Let's hear it for the disabled
Is it just me or does anyone else think that being too idle, selfish or just plain arrogant to walk more than five yards from a car to a pub entrance does not really constitute a disability. People don't risk parking in a disabled bay, on double yellows or without paying at parking meters in the street without displaying a blue badge because police or parking attendants will, quite rightly, issue a fixed penalty.
Once it comes to pub, cinema or supermarket car parks though, where the disabled system works on the basis of consideration and compassion for your fellow man, there is a section of society who work on the basis of me first to last and nobody else counts. The problem is that shops and pubs don't want to upset customers, particularly well heeled ones judging by the late model, expensive cars usually left gleaming without badges in disabled bays. ASDA have made a start by extending their £60 fine scheme for anyone found parking in bays without badges but perhaps it is time for the Government to put its money where its ever open mouth is.
A hefty fine for anyone parking in any disabled space in pubs, car parks, supermarkets or wherever without a blue badge might even have the novelty of a Government policy with popular support.
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Roger Clarke
Birmingham’s very own Grumpy Old Man on what gets right up his nose.
No offence meant to anyone, but why should the disabled get free parking?
Better parking spaces for them, OK, wider spaces for getting the chair out, and spaces that are strictly reserved for them, etc. But free? Why?
The 'orange badge brigade' do my head in. THere are probably more than half who are genuinely disabled, the rest have a limp or diabetes.
But even if they've got no legs, why free?
I suppose parking is usually free because many disabled people often have no public transport alternative and it does show some compassion, there but for the grace of God, although it is not unusual at some tourist towns to have reserved spaces but paid for parking.
I do agree that the Blue Badge scheme does seem to be a broad church though with somewhat suspect entitlement in some cases and there is certainly a case to be made for punitive fines for anyone caught using either a Blue badge to which they are not entitled or a counterfeit badge.