Grrr - blue badge

maggienetball

just wondering if anyone read this

Merry_Gentry

Hi Maggienetball - perhaps worth starting a new thread for some advice? People may not be reading this thinking it's an old one.

DId you appeal when they first turned you down? Perhaps with some supportive letters from your Dr, etc they might reconsider?

Mojisola

Very difficult - the council makes the rules about blue badges.

Have you got a consultant who would write to them explaining your need for a badge?

If they won't give you one, could you think of ways round it? Could your friend drop you at the door of the supermarket and then go and park?

Broken_hearted

The spaces are for people with mobility issues, where the person can't walk/needs more space for a wheelchair or is a danger to themselves.
Your situation must be very distressing for you, not sure of a way forward. Appeal the worst they can do is say no.

lulusmf

Hi Ames

I seem to spend my whole life challenging non badge holders!

I have an even bigger problem on our local buses as there is literally only 1 seat that accommodates me and my special crutches. Despite the 'please give up this seat' notices I usually have to ask for the seat and have lost count of the times I have had to stand for my entire journey, duration 1 hour most days.

My husband is really afraid that I'll get hurt one of these days through trying to politely ask for my space/seat.

Lulusmf

welshman1982

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.

daska

mancitychick wrote: »

I don't think age entitles you but circumstances do.

My Nana is 92 and not in the health she once was. (Frail, her legs are bad and her mind not as sharp as it was.)

On the occasions I have taken her to Asda's I park as near as to the door as possible, even if this means parking in a disable bay. She may not have an offical blue badge but then again some people that do have them are/appear a lot fitter & able than my nana.

I will retreat now and wait to be shot down for parking in disable bay.

My other nana is 87 and we can park where ever with her as she is fit & well.

However if her health was to fail and I felt it was called for, I would also use the disable bay in the supermarket for her.

Why not just drop her at the door and park where you can walk from? Why do you need to park in a bay which I might need to use?

kt23_2

adzz wrote: »

I love this.

Ime 26 and have got cystic frybrosis. now i look normal to other people but its not wots on the out side, i get out of breath easy wen walkin around and my jionts swell up. any ways Ive got a bluebadge and i park in the disabled spaces, and wen i get out of my car and people see me they give me the most dirtyest look goin. i have even had a 30odd year old follow me into the supermarket once and gave me a row in frount of everyone for parkin in a space. and ive even had a row with a rugby player aswell, the security had to call the police to calm everything down. ime in my rite for parkin there. if there is someone more worth e.g ole people or disabled kidds and they really need the space then thats fair enugh. but i just think it funny the amount of looks i get all the time. hehehe

Hi, I'm 21 and have heart problems and have postural problems related to this. I too have a blue badge which I only use on my bad/worse days. I completely feel for you too, as I also get dirty looks and occasionally abuse like "Look at her, she's fit and young and parking in a disabled bay"!
I'm a shy person and feel really intimidated by people who are like this? Do I need to wear a sign saying 'DISABLED'? I've put my health at risk many times parking far away when I'm not well enough to walk that far, just so I don't get abuse. Why can't people just mind their own business?!

lisap4123

Yes I agree with many of these comments - there seems to be an attitude that if you are not very obviously and visibly disabled people give you the LOOK or say something. My partner is blind but just to look at him you wouldn't know. He is young and fit ...but blind. It is impossible to park in a standard bay as there is not enough room for him to get out without smacking the door against the next car - not being able to judge distances or obstacles. So the wide disabled bay really helps.

But this whole disabled bay situation is reflective of society I feel. Before now me and my BF have been shouted at for being too slow in getting food in a pub carvery, or to get out of someones way in a shop. The incident in the pub was in fact an older person who shouted at us and said 'whats wrong with him, cant he get his own food' - she prob felt pretty embarrassed when she realised why he couldn't, and then started joking about how she had eye problems herself !!

I think just more tolerance and respect for other people generally would go a long way

lisap4123

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.