Abuse of disabled parking permits.

[Vlad_Dracul]

As many will know, I am upwardly mobile and travel the length and breadth of the country doing my day to day work.

The other evening i was in a major city parked up. It was a very busy Friday night and all and sundry were out socialising.

Across the street from me were a line of perhaps 4 disabled parking bays. As i masticated my rather tired cured ham muffin, a flat back low loader drew alongside and a chap got out to check the cars parked in the bays. It appears he was from the traffic enforcement people. A fine body of men whom i respect enormously.

Anyway he gestured to his driver mate and he moved the truck alongside a car,lowered the gear,an uplifted someones motor. I can only speculate that it was not displaying the required permit.

As this was happening,a group of youngsters emerged from a nearby bar in a panic. Apparently their car was in the next bay and since it didnt have a badge either,they jumped in it and made a swift exit.

I can tell you it brought joy to my heart to see the miscreant punished. A rare thing in todays society. I did hope to further my enjoyment by waiting for the driver to return so that I could tell him where his car had gone.

Alas I had to content myself with what had already transpired for he/she was no-where to be seen despite a lengthy wait.

It occured to me how liberally such permits are given out and what widescale abuse there is of the system.

Checking below;
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Disabled...ort/DG_4001061

it seems that the conditions for issue are quite clear and it would seem that for you to be a valid holder, one would expect that you would hardly be fit enough to exit the car.

And yet how many times do we see seemingly fit people parking cars with badges and walking away with no apparent sign of disability or distress?

Much of the abuse is caused by people who apply for badges in order to drive their old granny about. Of course this rarely happens and they then just use it to park their Chelsea tractor or Beemer somewhere nice and close to the shops/pub/theatre whatever.

I think i shall make it my new years resolution to report these miscreants as I see them as they do a dis-service to and discredit the genuine disabled.

[dilli-theclaw]

I am entitled to one, but I can exit a car just fine.

So when my missus and I pull up and we both get out how would you know what was wrong with me?

Bearing in mind I don't always use my stick if I'm in a familiar place I don't need to.

[punky]

This is a major issue at the moment in London. Basically disabled people get free parking in most or all of Greater London including Camden/Islington and Westminster, two notorious parking areas. They are being flogged in pubs for £20-£50 quid

[Vlad_Dracul]

It would be difficult and perhaps impolite of me to comment on your particular case without knowing the finer points.

Surely though ,the main reason for the scheme is to facilitate those who have mobility issues, i.e they cannot walk at all,need a wheelchair or can only walk a very short distance?

I could speculate that i could make a good case for having one myself and yet I hold down a permanent job and work over 40 hours a week.

[dilli-theclaw]

Originally Posted by Vlad_Dracul

It would be difficult and perhaps impolite of me to comment on your particular case without knowing the finer points.

No answer then - fair enough.

Originally Posted by Vlad_Dracul

Surely though ,the main reason for the scheme is to facilitate those who have mobility issues, i.e they cannot walk at all,need a wheelchair or can only walk a very short distance?

Yes indeed, although walking unaided should be added to that list.

Originally Posted by Vlad_Dracul

I could speculate that i could make a good case for having one myself and yet I hold down a permanent job and work over 40 hours a week.

There is nothing stopping you applying for one, personally I have no use for one as I use my bus pass instead.

I'm not sure what working and the number of hours you do have anything to do with it though.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Vlad_Dracul

And yet how many times do we see seemingly fit people parking cars with badges and walking away with no apparent sign of disability or distress?

Much of the abuse is caused by people who apply for badges in order to drive their old granny about. Of course this rarely happens and they then just use it to park their Chelsea tractor or Beemer somewhere nice and close to the shops/pub/theatre whatever.

Actually, they can't. Not legally anyhow. The badge is issued to the holder, and not the car. It is valid in any car the holder uses, but is only valid for that holder.

For example, my sister is registered disabled. You would not know it to look at her (she looks like any other woman her 30s, and shows no visible signs of disability, although she is disabled).

She has been issued a badge. She can't drive, but if she gets a lift from someone and has her badge, they can park in disabled bays. If she just gave her badge to someone else, it would not be valid.

Of course, that requires the enforcement officers to check though..

