Blue Badge

[Spindle]

Wow

Gangs, yobs, advocacy of illegal action, threats of malicious damage - perhaps you should change your location to Dodge City

 

[misterfish]

Misterfish are you saying you knowingly parked in disabled spaces without displaying a blue badge?

Baldhead

In Waitrose car park. If you read the rest of my post I explain that this is with my elderly mother-in-law that is unable to walk any distance and has to be pushed in a wheelchair. The spaces do not specify blue badge requirements only disabled. Using a wheelchair with my mother in law requires parking spaces with enough width to use the wheelchair and allow side access.

However, the point is that many people don't like to admit that they are disabled and as in this case refuse to sign the form for the blue badge application. We had the same problem with attendance allowance - MIL thinks that it ia all charity and is too proud to apply for and get the help she needs. It took a lot of persuasion to get her to sign!

My late father-in-law was as bad. He could not walk at all and used an electric wheelchair to get around. He also bought a modified Fiat Doblo with a ramp and wheelchair fixings. Despite this he would not apply for a blue badge.

What I'm saying is don't be too quick to judge others unless you actually know their situation.

I would point out that it is only in the private Waitrose car park that we used to park before having the badge. Also there is no requirement to display the badge and most don't yet when you see others returning to their vehicles neary all are of limited mobility,

Misterfish

 

[whiskywill]

My daughter complains about the use of Mother & Child spaces by those without young kids.
She has a habit of asking offenders - Haven't you forgot something? They usually look at her and she says 'Your Child' ?

I did exactly that a couple of months ago. The reply by the lone woman was "No I haven't" as she walked two bays along to her daughter (I think) who did have a child in the back of the car.

 

[Steve Maskery]

A tranny parked in a BB bay at B&Q. I did challenge the two guys who got out and got a short anglo-saxon reply. I then went to a supervisor in B&Q and she said there was nothing they could do, it was not their car park.

But they could have refused entry to them, they could have refused to serve them, there are several ways in which they could have supported sanctions against them.

I'm not disabled, but my mum is. Actually she's pretty much housebound now, so I rarely take her out, but it is not all all unusual to find all the BB bays full. Sometimes they do display a badge, only to see a perfectly fit and able person come back to the car and leap in. Clearly it's not their badge.

It's very annoying.

 

[SPSlick]

It took me a while to realise you meant transit. Had some very strange images in my head.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

What did you think he meant? A transistor radio?

 

[flying haggis]

Got to be the most expensive blue badge holders car I've seen.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/m ... 82773.html

 

[Phil Pascoe]

link doesn't work.

 

[flying haggis]

link doesn't work.

fixed

 

[Phil Pascoe]

:shock: yes...well...

 

[Baldhead]

Misterfish are you saying you knowingly parked in disabled spaces without displaying a blue badge?

Baldhead

In Waitrose car park. If you read the rest of my post I explain that this is with my elderly mother-in-law that is unable to walk any distance and has to be pushed in a wheelchair. The spaces do not specify blue badge requirements only disabled. Using a wheelchair with my mother in law requires parking spaces with enough width to use the wheelchair and allow side access.

However, the point is that many people don't like to admit that they are disabled and as in this case refuse to sign the form for the blue badge application. We had the same problem with attendance allowance - MIL thinks that it ia all charity and is too proud to apply for and get the help she needs. It took a lot of persuasion to get her to sign!

My late father-in-law was as bad. He could not walk at all and used an electric wheelchair to get around. He also bought a modified Fiat Doblo with a ramp and wheelchair fixings. Despite this he would not apply for a blue badge.

What I'm saying is don't be too quick to judge others unless you actually know their situation.

I would point out that it is only in the private Waitrose car park that we used to park before having the badge. Also there is no requirement to display the badge and most don't yet when you see others returning to their vehicles neary all are of limited mobility,

Misterfish

I disagree, the reasons being,

1 You only park in a disabled parking space in a superstore car park where you know you will not be penalised.
2 You are splitting hairs saying 'there is no mention of requiring a blue badge', it is generally accepted that parking in a disabled space requires some form of proof of a disability.
3 By parking in a disabled space you are stopping a recognised disabled person from using that space.
4 You say that to take her anywhere we have to transport her in the car and push her in her wheelchair, that would signify that you are parking in a disabled space for your own needs.
5 Blue badge holders have to pay for their blue badge (£10 from Northumberland County Council) it is not free, if a non blue badge holder takes up a space don't you think that a little unfair?
6 If your disabled, apply for a blue badge.
7 If I see anyone parking in a disabled space and not displaying a blue badge I will criticise them, only a medical professional can say someone is disabled, that is who you have to convince you have mobility problems to get a blue badge in the first place.

