Disabled people should get free parking.....

  • Thread starter Villan Of The North
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Villan Of The North

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I've been debating on Facebook with a former classmate of mine about parking at hospitals. I maintain that a disabled parking badge should allow access to spaced reserved for the disabled but that, if others have to pay, so should they as long as they have the ability to do so (it should be means tested) He maintains that we should have sympathy for the disabled and give them free parking regardless of their financial situation.

I tend to think that wealthy people with disabilities, such as Adam Hills and Alex Brooker from Channels 4's The Last Leg, have a greater capacity to pay than I do so should be treated in the same way as I am regarding the payment, that they should get conveniently possitioned parking is not something I would argue with, the ability to pay does not lessen the disability.

Thoughts?



 
I agree with you. There are plenty of people with disabilities who pay their own way in the world.
 
I agree, but it also follows the other way. Some able bodied people can't afford the parking, whereas some are more capable of doing so.
 
It's a bit condescending to assume that all disabled people are skint. Internet millionaires like our very own Fear and comping billionaires like Kefkat are rolling around with blue stickers, innit?
 
There was no assumption that all disabled people are skint, it was just said that we should have sympathy for them.

Fear, how would you like to be patronised this way? (mind you, I expect free stuff is always welcome)

 
It's not the money / paying that is the reason for them being free. It is the difficulty for disabled getting to a pay machine, back to their car, reaching to display ticket, back out to wherever they are going.

Is the world really that mean now that we have to start targeting people already putting up with enough in life?

IF they made it very easy, had disabled payment machines etc, not so bad, but by the time you've done all that, why bother? The cost wouldn't be worth it would it? Why not just show some charity.

Would the guy from the last leg even park in disabled spaces? Doubt it. I was always allowed to, I rarely did. Only times I did was at the stages were even trying to stand up was a difficult job and to then have to walk to a pay machine, back to the car, then back to wherever I was going - especially if at a hospital.

I don't think people without disabilities have a clue the life many disabled people live to be honest. I'd rather think a few who don't need to take advantage of the kindness offered than make it difficult for those who desperately need help?

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I did see the flipside (as per your last question VOTN) where I know a few get to meet stars, get special privileges and become very expecting/need and in fact demanding of all this. I didn't/don't like that at all. That makes it look like all disabled people (I don't count myself as disabled these days, I've pulled myself away from such things, the marathon albeit agony being one of the challenges no sane person with my history would do :3: ) as needy or demanding.

Not all disabled are skint, not all need sympathy (empathy is ok!) or being condescended to so I'm with you on that for sure mate.

But as said, the parking situation isn't about being skint or indeed about the money. It's about the difficulties getting to a ticket machine. I can only imagine, in the freezing cold or if it is pissing down with rain, what it would be like to get out of the car, into a wheelchair, to a payment machine, back to the car... etc.

I know at times I used to look a right nutter (ok, ok, still do!) as I walked so slow it was like being a snail but 'looked ok'. Walking across a road it probably looked like I was trying to be 'the tough guy' and certainly it would look strange walking so slowly when getting soaked in the rain...!

So I think I get where you are coming from, most (I don't speak for all, or even most, but just my opinion) same as anyone don't want or like being patronised. A bit of help though, without being intrusive, is what is needed.

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I totally forget now, but I did see a site or a list of all the free things you could get being disabled once, none of it means tested. That sat very uncomfortably with me. You need to help the needy for sure, but the needy aren't 'just' the disabled.

A fine line all of this isn't it?
 
BodyButter - 29/12/2017 13:11

It's a bit condescending to assume that all disabled people are skint. Internet millionaires like our very own Fear and comping billionaires like Kefkat are rolling around with blue stickers, innit?
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I know this was said in humour, taken as such as well mate.

But I don't count myself as disabled, I am differently abled but then, I've always been a little different!

And I don't use blue badges these days!

Nor do I take any disability benefits despite having been 'registered for life' due to the nature of the brain ache disease (ie they used to assess the severity of the disease/likelihood of it improving). Always argued these things should be means tested, but then I'd means test anything the country gives out.

Just for the casual reader I wanted to clear that up!
 
I get the point about the difficulty in paying J but, as far as I'm aware, most hospitals have pay on exit systems so would't have to go back and forth in the way described and would have to operate the barier in one way or another anyway, so what difference does it make to the disablity whether or not the parking os paid for?
 
I've not had the luxury to survey all hospital car parks, have you? :17:

I know the one dad was at in Kidderminster was a pay and display not a barrier entry.

If the Government weren't such rob dog bastards taxing everything with hidden costs, the issue wouldn't be up for debate anyway really.

To means test if a disabled person an afford parking or not would be cumbersome though.
 
Bloody hell VOTN I wish I was a comping billionaire! I wouldn't be in The U.K for New Year if I was. Best we can do is Wet Wales right now :3:

Yes Mr KK and I do have blue badges. I am not bothered about paying for parking. In some places you have to pay even with the blue badge anyway.

It's the ease of access which is the most important especially for Mr K.K these days which is one if the reasons we haven't been down V.P this past year as to how dire Mr KK walking has got
 
mike_field - 1/1/2018 00:39

If we're talking hospitals there should be no payment at all in my humble.
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In an ideal world I'd agree however we have a situation where hospital budgets are tight as it is, do you really want to take the cost of running them out of that budget? If you say that all it requires is some asphalt and road paint then you are over-simplifying, what about when the parking is in an otherwise paid parking area, for example, one then has to administrate free parking for hospital patrons whilst keeping others away. It all costs money.

 
mike_field - 31/12/2017 23:39

If we're talking hospitals there should be no payment at all in my humble.
Click to expand...

