Disabled parking permits

My mother had blue badge because of reduced lung capacity and the inability to walk any great distance unaided and ultimately required the use of a wheelchair.

We as a family would driver her to her various medical appointments. In places that we knew well and say somewhere like Nenagh hospital, we would pull up and use the disabled space. Escort my mum to her appointment and leave her in the nurses care. We would then return to our car and move it to a regular space so someone else could have the use of the space. We might repeat this procedure leaving or use the set down area.

When returning to the car without my mum in her wheelchair lot of people by the look they give you assume you are not entitled to be there.

I have no doubt that a small minority might abuse a family members pass but don't judge what you don't know.

Cheers Ezeoul thank you, and yes we would often do that as well, especially in places like St James in Dublin where it was just not practical to move or in service areas etc.

Moving the car after availing of the designated space is something we used to do where practical especially in areas of limited disability spaces and as we the drivers were able bodied could do this with out much inconvenience. Sometimes we might be parked up a couple of hours it seemed pointless tying up a space when there was no real need and others might need it more.

You are rightly annoyed about people abusing the blue badge system.

However that does not give you the right to police the system personally.

You have no agency to accost citizens and question them.

Reading over some of the comments here, I wonder if people like me are partially to blame. My father was a blue badge holder for about ten years before he died. He had emphysema. A lot of days when we were out, he didn’t look ill but walking, even short distances, could exhaust him. Frequently people could see me, if they were bothered, sprinting back to the blue badged car in the disabled spot, me jumping in & rushing off to collect him from where he’d have had to sit, simply not having the breath to make it back to the car. It never occurred to me at the time, but I’m sure I must have got some funny looks!

What happens if you ask someone "is that your badge?" and they say "yes it is?"

Do you take their word for it or ask to see the photograph on the back?

To be honest, I am a user, and I honestly don't think I'd appreciate being questioned by anyone other than a traffic warden or a Gardaí.

I certainly wouldn't be taking my badge out of the holder, to prove to some random guy on the street that I am entitled to use the space.

And as mentioned earlier, when someone transporting or collecting a badge holder, they can legitimately use a disability space, even though their photo will not be on the badge.

I'd leave the policing of badges, to the Gardaí or traffic wardens who have the authority to ask to inspect the badge.

No doubt, Baybay, you got some funny looks alright!

But your post goes to show that you never really can tell what might be going on, so shouldn't jump to conclusions based on appearances alone.

You seem to be missing my point.

If the only disabled spot is legitimately being used, then why would you not just park on the street and display your badge?

It should ,if you're not a garda or traffic warden I'm not going to explain to you or anyone else why have one .

Just because you have sour grapes about not getting a badge doesnt mean other people are faking

You would need to know the person availing of the blue badge to be sure whether they were the entitled holder.

A lot of the confusion arises from people observing blue badge users and making a judgement based on their appearance.

Correct.

And contrary to some posts here, someone who is dropping off or collecting a blue badge holder, is permitted to park in a disability space while doing so, once they have the badge on display. So the badge holder does not technically have to be in the car at all times.

Blue badge holders are allowed park for unlimited durations in public / council owned spaces.

Committing a lot more than just a parking offence.

My 87 year old grandfather has osteoporosis but he can walk unaided a short distance. His difficulty is that if someone parks close beside him he’s not able to bend himself to access his own car.

Would that qualify ?