People parking in disabled spaces

Tilikum

Obviously I'm sure this has been covered before but f me I'm sick to death of it.

Over the weekend I've seen 3 or 4 people doing it. One guy parked his jeep right in the middle of two spots ffs. Jumped out not a bother on him.

There should be a system in place whereby we can take the picture of the car/reg in the disabled spot (if there's no badge of course) and send it onto the guards or whoever takes care of those fines.

Let's start a petition ðŸ‘

Storm 10

I was in the Huntsman on Friday evening when a large car pulled straight into the blue disabled parking space right out side the front door, four non disabled looking men and women got out and straight to the bar, only for the other half held me back I was going to have words with them , sickened me to be honest

snubbleste

Storm 10 wrote: »

I was in the Huntsman on Friday evening when a large car pulled straight into the blue disabled parking space right out side the front door, four non disabled looking men and women got out and straight to the bar, only for the other half held me back I was going to have words with them , sickened me to be honest

It's on private property. All you can do is contact the private enterprise concerned.

bobbyss

Storm 10 wrote: »

I was in the Huntsman on Friday evening when a large car pulled straight into the blue disabled parking space right out side the front door, four non disabled looking men and women got out and straight to the bar, only for the other half held me back I was going to have words with them , sickened me to be honest

I am presuming you checked first whether the car had a disabled card on the windscreen?

_Whimsical_

Tilikum wrote: »

There should be a system in place whereby we can take the picture of the car/reg in the disabled spot (if there's no badge of course) and send it onto the guards or whoever takes care of those fines.

Let's start a petition ðŸ‘

That's actually a brilliant idea!
Hard to know how this hasn't been put in place before.
There really is no reason we are relying on traffic wardens in this day and age. A picture of the reg, positioning and front dash to show there's no card should be enough.
If you've started a petition share it and I will pimp it far and wide! Well, as much as I can.

Storm 10 wrote: »

I was in the Huntsman on Friday evening when a large car pulled straight into the blue disabled parking space right out side the front door, four non disabled looking men and women got out and straight to the bar, only for the other half held me back I was going to have words with them , sickened me to be honest

It's important in these cases to check for a card, just because someone looks fine doesn't mean they are.

zarquon

It's a scourge in Galway. A lot of spaces are on private parking and no one seems to care. Supermarkets always seem to have these obnoxious drivers and the hospital is a disaster as visitors take it upon themselves to grab the free parking in the disabled spots. I had a situation a few weeks ago at the hospital where there were 2 cars without permits parked badly enough that they took up 3 disabled spaces between them. I reported it to the park rite attendants who informed me they couldn't do anything about it because the cars were belong to travellers and they didn't want to aggrevate the situation by confronting them

Disgraceful carry on and the people tasked with policing these spots seem happy to turn a blind eye to the plight of drivers such as myself

snubbleste

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

That's actually a brilliant idea!
Hard to know how this hasn't been put in place before.
There really is no reason we are relying on traffic wardens in this day and age. A picture of the reg, positioning and front dash to show there's no card should be enough....

Because the law says a garda/warden must detect the offence being committed. Of course they can choose to see it or not. :cool:

Renegade Mechanic

Probably an extreme solution, but the people who park in them - 'because it's only for a little while and shur there's loads of them' - should be made to need them..

Celebrate the fact that you're not disabled by walking a few extra steps, you bone lazy waste of the world's resources.

_Whimsical_

snubbleste wrote: »

Because the law says a garda/warden must detect the offence being committed. Of course they can choose to see it or not. :cool:

Yeah but it's an archaic solution and it really doesn't serve the public well. It's something that should change.

fergal.b

There is a FB page for posting photos sort of name and shame .

