Best way to deal with people who illegally park in disabled spaces?

I suppose they could move them to the furthest corner of the car-park, well away from the entrance. That way they'll always be free. Simples.

Ginger83

An aldi local to us puts a staff member's car in a disabled space and clamps it to deter others.

It wasnt me123

Its not illegal to park in a marked disabled / children space in a private carpark, like a supermarket.

But you could put a big yellow sticker across the windscreen asking them to refrain from parking there unless showing the disabled badges or baby car seats in their vehicles.

Sometimes a disability is not visable and may not qualify for a badge but they would benefit from being closer to a shop, like MS etc. Lets not judge but I like the sticker - if you have to spend 5 mins getting it off before you can leave, you won't be in a hurry to do it again.

In relation to kids space, what did anyone over 50 do when they were driving their small ones to a shop? Sometimes its easier to park away from the crush to get more space for your kids and trolley - stop being so prescious, lots of us had children without having to have a designated parking spot.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119027658#Comment_119027658

Are you suggesting seriously that people with disabilities, many of which would be mobility disabilities, are the ones who should be left with the longest journey across the car park?

fryup

leave a traffic cone on the roof or bonnet

*just make sure you cover your face whilst doing it - cctv and all that

Clamp and fine, would be my solution, with a release fee that would be enough to make your eyes water, so it would not be worth taking a chance of being caught in a disability bay without displaying a badge for "just five minutes to run into the bank!"

Also, badges can be checked. There is a photograph of the person the badge is assigned to on the card - if that person is not driving or a passenger in the car, then the car should not be parked in a disabilty space. This is another frequent abuse of disability parking badge - using a family member's badge when they are not with you.

Liffey Valley is abysmal for supervising their disability spots - they're either full of people just popping into get a starbucks, or blocked by people parking with their hazards on, while someone runs in to get a starbucks or to use the ATMs at the main door.

But what infuriates me more, is when someone allows builders skips to be placed in a disabled parking bay. Yes, McDonalds Belgard Road and Lidl, Tallaght village - I am looking at both of you.

And don't get me started on the Just Eat / Deliveroo drivers occupying disability spots while picking up orders.

Blanchardstown Retail Park are the only place I've seen regularly checking for badges. I parked there one day and not five minutes later saw a clamper / car park security checking for my badge. The person parking beside me must not have been displaying a badge, as they were clamped.

I once saw a driver in a company van parked longwise across two disability bays in Citywest shopping centre while nomming on a burger as a woman parked opposite was trying to manage in an ordinary space with a child in a wheelchair. I reported him to his company who at least took it seriously.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119027709#Comment_119027709

The “what did anyone over 50 do” isn’t a great argument. People over 50 grew up without smartphones but I bet you don’t avoid smartphones on that basis.

Keeping the journey for those herding a few kids across the car park as short as possible is sensible for everyone.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119027737#Comment_119027737

The older security gent at Tesco Roselawn in Blanch used to be very effective at checking passes too.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119027760#Comment_119027760

I used to shop in Roselawn at the start of the pandemic before LV started doing Click and Collect.

There is a traffic warden who patrols the main street in Tallaght Village who you don't want to mess with. He is a bit of a legend.

sam t smith

Glad to see that no has suggested slashing tyres, which would be a criminal offence.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119027709#Comment_119027709

Most carparks, including private ones, will have signs up clearly stating that disability parking spaces are for the use of badge holders only, and that badges must be displayed.

While I accept what you're saying that some disabilities are invisible (mine is) it still stands that if someone does not qualify for a disability parking badge, they should not be parking in a space designated for disability parking badge holders.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119027669#Comment_119027669

There is an Aldi local to me where the manager always parks in one of the disability spaces.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119026565#Comment_119026565

If you cannot remove a child from a car without dinging the neighbouring vehicles… just have the child in a pushchair or stroller if it cannot be relied upon not to walk under a car….

too many times I’ve seen and the case of one supermarket by the coast in Dublin that I go to… looking at the overhead on google maps there looks like there are the same number of parent and child spots as accessible spots… 8 each…. Lots of spaces where the IGK brigade can unload their children and if in the mood, suitably oversee their transit safely from the car to the shop which will never be more then a few meters….always free parking

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119027917#Comment_119027917

I would take a picture of this and post it to that Aldi facebook page, see what happens.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119027917#Comment_119027917

Is it a black Audi ?

jippo nolan

What wipers?

sam t smith

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119027955#Comment_119027955

Windscreen wipers?

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119027620#Comment_119027620

I'll only park in a disabled spot if there are no other spots available

Like I said earlier, there are far too many disabled spots at either supermarket car parks or government buildings, performative WOKery

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119027942#Comment_119027942

I'll check next time I'm there! Its definitely dark, but I don't know the make.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119028010#Comment_119028010

I work in a large government department with multiple locations. Our biggest location has one disability space.

