Disabled badges - should they be graded?
SimonAH
Posts: 3,730
Pulling into the supermarket carpark t'other day I watched a large Merc slide into the only remaining disabled slot and a late middle aged couple climb out and stride briskly into the store. I looked in the window and there was a perfectly valid disabled parking badge.
I have two friends who are to a greater or lesser state wheelchair bound, and I got quite ticked off thinking that if they were now to arrive at the supermarked they'd have to park in a normal bay at the back of the carpark - where there probably would not have been space to slide out of the car and into a chair.
It seems that the badges are handed out almost on request? Should they be graded to reflect mobility? There are many disablilities that don't prevent vigourous physical mobility (I give you the Paralympics) but the car badge is a one size fits all.
I have two friends who are to a greater or lesser state wheelchair bound, and I got quite ticked off thinking that if they were now to arrive at the supermarked they'd have to park in a normal bay at the back of the carpark - where there probably would not have been space to slide out of the car and into a chair.
It seems that the badges are handed out almost on request? Should they be graded to reflect mobility? There are many disablilities that don't prevent vigourous physical mobility (I give you the Paralympics) but the car badge is a one size fits all.
FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
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CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
Litespeed L3 for Strava bits
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
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Agree. Anyone using a blue badge without passing my instant visual inspection from 20 yards fails, and goes straight on the string em up list. Wife tells me that it's not reasonable to assume the disability is always visible. I disagree; string em up. Ask questions later.0
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In your viewable case - that blue badge *might* have been their mothers etc...
But yeah - graded for sure - the only problem being is how do you enforce the checks without have more person to person meetings and trusting people to be accurate. Perhaps what you should have done is check/receord the licence no. and send off a check/complain request that this person blue badge needs to be re-evaluated and site your example as to what could happen...Le Cannon [98 Cannondale M400] [FCN: 8]
The Mad Monkey [2013 Hoy 003] [FCN: 4]0 -
I kind of agree in principle, but how would it work? Grade 1 gets the first space. But what if there are too many grade 1s, does the grade 3 in the further space then have to move?
I was offered a disabled badge when I was having chemo. I didn't take it as I didn't feel I needed it. There was nothing really wrong with me, I just got tired very easily. A Ferrari came in for service at work at this time with a disabled sticker in it. Bloke was also on chemo it turned out. He saw 2 mechanics laughing at a Ferrari with a disabled sticker and made a complaint so they both got written warnings. That really annoyed me, it is funny. You have to be a contortionist to get into that bleedin' car.0 -
Wow, we're on a hair trigger today!
Yeah, graded.
Grade one - cannot walk without aid of a wheelchair or walking frame so needs more space to get out of a car, and distance to destination is very important.
Grade two - otherwise disabled and should have priority parking over the able bodied where available, but should not use Grade one spaces.
Plus I'd add the ability to get a temporary one from your GP to cover six weeks in a cast for example.FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
Litespeed L3 for Strava bits
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.0 -
How'd you enforce the grades Simon?
Say I'm grade two, I park in a disabled spot - then a grade 1 guy turns up - but I'm in the shop?0 -
I did want to murderise the absolute stroker that beached his Porsche 4x4 diagonally across 2 disabled bays in the B&Q car park and ran into the shop because it was raining. The car even had a bike rack on the back.
I really hope there is such a thing as karma for that selfish, lowlife piece of s@#t .0 -
Rick's got it. The badge is a boolean - it allows you to use a space that you would otherwise be excluded from. Unless you have graded spaces to match the graded badge it's a non-starter.0
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Rick Chasey wrote:How'd you enforce the grades Simon?
Say I'm grade two, I park in a disabled spot - then a grade 1 guy turns up - but I'm in the shop?
Simple: each store has a squad of tough guys with baseball bats, they'll temporarily upgrade you to a grade one so that you deserve the spot.0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:How'd you enforce the grades Simon?
Say I'm grade two, I park in a disabled spot - then a grade 1 guy turns up - but I'm in the shop?
Simple, graded disabled spaces. Ratios of grade one to grade two in aproximately the ratio of badges issued.
Grade one gets to use any disabled space, grade two may only use a grade two space. If they are all full, then they are all full (just as it is now).FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
Litespeed L3 for Strava bits
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.0 -
SimonAH wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:How'd you enforce the grades Simon?
Say I'm grade two, I park in a disabled spot - then a grade 1 guy turns up - but I'm in the shop?
Simple, graded disabled spaces. Ratios of grade one to grade two in aproximately the ratio of badges issued.
Grade one gets to use any disabled space, grade two may only use a grade two space. If they are all full, then they are all full (just as it is now).
Might as well go the whole hog.
Single men parking - family of 3 parking, family of 4 parking, 4x4 parking, etc.0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:How'd you enforce the grades Simon?
Say I'm grade two, I park in a disabled spot - then a grade 1 guy turns up - but I'm in the shop?
Presumably the way it's currently sorted - tough..
How about you look at this as a positive thing Rick? Allows for 'high quality' disabled spots, then a bit further out additional disabled spots for people who should have consideration but aren't necessarily going to struggle around...