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=disabled%20and%20limited%20mobility%20parking%20bays



.

bobbyss

zarquon wrote: »

It's a scourge in Galway. A lot of spaces are on private parking and no one seems to care. Supermarkets always seem to have these obnoxious drivers and the hospital is a disaster as visitors take it upon themselves to grab the free parking in the disabled spots. I had a situation a few weeks ago at the hospital where there were 2 cars without permits parked badly enough that they took up 3 disabled spaces between them. I reported it to the park rite attendants who informed me they couldn't do anything about it because the cars were belong to travellers and they didn't want to aggrevate the situation by confronting them

Disgraceful carry on and the people tasked with policing these spots seem happy to turn a blind eye to the plight of drivers such as myself

Simple solution.

Clamp offenders immediately. Problem sorted. Released when paid.

snubbleste

bobbyss wrote: »

Simple solution.
Clamp offenders immediately. Problem sorted. Released when paid.

Far from.
The car will still be occupying the space. Clampers cost the taxpayers far more than they took in when they had a contract from the Council

pablo128

bobbyss wrote: »

Simple solution.

Clamp offenders immediately. Problem sorted. Released when paid.

Regarding the hospital it is not illegal to remove a clamp once it doesn't get damaged.

flutered

zarquon wrote: »

It's a scourge in Galway. A lot of spaces are on private parking and no one seems to care. Supermarkets always seem to have these obnoxious drivers and the hospital is a disaster as visitors take it upon themselves to grab the free parking in the disabled spots. I had a situation a few weeks ago at the hospital where there were 2 cars without permits parked badly enough that they took up 3 disabled spaces between them. I reported it to the park rite attendants who informed me they couldn't do anything about it because the cars were belong to travellers and they didn't want to aggrevate the situation by confronting them

Disgraceful carry on and the people tasked with policing these spots seem happy to turn a blind eye to the plight of drivers such as myself

its not confined to galway

snubbleste

What is you favourite disabled space to park in? Do you think some are coloured a darker shade of blue than others?
#positive

Widdershins

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

It's important in these cases to check for a card, just because someone looks fine doesn't mean they are.

I'm fairly sure there are many conditions and disabilities that don't meet the eligibility criteria for a blue card so keep that in mind.

If they look fine they would not be given a disc. AFAIK you must be without the use of at least one limb. I think heart disease is one of the few other accepted disabilities .

I know of people who have circumvented this rule but not everyone can or would try,

Personally I would leave people alone unless they had taken the only available space or something .

_Whimsical_

Widdershins wrote: »

I'm fairly sure there are many conditions and disabilities that don't meet the eligibility criteria for a blue card so keep that in mind.

If they look fine they would not be given a disc. AFAIK you must be without the use of at least one limb. I think heart disease is one of the few other accepted disabilities .

I know of people who have circumvented this rule but not everyone can or would try,

Personally I would leave people alone unless they had taken the only available space or something .

That's true, I know of people who probably need these cards but can't get them, to my knowledge they're only awarded in cases of quite severe need,that doesn't mean a visible disability.

The whole beauty of a system where the public could report inappropriate parking in these spaces is that there's no need for confrontation or posting people to facebook etc. It lets the authorities deal with it and lets them take any extenuating circumstances into account if necessary.

Widdershins

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

It lets the authorities deal with it and lets them take any extenuating circumstances into account if necessary.

Good point . Hopefully they would do so, it's not something I have experience of.

It's certainly better than leaving nasty notes or verbally chastising someone .

bobbyss

pablo128 wrote: »

Regarding the hospital it is not illegal to remove a clamp once it doesn't get damaged.

I didn't know that. Where is that written down?

Tilikum

flutered wrote: »

its not confined to galway

I know.
I actually tried to post this thread in 'after hours'. I'd say it would get a lot more replies if I did.

Shint0

In privately operated car parks unless there is a sign expressly prohibiting parking in a wheelchair designated space they can't actually enforce a ticket or fine similar with parent/child friendly spaces. Where a car park is operated by local authorities then Bye-Laws apply.

keno-daytrader

Whos the genius who came up with the law that Gardai cant do anything about private property?

It should be changed, park in disabled space should = penalty points.

