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Mobility Parking

Jezobelle profile image
25 Replies

I have just been shown an app that you can download that instantly reports illegal parking in disabled bays. All you do is take three photos of the car, click the drop-down buttons to show what sort of an offence it is, and then send it off and the owners get fined.

I think it also allows you to share where disabled bays are, and send recommendations too. What's everyone's view on this - has anyone used it?

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Jezobelle profile image
Jezobelle
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25 Replies
carollynn profile image
carollynn

i know its really bad. someone just other day jumped into a disability parking place i was just going to use. they did not have a badge.

but dont u think there is more to worry about that a dob them in culture. it takes to much energy and time to find issues with everyone...they are not worth getting upset over..x

Jezobelle profile image
Jezobelle

Yes I agree - although I do like the idea of knowing where there's disabled parking available so that part of it would be useful. Shame they can't do an app just with that on - or maybe they do and we don't know about it!

irisjoy profile image
irisjoy

i would really love this ap , it really winds me up when non blue badge users use the disabled bays , in one shop a man parked in a disabled bay, went in and came out with bags of cement and slabs which he loaded into his van !!

i didn't know they had made BONE IDLENESS a recognised disability

Extremelygrumpy profile image
Extremelygrumpy

Although I don't personally drive I used to .....taking my disabled mum shopping and I am afraid that I wouldn't have turned the other cheek, and I would have used an app to report this abuse,

And yes I did once leave a note on a windscreen politely telling the person hogging the disabled bay that I hoped they were never in the situation that they needed that space and were unable to use it after spotting the person park while I had to park miles away with my mum and watch this person sprint into the shop

VGx

Jezobelle profile image
Jezobelle

It's the ones that just drop someone off and sit in the car...as if that makes it ok! Then when you park next to them they stare straight ahead, avoiding all eye contact.

I have been known to ask them if they'd like to swop and my blue badge and my pain in return for their goods legs, and I'd happily park on the other side of the car park and walk!

Cat53 profile image
Cat53

My husband is the disabled one in our house and he has sat in the car whilst I have dashed in to get him something. My understanding is that this is ok provided it is for him. I have also dropped him off at an appointment at the opticians (for example) then gone and parked the car in a disabled bay and gone to collect him. I often think if someone was watching they would feel I was a real fraud.....they wouldn't know that I was picking him up. However disabled badges are often stolen (they fetch a lot of money) so reporting abuse may be one way of helping with this situation. Besides it's annoying! Especially when you need to get a wheelchair alongside the car so need the extra width.

KimLH profile image
KimLH

In some cases I agree that turning the other cheek is the best option, as Cat53 says they could be collecting a disabled person, therefore need the extra room in a Disabled space to get their passenger in, but when there is blatant miss use of a bay it should be reported, I often find delivery vans think that they have the right to park in Disabled bays as they wont be long. Many people don't realise that it is NOT about being closer to the shop, but more about having the extra wide space so that the door can be fully opened making it easier for the Disabled person to get in & out of the vehicle.

fibro profile image
fibro

As disabled bays are not all 'owned' by the same organisation, how one earth could this be genuine? If it is, I would be concerned that its open to abuse too.

The next thing there will be an app to report everyone to the Benefits department!

How would you know the app is in fact genuine or where you were sending these photos.

I have had someone attempt to take photos of us in our car….. i say us and our, because we only have the one car. its not a motability vehicle as my husband uses the car to go to work, but when we go out together I use my Blue badge, this was on display, but because we happened to just be sitting in the car before getting out rather than about to drive off, this man started taking photos of our car, I have no idea what he intended doing with them. He seemed to think we had no right to being there…

He didnt ask who was disabled or ask permission to take photos!

We asked him what he was doing and politely asked him to delete the pictures, he had no intention of doing so

He was very close to having his phone rammed down his throat. I would not have been able to stop my husband, but it could have turned out much worse! He had his politeness but his response was just hostility towards us and we had done nothing wrong.

My Husband isn't violent, but was provoked trying to protect us!

