My Ire of the Day is specifically reserved for...

[steve threlfall]

Mixed views on this.

When there is 10+ spaces empty that have the disability badge on, and no spaces available, then use it, screw them.

But if there is 1 or something, then fine, can't use it, cause some chap could come and he needs to use it (the odds are slim, but still).

Most people use disabled spaces for either Supermarkets (they all have 10+ anyway, always empty) or if they need to run into B&Q quickly, which IMO, is fine.

Disabled people can use "our" normal spaces, so vice versa,

"Screw them" ? Wtf?

It isn’t "fine" to use a disabled space unless you're actually entitled to. Unless you have been given a badge for being an unbelievable simpleton of course?

[Brucelles]

I once saw a woman in the Asda car park in Stockport, who had a daughter in a wheelchair that hadn't got in to a disabled space. She had a piece of paper and a pen, and was noting down the registration numbers of the cars parked in disabled spaces without displaying a badge. Minutes later, we heard a store announcement, listing those registrations, with an instruction to go to the customer service desk for more information.

Nice. I like proactivity. God helps those who help themselves etc.

[pipTheGeek]

I stopped at some services in the North recently, and couldn't believe the number of massively obese people parking on the disabled spots right outside the doors in order to have less distance to waddle into McDonalds. But after looking in a few windscreens sure enough they all had been issued disbaled parking badges. And many thousands of pounds in obesity benefit no doubt.

However I'm not sure about 'mother and child' spaces to be honest, whether you take your kid somewhere is a matter of choice not a disability. And where's the cut-off, a baby with a pushchair might necessitate extra space but why does a walking toddler? Naaaah...why not have wider spaces labelled 'I plan on buying a bulky item' and 'I'm not very good at parking' as well?

Getting toddlers out of a car does require more space than I can get out of the car in. Especially if you need to lift them out.
It has always annoyed me that so many random people use the mother/baby spaces just becuase they are close to the store. I would like to see supermarkets provide wide spaces, that can be used by anyone that wants to, (mostly because policing it would be a waste of time and money) but out in the far corner of the car park. I normally head straight for a distant corner in any big car park anyway. My view is that I am perfactly capable of making the 30 second walk accross the car park so why on earth would i want to spend 5 minutes fighting through a load of badly driven cars to get a space that is 2 feet closer to the store.
I have now seen one of our local stores provide wide spaces, but not enough and they have no path near them so are not great for unloading children from.

I'm not even going to start on disabled spaces. Suffice it to say if they aren't disabled when they park, then they will be by the time they leave!

[JPreston]

The bay is also compensation for being shouldered with the task of keeping mankind alive via procreation. Its the very least you miserable childless sods can give me!

But there are already far too many people on Earth, and it seems never enough parking spaces

I once saw a woman in the Asda car park in Stockport, who had a daughter in a wheelchair that hadn't got in to a disabled space. She had a piece of paper and a pen, and was noting down the registration numbers of the cars parked in disabled spaces without displaying a badge. Minutes later, we heard a store announcement, listing those registrations, with an instruction to go to the customer service desk for more information.

But the woman had to go in and out of the supermarket (first to report the cars, and then to park in the space) just to get the spot she needed and was entitled to, which is as great an inconvenience as the mouth-breathing reprobates that shouldn't have parked there in the first place get as 'punishment', and it's not as though Asda pay her for enforcing their parking policy either. Not far enough for me. They should have those rising bollards that bus-only roads are enforced with in the middle of disabled spaces, which upon detecting the absence of a blue badge in the car parked above smash UP, drop down, smash UP, drop down and so on. Or some sort of massive trapdoor arrangement, which would have the benefit of being self-clearing .

[VictorE]

When it's the former, I would definitely agree with you, but I'm not so sure about the latter - I myself have a badge (for a good reason, and it is not abused), and am able-bodied - I do not believe being confined to a wheelchair is the sole indicator to define who is entitled to use a disabled parking space.

I also agree having a son who uses a powered wheelchair my wife and i don't really have an issue with able bodied people using the bays like Saracen said they may have a heart condition or some other disability that at first glance doesn't show. When we go out as a family i tend to park out of the way and walk to wherever it is we need to go as i've mentioned its a power chair so its not like he needs the disabled bays. I would however like to see wheelchair user bays as the vehicles that are specially adapted to house powered chairs are usually very large and difficult to park especially if your 4'11" and married to me..

[Zak33]

0iD.. I fully fully agree with you on this.

For some people, who are wheel chair bound, getting out of the house to go shopping can take 2 or 3 HOURS in advance.

To then arrive, and not be able to park and have to go home again and spend another couple of hours getting indoors WITHOUT the food they went out to buy is WRONG.

If ANYONE sees someone able bodied parking in a disabled space, GO TALK TO THEM.

If you need a story, tell them that YOUR MUM is disabled and can't walk, and needs the spaces and that YOU'VE been out with her and had to go all the way home.

I have sold hundreds of Motability Cars to people, and I know how bad the disability parking issue is. I have seen people literally need to get out of atheir car to use a disabled toilet and not be able to find a parking space... it's not pretty.

So... make a point of it.

Recently, at Pet Smart, a bloke in a van drove straight into a disabled space and I stood in front of him and shouted through the windscreen "are you disabled?" and he shook his head... so I just nodded my head to the space 4 bays along, and off he drove, muttering under his breath.

When we came out of the shop, he was the poster maintenance bloke, fixing posters to the walls of the shops. There he was doing his job just the same, not inconvenienced at all by parking 4 bays along.

DONT PARK in disabled spaces

(as an aside, I also refuse to use Parent/Child spaces cos it was my descision to have a kid, and I don't see why parent/child spaces should be near the shop door, when disabled spaces should be. I park the far end of the carpark so the kid doesn't whack into anything when I get him out.)

[pipTheGeek]

(as an aside, I also refuse to use Parent/Child spaces cos it was my descision to have a kid, and I don't see why parent/child spaces should be near the shop door, when disabled spaces should be. I park the far end of the carpark so the kid doesn't whack into anything when I get him out.)

Exactly why there should be wide spaces in a little used area of the car park.

[Mike Fishcake]

But the woman had to go in and out of the supermarket (first to report the cars, and then to park in the space) just to get the spot she needed and was entitled to, which is as great an inconvenience as the mouth-breathing reprobates that shouldn't have parked there in the first place get as 'punishment', and it's not as though Asda pay her for enforcing their parking policy either. Not far enough for me. They should have those rising bollards that bus-only roads are enforced with in the middle of disabled spaces, which upon detecting the absence of a blue badge in the car parked above smash UP, drop down, smash UP, drop down and so on. Or some sort of massive trapdoor arrangement, which would have the benefit of being self-clearing .

Oh I know; I agree she shouldn't have had to do that, and that shouldn't be the way that it should be policed - I was just reflecting on how good it was to give 'payback' to the people that cause inconvenience to the disabled by parking somewhere they don't need to.

I just don't understand the attitude of some people saying that "they get enough help already". For crying out loud, it's not a lifestyle choice! "Hmmm... I want to park closer to a supermarket. I know, I'll jump off a two storey building! Not enough to kill me, but enough to give myself a serious leg injury! Disabled badge FTW!!!!!"