Blue Badge and Where Can I Park?!

janninew

Thanks for the post Mupette!

Yes I am taking things to personally, I admit. I don't normally get bothered by people on here and I do accept that some people are more blunt than others. I'm just very sensitive and quite stressed having to deal with such a poorly baby with so many problems.

I think you are right about Soapn, having read through some of their previous posts. Shame on them for trying to cause more upset in what is already a very stressful situation.

I do appreciate the advice I receive on here.

Soapn

janninew wrote: »

Thanks for the post Mupette!

Yes I am taking things to personally, I admit. I don't normally get bothered by people on here and I do accept that some people are more blunt than others. I'm just very sensitive and quite stressed having to deal with such a poorly baby with so many problems.

I think you are right about Soapn, having read through some of their previous posts. Shame on them for trying to cause more upset in what is already a very stressful situation.

I do appreciate the advice I receive on here.

I was not trying to cause anyone distress. It's a public forum, where it says anyone can post. I wasn't being offensive, abusive or swearing. I am just blunt and straight to the point.

janninew

Soapn wrote: »

I was not trying to cause anyone distress. It's a public forum, where it says anyone can post. I wasn't being offensive, abusive or swearing. I am just blunt and straight to the point.

Yes you can post, I never said you couldn't. I do think you were trying to cause trouble and upset by telling me I should park in a parent and child space instead of a disabled space. My daughter is classed as being severely disabled and as such has a blue badge which means I'm perfectly entitled to park in a disabled space when I'm transporting her. I have given reasons why I need to be able to access my car quickly (though i'm not sure why I need to justify myself to you). God forbid you ever had a child with problems like my daughter, I wouldn't begrudge anything that could make your life even a little bit easier.

Mojisola

janninew wrote: »

Yes you can post, I never said you couldn't. I do think you were trying to cause trouble and upset by telling me I should park in a parent and child space instead of a disabled space. My daughter is classed as being severely disabled and as such has a blue badge which means I'm perfectly entitled to park in a disabled space when I'm transporting her. I have given reasons why I need to be able to access my car quickly (though i'm not sure why I need to justify myself to you). God forbid you ever had a child with problems like my daughter, I wouldn't begrudge anything that could make your life even a little bit easier.

What's the difference between using a disabled space and a parent and child space? If you have a disabled child, you do have the option of using either space and, by using a child space, you could leave a disabled space for a disabled adult.

I don't know how planners work these things out but, in several car parks round here, the child spaces are closer to the entrances than the disabled spots. I would use them if I could but I'm transporting my elderly parents and have to stick to the disabled spaces.

janninew

Mojisola wrote: »

What's the difference between using a disabled space and a parent and child space? If you have a disabled child, you do have the option of using either space and, by using a child space, you could leave a disabled space for a disabled adult.

I don't know how planners work these things out but, in several car parks round here, the child spaces are closer to the entrances than the disabled spots. I would use them if I could but I'm transporting my elderly parents and have to stick to the disabled spaces.

At my local Asda the parent and child spaces aren't that close to the store, they are in a separate area which is enclosed. The disabled spots are right by the door.

You could use the parent and child spaces when taking your parents out, it doesn't matter in a private car park. I would happily use them if they were a bit nearer, but as stated they are quite a trek from the store and the trolley bays and I need to be close due to the bulky oxygen cylinder.

Richie-from-the-Boro

ASDA under 12 - Tesco under 5 - generally there is no strict cut-off for the age of a child in the car but supermarkets expect common sense and honesty to self-regulate who uses them.

Its come to a sad state of affairs when when both the disabled and the able bodied can't find an available empty space whilst passing empty 'reserved' spaces for people who are disabled by the very act of having a child under a certain age. Both the disabled and the able bodied are discriminated against by not having small children in the car.

Its a preference not a need, Blue Badge spaces are there to service a real need .. .. P&C places are there because supermarkets offer them as a marketing inducement, I've just checked and having children is not listed as a disability. There is no law to provide P&C places, quite why hospitals provide them I've no idea.

I would however apply the double standard, and use a Blue Badge to park in a P&C place without any compunction whatsoever if the BB spaces were full.

pogofish

Mojisola wrote: »

What's the difference between using a disabled space and a parent and child space?

Nothing - Both are quite meaningless in the context of private parking, whilst P&C has no meaning whatsoever where legit council enforcement is concerned.

You could use whichever was most suitable for your disability situation as a reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act.

Mojisola

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

I would however apply the double standard, and use a Blue Badge to park in a P&C place without any compunction whatsoever if the BB spaces were full.

There have been reports on MSE of the abuse disabled people have had from parents with young children when they have done this. My parents would be so upset if this happened to us that I couldn't risk it.

Richie-from-the-Boro

Mojisola wrote: »

There have been reports on MSE of the abuse disabled people have had from parents with young children when they have done this. My parents would be so upset if this happened to us that I couldn't risk it.

Until the law of the land classes having children as a disability, and / or / affords them legislated protected parking places I see no wrong in ranking disabled over non-disabled. As for the abuse thing, the disabled are abused regularly by the non-disabled, it's suffered a particularly noticeable rise over this recent year due to the Tory party feeding their vindictive red-top press bully boy friends. As you say each individual must decide.

Stephen_Leak

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

<snip>

Hospitals now have private profit orientated clamping companies doing the deed for them. As a new BB holder, you now know that given even half a chance they will clamp and fine you, that's how they make their living.

<snip>

And when (not if, when) you get a "ticket" from the PPC, just ignore it, and then the more threatening letter from the PPC pretending to be a debt collector, and then the even more threatening letter from the PPC pretending to be a solicitor. They give up after this one.

Only a local authority or the police can levy a fine or penalty. PPCs have no more right to do so than you or I.

Park properly, of course, but even this won't guarantee safety. If, for example, you have to visit twice in one day, they will have CCTV images (oddly never of you actually parked in two places) of you at one time and then another, and will attempt to "fine" you for clearly overstaying the time limit.

To the PPC any driver is a potential target and a BB holder is an easier one. The hospital doesn't care, either. It can "wash its hands" and say that its parking is being "policed". The more car park owners that get sued for their agents' harrassment, the more will sit up and take notice, though.