Those big stickers that are a bastard to get off, should be put on each rear side windows saying "I park in disabled bays and the only disability I have is having respect for anyone else"

Decoda

Interesting trial by Wexford County Council.......


http://www.wexford.ie/wex/Departments/AccessForAll/NewsandEvents/Name,26526,en.html

tossy

I witnessed the ERU in their imposing Q7 give a guy the 'woop woop' and ask him to move out of a disabled spot in Newbridge yesterday. I stopped to let him out but he waved me on, i looked up to see the boys in the Q7 waiting for him to pull out so they could get a better look at him so i waited and waved him out

JillyQ

Widdershins wrote: »

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

It's important in these cases to check for a card, just because someone looks fine doesn't mean they are.

I'm fairly sure there are many conditions and disabilities that don't meet the eligibility criteria for a blue card so keep that in mind.

If they look fine they would not be given a disc. AFAIK you must be without the use of at least one limb. I think heart disease is one of the few other accepted disabilities .

I know of people who have circumvented this rule but not everyone can or would try,

Personally I would leave people alone unless they had taken the only available space or something .

There is a variety of diseases including parkinsons and Ms. Also people who drive people with disabilities are aloud to use them when bringing or collecting the person to whom the card refers to.

pablo128

Decoda wrote: »

Interesting trial by Wexford County Council.......


http://www.wexford.ie/wex/Departments/AccessForAll/NewsandEvents/Name,26526,en.html

I wish they would ticket drivers wrongly using the loading bay on South Main Street. Its right outside a shop we deliver to but is always full of private cars day and night. Its a pain in the ass for the driver to lug deliveries from down the road, often having to make multiple trips back and forward from van to shop.

snubbleste

tossy wrote: »

I witnessed the ERU in their imposing Q7 give a guy the 'woop woop' and ask him to move out of a disabled spot in Newbridge yesterday. I stopped to let him out but he waved me on, i looked up to see the boys in the Q7 waiting for him to pull out so they could get a better look at him so i waited and waved him out

In my neck of the woods, the garda squad car park in the disabled spot "for a few minutes"

amdaley28

As long as nothing is done about this type of parking then it will continue.
Its an unfortunate part of modern siociety.

K.Flyer

bobbyss wrote: »

Simple solution.

Clamp offenders immediately. Problem sorted. Released when paid.

Right sentiment, wrong approach.
Tow Them Away!
In parts of Spain the car is towed straight to the pound. The tow-truck (GRUA) drivers are on commission and they have cars lifted in the blink of an eye if its illegally parked, especially on a disabled spot. Even if a car blocks the entrance to your house, you just phone a number and they are usually there in a few minutes.
But just so that the owner of said towed vehicle doesn't think his car has been stolen, the GRUA driver leaves a brightly coloured triangular sticker (about 4" in size) stuck to the ground where the offending car was. :pac:

Cantona's Collars

K.Flyer wrote: »

Right sentiment, wrong approach.
Tow Them Away!
In parts of Spain the car is towed straight to the pound. The tow-truck (GRUA) drivers are on commission and they have cars lifted in the blink of an eye if its illegally parked, especially on a disabled spot. Even if a car blocks the entrance to your house, you just phone a number and they are usually there in a few minutes.
But just so that the owner of said towed vehicle doesn't think his car has been stolen, the GRUA driver leaves a brightly coloured triangular sticker (about 4" in size) stuck to the ground where the offending car was. :pac:

Saw that happen in Lanzarote,park like an eejit and your car is towed,Marmaris in Turkey was the same,they don't waste any time either.
They would make a fortune in Enniscorthy by just waiting near the bus stop on the quay,bus pulls up and has to block one lane due to muppets parked in the bus stop.

kathleen37

Widdershins wrote: »

If they look fine they would not be given a disc. AFAIK you must be without the use of at least one limb. I think heart disease is one of the few other accepted disabilities .

That isn't the case at all. People with cancer, lung disease and numerous other conditions where someone may "look fine" all qualify. It's dependant on lots of things - the conditions for a card are very strict. If you qualify for one, then you have my sympathy and I'd rather drive over my own head than park in a disabled space when I wasn't entitled to.