Baldhead

 

[misterfish]

1. We only parked in Waitrose and used the space for my disabled mother-in-law for safety reasons - it is difficult to safely use the rest of the car park with a wheelchair. Our Waitrose staff are supportive and know her and us as we have been regular customers for many years.
2. It is disabled parking - not registered disabled parking.
3. No, anyone would recognise my mother-in-law as disabled
4. No. As I said we need the extra width to be able to get her in and out of the car safely.
5. First. This only appled to Waitrose. This was the stimulus that made us insist that she apply for a blue badge which she eventually grudgingly did. We now have a blue badge - we paid £10 for it and we had to take her to the local library to get it in person. As for unfair - that would be an able bodied person in a Waitrose disabled space not a bloody minded bolshy disabled person!
6. She is disabled and had to apply
7. She was approved. Interestingly most of the disabled parkers do not display the blue badge in Waitrose. In fact we were told to keep it out of sight unles there is a need to display it as it is valuable and likely to be the target of theives.

Misterfish

 

[Phil Pascoe]

No need to boast about using Waitrose for years. I bet you're talking about Lidl, really, aren't you?

 

[Baldhead]

Misterfish you cannot park in a disabled space simply because of a safety issue, neither can you use a disabled space because of your loyalty to the store.

I have never heard of a non registered disabled parking space, perhaps this is unique to West Sussex?

Only medically qualified people can say someone is disabled, if you are a medically qualified profesional then please except my apologises, if not then you cannot say anyone is disabled. I can quantify this statement by asking you, ' was there a medically qualified professional involved at some stage in her successful application for a blue badge?'

Interestingly most of the disabled parkers don't display their blue badge, this may be because like yourself they should not be parking there, not until someone with the correct qualifications has decided there are disabled and would qualify for a blue badge.

I note that you say, you only did this in waitrose car park, if you had parked in a disabled space in a council owned car park or on double yellows you would have recieved a PCN, this just proves that you were aware of the facts that waitrose would not penalise you, because you are not authorised to say she is disabled.

The OP was aimed at people like you who park in a designated disabled space without displaying the appropriate badge.

Baldhead

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I suppose on private land you could have parking bays for ginger people, people over six foot, people with gold teeth or whatever you wished? Surely it's nothing to do with anyone else? Unless it's stipulated in their P.P. which I doubt it is.

 

[misterfish]

was there a medically qualified professional involved at some stage in her successful application for a blue badge?'

Yes. Her GP.

The only trips out she has (her decision) is to Waitrose, the garden centre and the hospital.

Being carers for an elderly, obstinate disabled woman with signs of dementia and an apparent need to argue at every opportunity is hard work and mentally draining. She always knows best!! In the end it came down to apply for the badge or don't go out. She insists that this is all charity and she is not bad enough yet!!!!!!

Misterfish

 

[MickCheese]

Chill out.

Surely it's not the the piece of paper we are up in arms about it those that are able bodied and taking up a space.

If everyone was reasonable there would be no need for a badge system.

If someone has real difficulty in walking then just use the space blue badge or not. Why is everyone now days so unreasonable and in need of regulation? This really is a just a common sense thing. I do have a blue badge for my mother and had one for my MIL who had dementia.

Mick

 

[RogerS]

....
Being carers for an elderly, obstinate disabled woman with signs of dementia and an apparent need to argue at every opportunity is hard work and mentally draining. She always knows best!! In the end it came down to apply for the badge or don't go out. She insists that this is all charity and she is not bad enough yet!!!!!!

Misterfish

I share your pain. Just about to set off for the miserable hobgoblin-grumping-in-the-corner aka the mother-from-Hell 90th birthday lunch. It will be moan, moan, moan, whitter, whitter, whitter. If there was an Olympic sport for Talking B*locks' then put her in the team and we'd win gold every time. Cost of the entire journey, meal, present etc nigh on £200. Any mother that says that the only reason for having children is so that they can look after you in your old age doesn't cut it, in my book. We need a cull.

 

[Baldhead]

was there a medically qualified professional involved at some stage in her successful application for a blue badge?'

Yes. Her GP.

Precisely

Baldhead

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

....
Being carers for an elderly, obstinate disabled woman with signs of dementia and an apparent need to argue at every opportunity is hard work and mentally draining. She always knows best!! In the end it came down to apply for the badge or don't go out. She insists that this is all charity and she is not bad enough yet!!!!!!

Misterfish

I share your pain. Just about to set off for the miserable hobgoblin-grumping-in-the-corner aka the mother-from-Hell 90th birthday lunch. It will be moan, moan, moan, whitter, whitter, whitter. If there was an Olympic sport for Talking B*locks' then put her in the team and we'd win gold every time. Cost of the entire journey, meal, present etc nigh on £200. Any mother that says that the only reason for having children is so that they can look after you in your old age doesn't cut it, in my book. We need a cull.

The elderly raised us, struggled and went without to achieve it and then fought off foreign lunatics to protect our way of life. I find your intolerant and disdainful attitude positively shameful. I too have had elderly relatives in constant pain and difficulty which if course leads to moaning. If you show them some kindness and engage them in discussion about life and times in their prime you can learn a great deal about early 20th century Britain and make them feel special to boot. All they want is a sympathetic ear and to feel comfortable.