Today's guest blogger is well known timeless beauty "The Lady of Spain" who writes as a response to this post. on the topic of blue badge parking.
"...Flo's can be a perk or a lifesaver. Just recently, she squeezed into a revolving door ahead of me and by the time my compartment had followed hers, she'd "run" out of the supermarket, into the carpark, and across a road. I had to throw all my bags to the ground and run after her, just to catch her laughing in between cars. So remember there are the ones who have their badges for mental impairment and can walk but may decide not to and just sit down in the road or maybe coaxed into a shop but then refuse to leave and have to be dragged out. Or won't hold hands and are incapable of seeing the danger in a large carpark with moving traffic. And because that is such an ordeal for the parent, (especially of an older, heavier, child) there are times when we need the child to sit in their blue badge space with a minder while we rather visibly "quickly run in" without them, being glared at by everyone as we put the badge out. Then at least there's still scope for them to need to find the parent, the loo etc. And then there are a few days when it's all going well and the badge turns out to be a bit of a perk, but we can't plan for those, it's just luck. And there are times when the child has to be strapped into a pushchair and once in it, it doesn't make too much difference for me to walk a few more yards with it (but wouldn't that be the same for a wheelchair user - isn't it more an issue of space and level access?) My compromise with it, is that on the occasions where you get disabled bays plus free disabled parking in non marked bays, I'll go for the non-marked if they are reasonably close - especially backed onto a walkway where we are a bit safer. The one that annoys me most is hospital disabled bays. There are never enough and the rules are that if you are forced to use a non-disabled one because they are full then you have to pay minimum £2.50 to park at the furthest end of the site. Grrrhhh..."
"...Flo's can be a perk or a lifesaver. Just recently, she squeezed into a revolving door ahead of me and by the time my compartment had followed hers, she'd "run" out of the supermarket, into the carpark, and across a road. I had to throw all my bags to the ground and run after her, just to catch her laughing in between cars. So remember there are the ones who have their badges for mental impairment and can walk but may decide not to and just sit down in the road or maybe coaxed into a shop but then refuse to leave and have to be dragged out. Or won't hold hands and are incapable of seeing the danger in a large carpark with moving traffic. And because that is such an ordeal for the parent, (especially of an older, heavier, child) there are times when we need the child to sit in their blue badge space with a minder while we rather visibly "quickly run in" without them, being glared at by everyone as we put the badge out. Then at least there's still scope for them to need to find the parent, the loo etc. And then there are a few days when it's all going well and the badge turns out to be a bit of a perk, but we can't plan for those, it's just luck. And there are times when the child has to be strapped into a pushchair and once in it, it doesn't make too much difference for me to walk a few more yards with it (but wouldn't that be the same for a wheelchair user - isn't it more an issue of space and level access?) My compromise with it, is that on the occasions where you get disabled bays plus free disabled parking in non marked bays, I'll go for the non-marked if they are reasonably close - especially backed onto a walkway where we are a bit safer. The one that annoys me most is hospital disabled bays. There are never enough and the rules are that if you are forced to use a non-disabled one because they are full then you have to pay minimum £2.50 to park at the furthest end of the site. Grrrhhh..."
On the way into a local shop today I had to wait because an unbadged car was in the one disabled space and I needed the flat and wide access. I gave up and parked in the one parent and child space next to it - less access but just enough. I was just about to get out when a pretty old guy came out of the shop and it was his car in the disabled spot(by old I mean 60+). I put the window down and pointed out that he forgot to display his badge. Turned out he didn't have one.
ReplyDelete"Well there was nobody here when I arrived," was his explanation ie.the space was free so I used it.
The old guy got in his car and pulled out. Immediately a car with two young lads pulled in. I left my window down and, as the driver hopped out I pointed out he'd parked in the disabled space. He went into full on swearing abuse and threats mode. His friend joined in. Eventually the friend got out of the car and they stood at my window, hurling abuse. I backed slowly out of my space and they followed me, walking shoulder to shoulder. So Istopped reversing and got out. I'd lost my temper a bit and countered their abuse with insults. I called them immature little kids, said that they looked a bit silly trying be hard whilst driving around in their Mother's Peugot 105, doubted they had the cojones to actually attack me. They got within a couple of feet of me, and I just stood there on my sticks, staring them down.
"Go on then, if you have the balls. Hit me. Show everyone how hard you are."
They stood there.
"I'm getting back in my car now. If you want to take this somewhere a little quieter then you can follow me. But I'm warning you, You really don't know what you're getting yourself into."
They ran to their car. They followed me. I let them tailgate me for a couple of miles and then turned off into an empty car-park. I parked up, got out and waited. They pulled into the car-park and then spun around and sped away.
It was cool. I scared them away.