McDonalds in Tavistock - staff abuse of disabled bays

HugoSP

Now I have been broght up as the type of person to give up my seat for an ealderly/pregnant or disabled person etc, so it does annoy me to see obviously non disabled people park in these bays when there are plenty of normal bays around.

The McDonalds in Tavistock, Devon seem to go one better. Staff (17 year olds, mainly girls I might add) park in those spaces, and the manager lets them get away with it.

I complained about it once and the duty manager asked the young lass to move her car. However I've seen it happen on more occasions and the staff are simply allowed to get away with it.

I've given up complaining, as I've got a life - vote with feet methinks!

H

Wig

Why haven't you taken it higher up?

Marsh_Samphire

I'm disabled and live in the area and if I feel the need for a junk food fix have visited this actual McDonald's with no problems. But it has been a few months since my last visit so maybe new managers or staff are to blame. Try raising it with Head Office, they don't like bad publicity so should do something about it. I have a day off tomorrow so might test them!!!

wobbley

I hate that. I think they should bring back hanging for it. It's not just the attitude of the people that use the bays when they have no right but their cocky "Tough s**t" attitude when challenged. I think the supermarkets and shopping centres have to provide a certain percentage of disabled spaces but often their cavalier attitude towards enforcing the rules makes having such bays pointless. It's even more frustrating when, like in this case it is the staff who are at fault. And ultimately it's the management who should be accountable for not seeing and preventing it.
A swift letter to McD's HQ saying that the message they are giving out is - "We don't care if we inconvenience disabled people" should carry weight.

THE_LONE_RANGER_4

i agree i do not use bays supplied for disabled etc but from what i know unless its on the high way any one if hard face enough can use them and few supermarkets take action incase the person is disabled etc they will not take the risk of a disabled person saying i was told to prove i was disabled becouse the manager said i dont look like it which happened in our area once last year you have to accept some peole just ignore it if its not enforcable

wobbley

THE_LONE_RANGER wrote:

i agree i do not use bays supplied for disabled etc but from what i know unless its on the high way any one if hard face enough can use them and few supermarkets take action incase the person is disabled etc they will not take the risk of a disabled person saying i was told to prove i was disabled becouse the manager said i dont look like it which happened in our area once last year you have to accept some peole just ignore it if its not enforcable

I can't speak for all obviously, but, I'm sure most disabled people using cars would rather have private car parks enforce the disabled spaces than not. I have seen this done at the Meadowhall Centre in Sheffield. If you parked in a disabled space an attendant came up and checked the Blue Badge and that the photo was of someone actually in the car. He apologised to us for having to do it, but we said we thought it was marvellous that they were actually doing something to stop the abusers. It was a few years ago now, and haven't seen it done anywhere else. A few seconds being checked is a small price to pay for being able to find a disabled space.

THE_LONE_RANGER_4

yes i agree the thing is its private land not enforcable so most supermarkets etc cant be bothered and think of the negative publicity they would get if they clamped etc

grex9101

I think it's really a question of peoples' morals. Its certainly something I would never do. You do see folks who don't look disabled parking in these spaces,but then not all disabilities are obvious, so you're always wary of saying anything-i would suspect this is why they rarely get enforced in private car parks....

Still don't agree with the bloody stupid "mother and toddler spaces" (flame me i dare you!)

gregg1

grex9101 wrote:

I think it's really a question of peoples' morals. Its certainly something I would never do. You do see folks who don't look disabled parking in these spaces,but then not all disabilities are obvious, so you're always wary of saying anything-i would suspect this is why they rarely get enforced in private car parks....

Still don't agree with the bloody stupid "mother and toddler spaces" (flame me i dare you!)

ha - I am agreeing with you completely this time grex, I had a big operation on my leg recently and have a problem walking - this could last for some time or may get completely better - I don't know yet. Either way, there is no such thing as a temporary disabled badge, they will only issue one if your disability is permanent, so when I go anywhere in the car at the moment I often end up parking a good walk away even though I am on crutches for the forseeable future. I do admit to getting fed up when I then see mother and toddler spaces near the shop doors. It seems unfair that I have to struggle when other people without a disability get to park near.

I completely agree with the OP's comments - parking in a disabled bay when you are not is the pits.

Kzlnd

wobbley wrote:

I can't speak for all obviously, but, I'm sure most disabled people using cars would rather have private car parks enforce the disabled spaces than not. I have seen this done at the Meadowhall Centre in Sheffield. If you parked in a disabled space an attendant came up and checked the Blue Badge and that the photo was of someone actually in the car. He apologised to us for having to do it, but we said we thought it was marvellous that they were actually doing something to stop the abusers. It was a few years ago now, and haven't seen it done anywhere else. A few seconds being checked is a small price to pay for being able to find a disabled space.

Really? I have never seen this happen! but I have seen people parking there that do not have the blue badge showing and (almost certain) not disabled! :rolleyes:
Meadowhall is a nightmare for parking, driving around the car park ten times + is highly annoying :mad: and there are always loads of disabled spaces :rolleyes: but I've never parked in one

My boyf works for large electrical retailer, when I pick him up I do sometimes park in one of four disabled parking spaces.. but this is when the store is closing and so the spaces won't really be needed by customers Four disabled spaces in the whole of the car park?!

woohoo_postingid

Disabled spaces are always near the store entrances as well.

I think spaces near the store entrance should be reserved for single people who don't have anyone to help them carry their microwave meals and cans of beer to the car.

Disabled people get to sit down in a wheelchair and get pushed to their car - so therefore the spaces should be further away.











I'm joking BTW before anyone attacks me ;-)