Disabled parking section - Offence at 0700hrs?!

[caro]

Fair play to you Zoltron.

[amber2508]

I tried to park at a Dunelm mill stroe to buy some knitting wool last year and the disabled parking bay was full. 2 disabled cars and one young man in a sports car waiting for his girlfriend. I approached him and asked him to move out of the bay to a regular bay some yards away and he refused, saying his girlfriend would be tired after working there so he was entitled and if I was to wait 10 minutes I could have the space.

 

I have experienced this on a few occasions. I just park behind them blocking them in now, they soon get the picture. Last time i did this was because i had asked the guy parked up nicely if he could possibly move to another non disabled space as i am disabled and needed to park there, he said F*** O** so i parked behind him. The guy i blocked in came looking for me in the store i was visiting and asking me to move my car. I said sure i'll move as soon as i have finished my business and finished reporting you, which i did, he was warned by the manager and left with his tail between his legs. His face was a picture.

 

Bad news when we have to go to these lengths though. I would give anything not to have to use the spaces and to be able to walk freely to and from any parking space. I don't part there because i want to, i have to.

[saabuser]

my point exactly we have all become intollerant and selfish and nobody cares about anyone else. if anyone has to park in a disabled bay then so be it but the point i was making or trying too was why park in a loading bay which is for loading not shopping its for people like me to be able to do our jobs. an example.... i was recently in a town making a delivery and turned into a one way street to deliver to an electrical store there was a car with badge displayed in the loading bay and in front of that was a empty disabled bay yet the guy insisted he had the right to park there and walked past the empty disabled bay when i said i would report him he took a swing at me and luckily missed with plenty of witnesses who all agreed there didnt seem to be anything wrong with this guy. this is not meant to cause offense to anyone posting here just my thoughts and apologise if anyone takes it personally

[caro]

Not that I want to start anything again, but there are times when people use disabled badges when the people they were intended for are not even in the car. There is a tendency in society these days towards selfishness, which is one reason that this site is so refreshing, as people pull together to help and support each other.

[JonCris]

caro your remarks are ill informed.

 

They ARE allowed to use the disabled badge if the disabled person is NOT in the car, provided it's for specific purposes to do with the disabled person such as shopping

[meeru]

caro your remarks are ill informed.

 

They ARE allowed to use the disabled badge if the disabled person is NOT in the car, provided it's for specific purposes to do with the disabled person such as shopping

 

No you are not!!

 

You must not allow other people to use your badge. It cannot be used by someone to fetch your medicine for you, however urgent your medicine is.

(I'm guessing this applys to shopping as well!)

 

NABBH

 

 

[dw190]

No you are not!!

 

You must not allow other people to use your badge. It cannot be used by someone to fetch your medicine for you, however urgent your medicine is.

 

(I'm guessing this applys to shopping as well!)

 

NABBH

 

 

 

 

However you could drop a disabled person off then drive to a more suitable place to park and display their badge.

[Bookworm]

I didn't think a disabled driver could park in a loading bay either, since they can't park "anywhere a loading restriction applies", which I would have thought is very much the case for loading bays.:-?

 

A quick Google shows that most councils specify disabled drivers can not park in loading bays.

[JonCris]

No you are not!!

 

You must not allow other people to use your badge. It cannot be used by someone to fetch your medicine for you, however urgent your medicine is.

 

(I'm guessing this applys to shopping as well!)

 

NABBH

 

 

 

 

I was referring to shopping in the context of the ablebodied driver parking in a disabled bay to collect or drop the disabled badge holder. This is sometimes what other drivers misinterperate as a non qualified driver parking where they shouldn't when they have every right to

[JonCris]

I didn't think a disabled driver could park in a loading bay either, since they can't park "anywhere a loading restriction applies", which I would have thought is very much the case for loading bays.:-?

 

A quick Google shows that most councils specify disabled drivers can not park in loading bays.

