Blue Badge Rage

joanlawson

Hi folks,

Nothing annoys me more than to see people who aren't disabled taking up the parking spaces reserved for Blue badge holders. It's like a red rag to a bull to me :!:

The other day I met up with my daughter and grandchildren at a Macdonalds where there are very few disabled parking spaces. I got one of the two remaining spaces, but then a very large man in a very large car parked alongside me. As he got out, I noticed that he didn't display a blue badge, so I decided that enough was enough!

He'd already got his meal when I caught up with him, but I approached him and asked politely, "Did I see you park in a disabled space?" He immediately looked guilty and replied very sheepishly "Yes". I then asked why he hadn't displayed his blue badge, to which he replied that it wasn't necessary as "so many of them are fakes and forgeries that no-one takes any notice of them anyway." I was furious and assured him that my blue badge is genuine and I didn't like the insinuation that I had broken the law. I told him in no uncertain terms that I resented his selfish attitude, and then waited for his reaction.

My daughter thought he was going to punch me on the nose, but to my amazement, he stood up (all 6 foot something of him :!: :shock:), grabbed his burger in one hand and his drink in the other and legged it out of the building. I saw him leap into his car and drive away at speed with the burger still in his hand. Just goes to show that I haven't lost my best teacher voice, even though I've been retired for years :!:

Joan

stickywicket

Oh well done, Joan We should all be proud of you.

I bet that's one healthy hulk of a bloke who won't be using BB places again.

He might even be telling his mates how scary disabled ladies are.

I've long toyed with the idea of getting some extremely sticky stickers made saying 'Not disabled. Just bone idle.'

theresak

Nice one, Joan!!

frogmorton

My friend who is a wheelchair user has leaflets which say

Take my space - take my wheelchair! She never speaks to them though.

I usually say something like " You've forgotten to put your badge in!"

Joan you were very brave I am glad he didn't retaliate, but in MacDonalds all the parents would have backed you up I hope :deckchair:

joanlawson

frogmorton wrote:

My friend who is a wheelchair user has leaflets which say

Take my space - take my wheelchair! She never speaks to them though.

I usually say something like " You've forgotten to put your badge in!"

Joan you were very brave I am glad he didn't retaliate, but in MacDonalds all the parents would have backed you up I hope :deckchair:

Not brave, just fuming mad :!:

I hate that selfish and thoughtless attitude, so couldn't just sit there and pretend that I hadn't seen him parking.

joanlawson

stickywicket wrote:

Oh well done, Joan We should all be proud of you.

I bet that's one healthy hulk of a bloke who won't be using BB places again.

He might even be telling his mates how scary disabled ladies are.

I've long toyed with the idea of getting some extremely sticky stickers made saying 'Not disabled. Just bone idle.'

I like the idea of the stickers! In fact I might make some of my own for future use

Slosh

Recently I parked in the car park of a local supermarket. I managed to get a disabled space but noted that the next three cars parked in these spaces were not displaying badges and these were the closest ones to the entrance. As there is a sign saying there is a fine of £75 for misuse, when I entered the shop I reported this to the security officer who seemed a bit nonplussed!

When I returned about 40 minutes later guess what....

The cars were still there and no tickets had been given out!

barbara12

Well done Joan..we forgot to put ours in the other week..so we caught up with the warden and he said put it in writing to this address, and they kindly scrapped the fine...phew..but we see many using then ..that are not disabled, they must belong to there relatives..it does leave you fuming when you cant walk far..and the spaces are took up

joanlawson

Slosh wrote:

Recently I parked in the car park of a local supermarket. I managed to get a disabled space but noted that the next three cars parked in these spaces were not displaying badges and these were the closest ones to the entrance. As there is a sign saying there is a fine of £75 for misuse, when I entered the shop I reported this to the security officer who seemed a bit nonplussed!

When I returned about 40 minutes later guess what....

The cars were still there and no tickets had been given out!

Supermarkets in general don't seem concerned. I often see cars parked without blue badges. I reported the same thing at my local leisure centre, but nothing was done. Why have disabled parking spaces if they don't bother to monitor their use?

joanlawson

barbara12 wrote:

Well done Joan..we forgot to put ours in the other week..so we caught up with the warden and he said put it in writing to this address, and they kindly scrapped the fine...phew..but we see many using then ..that are not disabled, they must belong to there relatives..it does leave you fuming when you cant walk far..and the spaces are took up

You were lucky to get a kind warden, Barbara. Not all of them are so understanding.

stickywicket

joanlawson wrote:

Supermarkets in general don't seem concerned. I often see cars parked without blue badges. I reported the same thing at my local leisure centre, but nothing was done. Why have disabled parking spaces if they don't bother to monitor their use?

I think supermarkets just want to make money. They have BB spaces so as not to deter disabled shoppers but equally don't want to deter anyone else so are not going to pull them for abusing the disabled spots.

I think the only way to go would be first a written letter to the manager and, if ignored, one to the local newspaper. They do care about bad publicity.

Airwave!

You can usually notice those that aren't entitled to use the blue badge, they just put the closed BB folder on their dashboard so it can't be examined.

Using the disabled spaces is endemic round here, especially outside B&Q for loading and Halfords state that the spaces are theirs and they will decide how they will use them i.e. to mend customers cars.

Well done Joan, I think we are fighting a losing battle though.

hileena111

Good one Sticky.
I might get some made for myself

Love
Hileena