disabled badges

[tiger ranks]

could i have some confirmation

i had a arguement last week with a so called disabled person who parked in a disabled bay but after looking at this young man run across the road i looked at the badge and it was for his father for whom he said he was getting something from the shop for him

is this allowed

[BigED]

No.

[angelabbie]

no you are not allowed to use the blue badge unless the badge holder is with the car.

[speedbird]

My Dad lost his legs for the two years prior to his death and my Mum was advised that she was able to use the blue badge for anything that he needed and he was unable to be with her for. It would make sense, if someone is unable due to severe disability, how would they get anything they needed. My Mum only ever had a maximum of an hour to get anything Dad needed, so that she could be back for medication, caring for him etc...

[Foxhelp]

Whats it got to do with you tiger? I cant stand people who poke their nose in to matters that don't concern them. Report him for helping his father if it bothers you that much and hope you never lose your legs and need help.

[stacey-lyn]

The blue badge scam is rife. Look at any supermarket car park or high street disabled bays. For those genuine that really do need it like speedbird, there are more who abuse the system. Blue badge fraud is estimated at ?46m a year due to misuse. Of course don't know if the young man was genuine, but the OP has a point.

See here

[minder]

Maybe the system is rife with abuse but most blue badge holders are just trying to live life and be able to get around with the help of their families.

This evening my Mum was discharged from King's. The only way I could collect her was to park in a disabled bay outside the entrance (she has a blue badge). Of course she wasn't actually with me at the time as she had been in hospital so how do you get around that?

[stacey-lyn]

well of course yours is a bona fide case and is perfectly within the regulations so there isn't a problem, but a hell of a lot simply aren't. (It is also a criminal offence to misuse the scheme). The Dept for Transport have a simple guide.

[UncleBen]

Maybe he had a disability that you couldn't 'see', and it didn't affect his legs. Disabled doesn't mean can't walk.

[Pugwash]

New criteria now for getting a Blue Badge - previously you had to be unable to walk more than x yards, they have now increased the distance.

My Mum had a Blue Badge - she was on dialysis CAPD, which meant that she had to dialyise every so many hours. She could not have a day out shopping without taking all the dialysis stuff with her. This was too heavy to carry and also she had poor mobility. The Blue Badge allowed myself ot my daughter to take her shopping in the car and carry all the equipment - the Kidney Association gave her a list of shops etc who would allow her to use their premises to do the dialysis. Always remember one was Marks and Spencers. We would be able to park the car near to where she could dialyise

[intexasatthe moment]

minder ( and angelabbie ) the blue badge can be used for picking up or dropping off the holder

The badge is for your use and benefit only. It

must only be displayed if you are travelling

in the vehicle as a driver or passenger, or if

someone is collecting you or dropping you

off and needs to park at the place where

you are being collected or dropped.

[Otta]

speedbird Wrote:

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> My Dad lost his legs for the two years prior to

> his death and my Mum was advised that she was able

> to use the blue badge for anything that he needed

> and he was unable to be with her for. It would

> make sense, if someone is unable due to severe

> disability, how would they get anything they

> needed. My Mum only ever had a maximum of an hour

> to get anything Dad needed, so that she could be

> back for medication, caring for him etc...

Whilst that seems completely fair, your mum was advised incorrectly.

The badge holder has to be there, and there are high penalties for those caught using badges illegally.

[intexasatthe moment]

And once more for luck

the badge holder DOES NOT HAVE TO BE IN THE CAR if they are being picked up or dropped off .

[Otta]

Yeah but you wouldn't be using it without them in that case.

If I was dropping a disabled person at a day centre, I could use their badge to park whilst I saw them in to the centre. If I then decided to go and do my shopping on the way home, I should not be parking in a disabled bay and using their badge.

A blind person can have a blue badge, so of course it doesn't have to be the driver's badge, but it should only be used when it is fopr transporting the badge holder. Not because you're going to collect their medicine for them (for example).

[the-e-dealer]

Hey everyone lets bash the Disabled and their carers.

I did complain when the RAC used the Disabled bay at Halfords on Old Kent Road to put up a recruitment tent.

[stacey-lyn]

intexasatthe moment Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> And once more for luck

>

> the badge holder DOES NOT HAVE TO BE IN THE CAR if

> they are being picked up or dropped off .

And once more. . .

Copied & pasted from the Dept for Transport handbook:

Who can use the badge?

The badge is for your use and benefit only. It must only be displayed if you are travelling in the vehicle as a driver or passenger, or if someone is collecting you or dropping you off and needs to park at the place where you are being collected or dropped.

Do not allow other people to use the badge to do something on your behalf, such as shopping or collecting something for you, unless you are travelling with them.

? You must never give the badge to friends or family to allow them to park for free, even if they are visiting you.

? You should not use the badge to allow non-disabled people to take advantage of the benefits while you sit in the car. Although it is not illegal for a badge holder, or a non-disabled person waiting for the badge holder to return, to remain in the vehicle while the Blue Badge is displayed, consideration should be given to using a car park whenever possible.

? It is a criminal offence to misuse a badge. This includes people other than the badge holder taking advantage of the parking concessions provided under the scheme.

[the-e-dealer]

I'm surprised but errands are banned !

[speedbird]

Wow..... I remember the meeting where we were advised. As well as amputated legs, Dad was on dialysis too. The hospital advisors told us very clearly that since it would be impossible for Dad to be expected to pick up medication etc, that Mum should use it for anything that Dad needed. If only he were still here......... We would now know!

[StraferJack]

It?s a bit odd how a thread which is about people abusing disabled parking bays has been re-interpreted as an attack on diabled people

We are through the looking glass people

If someone is picking someone else up on using a disabled bay then clearly it?s because they know that those bays are for the benefit of disabled people ONLY. If you are disabled or caring for a diabled person, no good driving to Sainsbo?s only to find the bay?s used by people abusing the system.

But surely if the person you are caring for is at home and you are going to pick up some medicine or whatever, you as an able bodied person don?t need and shouldn?t be using a disabled bay ? no-one is being put out by you walking an extra few yards in this case

[eggandsquares]

No, it isn't. I hold a disabled badge and if you do this your badge can be revoked.

[intexasatthe moment]

Not sure I understand your point stacey -lynn ?

minder and any other blue badge users taking the holder to hospital for appointments etc remember that you can ( and many ,many do ) park on a double yellow line ,so long as you dont cause an obstruction .

[stacey-lyn]

intexasatthe moment Wrote:

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> Not sure I understand your point stacey -lynn ?

>

> minder and any other blue badge users taking the

> holder to hospital for appointments etc remember

> that you can ( and many ,many do ) park on a

> double yellow line ,so long as you dont cause an

> obstruction .

No 'point' as such. Just posting the actual regulations. Make of them what you will.

[intexasatthe moment]

Right... and what do you make of this bit ?

It must only be displayed if you are travelling in the vehicle as a driver or passenger, or if someone is collecting you or dropping you off and needs to park at the place where you are being collected or dropped.

[angelabbie]

its all very simple, if you are picking up or dropping off the disabled badge holder you may use the badge on their behalf. If you are shopping or picking up meds or anything else for the badge holder but they are not with you then you can not use the badge, why on earth would you need to??

simples

[Otta]

intexasatthe moment Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Right... and what do you make of this bit ?

>

> It must only be displayed if you are travelling in

> the vehicle as a driver or passenger, or if

> someone is collecting you or dropping you off and

> needs to park at the place where you are being

> collected or dropped.

No one has argued with that.