 

They should not park in a loading bay except when actualy loading. They should never park in a "no loading at any time" area donated by 2 yellow stripes on the kerb. They can park in restricted loading area (indicated by 1 yellow stripe on the kerb) provided they do not park during the times of restriction.

[Dr.Shoe]

I think you are so very wrong and ignorant like many others on this one my friend, essential services are immune as long there as a genuine fault/problem with an essential service and the flashing beacons are on and the company repairing the fault as an essential services permit, which Water, Gas, Electricity, and Telco do. An example is, what if on a busy high street a water main had burst on a pavement next to disabled parking, would you deem it fair that the enginners fixing the supply fault to carry tools, excavating equipment (pneumatic kango & compressor which is a large item AND HAS TO BE CLOSE BY), as well as materials for repairing the fault, just because they are abled bodied you and other disabled people would expect them to find a way for them to get on with their work without causing any disruption to yourself. It makes no difference if it be water, gas, electricity, or telco they are essential services, let me put it another way if you or someone else lay dying in a busy high street and had no way to to contact the emergency services by phone because someone resurfacing the pavement had cut through a major fibre optic trunk cable, what would be the greater violation the telecommunications enginner parked in a disabled space with his yellow beacons on causing disruption to one person disabled who can't park, or the telecommunications company because they were doing the decent thing by not fixing the fault becuase THEY put the health and safety of their personnel first.

I don't think there is a police officer in this land would would even think about asking a man at work on essential services to move his van out of a disabled parking space for fixing a fault as long as the correct signage and guarding rails were in place, but just because the engineer can't be seen it doesn't mean there is no fault and this is what annoys me, traffic wardens don't see this.

Also further to this a vehicle that prevents or obstructs essential services with a permit from carrying out their operations can be forcefully removed by the council or police.

 

Actually, the law is quite clear with regard to the use and abuse of orange beacons. In the case where you have to carry equipment to a site adjacent to a disabled parking bay or on double yellow lines, you must offload the equipment and then park the vehicle in a legal location. In cases where the equpment is fixed to the vehicle then you must apply for a suspension of parking restrictions. These rules do not apply to single yellow (without loading restriction) or taxi bays.

 

Orange beacons are only enhanced hazard lights, nothing else.

 

 

To the OP: Suppose your car had failed to start and while you were waiting for the AA the other bays filled up and as a result of your reckless thoughtlessness someone needed the bay you were illegally obstructing. Pay up and shut up!

[Dr.Shoe]

Don't get me started on people obstructing loading bays!

[mark.dathorne]

Wow ... this thread still going?

 

Paid up first ... and then had my moan.

 

Basically there should have been a space or two for 5-minute parking to drop off people to the bus garage.

 

(I am sorry that my thread had to be edited, moderator).

[Dr.Shoe]

Yes there should have been, but I suspect that there was a pay and display or a meter nearby.

 

If they can twist you out of £1.20 or whatever for 5 minutes parking they're not going to let you park for free are they? (Robbing barstewards!)

[caro]

At our local pay and displays you can get a ticket for free for 15 minutes parking which is useful for that kind of thing, or if you are just dashing into one shop. Not many people seem to be aware of it, and I am sure this is not available everywhere.

[Bookworm]

East Croydon Station used to have a free drop-off... Surprise, surprise, no longer the case, you have to pay for the same spot nowadays....

 

(I'm only getting mad on behalf of other people, as my hubby works there, I can park in the staff car park FOC, lol)

[caro]

mutter mutter ...these people with their I'm alright Jack attitude.:rolleyes:

[millymong]

i don't know if this is true but heard somone got off parking in a disabled bay by taking it to court as there were disabled bagde holders parked in normal bays . intresting!!!!!!

[demon_x_slash]

Ergh, you resurrected a zombified thread. Look at all the loose skin and hanging eyeballs...

