[Joed]

We don't have the colored tags in the US...only disabled license plates or temporary disabled tags. Are the colored badges you speak of your disabled parking system? Why the different colors?

I do like your idea....and it would help alleviate most of the problems we have here with inavailability of disabled parking spaces at some places. It's not for the lack of spaces, because most places have plenty of disabled parking, it's just that EVERYONE and his BROTHER seems to have a disabled plate or tag these days. They've really cracked down on the violaters these past few years, so you rarely see anyone parked unlawfully, regarding the disabled spaces...but people still abuse that system by showing a tag that was intended for someone else.

We have some disabled spaces that are designated as 'van accessible', having wider allowances for wheelchairs, although anyone with a plate or tag can park there legally. I've always thought they should enforce 'vans only' in those spaces. I don't park in them myself, since I usually use my crutches when out and about, and feel that someone else would need that type of space more than I would....and those spaces are generally closer to the building entrances too.

I like your idea so much, I believe I'll shoot off a letter to my state representative and request that they consider implementing something similar in my state.

~Joed

[kanga2433]

Well guys, I think Joed has the answer here, everyone and his brother has a disabled parking permit. There are just so many, and, from my observation, wrongly awarded.

Here in the UK , to get a badge you have to be "unable or virtually unable to walk." That would seem to be fine but the 'virtually' seems to be a bit misunderstood. When I go to a large supermarket; I was at Tesco in Dumfries a while ago, the disabled wide spaces go up to 100yds away from the store. Walking people park that far away, with their blue badge, and walk the 100yds to the shop and then walk round, what in our UK terms, is an enormous store and then back to their car. That's a good quarter mile, and they claim to virtually unable to walk?

The problem seems to be with the older population. Those of us under 65 when we first 'qualify' claim mobility allowance and on that basis get a badge. The qualification is very strict and the person is reveiwed by a doctor other than their own GP. Now those over 65 when they want to claim a blue badge cannot claim mobility allowance, but can talk their GP into signing up to them needing one on the basis of being virtually unable to walk. So far as I can see, doctors where I live think this is more or less reaching 70. Basically there are too many badges given to those who don't really qualify and those who do then have trouble using them. So I propose the scheme ought to change to:-

1. Establish a third party doctor to check up people who can't claim mobility allowance.
2. Make a limit on walking for such claimants, 50yds is used in some places.
3. Require the doctor to report his findings to the DVLA so that theye can reveiw is the person should continue to drive. (This alone might reduce the number of applicants.)

Could that work?

Robert

[student nurse]

I agree with the idea of different colours for different problems. My mother has a disabled badge, and love her as i do she has a heart condition and to be truthful she is not at deaths door thank goodness.

She would actually benefit from walking that extra 100 yards to the shop but theres no telling her, she wont listen.

Debs

[Apparelyzed]

Suzanne,

People probably don't think we'll be out at night, after all, what are we doing out that late if we're disabled?

The image people have of the disabled is probably that we're all in bed by 8.00pm.

Simon.

[Joed]

Kinda like the disabled housing in my area...nearly all are one bedroom. I guess they can't imagine us actually having overnight guests/friends or families.

[kanga2433]

I think you are right, guys, about the publics expectations. I sometimes think they would prefer us off the streets altogether; not individually, but the AB population as a whole. Back in the 80's when I was first a wheelchair rider, I was apparently invisible, as shop assitants would listen to what I asked them as then turn away and talk to my wife. (she developed a ploy of turning round and running after the children!)

I just think the whole of scoiety hasn't got used to the idea of disabled people being around and treaing us as normal.

[Wheels43]

I myself am fed up with disabled parking, and when I find one it is shocking...

I went to walmart and I found a place, but when I came out there was a car just parked there. I guess waitting on someone but this person was parked so close that I could not get myself and my chair in... Then the person looks at me and says to me: do I need to move, am I in the way....Sheee I wanted to smack this person up side the head and say no! you think what gave you that idea.. But instead. I was not going to degrade myslef so I just said yes and watied till the person moved...

But I agree there should be tags for those that can not walk at all and have to use a wheelchair for mobility.. and one for those who can walk.

Jaime ...Para ..T12

[hillarymcarter]

You could be like my hubby and just park in the very back. He thinks he is probably in much better condition than most people who park in the spots so he just parks parallel in the back of the lot so nobody can get beside him!

[Pumelios]

hillarymcarter, on Jul 19 2005, 04:31 AM, said:

You could be like my hubby and just park in the very back.  He thinks he is probably in much better condition than most people who park in the spots so he just parks parallel in the back of the lot so nobody can get beside him!

This is also what my FIL and MIL do. She will park that far out because he has no problems getting out of his van way out there. (he wasn't really a good car driver and now he's not the best driver in a wheel chair either. Very impatient and doesn't look at what's ahead, never did, never will.) I've seen him almost hit another car beside him while getting out in a van accessible spot.