Our second location also has only one disability space and a third location has no disability space at all.

(I've raised it with them, and they are supposed to be allocating one (!) space in that location).

So much for "far too many" at government buildings.

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119028099#Comment_119028099

Well admittedly I do spend a lot more time outside supermarkets than local authority offices etc

I won't park in a disabled spot if it's the only one buy I've never seen such a situation always several

There might be a reason why you see disability spots vacant.

There is an understanding amongst disability badge holders, that where possible, if there is a regular space available that is close enough for you to manage safely and without added difficulty to yourself, then you would leave the disability bays vacant for those who have a greater need for them - i.e. vehicles that need to unload wheelchairs, mobility scooters, oxygen tanks etc.

I would take up a regular space beside a wheelchair space if it was available, for this reason. I've often seen private buses loading and unloading several wheelchairs at a time, especially outside Liffey Valley Shopping Centre on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and would always yield a space to them if I could. This is why I get so irritated by those taking up or blocking spaces to go to the ATM or Starbucks!

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119028348#Comment_119028348

Not arguing against parent and child parking simply the volume of spaces often at the expense of accessible spots.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119028010#Comment_119028010

That's not what you said earlier, though. What you said earlier was that; "there are far too many disabled spaces outside super markets or public buildings relative to the percentage of the population who are actually disabled". I was posting that statistics that show you got this completely wrong in response to another poster at the same time.

5% isn't anywhere near the % of the population that are actually disabled. And the 5% only applies to new developments, so it doesn't come anywhere near meeting the needs of people with disabilities in the environment generally.

Your logic that 'you often see them unused' is a bit strange. I could use the same logic to suggest that almost every car park as far too many spots as they're not all used anytime I'm in the car park.

As for 'performative wokery' - have you tried speaking to many people with disabilities about the impacts of unavailability of parking on their normal daily lives? How people who park too close to their vehicle prevent them from lifting their wheelchair in or out? How people who park in the disabled spot 'just for five minutes' or 'just because there were no other spots' prevent them getting to their doctor's appointment or getting their medication from the pharmacy, because the selfish gits wouldn't just move a little further away to find their own parking? How being delayed in finding parking could be the difference between wetting yourself or soiling yourself or getting to a bathroom on time?

Here's some comments from a wheelchair user in Dublin that might help you get it:

https://twitter.com/luberachi/status/1198917527205765120

http://leglessindublin.com/2013/07/on-frankfort-avenue-today/

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/the-shortage-of-disabled-parking-spaces-prevents-us-from-participating-in-society-1.2785517

Parking in a disabled parking bay without a blue badge is a scummy thing to do, regardless of what spaces are left or how long you are going to be.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119028371#Comment_119028371

The requirements for accessible spots are set out in Part M building regs, so they're not negotiable or related to P&C spots.

macvin

Can the OP please enlighten me on how it is "illegal" to park on a disabled bay in a private carpark.

I'll save you the time - it is NOT ILLEGAL to park in a disabled spot in a private carpark.

I for one would not do so out of courtesy - either a disabled spot or a family spot, but there is nothing "illegal" whatsoever if someone without a badge parked in such a space.

It is a simple manner of a civil contract which the private car park may impose fines or clamps once they very clearly state that such action would be taken. But without such clear signs, no action can be taken. Public opinion is the best form of preventing it, but some people will never care one way or another - in a way they have their own disability due to their ignorance of others

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119027622#Comment_119027622

Perhaps I should have been clearer about what is involved in calling someone out in situations like this.

You should be prepared for responses anywhere on the spectrum between 'Oh sorry you're right I'll more now' and threats of violence or being chased around the car park. Most responses will be somewhere in the middle. Most people go into some level of bravado or denial. They'll never admit that they're wrong.

That doesn't mean that calling them out wasn't effective. They can bluff and bluster their way through the situation, but if they find themselves called out publicly, repeatedly, they're going to get pretty tired of it.

They might well call you an oddball or worse or chase you around the car park. The guy I asked to switch off his diesel engine while parked at Lidl today gave me a load of bluster.

But they'll think twice about doing it the next time.

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119028403#Comment_119028403

" disability " is a loose term , something like half the population of travellers are on some sort of disability , same fellas can engage in fist fights week in - week out , id take with a pinch of salt youre stats on the subject

I collected some relatives from a train station in the past hour , not one disabled parking space was being used and disabled spaces made up 50% of the spaces in the side of the grounds i was in , I parked in one of them quite obviously , there is an absurd surplus of disabled spaces available

its largely speaking a PR exercise

Mad_maxx

"Calling out " is a professional sport for the usual wank5

SuperBowserWorld

What about people who park on pavements that no one can get past, and they have to go onto the road, abled or disabled. W*****s