K.Flyer

Who Qualifies and Qualifying Medical Criteria

The medical criteria for issue of the EU parking permit are strict and only persons whose mobility is severely and permanently restricted qualify. These criteria were revised and clarified in the Department of Transport’s ‘Review of the Disabled Parking Scheme 2010’. The primary legislation for the purposes of EU parking permit defines a disabled person as:

“A person with a permanent condition or disability that severely restricts their ability to walk”
...

 As a general guideline the permit is aimed at persons who can only walk very short distances without assistance. Specific measures for the degree of impairment of lung capacity and the severity level of heart conditions which apply are given in the newly published Guidelines for Medical Practitioners.

bobbyss

K.Flyer wrote: »

Right sentiment, wrong approach.
Tow Them Away!
In parts of Spain the car is towed straight to the pound. The tow-truck (GRUA) drivers are on commission and they have cars lifted in the blink of an eye if its illegally parked, especially on a disabled spot. Even if a car blocks the entrance to your house, you just phone a number and they are usually there in a few minutes.
But just so that the owner of said towed vehicle doesn't think his car has been stolen, the GRUA driver leaves a brightly coloured triangular sticker (about 4" in size) stuck to the ground where the offending car was. :pac:

OK.That sound good to me. I am in favour of any action that a motorist would think long and hard about doing again.

Cortina_MK_IV

This one got out and wasn't that disabled and ran into Dunnes. Only getting one thing? Not quite, as I was putting things in my basket she was browsing toiletries with a few things in her arms.

Worse bit is there were people calling into LMFM a while back at the lack of spaces for the disabled around Dundalk with non disabled drivers using them.

The "I'm only getting one thing brigade" as if that excuses it. There are many days I stop off for milk only and still don't park here. :mad:

AnneFrank

this sickens me too to be honest, i just hope Karma gets them one day

bobbyss

JillyQ wrote: »

There is a variety of diseases including parkinsons and Ms. Also people who drive people with disabilities are aloud to use them when bringing or collecting the person to whom the card refers to.

I am not so sure of being allowed to collect a disabled person. Do you mean you can drive into a space and get out and go and get someone? I thought the disabled person had always to be in the car?

Voodoomelon

I'd be afraid to challenge someone who parked in a disabled spot, purely for the embarrassment of being proved wrong. Just because there's no card present because they forgot to bring it or because its in a relatives/friends car, doesn't mean they're no longer disabled. And i'd put good faith in the Irish public (maybe too much) that a good segment of non carded cars are still disabled card holders.

Red Kev

bobbyss wrote: »

I am not so sure of being allowed to collect a disabled person. Do you mean you can drive into a space and get out and go and get someone? I thought the disabled person had always to be in the car?

No, they don't have to be in the car, so parking there while you go off to pick them up is fine. Their photo is on the reverse of the card, that can also be verified.

You do need to display it in the windscreen, having it in the glovebox doesn't count and you can be clamped or ticketed for that.

You can also Park in any parking bay and display the card, if you do, you don't have to pay any parking fee.

GM228

bobbyss wrote: »

I am not so sure of being allowed to collect a disabled person. Do you mean you can drive into a space and get out and go and get someone? I thought the disabled person had always to be in the car?

Yes that is correct, the bay is for the convenience of the badge holder, legislation does not require the badge holder be in the vehicle, just that the vehicle is parked there for the badge holders convenience.

Isambard

Red Kev wrote: »

No, they don't have to be in the car, so parking there while you go off to pick them up is fine. Their photo is on the reverse of the card, that can also be verified.

You do need to display it in the windscreen, having it in the glovebox doesn't count and you can be clamped or ticketed for that.

You can also Park in any parking bay and display the card, if you do, you don't have to pay any parking fee.

surely you don't automatically get free parking in all circumstances. Hard to believe.

