Following on from the "Most Welcome Accessory" topic :

With all the parking aids available in modern cars, pedestrian detection etc, is it beyond the wit of man to design a parking system that stops people parking in disabled parking spaces ?

If a car enters such a space it should sound the horn, flash lights etc until a parking badge is put on the dashboard!

Just getting on my soapbox .....

On 12/8/2022 at 7:34 PM, Paulkp said:

Just getting on my soapbox .....

If you're fit enough to climb on a soapbox you don't need a disabled space 🤣

14 minutes ago, unofix said:

If your fit enough to climb on a soapbox you don't need a disabled space 🤣

Not part of the PIP assessment.  As long as you can't walk more than 20 metres you're allowed to jump and climb all you like and still be automatically eligible for a blue badge.

 

I won't go too much into this on here but I would urge caution when deciding whether someone does or doesn't have a badge based on appearance alone. 

 

I agree with Paul, you do see and read about able bodied people parking in disabled parking spaces.

Not all disablites are evident to bystanders, my, dead, brother had a bad heart that only worked at about 30%, with a bit of help he would have been able to stand on a soapbox.

When his doctor stopped him from driving and needed to be taken to a hospital appointment by one of us, at least he would bring his blue card so we could park legally in a disabled parking bay.

The background to this post is based on the experiences of the members of the disability swimming club I run.  Invariably the disabled spaces at the front of the leisure centre will have a number of cars parked without displaying any badges.

27 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

I won't go too much into this on here but I would urge caution when deciding whether someone does or doesn't have a badge based on appearance alone.

We do have as a member someone who I call the invisible amputee, unless he is in his trunks ! 

13 hours ago, Paulkp said:

The background to this post is based on the experiences of the members of the disability swimming club I run.  Invariably the disabled spaces at the front of the leisure centre will have a number of cars parked without displaying any badges.

Has any action been taken by either yourselves or the leisure centre?  I'm guessing it's on private ground without any sort of parking checks/enforcement there?  If they're repeat offenders, leaving a polite note on the windscreen reminding 'all users' to display their badge can deter people without one. 

Of course, there will always be those that have the mindset of doing what they want without any consideration for others (as we've seen through the pandemic...) and there's not much that can be done about them.  

Tom, this has been going on for decades, during which I have regularly lobbied both Leisure Centre and Borough Council, who actually own the car park.  As we swim at 8.00pm, the traffic wardens have all gone home, and as you probably know, the disabled are not allowed out in the dark.....

Until recently, a leisure centre in the adjacent county that was run by the local council would remove membership from parking abusers - since outsourcing that sanction has been abandoned....

Your last paragraph applies, I'm afraid.