Blue badge

PB1654

Hi, newbie here great site, very informative, anybody know if it’s legal for a member of the public to take photos of my blue badge which is displayed correctly in my vehicle outside my house, the badge is all up to date and legal, many thanks.

devoncop22

Yes it is legal. 

Odd behaviour but legal. I assume your car is in a public place ?

Car_54

In the UK, it's perfectly legal to take photos of anything and anyone in a public place.

BTW how do you know he/she was a "member of the public", rather than a plain-clothes police officer, private detective, MI5, KGB ... ?

motorguy

Legal.

Was it a nosey neighbour or a complete stranger, do you think?

elsien

Did you ask said member of the public why they wanted it?

WellKnownSid

I would put money on a disgruntled member of the human race.

One of my children has a blue badge due to an invisible disability and as driver I do get the looks / stares and even questioned from time to time by such lower members of the gene pool who see a man and child getting out of a car in a disabled space using what is obviously a stolen or fake blue badge, maybe even the entire car is stolen - quick - call the police 🙄

Only a uniformed officer with appropriate ID has the right to inspect the other side of the badge.

Ganga

I would have been out and asked them what they were doing ,might have a good reason but at least you would know.

Bigwheels1111

I get people looking and me when I jump out the car, they lock away when I take the wheelchair out and help my friend into it.
Ive had pictures taken, a stuck up female dog followed me into the hospital to report me using a blue badge.
While venting her abuse my friend was pushed into reception and handed over to me.
The look on her face, still makes me smile. Warms my heart ❤️ 

First thing to understand is so many people abuse blue badges.
We are on our fourth blue badge. 10 year in.
I have only ever seen a blue badge checked once, 2 old ladies in a flash spots car.
Turned out it was not theirs, A police man came 5 minutes later and cautioned them.
I know there are hidden disabilities, My brother and 2 friends have severely autistic children.
But blue badge abuse is rampant. But checks are so rare.

Now I’m up to 2 blue badge checks, could you believe it.

I was in Maidstone hospital today and found out they were doing checks. I was most impressed.
I pulled into one of ten bays behind the pet scan department, before I could exit the car we were pounced on.
It made me smile.
Hello I’m inspector so and so, please could I examine your blue badge, of course. He took one look at me and then my friend who is the blue badge holder handed it back and said sorry to trouble you.
They had had enough of the parking abuse as it’s free for disabled drivers.
I personally think everyone showing a badge should be checked.

Car_54

Ganga said:

I would have been out and asked them what they were doing ,might have a good reason but at least you would know.

No, he wouldn’t. He would know what the stranger said, but not whether it was true.

Herzlos

Probably just a busy body who feels like you shouldn't have a badge, but they have no power so it's not worth worrying about.

I know our badge doesn't have a photo on the display side, just a hologram and a reference number, but I'm not sure when that changed? Or does that just apply to kids? If that's the case they can't even see who the badge holder is.

forgotmyname

Someone recently mentioned that the visible badge code mentions the sex of the holder and their D.O.B. or
year of birth.  Is the badge holder the usual driver?