A few years back, our pregnant daughter-in-law was rushed into a central London hospital where she was told that she was going to lose her baby (at 21 weeks).
Our son was at work in Kent and when he heard drove straight to the hospital. That evening they lost the baby.
The following afternoon, she was discharged. Our son had been there for just short of 24 hours. From memory, the parking charge was £48. There was no account taken of the trauma they'd been through.
If hospitals have to charge, there really should be an upper limit and there should also always be some discretion for people being admitted or discharged in difficult circumstances.
 
If the tax was spent properly and the politicians weren't lining their own pockets (and their rich non tax paying friends) it wouldn't need to be an ideal world, there would just be the funds for these things.
 
Given the inceasing cost of healthcare due to new, more demanding procedures, the costs of new drugs and their development, and people living longer than even before (on average) I suspect removing all and evry form of corruption and profit making would still not provide funds sufficient to provide the services people want and expect from the NHS, although it would, clearly, improve the situation.

 
Mismanagement in the NHS is massive. They also need to be honest with the public and say that they can't afford a totally free system. No party dare do it but with the reasons you have mentioned, it is the truth.

But caning people over parking is just yet another tax (and on the sick in this case)
 
The Fear - 2/1/2018 18:26

Mismanagement in the NHS is massive. They also need to be honest with the public and say that they can't afford a totally free system. No party dare do it but with the reasons you have mentioned, it is the truth.
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As previously mentioned, we have a fairly decent health service over here, we pay for some things but it's fixed rate a bit like an insurance excess. A visit to the doctor's costs abot £20, with UK income levels it should be lower. This not only helps to fund the service, it also discourages those that really shouldn't be there, the serial attenders that never have anything more serious wrong with them than a sore throat.

It's not like the concept of paying for NHS services is anything new, there was a time when everything was free at point of delivery but over the years charges have been introduced for prescriptions and dental care, with more and more dentists limiting their NHS lists so that the majority of adults go private now, and opticians only being free for a limited section of society whilst the NHS glasses are (thank goodness) a thing of the past with a relatively modest voucher system replacing them.

I see no reason to not have a basic charghing system in place but it should be phased in gradually to make it more paletable. I also like the Norwegian maximum upper limit system, when we have paid about £250 everything becomes free at point of delivery. What we don't have in the NHS over here is dentistry for adults (if in real need one can apply for a social security payment to cover essential work) and with opticians support is limited dependant on need, those that have a very small correction will have to pay for the glasses for their kids, those with a stronger prescription get a "voucher" but it's enough to get a decent deal from SpecSavers ( yes, they are over here too). Adults, just like the UK, pay for standard opticians and only get help for more serious matters. One of my boys is just starting the process to have his teeth straightened, we get a certain amount of help for this but will still have to pay about £1000 ourselves, again. it depends on the severity of the situation that needs to be corrected.


 
Villan Of The North - 1/1/2018 15:00

mike_field - 1/1/2018 00:39

If we're talking hospitals there should be no payment at all in my humble.
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In an ideal world I'd agree however we have a situation where hospital budgets are tight as it is, do you really want to take the cost of running them out of that budget? If you say that all it requires is some asphalt and road paint then you are over-simplifying, what about when the parking is in an otherwise paid parking area, for example, one then has to administrate free parking for hospital patrons whilst keeping others away. It all costs money.
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Yes.

I'd force the overpaid numbercrunchers and people who don't know what first aid is to take a paycut, stop overloading on middle management, stop doing irrelevant treatments that aren't in the true spirit of life improving or maintaining and force Jeremy Hunt to auction of his bollocks to make up the shortfall.

A hospital's business isn't parking, a parking structure's business is parking so yes provide (in that circumstance) more suitable placing but the price is the same.

 
BBJ - 2/1/2018 11:17

mike_field - 31/12/2017 23:39

If we're talking hospitals there should be no payment at all in my humble.
Click to expand...

A few years back, our pregnant daughter-in-law was rushed into a central London hospital where she was told that she was going to lose her baby (at 21 weeks).
Our son was at work in Kent and when he heard drove straight to the hospital. That evening they lost the baby.
The following afternoon, she was discharged. Our son had been there for just short of 24 hours. From memory, the parking charge was £48. There was no account taken of the trauma they'd been through.
If hospitals have to charge, there really should be an upper limit and there should also always be some discretion for people being admitted or discharged in difficult circumstances.
Click to expand...

My heart goes out and I'd have refused to pay. When you get story's of staff having to pay because there's no staff car park it's not a surprise but a sad indictment of things though isn't it.

IF hospitals have to charge under the sensible basis of maintaining the car park provision, 50p tops per person (for visiting hours only and it can be maintained by the largely now volunteers at the tea shop).

But it should still be free, patients recover better and quicker with loved ones and friends to surround them, why hammer family and friends (and staff at points) for a quick buck (often 5-10 quid per visit it seems) when you think of the additional 'cost' if they weren't there to help gee them on?

Either way significant family should not be charged on day of admission - that's a flat out dishonouring of what the meaning behind the NHS was supposed to be about in my humble.
 
Villan Of The North - 2/1/2018 15:32

Given the inceasing cost of healthcare due to new, more demanding procedures, the costs of new drugs and their development, and people living longer than even before (on average) I suspect removing all and evry form of corruption and profit making would still not provide funds sufficient to provide the services people want and expect from the NHS, although it would, clearly, improve the situation.
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I'd argue the counter to be honest. Developing new drugs is not the realm of the NHS for a start and you could easily argue procedures are less demanding than ever with the advent of new technology.
 
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