For somewhere with large car parking areas this would be a very good thing. People who really need to park near are more likely to be able to do so....FCN 9 || FCN 50 -
Round here it's not people using the last remaining disabled slot that's the problem, I've never seen any of the local supermarkets' disabled spaces more than half full. Unlike the parent and child spaces, which are always full and there are always several with no visible signs of children on board - as a parent of a toddler I fully agree that inappropriate use should be punishable with hanging.0
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Grading won't work as the current system doesn't anyway - see above re anyone using them. If it's a common view to ignore spaces reserved for the disabled, spaces reserved for those who are 'just a bit disabled actually' will be snapped up by all & sundry. There's only one solution - traffic wardens & shop assistants should be provided with live ammo. A sniper in the bushes at B&Q, Asda & Morrisons would be a welcome addition to the furniture from where I sit.0
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Veronese68 wrote:I did want to murderise the absolute stroker that beached his Porsche 4x4 diagonally across 2 disabled bays in the B&Q car park and ran into the shop because it was raining. The car even had a bike rack on the back.
I really hope there is such a thing as karma for that selfish, lowlife piece of s@#t .
There are generally lots of heavily laden trollies in B&Q, often with rather wayward, hard-to-control wheels. It's hard enough getting them round the aisles without hitting anything, let alone a car park.
Just saying :twisted:1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
FYI
Car with disabled badge near where I live was broken into, just for the badge. I think there's a secondary market for these....FCN 9 || FCN 50 -
The trouble with grading is that some conditions can vary in severity !!
My wife has MS and during a relapse can be confined to a wheelchair,probably about 4 months of the year.
She has right side weakness and constant nerve ending pain and burning .
Between relapses she is in constant pain but gets around on crutches,until the next relapse puts her back in the chair.....what 'grade' would you give her ?0 -
When my old man sold his business they kept him on as a consultant for a while. The bloke that came in to run it was named by my Dad "El W@nker". He proudly told my Dad he'd solved the problem of parking in London by giving an old man £50 for his disabled badge.
I'm very glad to report that he was mysteriously reported to the old bill shortly afterwards, and my Dad wouldn't have anything to do with the company any more.0 -
KonaMike wrote:The trouble with grading is that some conditions can vary in severity !!
My wife has MS and during a relapse can be confined to a wheelchair,probably about 4 months of the year.
She has right side weakness and constant nerve ending pain and burning .
Between relapses she is in constant pain but gets around on crutches,until the next relapse puts her back in the chair.....what 'grade' would you give her ?
Gradings? I'd give her 1.0 -
How many of you would go up to someone who strolled out of their car parked in a disabled spot, apparently able-bodied, and question their legitimacy?0
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Don't need grading but they do need enforcement to check that the "Badge holder" is actually in the vehicle. Whilst my son is wheelchairbound, we have a badge and it is sometimes tempting to use it but I've stuck to my principles (despite their being loads of empty disabled spots) and never used it when I don't have him with me. But I have seen loads of people (especially at the children's hospital - where there really isn't enough diasabled spaces) using them inappropriately. The badges have a photo of the holder so it wouldn't be hard to check. But I doubt supermarkets can/will be bothered.ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH0
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If they didn't have a badge on display then yeah, I'd be very British about it and tut and mutter something under my breath.Rick Chasey wrote:How many of you would go up to someone who strolled out of their car parked in a disabled spot, apparently able-bodied, and question their legitimacy?
If they had a badge but looked healthy then I'd go with the 'can't detect disabilities at a glance' approach.
Essentially, if someone is genuinely diabled, with a badge, then they're not going to park in a disabled space without displaying the badge. If they're in the space without the badge then they've forgotten to put it on display (so you tell them and they're glad because they don't get a fine) or they shouldn't be there.
BTW, on private land, e.g a supermarket, can you actually be fined for parking in a disabled space? Does it have any legal status? They can send you an invoice that looks like a fine, but isn't that the limit of their powers?0 -
bails87 wrote:
If they didn't have a badge on display then yeah, I'd be very British about it and tut and mutter something under my breath.Rick Chasey wrote:How many of you would go up to someone who strolled out of their car parked in a disabled spot, apparently able-bodied, and question their legitimacy?
If they had a badge but looked healthy then I'd go with the 'can't detect disabilities at a glance' approach.
Essentially, if someone is genuinely diabled, with a badge, then they're not going to park in a disabled space without displaying the badge. If they're in the space without the badge then they've forgotten to put it on display (so you tell them and they're glad because they don't get a fine) or they shouldn't be there.
BTW, on private land, e.g a supermarket, can you actually be fined for parking in a disabled space? Does it have any legal status? They can send you an invoice that looks like a fine, but isn't that the limit of their powers?
Yes, plenty of reasons they can park there. For instance, could be picking up disabled relative... I for one wouldn't question.FCN 9 || FCN 50 -
(Luckily, I guess) I've never had to look into this.jds_1981 wrote:For instance, could be picking up disabled relative.
Is it actually allowed?
If I park in a disabled bay, leave my car, go to pick up great-aunty Agnes who's got a disabled badge and come back to find a ticket on my car, is the ticket voided? (talking about council/public road spaces here, not supermarket ones as the legal powers of their enforcement companies is a whole different discussion)0 -
The scheme is slowly sinking under the weight of fraud. I'd like to see the army of traffic wardens really up their revenue stream by checking them now and again and issuing £1,000 fines for those using one without the badge holder being present.0
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bails87 wrote:
(Luckily, I guess) I've never had to look into this.jds_1981 wrote:For instance, could be picking up disabled relative.
Is it actually allowed?
If I park in a disabled bay, leave my car, go to pick up great-aunty Agnes who's got a disabled badge and come back to find a ticket on my car, is the ticket voided? (talking about council/public road spaces here, not supermarket ones as the legal powers of their enforcement companies is a whole different discussion)
I'm not sure of the specifics, I was thinking more of the case where you had a disabled kid/partner.
My Judo teacher had a disabled badge & I think he was allowed to park for up to two hours in council car parks without paying.FCN 9 || FCN 50
