'Half' of disabled parking badges illegal

[Heyesey]

It would be very easy to sort this out.

 

Firstly, get stiffer penatlies for misuse.

 

 

To wit; if your car is parked with an illegal disabled badge, it should be crushed.

[KenH]

In reply to those people on this thread who seem to think it is barmy to suggest that 90% of blue badge holders are illegal I have a single suggestion - get some help with your reading.

 

What I actually said was that 90% of those people using the bays are illegal. I use the Chesterfield Tesco and I would say that cars in disabled spaces with badges are a minority. Of those that have badges, I regularly see perfectly fit people getting out of the cars and walking into the shop. In contrast I see older people who are slow on their feet, and who struggle a bit, park in the normal car park and walk, presumably because they think the exercise will stop them needing a badge. Yesterday I watched a lady park right outside the entrance and get her elderly mother (I assume) into a wheelchair before parking the car, which seemed an entirely sensible way of behaving. Obviously there are a very few people who need to park in disabed spaces but I would say I see possibly one or sometimes two on every visit to the shop but there are rows and rows of spaces for disabled users, often full of fancy cars with no badges. In other cases I see cars with badges that are clearly unfit for anyone with a real disability because even I would struggle to get in them. I also see the occasional big fat disabled bay user who would be better off walking all the way to the shop.

[GazB]

Only half?

 

All you have to do is stand at the argos entrance at meadowhall and look at all the people that park in disabled spots to know the system is a bit of a joke.

[Heyesey]

Of those that have badges, I regularly see perfectly fit people getting out of the cars and walking into the shop.

 

 

So we can abolish the system in place, costing millions of pounds a year, to determine whether or not someone is in need of such a badge, and just have you take one look at them for half a second?

 

Just because someone LOOKS fit to YOU, proves nothing whatsoever about whether they need, deserve, or legally own, a badge.

[KenH]

So we can abolish the system in place, costing millions of pounds a year, to determine whether or not someone is in need of such a badge, and just have you take one look at them for half a second?

 

Just because someone LOOKS fit to YOU, proves nothing whatsoever about whether they need, deserve, or legally own, a badge.

 

This is obviously true, but if I see most of them walking with complete ease to the shop then something looks very wrong doesn't it? I would accept that, out of a large group of disabled people, you might get the odd one that needs a badge but looks fit, but I wouldn't accept that the majority of the group would look like that. I think that any reasonable person visiting a major supermarket, where everyone drives to it, will see that the system is abused to the extent that the majority of people using the disabled bays do not need to or have no badge.

[Heyesey]

This is obviously true, but if I see most of them walking with complete ease to the shop then something looks very wrong doesn't it?

 

 

Something is very wrong; to wit, your understanding of the disabled badge system. Since you don't have any remote clue what purpose it serves, there's really no point you making any posts on this thread. Your opinions are baseless, let alone worthless.

[KenH]

Something is very wrong; to wit, your understanding of the disabled badge system. Since you don't have any remote clue what purpose it serves, there's really no point you making any posts on this thread. Your opinions are baseless, let alone worthless.

 

I suppose I assumed it was a system to allow people who can't walk very well to get to the shops more easily. Is there something else I am missing?

[Bonny]

I was under the impression this thread is about 'Half' of disabled parking badges being illegal, not people without badges parking in disabled bays. Hence, in the context of the thread, the statement about 90% being illegal is misleading. Now, must go find those pesky glasses

[ReginaldD]

I suppose I assumed it was a system to allow people who can't walk very well to get to the shops more easily. Is there something else I am missing?

 

 

The are certain automatic ways to get a blue e.g If someone receives higher rate disabilty allowance they automatically qualify for a blue badge. This may account for some of the blue badge holders who look like they can walk well, but they may have another quite serious disability.

 

Also it's not just if the person can't generally walk well, the criteria says the applicants qualify if they can only walk less than 100yards.

[Ms Macbeth]

Blue badges are also issued to people without visible disabilities so they may be viewed as able bodied. People with some heart condiitions also qualify, and they may not appear to have mobility problems. However, I think there is an issue with people using one that isn't theirs, but has been issued to someone in their family - when that person is not with them. Occasionally this type of misuse does get reported.

 

I understand the need for freedom to park near to where someone wants to go, but some blue badge holders use them indiscriminately, causing major traffic problems for other drivers. For instance, on Bradfield Road in Hillsborough there is a free car park. For the sake of a few yards, why park on the road itself and cause traffic jams? I'm sure this happens everywhere, thats just an example.