9935452

Voodoomelon wrote: »

I'd be afraid to challenge someone who parked in a disabled spot, purely for the embarrassment of being proved wrong. Just because there's no card present because they forgot to bring it or because its in a relatives/friends car, doesn't mean they're no longer disabled. And i'd put good faith in the Irish public (maybe too much) that a good segment of non carded cars are still disabled card holders.

Dont be afraid of challenging them.
The best ive seen is people offering and insisting on helping them to the door or with their groceries.
The people involved if they arent genuine are mortified/embarressed by the whole thing and will admit it, Then you can challenge them.
If they are genuine all you are doing is a good deed.

GM228

Isambard wrote: »

surely you don't automatically get free parking in all circumstances. Hard to believe.

Yes you do, but not in private car parks, it only applies to local authority parking-also any maximum time limits on parking don't apply either.

Red Kev

Isambard wrote: »

surely you don't automatically get free parking in all circumstances. Hard to believe.

Yes you can. Two links here, although the Citizens Information site fails to mention that you can park in any parking bay. However, this info is on the letter that you get when you get the permit, or whenever it's renewed.

http://www.dublincity.ie/main-menu-services-roads-and-traffic-parking-dublin/permits-disabled-parking

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/traffic_and_parking/disabled_persons_parking_card.html

Dial Hard

bobbyss wrote:

I am not so sure of being allowed to collect a disabled person. Do you mean you can drive into a space and get out and go and get someone? I thought the disabled person had always to be in the car?

If they had to stay in the car there'd be no need for the spaces in the first place.

9935452 wrote:

Dont be afraid of challenging them.

I challenged a guy before and he did *not* take kindly to it. Got out of the car and called me every name under the sun to the point where a passerby intervened.

Wouldn't stop me doingit again though.

flango

I challenged a guy in Howth last summer who was parked in the disabled space. I saw him skip across the road with a 99 and asked him if he was disabled in any way. He retorted that he would bate the Shyte out of me if I did not F off and mind my own business. I broke a knuckle whooping him and got arrested twenty minutes later and charged with assault. Turned out to be a very expensive lapse of composure regarding my future career prospects with the Garda vetting and all that. The wife gave me a few slaps as well!

bobbyss

flango wrote: »

I challenged a guy in Howth last summer who was parked in the disabled space. I saw him skip across the road with a 99 and asked him if he was disabled in any way. He retorted that he would bate the Shyte out of me if I did not F off and mind my own business. I broke a knuckle whooping him and got arrested twenty minutes later and charged with assault. Turned out to be a very expensive lapse of composure regarding my future career prospects with the Garda vetting and all that. The wife gave me a few slaps as well!

His language and threats were indefensible but he could have been going to collect a disabled person.

JamboMac

flango wrote: »

I challenged a guy in Howth last summer who was parked in the disabled space. I saw him skip across the road with a 99 and asked him if he was disabled in any way. He retorted that he would bate the Shyte out of me if I did not F off and mind my own business. I broke a knuckle whooping him and got arrested twenty minutes later and charged with assault. Turned out to be a very expensive lapse of composure regarding my future career prospects with the Garda vetting and all that. The wife gave me a few slaps as well!

Is that not a plus point for guarda vetting, assault and all that.

Red Kev

bobbyss wrote: »

His language and threats were indefensible but he could have been going to collect a disabled person.

He still has to display the permit in the window. I drove my Dad around for 5 years with the permit. Saw it being abused countless times.

I still throw a glance at cars parked in disabled bays, about 40% of them have no permit. Thats outside of Dublin or Galway where there is enforcement on a regular basis.

flango

So far I have successfully fought the charge by claiming self defence. No witnesses have made a statement to support his contention ( unsurprising). It also transpired that he was indeed parked illegally. It was very painful where he bit me on the knuckle!

bobbyss

Red Kev wrote: »

He still has to display the permit in the window. I drove my Dad around for 5 years with the permit. Saw it being abused countless times.

I still throw a glance at cars parked in disabled bays, about 40% of them have no permit. Thats outside of Dublin or Galway where there is enforcement on a regular basis.

Yes, there must be a display that's true. The poster didn't indicate if there was. There could have been.