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rephrase it to what?
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rephrase it to what?
to a phrase that makes sense, which it now does thanks :-)
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What about..
Not done it in years
Not if I can help it
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Yup. Although I'd spread the time periods out a bit as well..
Maybe something like
days
weeks
months
years
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well, if you're offering.......
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Poll 22. Who thinks Mark is a vampire?
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Recently moved to Swindon and noticed here that most of the car parks have a very large number of disabled spaces (invariably 50% empty) and just a handful of parent/child spaces (always choc-a-block) - now surely there are more families driving around than disabled people? Maybe not. It struck me the other day - why not clamp people who inconsiderately use a disabled/parent-child space? No fee needs to be charged, just cause them maximum inconvenience getting it freed.
The car park nearest me claims that they will clamp people who are not parked properly within a marked space (though I've not heard any examples of this actually happening).
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AdrianM - I've had that moment in DIY stores. 10 disabled spaces, empty. 2 parent/child spaces, filled with white vans.
How many DISABLED people go to DO IT YOURSELF stores, compared to families? HELLO?
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AdrianM - I've had that moment in DIY stores. 10 disabled spaces, empty. 2 parent/child spaces, filled with white vans. How many DISABLED people go to DO IT YOURSELF stores, compared to families? HELLO?
Actually you'd be surprised. Vehicles carrying disabled people visit DIY stores driven by an able bodied relative. My FiL takes his wife and SiL (severely crippled with artheritus) out to choose plants for example
In addition, many disabilities that qualify for a blue badge don't preclude the person from undertaking a range of DIY tasks.
Hugo
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Disagree with the wording of this poll. There is a clear difference between a disabled bay and a parent and child bay and the two should not be grouped together.
Disabled pays are legally protected and provided for those people who, through no choice at all, require extra space and as short a walk as possible to their destination. Parking in them when you are not entitled to is deplorable.
Parent and Child bays are neither. They are a cynical marketing excercise to attract parents to the supermarket, at the detriment of everyone else who is forced to park in very small spaces, risking damage to our cars.
I always try to park miles from the store (Well, the opposite side of the carpark) when I visit the supermarket so I am well away from those who do not care about their car, yet I often return to find my previously isolated car surrounded by others, and sometimes, a nice dink in the door.
Personally I don't give a stuff whether somebody in a parent or baby space is a parent or not, really doesn't bother me, but anyone who is not disabled and parks in a disabled bay is pathetic, IMHO.
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Parent and Child bays are neither. They are a cynical marketing excercise to attract parents to the supermarket, at the detriment of everyone else who is forced to park in very small spaces, risking damage to our cars. Personally I don't give a stuff whether somebody in a parent or baby space is a parent or not, really doesn't bother me, but anyone who is not disabled and parks in a disabled bay is pathetic, IMHO.
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While my wife is recovering from a knee op, I need to park the car close to the entrance and for me to be able to open the door fully both on arrival and departure.
So Parent and Child bay is where I shall park.
I totally agree with you re disabled bays.
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Quite agree, I NEVER use disabled bays but will always use Parent & brat bays if free.
Disabled bays are legally recognised and I respect & understand the reasoning behind it. Parent & brat bays are neither.
Hence the confused voting!
Jim
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Quite agree, I NEVER use disabled bays but will always use Parent & brat bays if free. Disabled bays are legally recognised and I respect & understand the reasoning behind it. Parent & brat bays are neither.
Can't see the argument for non-badge holder using a disabled bay. To save time nipping into a shop? Does anyone need a tin of beans that urgently? There was a thread a while ago about the amount of time a driver saved by recklessly over- and undertaking on the motorway (amounted to something like 20 seconds over a fair number of miles). Needlessly taking up a disabled bay probably results in a time saving of a similar magnitude. I would say the same applies to parent and child bays.
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>>Parent & brat
Why write that? I can understand why your parents would be bitter, but surely its just rather silly. Or does it make you feel all dangerous and revolutionary ? Do try and surpress your envy.
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Recently moved to Swindon and noticed here that most of the car parks have a very large number of disabled spaces (invariably 50% empty)
Tell me where they are please. Whenever my parents go there shopping, they can never find an empty disabled bay.
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I'd never ever park in a disabled bay but a good while back, we went to a supermarket which was only small really. What few spaces there were were ALL full. And I mean FULL. Some had cars parked over 2 which REALLY annoys me but anyhoo. WE were about to give up when a car backed out of a parent and child bay. Needless to say, we had that one. Why not? My mum is my parent, she was with me, and I am her child.
