Disabled spaces

[susyp]

I know this has been discussed before - but i wanted to ask forumites advice on a particular case about parking in a disabled space. My boyfriend this morning saw a big BMW with a swiss number plate reversing into a disabled place. As the young woman sprung out the car, he asked her why she was parking there - and then was subjected to a torrent of verbal abuse.

I've suggested (hopefully) she might have got a ticket anyway - but he thinks because it's a foreign number plate that it's very difficult to enforce. Is this true - can people drive around parking willy nilly if they don't have UK registered cars?

[Al&Em]

There certainly used to be problems. I lived in France for a year with a Belgian registered car, and whilst I never used diszbled spaces, I was confident in my knowledge that as long as I was in a marked parking space there was no need to pay and display as unless I was caught with keys getting in or out of the car I was immune. This was 8 years ago, and maybe some progress has been made on cross-border co-operation, but with Switzerland being outside the EU it may be more difficult with them. Good for your Boyfriend for confronting them...

[Torben Pieknik]

It is still really difficult for authorities to enforce against foreign registered vehicles. There is something called the Sparks initiative which would enable the enforcement of parking fines etc across european borders. But at the moment authorities have to enlist the services of a european debt recovery agency to get fines back. This is pretty pricey and in many cases isn't worthwhile pursing.

[HennyPenny]

This is where you really want to bring in the clampers!!>:D

[SteveT]

The tow away men, it costs hundreds:))

[huncamunca]

big BMW + deep scratches along its flank = lesson learned, even in CHF

anti social behavior leads to anti social reaction

[TJ]

On a loosely similar subject, we have a disabled parking bay on our street. The person who it was put there for has since moved on but the space and signs remain in place - as do the bastard parking attendants.

I have spoken to the council, and they were their usual useless 'Jonny no-stars' selves who said nothing could be done.

Our street is heaving with cars (most houses seem to have 2.4 cars as well as children) and the space is needed.

Advice pls?!

[SeanMacGabhann]

will that one space really make any difference if there are that many cars on the street? Really?

[Keef]

Simple solution, ban taking cars abroad, make people rent. if a rental car gets a ticket, the firm are billed and add it to the invoice. People that use these bays without a badge are selfish c**ts!

[TJ]

It will, yes.

Why you feel the need to question the validity of my post is also strange. Do you know the space I am talking about? If you can't help just butt out. Unless you are my neighbour - in which case you need to get out more.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Charming

You are asking for advice so I'm giving it - you live on a very busy street with approx 2.4 cars per house. If that parking space is freed up, if the council do what you want them to do, there is now ONE extra parking space. That is like a drop in the ocean compared to the demands of the streets car population. It doesn't matter what street it is or if I'm your neighbour or not surely? Or do you believe that that single space will somehow be left vacant for you and yours?

My advice is to relax a bit - it's just one parking space. As for getting out more, most people on here would probably advise me to stay in more....

[TJ]

All I need is to know if there is a trick to getting the bay removed. It is ridiculous to have spaces permanently allocated to someone who does not exist.

[Keef]

I agree with Sean about the volume of cars on the streets, but to be fair that's a different arguement altogether. I'd advise you to call the highways department, and they should be able to remove the space. I assume the current tenants don't have a blue badge, in which card surely they'd be fined for parking there too?

[Siduhe]

Who did you speak to at the Council, Parking Enforcement or Disability Services? You can certainly ask the Council to review whether the provision of the disabled space is still appropriate and, if not, amend the traffic order that requires it to be there. However, they won't just look at whether the individual who originally needed the space is still there, but also at how many other disabled spaces there are in the surrounding areas and so on. I would speak to disability services, since they are the ones responsible for putting the spaces there in the first place, they will have the best idea how to go about getting it removed.

[KalamityKel]

TJ I'm surprised the council advised they couldn't do anything. We've had several disabled bays appear and then be removed down our road in the past so it is do-able. Try them again. U'll prob end up speaking to another, totally different, person who may have a clue ;-)

[jackangel]

Just to broaden this a bit more.