[borisbeaver]

The following is from governments official website: The Blue Badge parking scheme : Directgov - Disabled people

 

The Blue Badge parking scheme

 

The Blue Badge scheme provides a range of parking benefits for disabled people who travel either as drivers or as passengers. The scheme operates throughout the UK.

 

Where the scheme applies

 

The concessions only apply to on-street parking and include free use of parking meters and pay-and-display bays. Badge holders may also be exempt from limits on parking times imposed on others and can park for up to three hours on yellow lines (except where there is a ban on loading or unloading or other restrictions).

 

Do you qualify?

 

You may qualify if you:

• are receiving the higher rate of the Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance
  
• are receiving a War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement
  
• use a motor vehicle supplied by a government health department
  
• are a registered blind person
  
• have severe disability in both upper limbs, drive a motor vehicle regularly but cannot turn the steering wheel by hand even if that wheel is fitted with a turning knob
  
• have a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking

• More about Disability Living Allowance

Where the scheme applies

 

The badges - sometimes known as disabled parking permits - can be used throughout the UK and while travelling abroad within the European Union (EU) and in some other European countries.

The Blue Badge scheme does not apply to off-street car parks, private roads or at most airports.

Your social services department at your council will tell you how to apply for a Blue Badge.

Use Directgov's interactive tool to find Blue Badge parking bays near you, or across the UK.

• Find Blue Badge parking bays
  
• Find your local council
  
• A list of EU countries where the scheme applies

London congestion charge

 

 

Blue Badge holders qualify for a 100 per cent exemption from the congestion charge but you must register with Transport for London (TfL), before travelling. An application form is available from TfL.

Telephone: 0845 900 1234

Minicom users: 020 7649 9123

 

 

Misuse of disabled parking bays

 

 

Blue Badge parking bays

 

It is an offence to park a vehicle which is not displaying a badge in a Blue Badge parking bay. If you see this, you should report it to a traffic warden (or parking enforcement officer), the local police or the local council (who are responsible for issuing badges).

Police officers, traffic wardens, local authority parking attendants and civil enforcement officers have the right to inspect Blue Badges. It is an offence to refuse or fail to produce a badge for inspection, without reasonable excuse. This offence carries a maximum fine of £1,000.

 

'Off-street' disabled parking bays such as supermarkets

 

Most disabled persons' parking bays in off-street car parks - for example, supermarket car parks - are not covered by Blue Badge scheme regulations.

Car parks and parking bays like these are likely to be privately owned and managed by the individual business. The agreement, and any cost to use them, will be between the owner and the motorists/customers.

If you are a disabled motorist (or passenger) and you complain to, for example, a supermarket that a non-disabled motorist has parked in a disabled bay, an employee of the store could ask the driver to move their car from the disabled bay but they will not be in a position to legally insist on it.

If you think that people are unfairly parking in disabled bays, speak or write to the management of the store or car park.

The government (Department for Transport) supports 'Baywatch' - a partnership between several major supermarkets and disability organisations - including the Disabled Drivers' Association. The campaign aims to end the abuse of parking bays put aside for disabled drivers' use.

 

Misuse of the Blue Badge

 

Local councils can take away a badge if the badge holder misuses it - for example, by allowing other people to use it or if a person's disability improves so that they are no longer eligible for the scheme.

If you are a badge holder, it can only be used for your benefit. If a trip is for someone else and you are a passenger and staying in the vehicle, you cannot use the badge simply to let them benefit from free parking.

Blue Badges need to be properly issued and displayed. It is an offence if a badge is not removed from a vehicle and people other than the badge holder take advantage of the parking concessions under the scheme.

Misuse of the badge itself by a non-disabled person is an offence. The maximum fine if someone is convicted is £1,000 plus any additional penalty for the related parking offence.

• Road Traffic Act 1991 (go to section 35)
  
• The Disabled Persons (Badges and Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000

[demon_x_slash]

Thank you for all that clarification, boris