Disabled Parking Rant!!!!!

Meepster

juliescot wrote: »

Agreed.

I don't believe that nothing can be done though

What could they do?

juliescot

mwilletts wrote: »

What could they do?

They could make people pay for parking. They could ask the council to run the car parks for them, for a fee, in which case the rules would be different.

The could have "attended" disabled parking which could only be accessed on production of a blue badge.

Those off the top of my head - but they would cost the supermarkets money.

Chewbumpkin

What could they do?

Well, my local Sainsbury store has put up a notice stating that those not displaying their blue badge in disabled bays will be fined. I nearly did a jig in the car park when I saw that, except that I would have fallen over in the attempt! I don't know if they are enforcing it, but I have since noticed a distinct drop in non-displayers!

I have complained many times to the security staff at my local Tescos, but they say they are not prepared to accept the abuse they might get from the non-displayers - they obviously prefer being harangued by me. I have also written to Tesco a few times, but each time get fobbed off by a weak reply offering nothing.

I have never had this problem in the States or France, where there are on the spot fines. Funny that........

babyfreckles

juliescot wrote: »

They could make people pay for parking. They could ask the council to run the car parks for them, for a fee, in which case the rules would be different.

The could have "attended" disabled parking which could only be accessed on production of a blue badge.

Those off the top of my head - but they would cost the supermarkets money.

Its ok making people pay for the parking, but they would be kicking themselves really because then people will just opt out of using that supermarket! Councils will only run the car parks if it is on HIghway land - although I guess they could get private parking attendants in, but I doubt this would happen.

The 'Attended' disabled parking sounds like a good idea though. But like you have said, would cost the supermarkets money so I doubt they will bother with it.

juliescot

Chewbumpkin wrote: »

Well, my local Sainsbury store has put up a notice stating that those not displaying their blue badge in disabled bays will be fined. I nearly did a jig in the car park when I saw that, except that I would have fallen over in the attempt! I don't know if they are enforcing it, but I have since noticed a distinct drop in non-displayers!

I have complained many times to the security staff at my local Tescos, but they say they are not prepared to accept the abuse they might get from the non-displayers - they obviously prefer being harangued by me. I have also written to Tesco a few times, but each time get fobbed off by a weak reply offering nothing.

I have never had this problem in the States or France, where there are on the spot fines. Funny that........

If it is a private car park I think they will not be fined but sent an invoice - which they will happily ignore.

juliescot

babyfreckles wrote: »

Its ok making people pay for the parking, but they would be kicking themselves really because then people will just opt out of using that supermarket! Councils will only run the car parks if it is on HIghway land - although I guess they could get private parking attendants in, but I doubt this would happen.

The 'Attended' disabled parking sounds like a good idea though. But like you have said, would cost the supermarkets money so I doubt they will bother with it.

And there is the bottom line. If the supermarket truly cared about all of its customers they could and would do something about it.

But they don't so draw you own conclusions.

tandraig

the supermarkets have a public address system and in my local asda they WILL use it to say - would the owners of the eg green vauxhall astra reg no DIK ED parked in the disabled bay please move it or come to customer services to show blue badge? name and shame them i think!

Coupon-mad

Chewbumpkin wrote: »

Well, my local Sainsbury store has put up a notice stating that those not displaying their blue badge in disabled bays will be fined. I nearly did a jig in the car park when I saw that, except that I would have fallen over in the attempt! I don't know if they are enforcing it, but I have since noticed a distinct drop in non-displayers!

QUOTE]



I wouldn't bother with the jig if I were you.:rolleyes:

Thankfully they cannot enforce such fines. That's the point that other posters have been making. Legally these bays mean nothing on private land, and Private Parking companies cannot 'fine' people (thank goodness for that, and this site promoting awareness of that fact).

See Martin's recent brill article/email blog 'don't pay unfair parking charges'

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/reclaim-private-parking-tickets

and this forum thread:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1331507

Like others on here, I know that these bays (and empty threats of a 'fine') mean diddly-squat in law - but that doesn't mean I would park in those spaces (morally wrong).

I would be happy if the law was changed so that retail-owned private car parks had to keep a section separate for REAL disabled bays and somehow have that section 'policed' by local authority parking wardens (the retailer would have to pay for this). Then a fine would really mean something and disabled drivers (and passengers) would find spaces available.

bumpoowee

I think part of the problem is that there are just so many disabled bays these days, so they have lost their impact. There are some places near me where half the car park is just disabled bay, one notably being b+q. Are you seriously telling me that 30% or so of b+qs customers are disabled?

I can understand why people get fed up of seeing car parks taken over by vast deserts of disabled bays, particularly when you hear statistics like 50% of blue badges arent used correctly.

Maybe there needs to be better regulation of who uses blue badges and some sort of legal framework to prevent non-blue badge holders using disabled bays and then we can see a return to a smaller proportion of disabled bays but these not being oversubscribed.

Personally I would never park in a disabled by myself though (unless I became disabled).

kellyfrw

Hi my husband has severe arthritis and has a blue badge . However as he is relativly young we have often been abused and shouted at by people who seem to think that we are abusing disabled spaces.
My husband only uses space when he is having a flare up and genuinly need to but other than how he walks he doesnt look any diffrent , he doesnt use a chair and will only use a stick if essential.
Our car always has the badge dispalyed yet others dont look at this , last week one Lady just started ranting and shouting even though my hubby could only get out after very high does of tramadol and other pain killers. She didnt even give us a chance to explain just called us disgusting etc. Her husband who had a slight limp in the store suddenly felt the need to almost crawl to his car to prove a point.
People really do need to respect that others need these spaces but at the same time we should be talking to people politly before mouthing off and leaving another person shaken up and upset.