They even have a sticker on the back of thier van that asks people not to park beside them due to the ramp coming out the side, and most people don't look and just park. It has really raised my awareness and my childrens awareness. (I secretly love it when my kids ask in front of those illegally parked, why people who don't have the special plates park there, and grandpa can't )

[Wheels43]

Yep it sure does get my goat when I see someone that can get out of there car/van and walk and here I am trying to get me and my chair in and out of my car and they just pop back in..

Then you get these people that just look at you and think well if you would have gotten her frist.. now I have no problem parking in the back but what about parking parallel, would you not get a ticket for something like that...

I just might have to try that one day, and if someone asked, hey I could not find a parking spot that would allow me to get myself and my chair in and without someone parking so close that I could not get in my car..

Wander what there answer would be to that one..



Jaime

[hillarymcarter]

We always parallel park in the pack of parking lots...I imagine if we got a ticket I would just say that all of the handicap spots were full so we had to park like that. I don't think anyone could be that big of an asshole to write that ticket!

[wheelie182]

hello,

Ive got a funny story for you, true story

somone i know in a wheelchair always gets pissed off when people park in disabled spots, and this one time he saw a kid park in a disabled spot, then jump out and run into tesco, and this kid had taken the last disabled spot, so unable to park anywhere he parked his car blocking this kids car so he coudn't get out, then got in his wheelchair and went into tesco for lunch, a nice slow easy going lunch, then after his lunch he came back out to find the kid really angry and anoid at how this guy had blocked his car, so the guy asked him why he was parked in the disabled spot, and the kid gave some smart ass answer i think, so the guy told the kid, thats it, im going back in for a cake now!!

i would love to be able to do that, but i would'nt have the guts, be afraid the kid might damage the car, but i think its great, what the kid deserves!!!!

[hillarymcarter]

That's great! I can't wait to tell my husband that story!

[Wheels43]

Oh this is a great story and maybe I will try it one day with some people with me of course. Just find out where this person is going and block this person in so that they can not get out, and get out of my car in to my wheelchair and wheel on up to where this person went to and just wait there with a officer till he comes back.

Then roll up to my car just as this person is getting in there car and banm the officer gives the person a ticket for ileage parking.


Jaime

[keps]

Oh, I get really annoyed at disabled parking spaces too.
Today I went to the supermarket with my boyfriend, and all the disabled spaces were taken. I'm sure a lot of them were just old people. Doddery does not mean disabled! So anyway, we had to go in an ordinary space.
I wouldn't mind so much (I can wheel ok), but I need the extra space you get in the disabled spots to be able to have enough room to be able to get in and out of the car.
Grrrrr!

[hillarymcarter]

Personally, I would rather let the old people have the spaces. If you have someone with you it isn't a big deal to have someone pull the car out in order to have space to get in. I think the old people who can't walk well need it much more than my husband does just because he is in a chiar. I get frustrated with them sometimes too though!

[AHolland]

Some may find it funny, but I keep on getting frustrated at the handicapped people themselves. I'm paralysed from just below the armpits, but I still know how to park a car. It seems that everytime I go to the hospital or other places that some handicapped person is parking across multiple stalls. Being handicapped does not mean you don't have to follow the rules of the road and park with some consideration for other.

Like some others here, I park way off in the lot to avoid having some idiot parking right beside the entrance to my car. Unfortunately us handicapped people can be as bad as anyone in that aspect.

It is frustrating when people just "borrow" the handicapped spot for a short while, or the barely handicapped person who asked me to hurry up getting into my vehicle so they could have the spot. "Yah I move slow on purpose, buddy"...

[hillarymcarter]

That's funny because my husband and I were talking about that today! We were driving around the lake and here comes a car with a handicapp sticker driving in the middle of the road. I actually had to drive into the ditch! I told Bruce that instead of having a handicapp sticker they needed to have a mentally disabled sticker!

[MARK TILLSON]

shaun, on Nov 11 2004, 01:22 AM, said:

I am fed up of orange/white /blue or what ever colour badges that people think they have got the right to park everywhere they like.

For those that deserve the badges that need a space to get out of there car,that need that space (yellow lines)to be able to get there wheelchair out. They deserve something different.

There should be 2 new badges ,

1 for those that cant walk(blue)

1 for those that can(orange)

Then there wouldn't be all this hassle.

Does anyone else have a problem with it,because it pisses me off.

I HAVE ANOTHER ANSWER. HOW ABOUT A STICKER WE CAN SLAP ON VEHICLES WHO'S OCCUPANTS AREN'T HANDICAPPED JUST LARGE. FAT IS FAT NOT A HANDICAP.....

[kanga2433]

Try this!