Query about disabled bay parking fine Asda

Stroma

Andyt1981 wrote: »

Personally I still wouldn't park there, and the time spent, available spaces or weather doesn't really justify it. I find it quite sad that anyone would think this was socially acceptable.

Perhaps if you bothered reading the post you wouldn't be so judgemental !!

ColliesCarer

Andyt1981 wrote: »

Personally I still wouldn't park there, and the time spent, available spaces or weather doesn't really justify it. I find it quite sad that anyone would think this was socially acceptable.

Andy, have you considered that maybe the driver wasn't just trying not to get wet because that could be a bit unpleasant.

For certain debilitating medical conditions getting soaked through to the skin can have serious consequences for the person concerned. For example: for a person with immune deficiencies a common cold can lead to needing hospitalisation etc etc

Stroma

Andyt1981 wrote: »

I read the thread and can't find any mention of the driver being disabled.

I've quoted where there person is covered under the Equality Act, and having medical problems like that would probably make them as defined as disabled. Perhaps you should read what the Act actually covers.

It also does not mention the blue badge scheme at all, you cannot rely on that council scheme to define disablement, it's actually discrimination to allow blue badge holders only.

fisherjim

Andyt1981 wrote: »

Having given this some more thought I think that it's really important (as well as an obligation) that businesses etc provide designated spaces for disabled users. Obviously some people (not necessarily the OP's elderly driver) will always wrongly use these spaces so some policing is required. A blue badge seems to be the obvious way for a driver to show eligibility for these spaces.

My first post was really a general rant about the countless people I see who seem to think that rules apply only to others and park in parent and child spaces without kids, stop on zig-zags outside schools etc etc.

I hope the OP bests the ticket but I'm glad that the council is policing disabled spots

Have you actually taken in anything on here?

Andyt1981

Ok all- I give in. Let's all park where we feel like, regardless of rules or morals.

Truly_Wracked_Off

WOW. I appear to have inadvertently opened a hornet’s nest here. Sorry! However, thanks to Trisontana et al for all their support and understanding. And yes, as Andyt1981 implies, it’s wrong when able-bodied drivers obstruct the handicapped – but that isn’t what happened here. There was no obstruction. Moreover, the Car Park Warden knew this. There was no reason why sound judgement couldn’t have been applied, because of the circumstances. However, I suspect this was an over-officious Warden. So for the record, these are the unembellished facts.

Because the rest of the car park allows unrestricted parking (including the parent/child bays), the Warden only has to monitor the disabled bays. Despite such a restricted area of responsibility, even he was unwilling to expose himself to the rain. It wasn’t simply a light shower but a torrential downpour, so much so that those who’d completed their shopping joined the Car Park Warden to shelter in Asda’s doorway rather than make a dash for their cars, as witnessed when the driver entered the store.

I wonder, did this Warden enjoy flexing his muscles as he watched the elderly driver pass by? It was evident for all to see that out of a total of 22 disabled parking spaces, only two were occupied in the large disabled area! The pensioner (who hasn’t applied for a disabled ‘pass’ but has a severe medical condition) knew it was a flying, two-minute visit (as their receipt shows) and also knew that because the disabled area was deserted – no doubt because of such inclement weather – no one could possibly be disadvantaged. Such a pity the Warden couldn’t make this judgement for himself, thereby helping create the kind of society we would all prefer to live in. Hey ho, whatever.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for your contributions – and Collies Carer, you hit the jackpot! Part of the driver’s medical condition includes a defunct immune system, further decimated by 3 years of steroid medication, inflicting wretched side effects.

Smart Parking’s charge is £70, discounted to £40 if paid within 14 days. And finally, re land ownership, the local Council has already confirmed it isn’t them and even suggested that they suspect it may well be Asda! We shall see …..

trisontana

Andyt1981 wrote: »

Ok all- I give in. Let's all park where we feel like, regardless of rules or morals.

We are not saying that, and where does that "but I'm glad that the council is policing disabled spots" come from? It's got nothing to do with the council . I suppose you know the difference between council parking tickets and private fake fines?

Stroma

The land owner will be a subsidiary of Walmart, like all their stores where the landowner is not a third party. FYI Walmart wholly own Asda

ColliesCarer

Thanks for your response T-W-O

Have you tried taking a look at the council planning portal - planning consents can sometimes have restrictions on car parks which may be relevant.

Stroma

Andyt1981 wrote: »

Ok all- I give in. Let's all park where we feel like, regardless of rules or morals.

Why , because you are wrong? We don't endorse abuse of any car park whether private or public, we rightly try and educate people about parking in such places as bays meant for the disabled, when they don't need it!

But we don't do is criticise people for using these bays when legally they are allowed to, if you can't get your head around the fact that you can be disabled without a blue badge, I suggest you leave it there.

You should know that the blue badge scheme doesn't even apply on private land. You don't have to take our word for it, search on google for it.