OK HeXus, what are your thoughts on ...

[g8ina]

the M6 Toll fee of £15 for three years for disabled tax exempt blue badge holders ?

I've been a member of the dreaded HUKD for years but haven't posted anything for 2-3 years now, so I thought I'd just add a quick link to this for the benefit of any folk of that ilk.

The abuse that the thread has received is staggering !

So, my dear fellow Hexites, what are your thoughts on this little can of worms ?

Link to the HUKD page for reference.

[Rob_B]

HUKD is full of entitled morons (and a few, very few, normal people)

Carrying on with some ‘logic’ in the comments it would seem that being disabled you shouldn't get any help whatsoever with anything as “I don’t get it why should you” – We need to stop benefits/assistance of any kind NOW as there are a small percentage abusing the system….

Like I said, morons.

[Barry]

Alot of the posts are just nasty

Hot Deals is full of some of the most ignorant, un-educated idiots this world has to offer.

Think this quote says it all tbh

[finlay666]

Don't see the deal... it's a paid service, everyone can still use the regular M6

[Biscuit]

Whilst i think some of the advantages which are given to people with disabled badges and some of the conditions which classify people as disabled are a bit daft;

A person with disabilities should spend less time on the road, as stress can aggravate their condition and/or discomfort. Thus, a Toll Free situation is a good and helpful initiative.

I think this says it all.

[peterb]

I don't have any objections to concessions for those with qualifying disabilities.

As for the comments on HKUD... well they wouldn't be on HEXUS for very long - and not just because the mod team would see them, but because the majority of Hexites would be flooding our inboxes with post reports!

Which is one of the things that makes the HEXUS forum the place it is.

[Rob_B]

Any excuse for a forum plug PB!

The 'people are taking advantage' is separate from the 'disabled people should get help' which lots of people there seem to not realise.

[abaxas]

I have a simple rule is life. Everyone should be treated the same.

Sadly the M6 toll free idea for blue badges breaks that. It is, by definition, breaking equality.

But I have to agree, there are some prize arseholes on that thread.

[g8ina]

which is also why I love this place.....

I won't be visiting HUKD again in a hurry

and finlay, as for it being a deal, well, have you ever sat in the traffic jam that is the Brum section of the M6 recently ?

My advice would be - don't ! It's a nightmare, even at "off peak" times, and with my disability, the less time I spend behind the wheel the better

[Salazaar]

Heat added

[Rob_B]

COLD - It's not an iPad for £50...

[MaddAussie]

I really do feel sorry for the of some of those people, so much hate

[Dareos]

Everyone should be treated equally, thats why communism works so well....


My mother drives a tax exempt car, my grandmother is a stroke victim and blue badge holder. She is not capable of driving, toileting herself, or basically doing anything that requires the right side of her body. She does however enjoy getting out in her specially adapted car chair that cost a hell of a lot more than the VAT exemption we got on the car.

So, lets picture a long long journey of say.... 20 miles, with a passenger of this type, that has to be home for certain times during the day for carer visits, dacs, various medicines and so on. A cheaper toll for someone like her might save all sorts of hassles and emergencies. I'm pretty sure that a few pounds saved on a toll road against a few thousand on a hospital bill because something went wrong and that passenger was stuck in a traffic jam unable to get the care needed, is a good thing.

Anyways Dave, very much with you on this one, all these little things add up to a better quality of life for people, unfortunately there will always be ignorant ******** in this world and people who try and abuse the system, maybe we should have a badge system for them too....preferrably stamped into their foreheads

[Hoonigan]

preferrably stamped into their foreheads

I present to you, the solution...

[Lucio]

I agree with the idea of a discount, but not the duration that it's issued for. Blue badges can be issued for potentially temporary conditions, and getting a discount for longer than necessary seems daft.

Other than that, no problems with helping people out

[finlay666]

and finlay, as for it being a deal, well, have you ever sat in the traffic jam that is the Brum section of the M6 recently ?

I spent 2 weeks driving from just outside Birmingham, down the M42, onto the M40, past the A404 and along the M4 to get to and from Reading for work while I was between places. I know it's bad (it took 2 hours on a good morning/evening)

I also usually go down the M6 from Carlisle to the LAN parties as I would pick someone up in Manchester so don't get quite that far nowadays

My advice would be - don't ! It's a nightmare, even at "off peak" times, and with my disability, the less time I spend behind the wheel the better

I don't doubt that, neither do I doubt that you are indeed entitled to a blue badge for whatever condition/s you may have. My disagreement is in principle with toll roads, let alone the paying for the use of them on top of vehicle taxes. The current HUKD thread is gone now (marked as spam), however looking at the directgov site:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Disabled...heme/DG_181209

I honestly don't see the issue, it's the administration fee that is the cost, the service itself is free, it's cheaper than other services like the Clifton suspension bridge (£30 for 3 years in comparison). I think it's actually pretty generous to offer such a discount to those that need it, unfortunately admin fees are a matter of course with things like this