[Vlad_Dracul]

I was not suggesting that they could legally do it. Obviously a badge can be issued to someone who isnt the driver as long as the car is used for the purpose of carrying the "disabled" person. Its the same with the vehicle duty exemption for disabled persons.

[dilli-theclaw]

Right so how would YOU tell the difference, because you plan to report the people who aren't supposed to be using the badge.

[Help!!!]

I can't stand people who go out of their way to report something like that, fair enough the people who are paid to do it. And how can you judge if people are truly disabled or not, I have a friend she is registered disabled but by looking at here you would not be able to tell, and if some goody goody like you decided to report her and her car got towed thats just wrong.

[Vlad_Dracul]

Originally Posted by Jefferson T

Right so how would YOU tell the difference, because you plan to report the people who aren't supposed to be using the badge.

Its purely speculative of course but some cases of apparent abuse are surely worthy of further attention

I might raise an eyebrow if a person apparently has no difficulty driving/exiting/entering or walking away from such a vehicle without any kind of aid and observance of their movement suggests that they are moving in a normal efficient manner which,with due observance,might suggest that they could continue such movement for a reasonable time without undue hinderance.

There are plnety of people skivving their lives away on DLA. Lets be honest about it.

Of course there are genuine cases too.

[dilli-theclaw]

I don't have a problem with someone reporting it if they KNOW - I'm just confused as to how you'd know.

In my case as I said you couldn't tell by looking at me here in sunny Sandy, yes elsewhere you could as the stick is a give away.

I'm ludky in that I have a certificate of what's wrong with me issued by the council that I can present if I need to, but I doubt that everyone has that.

[Vlad_Dracul]

Originally Posted by Help!!!

I can't stand people who go out of their way to report something like that, fair enough the people who are paid to do it. And how can you judge if people are truly disabled or not, I have a friend she is registered disabled but by looking at here you would not be able to tell, and if some goody goody like you decided to report her and her car got towed thats just wrong.

You appear to have misunderstood. It is highly unlikely that a traffic enforcement officer would take action on the basis of information or a conversation with a member of the public. He/she would have to satisfy himself that abuse had taken place. He might,for example,hang around for the driver to return and make further enquiries.

If for example, a lone teenager was seen using a car with a disabled badge and subsequent enquiries revealed that the badge could not have been legally used in such a way,then it is all to the good and frees up spaces which might otherwiuse be taken up by abusers,for REAL disabled people.

[dilli-theclaw]

Getting DLA is a lot harder than getting a disabled badge.

Anyway I digress, and you've answered my points.

I suspect it's time for me to leave this thread now as every time DLA is bought up I have nothing but guilt for claiming it at all.

[mrmistoffelees]

I have a very good friend who broke their neck and injured their back quite severley a few years ago by skiing down the wrong side of a cliff (accidentally) they are now entitled to a disabled badge. They drive a very large four wheel drive and when they park their car as they are entitled to they are quite often told to move their car buy members of the public as 'They don't look disabled'

As Jefferson says you cant always tell by looking at someone.

[Vlad_Dracul]

Originally Posted by Jefferson T

I don't have a problem with someone reporting it if they KNOW - I'm just confused as to how you'd know.

In my case as I said you couldn't tell by looking at me here in sunny Sandy, yes elsewhere you could as the stick is a give away.

I'm ludky in that I have a certificate of what's wrong with me issued by the council that I can present if I need to, but I doubt that everyone has that.

We appear to be on the same side on this debate. Surely you would support the detection,deterrence and punishement of abusers of the blue badge scheme?

I would add that use of a stick or other aid may not necessarily indicate a degree of disablement sufficient to satisfy the definition of disablement under the scheme.

---------- Post added at 17:56 ---------- Previous post was at 17:55 ----------

Originally Posted by mrmistoffelees

I have a very good friend who broke their neck and injured their back quite severley a few years ago by skiing down the wrong side of a cliff (accidentally) they are now entitled to a disabled badge. They drive a very large four wheel drive and when they park their car as they are entitled to they are quite often told to move their car buy members of the public as 'They don't look disabled'

As Jefferson says you cant always tell by looking at someone.

I wonder if you could say how is disablement is manifested,without going into personal detail of course?