Aashaw22 profile image
Aashaw22

I feel able bodied people would not be able to park in a disabled bay if supermarkets hired staff to walk the car park and report this to a parking warden. I also think parking wardens should check the blue badge to see if the picture on it matches the driver or passenger! it's far too easy to borrow a blue badge or park in a disabled bay as nobody checks. Supermarkets should charge a £100 on the spot fine if caught in a disablement bay. We shouldn't have to report these ignorant people as the Government could stop this immediately. People wouldn't be so cocky if they had to pay £100 on the spot fine. That's the answer. put me in charge of this nasty world today and people wouldn't get away with all these things.

jacksie profile image
jacksie

I was silly enough to park in dis bay and forgot to display my card,i had a ticket no surprise,but i am appealing against it as i was a genuine case of forgetting never forgot in the past,chasing appeals from every angle!,still they want a copy of my badge hopefully they will see it as a genuine mistake.jacksiex

mistymeana profile image
mistymeana in reply to jacksie

I made the same mistake a while back. Wrote a very grovelling letter and they overturned the fine once I'd provided a copy of my badge. Hope you get a similar outcome x

jacksie profile image
jacksie in reply to mistymeana

thankyou very much that sounds very promising.jacksie

lalumsden profile image
lalumsden

Brilliant idea!!!!!!! I get fed up having to park miles away from where I'm going when I can hardly walk or need my wheelchair, only to find there are some cars without badges in the Disabled bays, I complained to one supermarket and was told there was nothing they could do about it!!!! Also some people know that when they get a ticket for parking illegaly in a disabled bay at a shopping centre that it doesn't stand up to the law so just ignore them.

aura2 profile image
aura2

I did the same Jackies , appealed and the fine was overturned so good luck .. I have very sticky paper notes they say .. You have my parking space would you like my disability .. I bet they take ages to get off the window screen !!!!!!!!

mistymeana profile image
mistymeana in reply to aura2

What a brilliant idea! Things might change if we all went out armed with them. Mind you, I'm such a wimp I'd be worried they'd clock me sticking them on and come out and duff me up.

fibro profile image
fibro in reply to aura2

The only problem with doing this, how would it make you feel if like the members above who genuinely forgot their badge and they werent able to walk any further.

I understand where you are coming from but we all make mistakes in life, but we could seriously be harming 'one of our own' so to speak. xx

sue57 profile image
sue57

I often fume about this too. But my local ASDA do have men monitoring the disabled bays! They probably see me coming!! I've complained sooo many times I'm surprised they haven't given me my own, labelled parking space!! XX

aura2 profile image
aura2

That has crossed my mind to .. So I stick and drive away quick .. Lol. I think all asda have people monitoring we have a lady who had a disabiled son so is really on people xx

nanatre profile image
nanatre

I have said for ages that this could be a great new business for someone. Policing disabled parking bays. Even if you fined them £25 it could be a brilliant money maker. Four a day that a hundred pound. Five days a week, excellent wages. Could donate some to charity if the supermarket didnt want a cut.

ArctoLindy profile image
ArctoLindy

I've complained in my local big Tesco before about cars parking in disabled bays and they say there's nothing they can do about it.... I think what they mean is that they don't want to upset customers who spend money in their store, they don't seem to care that it upsets me! Last time I was there, the weather was miserable, I saw 8 cars without badges in disabled spaces and I wasn't even parked at the end of the section! Last time I was at my local little Tesco I had to park a long way from the entrance because a builders van was parked in the disabled bay. I would love an app that would let me submit these vehicle's details!

fibro profile image
fibro

this isnt always the case in tesco stores because the car park land doesnt belong to them! The council are responsible for the carpark at our tesco and they actually charge you to park there. its th eonly tesco i know where you have to display a clock as well. never had to do that before, but i nearly got a ticket. lucky was just coming out, to the car in the disabled bay, all correct bit they said the badge on its own wasnt enough. i would have had to walk a lot further to read their notice board, thats if the info was actually on there. i never did look as i didnt have the energy. But here now all council owned car parks will only be free for one hour and you have to get a ticket and if you arent in a disabled bay you dont get your extra time free and have to display clock and badge. I always thought the clock was for on-street parking. I have had a blue/orange badge since 1995 and if they keep changing the rules, but only in certain areas, how are you supposed to know.

