Disabled Parking

Tiddlywinks

If the council intended the bays to be short stay only then they would have erected signs accordingly.

No time limit means that it is OK for ANYONE to bag the spaces and use them... It just so happens that your colleagues get there first.

I struggle to understand why people in the office would be so interested as it doesn't impact on their lives does it? Or is it sour grapes because they all have to pay for parking?

Perhaps the ladies would love to swap their need for disabled parking spaces for good health / mobility but, sadly, that option is not available to them.

Ames

The op is in Scotland where there aren't time limits - blue badges don't come with a clock there.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

So, the spaces are provided for people who genuinely need them for as long as they need them.

They use them.

And now some people think it's not fair that they use them for the purpose they were created, to park as long as needed?



Anybody else needing to park for day to day stuff can stick their car in a normal bay or even on double yellows and do what they have to do. If they also work, then they'll have to find another place to park, like those ladies would if the spaces were taken. But they can't be particularly desperately needed by tons of people, as they're empty every single day - or the same two people wouldn't be able to park in them.





How people with disabilities are supposed to win, I have no idea. If they aren't working, they're skivers, if they are, they're being unreasonable in daring to need to park near work. And, either way, their personal life and behaviour seems to be permanently up for scrutiny by randoms who have absolutely no business discussing it in the first place.



Perhaps we should start a discussion about the 'Normal' person who dares to park in the nearest car park on the lowest floor or nearest the exit. How dare they, when somebody else might have needed to park closer because they were running late or had sore legs from a particularly heavy night with their partner. Shall we try and shame them into parking five miles away and walking in, because somebody else might need that space?

FBaby

The issue is whether the council should consider putting a limit or not. It's not because it's not now that they think it is acceptable, more that they didn't consider the possibility that these would be used every day by people working. Indeed, I expect if someone complains, they are likely to change it without warning.

I find it shocking that 'important people' get a parking space above disabled people. Surely this is where the problem lies. They should offer parking to these two employees.

Seanymph

We had a similar problem in our village with non disabled spaces, so hopefully that can open up the other side?

We had a small village centre car park which was free, and private - non regulated.

The staff who worked in the village would park there all day, thus limiting spaces for customers to come into the shops to support their employment.

The owner of the car park put out notices to encourage the workers to move their cars further out of the village and walk slightly further to free up the parking spaces. they did, the shopkeepers and business owners were happy.

For me it's about need.

If your two co-workers cannot access their workplace from further away then it is more than reasonable that they use the spaces to enable them to work. If a bit of effort on their behalf (ie park and ride or a car share or whatever) could free the spaces up so that other disabled people could access banking, shopping, solicitors etc during the day then i think they should make that effort.

Not only does that support the business (their employer maybe but certainly other peoples livelihoods) - it also means other, genuinely disabled people can access services during the day.

I was disabled for a long time, necessitating a blue badge, fortunately at the moment I am more mobile and so don't use one, but I will again sooner or later.

I have taken my children shopping for school uniforms, or tried to access my bank, or get to the Post Office or whatever (not supermarkets, you can always get to supermarkets!) - and if I cannot get into spaces nearby i have had to leave and come back another day or another time. It's frustrating and makes an already difficult life far harder.

Whilst I wouldn't dispute these ladies absolute right to use the spaces all day, and if they have no other option then absolutely they should. IF they have another option then consideration for other disabled people and empathy for their struggles should surely mean they would explore leaving one space for someone like me who would need to be able to get close to facilities?

Saint_Chris

Do these badges belong to the people who are working?..............or are they relatives badges, because where I live, everyone uses their mum/dad/grans badges.

fluffnutter

I think the source of the problem is the failure of the employer to provide adequate support to its disabled workers. There are parking spaces available but these are for 'important' people. If they changed their definition to 'those that actually need a parking space close to the workplace rather than people who think they're important' then the OP's colleagues wouldn't struggle to get to work and these council spaces would be free for others. Win win.

zzzLazyDaisy

I notice that OP has not responded to my question about whether the employer arranged with the council for those two disabled spaces to be placed on the road in front of the offices. It is entirely possible that this was an attempt to accommodate the company's disabled workers who need to park close to the place of work. OP probably doesn't know if this is the case, and why would she? After all the issue of reasonable adjustments is for the worker and their employer.

I too am curious about the level of interest among these two employees' co-workers regarding their conduct in parking properly and lawfully outside their place of work. Why on earth would any of their colleagues seriously wish the extra time, energy, and struggle, of parking somewhere else, on someone who is continuing to work despite having health/mobility problems that their able-bodied colleagues don't have to contend with? Surely to goodness it is not a case of petty jealousy?

esmerelda98

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

I notice that OP has not responded to my question about whether the employer arranged with the council for those two disabled spaces to be placed on the road in front of the offices. It is entirely possible that this was an attempt to accommodate the company's disabled workers who need to park close to the place of work. OP probably doesn't know if this is the case, and why would she? After all the issue of reasonable adjustments is for the worker and their employer.

Give her a chance! You asked your questions at 11.39 last night, a good one and a half hours after the OP last posted on the thread. You don't need me to point out all the possible reasons why the OP might not have responded by 10am today. I thought you were one of the more reasonable posters around here, it's a bit disappointing to see you take this attitude.

I too am curious about the level of interest among these two employees' co-workers regarding their conduct in parking properly and lawfully outside their place of work. Why on earth would any of their colleagues seriously wish the extra time, energy, and struggle, of parking somewhere else, on someone who is continuing to work despite having health/mobility problems that their able-bodied colleagues don't have to contend with? Surely to goodness it is not a case of petty jealousy?

It may be jealousy. However it is entirely possible that the co-workers have disabled friends or relatives who complain to them about never being able to use the disabled parking bays on the high street. Or it could just be a debate that doesn't have such strong negativity about it.
..........

zzzLazyDaisy

"Give her a chance! You asked your questions at 11.39 last night, a good one and a half hours after the OP last posted on the thread. You don't need me to point out all the possible reasons why the OP might not have responded by 10am today. I thought you were one of the more reasonable posters around here, it's a bit disappointing to see you take this attitude."

Sincere apologies - my remark was not intended as a criticism of OP. It was merely a comment on the fact that this continuing debate is still missing an important piece of the jigsaw.