Blue badge/free parking

[television]

This is as complicated as the £200 winter fuel payment.

 

[Crazycarb]

Oh! Don't take that off us! What am I supposed to buy my Christmas Whisky, Gin, Vodka, beer, Baileys and wine with eh? Now THAT would be a gross mis justice

 

[bob 6600]

There are 2 ways to obtain a blue badge, firstly by qualifying through DLA/PIP at the higher rate meaning you have severe mobility issues. This automatically gives you a blue badge.

2nd way if you d not meet the higher rate eligibility, you can apply to the council where they will assess you. You could be earning alot of money and be entitled to a blue badge (hence have a nice expensive car) as your income has nothing to do with it although in most cases the disability can be the cause of not being able to work

 

[television]

Well I do not need it at all, but I hate to pay for parking, not spent £5 on it in the last 5 years

 

[steve_k243]

What actually inspired me to make the observation, was the very expensive cars in the blue badge line up, which immed. made me think that finances were not an issue. Maybe a means test would be a better & fairer way to issue FREE disabled parking, maybe an additional free parking badge? so those that don't qualify, cough up!

That observation was one car park at one particular time. I can name times when the local supermarket disabled bays are full of white vans, driven by obvious manual workers who by the nature of their work cannot possibly be entitled. So we make white van man pay?

The Gest--Police also abuse these bays, One law......

The abusers come in all shapes and forms.

In my experience the Wilmslow Panzers DON'T have a blue badge.

 

[Crazycarb]

Remember these?

 

[steve_k243]

Oh! Don't take that off us! What am I supposed to buy my Christmas Whisky, Gin, Vodka, beer, Baileys and wine with eh? Now THAT would be a gross mis justice

That's as funny as a bucket of cancer.
Quite a flippant reply given the fact that some pensioners actually choose between food or warmth in 2015. Some do DIE! Not Cameron are you?

 

[television]

Inva car or something like that They ha a place in Essex

 

[KennyN]

The whole system is open for abuse just like the rest of the benefits system, the trick is knowing how to "play" the system.

My mums neighbour has a 64 plate Kuga , the car is actually leased to his sister who qualifies for a disabled allowance and he is obviously a named driver on the policy . The car is always parked outside unless HE has got it at work.

One of my wifes friends father qualifies for a car through the same system, when she passed her test she used the car (brand new Scenic) for work EVERY day.

My mum can hardly walk due to arthritis and yet she is continually refused a blue badge as she has good + bad days regarding the pain and it really annoys me when you see the obvious system abusers at the supermarket.

My father-in-law had a blue badge due to him having the big `C` , if he couldn't get a reserved parking space then he had to go home as he was just not able to walk the extra distance to the shop. Meanwhile there were the abusers again sitting in their car either waiting in the disabled space for someone or just parked as they couldn't be arsed walking the extra few yards to get their shopping.

Certain people just don't give a toss for anyone but themselves. :roll:

Kenny

 

[bob 6600]

The whole system is open for abuse just like the rest of the benefits system, the trick is knowing how to "play" the system.

As with all benefits, unfortunately you are correct. However with PIP they have re-introduced face to face interviews so they actually see the claimant and make observations on their problems. Previously it seems you could fill out the forms and if you managed to get a medical report of some sort, you was eligible.

 

[Rappey69]

According to what we see on tv it appears the scale of abuse is huge..
I sort of knew someone who was an alcoholic, so qualified for disabilty and even managed to get a car ! This car was then "rented" out to his mates..
I rarely see anyone get out of a car in a disabled bay who looks to have any sort of problem, bar the elderly !

 

[rf065]

Isn't that illegal? I thought the car reg was connected to the badge?

Never read post 19, did ya!

Russ

 

[Frontstep]

It is a shame that people concentrate on the few abusers of the Blue Badge scheme.
If you have evidence of abuse report it.

 

[KennyN]

If you have evidence of abuse report it.

Why don't the people that issue the badges police it properly , we all know it goes on so why can't they monitor the spaces and question the people using them.

Are you the holder , or is the badge holder with you - if it is a no then first warning , two warnings then the badge is withdrawn and a fine issued -NO questions.

It is so widespread that they would just need to appear at any supermarket at any time and they would catch loads of them.

Kenny

 

[steve_k243]

Why don't the people that issue the badges police it properly , we all know it goes on so why can't they monitor the spaces and question the people using them.