theres all this hype about use the hugh streets. thats impossible if ypou are no longer allowed to park on the actual street. i cant carry anything so how am i and many others able to get shopping. they are making us house bound! sometimes i feel that they rae trying to make more and more people take their own lives as they are making it impossible to live any sort of normal life! xx

Jezobelle profile image
Jezobelle

It all seems so ridiculously complicated, and all the rules are different for everywhere.

I've just found out that blue badge holders can apply to the council for a swipe card that acts as an exit ticket for all the car parks in that area! All I've had to do is fill in a form and send a copy of my blue badge with evidence that I live here (such as a bill) and in less than a week my card arrived. It's valid for the same length of time as my blue badge - I'm going to try it at the weekend.

Even without this, some car parks will let you park for free, IF you can find an attendant to show them your badge - but again, it's not advertised anywhere and won't necessarily guarantee you a disabled spot. But worth an ask.

fibro profile image
fibro in reply to Jezobelle

sounds like you live in a very caring area and that sounds like a god idea however it only takes someone to 'lend' it to someone else. My guess is that there will be cameras checking number plates. I noticed this at a service station along the A1(M) - i dont if it applies to others but they have they number plate recognition cameras watching you go in and out. There can't be a time limit although I dont know, because its one where there is a travel lodge.

As you say its all ridiculously complicated. it would be so much better if we could all have the same rules.

Unrelated to disabled parking, friends of mine recently moved to one county from another and their local tesco is the one I refer to above and they didnt know they needed to buy a ticket (Although Tesco will give you some towards the parking cost when you take in part of the ticket) But he ended up with a £70 fine, like we found its the only Tesco that we know of that you have to pay to park before going in the shop. I didnt know they had actually moved at the time otherwise I would have warned them! The excuse of not seeing a pay and display sign isnt enough in the councils eyes :( xx

Pennie1 profile image
Pennie1

Hi, I'm sure that people do not get fined when its on private land, I was a receptionist at a very large garden centre and a lot of people came in to make the same point about none badge owners parking in disabled places.

I looked into it and as the spaces were on the garden centres land the disabled space were only put there as a courtesy and they did not enforce it, I think it the same as what has been said above shops don't want to enforce it as they could loose business. :(

fairycazzie profile image
fairycazzie

wow this is quite a blog and i missed it .. i must of been parked in the wrong bay lol ..

yes it does get annoying .. i remember when i never needed one in the past and i took my Anty that did (no longer here r i p ) some woman shouted across the court of parking bays thats an awful big child your carrying before anything was clicked at what she was doing..

my anty had a badge and since allll the disability bays were taken we used the child ones (hence her saying i had a big child) i shouted you want to seriously think what your saying before making accusations and since your behind my vehicle you can not see in my screen !!!

i felt GOOD!!

now i have a badge and yes its frustrating we see it all the time! i get peered at numerous times as i guess i look like nothings wrong.. i think many believe stereo typing to the elderly that are disable or its something you can physically seen. so unless checking windscreens if there is a badge or not as i have seen others chauffering and carrying heavy goods and think hmmm you dont look like there is a problem then in the passenger or back seat there is usually some one there but who knows!!

it is a good idea to have an ap that you can instantly forward to the rite department to report any that you think are not but then again it could be some one who simply forgot to put their badge in the window too..

i guess my thinking is becareful as you can not judge what you do not know , there is illnesses where they are ok one minute and not the next and have a badge so can just look like there is nothing wrong.

i can be the same but now that my lower half as decided to move in with its problems i am finding that after just a few yards soon as pressure is placed i start to have issues so i always need a prop of some sort to get around now.

great replies xxxxxxx

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