Nice people thread part 8 - worth the wait

PasturesNew

SingleSue wrote: »

A blue badge on its own does not open doors to other benefits.

Not just those benefits, other benefits.

e.g. priority for a council garage, 100% discount on Transport for London for up to 2 vehicles in the charging zone even if you don't own a car or drive, potential eligibility for exemption from road tolls, potential exemption from road tax, can't be wheel clamped on public roads. And more...

lemonjelly

SingleSue wrote: »

A blue badge on its own does not open doors to other benefits.

It isn't a passport to other welfare benefits, no. But it can be used in leverage to other sources of support, & sadly can be misused by people.

I have an example in mind, but it is too close to work, so prefer not to use it. However I do have direct experience of people using having a blue badge to access other sources of support.

edit - posted this prior to seeing PN's response.

SingleSue

None of which my dad has received in the time he has had his badge....certainly not the Dartford Tunnel or bridge for exemption of road tolls.

The exemption from road tax comes with receiving high rate mobility on DLA, rather than from having a blue badge on its own.

The council garage, discount on transport for London and the charging zone would not affect a large number of blue badge holders, as they either own their home or private rent and don't go near London.

You can be ticketed in our newly done town centre even if you are displaying a badge, very confuzzling for the visitor to the town as we have what is supposed to be a super duper new shared space scheme with parking only allowed for blue badge holders...only problem is that the only people who know where to park on the main road are those who actually live here because the bays are not clearly marked.

There were huge headlines in the local paper a week or two back about how many tickets had been given out over the last year...yeah, to visitors to the town who didn't know where they could or couldn't park as there are no actual instructions and to be honest, is blooming confusing!

And they say that the possible new Tesco will kill the town centre, nope, it's ticketing the OAP type visitor to the town with unclear rules on where they can park in the high street which is doing more damage.

SingleSue

lemonjelly wrote: »

It isn't a passport to other welfare benefits, no. But it can be used in leverage to other sources of support, & sadly can be misused by people.

I have an example in mind, but it is too close to work, so prefer not to use it. However I do have direct experience of people using having a blue badge to access other sources of support.

edit - posted this prior to seeing PN's response.

I must be too honest as apart from a parking bay directly outside your house or maybe reduced admission to theme parks etc, I can't think of anything else!

lostinrates

PasturesNew wrote: »

Not just those benefits, other benefits.

e.g. priority for a council garage, 100% discount on Transport for London for up to 2 vehicles in the charging zone even if you don't own a car or drive, potential eligibility for exemption from road tolls, potential exemption from road tax, can't be wheel clamped on public roads. And more...

Wow, I didn't know any of that.

Tbh, I don't care about the free. I'd be quite happy to pay the going rate for all the parking if I were getting out and about a little more.

Nikkster

lostinrates wrote: »

Wow, I didn't know any of that.

Tbh, I don't care about the free. I'd be quite happy to pay the going rate for all the parking if I were getting out and about a little more.

I didn't know about any of that either. The ex-Blue Badge holder that I know only used it for parking (and I don't think they ever parked on a double yellow), and once for a discount on a ferry. It was being able to park closer to things (and wider spaces so the car door could be opened fully) that was the benefit, I don't think they would have been interested in any of the other 'benefits' even if they had applied. Having said that, I guess they didn't really need it if they can push themselves through whatever pain (only periods when a joint had literally stopped working have stopped them). Shame they can't measure how much people are in to be able to set some kind of threshold?

lostinrates

Nikkster wrote: »

I didn't know about any of that either. The ex-Blue Badge holder that I know only used it for parking (and I don't think they ever parked on a double yellow), and once for a discount on a ferry. It was being able to park closer to things (and wider spaces so the car door could be opened fully) that was the benefit, I don't think they would have been interested in any of the other 'benefits' even if they had applied. Having said that, I guess they didn't really need it if they can push themselves through whatever pain (only periods when a joint had literally stopped working have stopped them). Shame they can't measure how much people are in to be able to set some kind of threshold?

I think the other thing that has surprised me is how pain thresholds can change. Five years ago if I felt like I do today I would be ecstatic. I don't know whether its the drugs I am taking or what, but my pain threshold has plummeted. It's difficult to explain, but its as if I know on a scale of one to ten a two is still a two from the same stimulus, but it feels much, much more sore. So I know its better but feels worse iykwim.

I am sure there are people with very little wrong with theming low pain thresholds ip ever who come across their first real stumbling block in life and find it extremely limiting, while those 'used' to pain and with high pain thresholds find the same thing 'not so bad'.


E.g. ATM by coincidence I have a burn and a sore finger on the same hand. I often burn my hands and the change in how this one feels is considerable, I know 'really' it has no more actual damage than older, healed burns that I have felt in the past, but it FEELs so much worse than similar ones have. :rotfl:

SingleSue

You have to pay in our car parks even with a blue badge......but they do give you double the amount, so if you pay for an hour, you get 2 hours and so on.

I have a high pain threshold (luckily!) but still find myself unable to move easily because of the level of pain on quite a few days now. I know of others who have less severe spinal arthritis/loss of discs, who are bedbound, so count myself lucky.

lostinrates

SingleSue wrote: »

You have to pay in our car parks even with a blue badge......but they do give you double the amount, so if you pay for an hour, you get 2 hours and so on.

I have a high pain threshold (luckily!) but still find myself unable to move easily because of the level of pain on quite a few days now. I know of others who have less severe spinal arthritis/loss of discs, who are bedbound, so count myself lucky.

I think you position is different again. My concern dear sue, is that with arthritic change every time you push yourself further than you need to you risk inflicting more damage.

I think really, even the unlucky amoung us are relatively lucky....to be in the uk is a lit better than some places we could be.

Nikkster

lostinrates wrote: »

I think you position is different again. My concern dear sue, is that with arthritic change every time you push yourself further than you need to you risk inflicting more damage.

I think really, even the unlucky amoung us are relatively lucky....to be in the uk is a lit better than some places we could be.

This is the problem with my ex-badge holder. Arthritis, and trying to keep on going. Also that the pain is there 24/7 so they feel they might as well push on as far as possible.