Are you the holder , or is the badge holder with you - if it is a no then first warning , two warnings then the badge is withdrawn and a fine issued -NO questions.

It is so widespread that they would just need to appear at any supermarket at any time and they would catch loads of them.

Kenny

One small problem--blue badges are issued by Councils. Only they can enforce any abuse of parking bays or badges themselves. Those bays being in town or on Council run car parks. Supermarkets etc cannot take any real action these days. Most people are now realising that privately issued parking tickets are non enforceable in law apart from contractually.
So if a cashpoint cripple parks in a supermarket disabled bay, he is in breech of contract with the provider. If the bay is free effectively he owes nothing!

One area where improvement is lomng overdue is in town(s) where stolen and counterfeit badges are in use. A warden looked at my badge last week--from 10 metres away! I did mention to him that a good idea, given that he had a digital camera would be to photograph the badge and once back at base check for it being stolen or a bogus badge.

He was totally disinterested!

 

[Crazycarb]

Most people are now realising that privately issued parking tickets are non enforceable in law apart from contractually.
He was totally disinterested!

Most of parking companies do take action in the form of a county court summons.
I was watching a TV programme the other night, where a young lady was refused a mortgage, purely because of a CCJ brought about by parking, and not paying her parking "invoice".

 

[C350Carl]

Most of parking companies do take action in the form of a county court summons.

I was watching a TV programme the other night, where a young lady was refused a mortgage, purely because of a CCJ brought about by parking, and not paying her parking "invoice".

She must be extremely unlucky or it was from a council? It's well known and documented that private parking companies have very little standing in law.

 

[KennyN]

Only they can enforce any abuse of parking bays or badges themselves. Those bays being in town or on Council run car parks.

I would have though that badge abuse was just that irrespective of where it may be

In Asda`s carpark the rest of the rules of the road apply so why not badge abuse monitored by the council

Kenny

 

[Boxbrownie]

I would have though that badge abuse was just that irrespective of where it may be

In Asda`s carpark the rest of the rules of the road apply so why not badge abuse monitored by the council

Kenny

In a similar vein, our local ASDA has four spaces for electric vehicle charging, very useful indeed as they are close (by necessity of cabling I would guess) to the shop, but I have never seen anything but normal ICE vehicles parked in them, the spaces are clearly marked and have huge charging stations plonked in front of each bay so no excuse for "not noticing".

Now as a potential EV owner in the near future I questioned ASDA about the policing of the bay's, and thier answer was "there is nothing we can do"
The actual disabled bays are close by and plenty of them, unfortunately so is the ATM, so naturally about two or three bays are always filled with cars whose owners are "just there for a minute while they get cash out", with attitudes as lazy and unthinking as this it makes me give up!

 

[C350Carl]

In a similar vein, our local ASDA has four spaces for electric vehicle charging, very useful indeed as they are close (by necessity of cabling I would guess) to the shop, but I have never seen anything but normal ICE vehicles parked in them, the spaces are clearly marked and have huge charging stations plonked in front of each bay so no excuse for "not noticing".

Now as a potential EV owner in the near future I questioned ASDA about the policing of the bay's, and thier answer was "there is nothing we can do"
The actual disabled bays are close by and plenty of them, unfortunately so is the ATM, so naturally about two or three bays are always filled with cars whose owners are "just there for a minute while they get cash out", with attitudes as lazy and unthinking as this it makes me give up!

Parent and toddler bays are another bug bear of mine.

I was recently accosted by some muppet about parking in one. I got out the car and some woman is behind me wildly gesticualting at the signs. So i went to her window and asked if i could help her as she appeared in distress at something. So she replied and i quote "Can't you fcuking read the signs? This is a Parent and Toddler area. Not for lazy sods with flash cars. I have my 4yr old in the back!" So i apologised and said i'll move it hang on.

I then went back to the car, got my 2yr old son out and then walked back over to her. I asked her if in her opinion we qualified? She went beetroot and started apologising. I just said she shouldn't be so quick to judge and that she might want to tone down the language in front of children. I also pointed to the other 4 empty Parent & Toddler spaces.

Some people are very quick to judge. However there is wide spread abuse of dedicated parking spaces etc. This is more down to how selfish & lazy society has become these days. It's all about me me me and fcuk everyone else.