'll be interested to see if anything is being said on the Pepipoo site.