Disabled driver fined

[crockers]

Hi a friend of mine who has a blue badge has been given a ticket for having displayed it upside down. Madness or what. When she appealed told tough. The warden took a photo. Wonder why he didn't turn camera upside down to read it.

I know technically they're right but this strikes me as "jobsworth".

So be warned if you are a blue badge holder. They're out to get every penny they can.

 

[Dieselman]

Wonder why he didn't turn camera upside down to read it.

Upside down or face down. If face down then it was correct to ticket as the details couldn't be seen.

 

[brucemillar]

Father in Law ticketed last week in Hornchurch. His ticket fell off the windscreen and was sitting on his dashboard face up, but upside down. Lovely Rita the not so nice Meter Maid said "it's upside down so the ticket stands" . Council agreed.

Anybody know of any good gun shops?

 

[grober]

Sorry got to disagree on this one. The use of a Blue Badge is a concession not a right. People with disability are correctly given these to help in their everyday lives. Is it asking too much merely to display the badge correctly bearing in mind the misuse many of these badges are subjected to. She was doing her fellow disabled fellow car users no favours for the future by neglecting this simple task.


Displaying the Blue Badge

You should display the Blue Badge where it can be clearly read through the windscreen of your vehicle. The front of the badge should face upwards, showing the wheelchair symbol.

You should be sent a parking clock with your Blue Badge. The parking clock must show your time of arrival and be displayed next to your Blue Badge when you park either:

* on yellow lines
* in other places where there is a time restriction

If there is a time restriction, the clock should be set to show the quarter hour period during which you arrived.

When no parking concessions are being used, Blue Badges should be removed from view.

 

[D-18]

Had a similar experience when taking my mother for a hospital appointment. I'd parked in a disabled bay and placed her badge on the dash with her photo showing - apparently that is incorrect and the badge needs to display the details on the reverse. Just paid the parking fine and put it down to experience.

 

[crockers]

Upside down or face down. If face down then it was correct to ticket as the details couldn't be seen.

Upside down. Right side facing.

 

[crockers]

Upside down or face down. If face down then it was correct to ticket as the details couldn't be seen.

Upside down facing right side up.

 

[trapperjohn]

Thought you were going to say for parking in a non-disabled spot.

Non intended.

 

[Colin_b]

Sorry got to disagree on this one. The use of a Blue Badge is a concession not a right. People with disability are correctly given these to help in their everyday lives. Is it asking too much merely to display the badge correctly bearing in mind the misuse many of these badges are subjected to. She was doing her fellow disabled fellow car users no favours for the future by neglecting this simple task.


Displaying the Blue Badge

You should display the Blue Badge where it can be clearly read through the windscreen of your vehicle. The front of the badge should face upwards, showing the wheelchair symbol.

You should be sent a parking clock with your Blue Badge. The parking clock must show your time of arrival and be displayed next to your Blue Badge when you park either:

* on yellow lines
* in other places where there is a time restriction

If there is a time restriction, the clock should be set to show the quarter hour period during which you arrived.

When no parking concessions are being used, Blue Badges should be removed from view.

Fair enough, no argument with that. But even upside down should be OK, ' if its clearly read ' . I wonder how many degrees from the vertical are acceptable?

 

[219]

You should display the Blue Badge where it can be clearly read through the windscreen of your vehicle. The front of the badge should face upwards, showing the wheelchair symbol.

If those are , in fact , the rules , it only says 'The front of the badge should face upwards, showing the wheelchair symbol' . There is no ruling on whether or not the top edge of the front side needs to be placed uppermost - therefore there is NO written prohibition on the badge being displayed right way up / sideways / upside down , or at some intermediate angle . As long as the correct side of the badge is visible with the relevant information readable by a parking attendant , further objections can only be pedantic .

Unless it can be shown that such a rule exists , and was sent out along with the Blue Badge , there is a very good prospect of a court overruling this decision .

However , despite having said the above , the first port of call should be your elected representative ( who always needs your vote ) , one phone call from whom will usually result in the ticket being waived .

If the councillor can't ( or won't ) help , Unless it can be shown that such a rule exists , and was sent out along with the Blue Badge , there is a very good prospect of a court overruling this decision .

Another useful avenue to explore is the power of the local press - newspapers just love to publish stories about the underdog , disabled driver being fined by the faceless bureaucracy over a trivial indiscretion and having the appeal turned down when no real crime had been committed . A photo on the front page of the local paper showing your friend holding the ticket next to his upside-down badge would hardly enhance the council's PR .

Although not strictly their responsibility , we have elections days away - prospective parliamentary candidates will be falling over themselves to be seen as worthy of your votes and particularly helpful at this particular time with simple matters such as this .

 

[st13phil]

When she appealed told tough.

Lovely Rita the not so nice Meter Maid said "it's upside down so the ticket stands" . Council agreed.

Don't roll over - that's what the council relies on you doing. Make an appeal to PATAS and if events are as both of you say then you will win. PATAS is also getting pretty angry about councils automatically rejecting first stage appeals, which could increase the level of "sport"

 

[neilrr]

Post over on FightBack Forums -> Parking and Decriminalised Notices & someone will tell you how to get ALL of those tickets thrown out.

 

[Palfrem]

So that'll be a bigger fine than you may get for burning poppies then...

 

[Palfrem]

post #4

...and the word "should" is not construed to mean a compulsory requirement.

It needs to say "must" As in when they talk about the parking clock.

 

[neilrr]

Nearly every PCN has fatal flaws in either the paperwork itself, the road signs, the road markings, the TMOs or in something else.

If you are prepared to appeal & go through the entire process you will be successful about 80% of the time.

The boys on Pepipoo are great & will tell you right off the bat if you are unlucky & are in the 20% where they've got you bang to rights. Usually, you will win.

 

[crockers]

Thanks guys. I have passed all this onto her. I think she may just pay the £35 as she is old and frail and doesn't want the hassle. Makes me cross that a poor old dear is penalised like this. But then soft targets are the easiest.

 

[neilrr]

I think she may just pay the £35 as she is old and frail and doesn't want the hassle.

That's exactly what councils count on.

 

[NOMONEYBUTAMERC]

I think TICKETMASTERBOT and GROBER must both be traffic wardens. This is yet another sign of P.C. gone mad. Nobody was disputing whether possession of a blue badge was a right or privelege , merely that some over zealous tw*t was petty enough issue a ticket to a person who has one , displays , yet made the unforgivable error of it being upside down.Lighten up world , far better things to do with your life than try to make money from the disabled. My wife has a blue badge and believe me, she would much rather have her health back ( disabled by a stroke at the age of 56), than have the use of a blue badge.

 

[crockers]

I think TICKETMASTERBOT and GROBER must both be traffic wardens. This is yet another sign of P.C. gone mad. Nobody was disputing whether possession of a blue badge was a right or privelege , merely that some over zealous tw*t was petty enough issue a ticket to a person who has one , displays , yet made the unforgivable error of it being upside down.Lighten up world , far better things to do with your life than try to make money from the disabled. My wife has a blue badge and believe me, she would much rather have her health back ( disabled by a stroke at the age of 56), than have the use of a blue badge.

Agree. But couldn't be bothered to comment on their petty views. Thanks for doing it for me.

 

[219]

Whatever happened to Robert Saunders ?

He used to come on here with many words of wisdom on this subject .