Asda Is Going To Act – At Last.

[jambutty]

A recent short news item revealed that Asda is going to trial a scheme where drivers who park in disabled bays without displaying the Blue Badge and in those bays reserved for parents with small children without a small child on board, will get fined £60. With a view to doing the same at all Asda stores in due course.

Good! Good and thrice good! I really look forward to Asda at Grimshaw Park, Blackburn doing the same.

However the parent and child parking abuse could prove interesting.

During these last 15 years or so I have written on numerous occasions to complain about drivers using the disabled bays and just as importantly complained that the Asda car park staff were not doing anything about it. Local managers have been full of apologies and platitudes but never any action, even when I presented them with the evidence in front of their own eyes. They just scuttled back to their offices. Hence my email letters to head office.

I assume that I was not alone in this crusade but it is gratifying to discover that at long last Asda management have listened and decided to do something about it.

Tesco etc. please take note.

[lancsdave]

Out of curiosity what defines a 'small child'

I think I also read somewhere that the fine is not enforceable ?

[Bonnyboy]

Originally Posted by lancsdave

Out of curiosity what defines a 'small child'

I think I also read somewhere that the fine is not enforceable ?

I can only imagine that a small child would defined as one that has to use one of those booster cushions whilst in the car. Only guessing tho.

[jambutty]

What indeed? The other point is how would they identify an empty car as one that does not have a child with it? Asda senior management haven’t thought things through.

The fine would be enforceable if notices to the effect were displayed prominently. It is private land and as such the landowner – Asda – has the right to make such conditions.

What Asda would do if someone refused to pay up is another matter though. Wheel clamps maybe? But that wouldn’t release the parking bay for a legitimate user.

I think that Asda should put a large flyer (at least A4 (approximately US Letter)) on the windscreen or rear window to declare to the world something like, “Please do not park in bays reserved for xxxxxxxx” in as large letters as possible. Then put out a call for the driver of the vehicle and get them to move it right away. Then if the driver doesn’t respond clamp the vehicle with a £60 release fee.

In fact come to think of it maybe Traffic Wardens and PCSO’s should also carry such flyers to use when inconsiderate motorists park in disabled bays on the public highway.

[Gayle]

I always used to get a bit cross with the people who parked in the parent and toddler section when they clearly didn't have toddlers or even toddler seats in the car. I saw someone getting out of her car once and she didn't have a kid with her so I told her that it was reserved for people with toddlers and she told me to 'f off and she'd park where she liked'.

I don't use those places any more because my youngest is 5 so I would say that they are for parents with kids about 2 yrs or younger - ones that can't walk far!

Actually another reason why I don't use those spaces is because I have mine delivered because they well and truly screwed up the Accy car park some time ago!

[Tealeaf]

Anyone and everyone who shops at ASDA deserves a sixty quid fine, anyway.

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by Tealeaf

Anyone and everyone who shops at ASDA deserves a sixty quid fine, anyway.

On what basis, they can't afford M&S ?

[WillowTheWhisp]

I think the purpose of the mother and toddler bays isn't so much about how far a toddler can walk. The bays are usually wider than the average parking bay which allows the doors to be opened fully so that the parent (not always a mother) is able to reach in and fasten the child securely in their seat. So I would define it as any child needing to be fastened into a specialised seat by an adult.

I say good for ASDA for doing something constructive about the ignorami who park in disabled spaces because they don't think the rules apply to them.

[davo69]

what gets up my nose is when disabled people park in disabled bays then sit there and let there not disabled partner go and shop so i hope these people will get a double fine my da d would often argue with disabled people ass he was disabled and coudnt park because of this

[flashy]

Originally Posted by Bonnyboy

I can only imagine that a small child would defined as one that has to use one of those booster cushions whilst in the car. Only guessing tho.

up until last year my son (then ten) had to use one, so i doubt that would be acceptable

[jambutty]

Originally Posted by Tealeaf

Anyone and everyone who shops at ASDA deserves a sixty quid fine, anyway.

Really? Why is that?

Or is it just a ‘crackpot’ idea?

[jambutty]

Originally Posted by davo69

what gets up my nose is when disabled people park in disabled bays then sit there and let there not disabled partner go and shop so i hope these people will get a double fine my da d would often argue with disabled people ass he was disabled and coudnt park because of this

Has it ever occurred to you that the able bodied person has gone to do the shopping because the disabled driver is unable to do the actual shopping him/herself and the able bodied person does not drive?

Just as long as the blue badge holder is in the car and displaying the blue badge the car can be legitimately parked in a disabled bay.

[davo69]

no you are wrong the badge does not cover the able bodied people so why should some abled bodied person need to park closer what bull if your not getting out of car because your disabled why do you need to park there?

[panther]

my kid is 6 and i park in the the kids spot, and ill be damned if im going to stop,
also what happens if a disabled badge holder parks in the kids spot, will they get fined?, cuz iv seen a lot do it!

also why do the disabled badge holders have to park near the entrances?, if they can walk round a supermarket, they can walk from another parking spot!!
i reckon the only people with wheel chairs or those who cant walk and need those scooter trollies indoors should only use the spaces....

[katex]

Originally Posted by panther

my kid is 6 and i park in the the kids spot, and ill be damned if im going to stop,
also what happens if a disabled badge holder parks in the kids spot, will they get fined?, cuz iv seen a lot do it!

also why do the disabled badge holders have to park near the entrances?, if they can walk round a supermarket, they can walk from another parking spot!!
i reckon the only people with wheel chairs or those who cant walk and need those scooter trollies indoors should only use the spaces....

LOL Panther .. re. the disabled badge holder parking in kids spot .. good point.

I was just about to put up something as per your last paragraph .. not coming up in your post ? Perhaps amended too late ?

Think is probably more to do with space than walking distances .. e.g. safer for children then they don't run into the main lane and being able to put a pram at the side of the car, etc., plus as Willow mentioned, reaching into a car to fasten in child seats, etc. As with the disabled too, probably need to get out wheelchair or exit with car door wide open as sometimes difficult physically to bend legs, etc.

I had this experience after an accident 20 years ago which broke my hip, which didn't heal .. (had hip replacement 3 years after and now great).. had to cope with a young 4 year old at the time and as the hip necrosed needed to literally lift my leg out of the car, and needed to open it wide (the door !). Wasn't disabled spaces then at the old Asda on Blackburn Road, but would have been grateful, I can tell you.

Must admit, don't see too many people abusing the disabled spaces Jambutty ... just a few now and then.