Agree with Michael - marketing exercise. Next we'll have "Spaces for those who need to get back to work quickly"
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Adam
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Well as a parent I have to make the point that to get 2 yr olds strapped into a car seat you need to be able to open the doors wide. If some *&%$ parks right up against my car they make life very difficult (so dont be surprised if you aquire a 'parking dent')
I agree about the disabled spaces though, In the local multistorey there are always 20 free disabled spaces. (and how is it that so many disabled people seem to run new bmw/merc's ?)
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Sorry Mark - I didn't mean to sound like an insensitive idiot. I only parked in that bay because there were no other spaces. Agree with you about people who park dead close though. As long as they can get out, then that's fine.
You would wonder how someone who is disabled manages to climb in and out of an X5 though...
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Adam
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Actually Adam, some cars with higher seating, and high roof lines are easier for disabled people to climb in and out of.
I am afraid I am biased against disabled badge holders tho based on personal experience. I know of a disabled plumber, a disabled builder, and a member of my own family (not immediate family) who has a blue badge. I certainly know the family member can walk perfectly, and there can be no such thing as a Builder or Plumber so disabled that they cant walk across a supermarket car park. It seems to be linked with obtaining a motability car as well.
In my own personal view, too many spurious badge holders = too many disabled spaces.
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RF
Why wouldn't a builder or a plumber be justifiably entitled to a disabled badge?
It's all too easy to think that just because someone has a manual job they are just as able as you or me. Trust me that isn't necessarily the case.
I don't know for sure the basis that these things are issued on but it is quite possible that the docter of a patiant has recommended that their healt shouldn't be compromised with having to park too far away from where they need to go in town etc. They may have heart or resparitory conditions that allow them to spend hours in one area on the scaffolding and under the kitchen sink but are prone to problems if they have to walk the distances you and I take for granted.
Hugo
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If some *&%$ parks right up against my car they make life very difficult (so dont be surprised if you aquire a 'parking dent')
Isn't a "parking dent" on a car parked in an adjacent slot usually accompanied by paint off the edge of your own car's door?
Reminds me of the tale told by a work collegue of the day he came back to his car and found a dent on his door that was obviously caused by the car parked in the adjacent slot. He was so mad that he opened his door and deliberately slammed it into the other car ~ and then he realised what he had done to his own door!
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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(and how is it that so many disabled people seem to run new bmw/merc's ?)
Er, why should a persons disability affect what someone drives? Just because someone is disabled, it doesn't automatically mean they are poor. Disability can affect anyone - rich or poor, black or white, etc.
Besides which, just because the car displaying a blue badge is parked in the space, doesn't necessarily mean the driver is disabled. He or she might have a passenger that is.
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I've never parked in a disabled or p&c space, but back when I drove a Mini I used to regularly park in a supermarket Trolley bay. :-)
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You shouldn't ever park in a disabled space unless you are a badge holder. However, sit and watch those badge holders who do park in them and assess what percentage really need to use a privileged space - I would bet it's less than half.
Parent and child spaces are there to protect other vehicles as well as to provide greater convenience for parents - it is nigh on impossible to get three under-5's strapped into the back of a car if you can only open the door a fraction of the way. Despite the fact that I keep my kids under strict control in car parks, they are adept at doing as they please (ie flinging open a door with a total lack of awareness of their surroundings) at the precise millisecond that my attention is elsewhere. So the person parking inconsiderately in a P&C space may cause me (and my horrible kids) to park next to you.....
That said... Disabled spaces - mandatory, P&C spaces - a convenience. They should, when possible & out of courtesy, be left free for those they are intended for (whether you agree with their existence or not). They do not need to be right outside the entrance though.
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I'm not complaining about the P&C spaces being outside the door, but it isn't neccessary. Them being wide is definitely neccessary though.
Perhaps they should move them away from the entrance to avoid the bitter envy of those without children without actually bothering the people who use the spaces.
And as for deliberately using handicapped spaces, and worrying because a handicapped person may drive a Mercedes, and generally being driven to desperation by the thought of the merest possibility of someone getting an advantage that you do not - what very small lives you must have.
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However, sit and watch those badge holders who do park in them and assess what percentage really need to use a privileged space - I would bet it's less than half.
Why should I do that? If they have a badge, should I second-guess their need?
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Agree with others who've said that the two sorts of bays are completely different. I would never park in a disabled bay, but at night, when children should be in bed, the car park is unlit and I need to pop in and out or use the cash point, I will use the parent and child spaces.
Why can't we have "person who never wants kids but just doesn't want to have their car dented or walk across an unsafe car park" spaces?