As I write this, I feel that the message will come out as if composed by one of those nasty extreme people, who make up fantastic stories about particular groups. However, here goes.

A family with six + vehicles (others mysteriously appear from time to time) parked in the street outside their house, used to jealously guard ?their? space by blocking the road with dustbins, putting aggressive notes on windscreens, and by shuffling their cars around. Last year a disabled bay appeared (to the amazement of neighbours) outside their house and any one of their multiple cars now uses the bay and displays one of two different Blue Badges.

Clearly something is not quite right here. After prevarication by the Council, whose officers seemed unwilling to even consider the matter, photographic evidence of the misuse of the bay by the family (including showing a small lorry displaying one of the anonymous Blue Badges!) was supplied to the Council. Councillors were kept informed.

The Council have refused to act or explain, even though a great deal of evidence has been provided for them.

I fully support schemes aimed at levelling the playing field as much as possible for disabled people, this is only fair. When things are blatantly unfair and the authorities hide their heads in the sand when there is abuse, a scheme can be brought into disrepute and public support is assailed.

Southwark has no interest in enforcing disabled bay and Blue Badge regulations ? again finding itself at odds with national initiatives.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Wow Jackangel - bit of a situation that one. Are you sure they aren't the Maguire family from Shameless? ;-)

It just goes to show how, as spaces for parking become ever more rare, people are going to go to extreme measures. Your post doesn't come across as nasty or extreme at all. Sounds all too plausible in fact

Isn't falsley claiming to be disabled a criminal matter? And you could go to the police rather than the council? I'm not vaguely informed enough to be sure on this one but that sounds like a course of action?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I think you must live in my road Jackangel, we have a similar car-crazy family with a floating badge.

I also have a query re disabled bay. My neighbour (a cracking 97 year old) quite rightly has a blue badge. A space has been provided for her outside her house. BUT, she doesn't drive, it's her son, and 95% of the time he is driving/parking without her in the car, therefore he has a guaranteed space outside his house which makes parking (already tight because of the school) a little harder for the rest of us.

Am I being unreasonable by thinking this is unfair. [i'm slightly whingeing because I just struggled a quarter of mile with large box of heavy veg cos I couldn't park anywhere near and I do know I'm fortunate to have a car, and I do know it's bad for the environment Sean]

[SeanMacGabhann]

a quarter of a mile???? With just a box of veg???

I dream of quarter of a mile when I'm hauling a Saturday shop up from t'lane!

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

But Sean, you're so strong!

[KalamityKel]

I have serious grumbles with an old man at the other end of our road - he's not particularly nice anyway which doesn't help, he has a disabled bay outside his house but keeps his car in a garage. I've never seen him drive anywhere and have to comment he's not particularly "disabled" - I've seen him run down the road quicker than a wee toddler at times! Grrrrrr! Just becoz you can (manage to get a bay) doesn't necessarily mean you should! (6)

[Keef]

With regards blue badges, they're quite easy to get. All you need to do is get your GP to sign the form, and they will generally sign anything, especially for a small fee. Then the council will take their word for it and issue the badge. I'm not just making this up, I am currently sat about 12ft away from the team that deal with the badges and freedom passes for Greenwich!

[Pickle]

I'm always amazed at the number of cars parked in the disabled bays at Sainbury's that don't display blue badges... and that car park is "monitored"! Especially at busy times, like the weekends.

[snorky]

Sainsbos isnt really endforceable, but its just goes to highlight the number of scummers around the place

[BARA]

When I enquired of Southwark Council re the procedure of obtaining a disabled parking bay for a client, I was asked whether the client would be the driver of the car. I explained no it would be the daughter or the son collecting her on a daily basis to take her to a day centre. Was informed that since the son or daughter did not live at the address, lady was not entitled to disabled bay but that she could use any other bay in the street as they were not designated to a specific address.