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Recently had cause to think hard about all this. Partner broke her fibula while out walking. Not a bad break, no screws or plates but plaster from toe to knee for 6 weeks. No weight bearing for first four. Trying to move her anywhere either on crutches or in the hired wheelchair was a nightmare. If anybody cannot see why disabled bays are there, amply provided and near the entrance then they should try sampling the above, minor, incapacity.
Took a gamble on using the disabled bays on the basis that Tescoburys would likley accept a doctors note and sight of the invalid in lieu of the proper paperwork.
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That's what happens when you let your mouth flap open withoug engaging in any thought whatsoever. With regards to RF's comment, a simple bit of thinking would have told me that - it would be easier getting in a Ford Galaxy than it would Vauxhall Calibra. So I apologise for that.
Parking in a parent and child bay was a one off and I probably wouldn't ever do it again except as PG says, really late at night nipping for some cash.
Sorry again,
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Adam
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Hear, hear Pologirl.
It really annoys me that there are special bays set aside for parent & child. Surely they are in the majority and therefore perhaps 75% of the spaces ahould be P&C and 25% should be smaller "I don't have a child therefore why even consider me as part of the human race" spaces.
As someone said earlier - cynical marketing.
I know of 4 people who have Blue badges as they have "disabed" relatives but use the badges when the realtive is not with them. So pardon my cynicism but......
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Gosh - I'm away for a day and all hell breaks loose!
I have to agree with the post re the genuine need for wider spaces for P&C bays. Much as I wish to avoid damage to those around me, I do need to open the door in order to reach in and strap the little dears in. I can squeeze in through a narrow gap but I can't put child in through a narrow gap. It's a simple fact of physical dimensions. There is nothing I can do about it!
And they do need to be near the doors; try escorting two young children through a car park with Gary screaming past in his Nova. Not pleasant. Not fun.
Mind you, all of this is academic because I so rarely use P&C spaces. After all, they are so rare and always full with white vans.
In the late evening, it is a different matter. The children ought to be tucked up asleep and I think free use of the P&C slots is perfectly fair game.
And for all those who are not willing to help out others even to a trivial extent, just because they are in a different situation and you think that's unfair, I hope you are proud of yourselves.
Someone pointed out that blue badge holders seem to walk off quite healthily. This is somewhat misleading. Many ailments leave the sufferer visibly fit and able, but with greatly reduced stamina. They might be able to walk to the shop from the disabled bay, but not from the other side of every carpark they use that day. If I was a doctor with full knowledge of their history, I might feel able to judge. But I'm not.
Hugo - point taken re DIY stores. But the disabled spaces seem rarely used. As opposed to the P&C spaces, always full.
Spaces for those who need to get back to work quickly - excellent idea! But what would we call them?
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Well as a parent I have to make the point that to get 2 yr olds strapped into a car seat you need to be able to open the doors wide. If some *&%$ parks right up against my car they make life very difficult (so dont be surprised if you aquire a 'parking dent')
This is a disgraceful statement.
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>> (so dont be surprised if you aquire a 'parking dent') This is a disgraceful statement.
I agree. If the door was opened carefully, rather than carelessly flinging it open, then the other car wouldn't aquire a parking dent. Your door will still more than likely touch the other car's door, but touching it gently is far better than hammering against it!!
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Agree with Mark, Keep the disabled spaces near the door but move the Parent and child spaces right across the carpark.....only requirement is a pavement around the perimeter to safely walk them to the front door. Distance is not the issue, wide spaces and safe access is much more important.
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On the subject of parking;
1)
Why, when I park at the very back of the car park in open spaces, do I come back to find that in this field of open spaces there are now three cars; mine and the ones parked tightly either side of it ?
Is it some sort of insecurity thing ? Are these people fighting against loneliness ?
2)
Why, when in a large and busy car park do normal, seemingly able-bodied people, cause absolute chaos trying to find, and then queueing for, the very closest space to the door they can find which takes 20 odd minutes, when they could actually park a floor up, a floor down or a few rows further back easily and be in the store within 5 minutes.
I have actually managed to park at the back of a car park, walk in past the lemmings, do my shopping and walk back out again and pass the same cars still queueing for pole position in the parking spaces ?
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2)
This so gets on my bits. I can feel rage building up just thinking about it.
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2)
Even better - my business partner has seen people circle the half of the car park near the entrance many times looking for a close space, ignoring the fact that the other half is empty.
After all, if they parked on the other half they'd have to walk 100 yards to reach the entrance ... to the gym.
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