Car clamped

[Lindy66]

Today I parked in a disabled bay (though I have a blue badge it is for my mother who was not in the car but I was shopping on her behalf).
I put the badge up and was less than 10 mins in the shop when I came out I had a ticket and a notice to say my car had a wheel clamp on. I noticed the blue badge had fallen on the floor (must have been due to the wind today when shutting the car). I telephoned the clampers and they turned up. They advised I had to pay the fine to get the clamp of when I questioned them they said I was not allowed to use the blue badge if my mother was not in the car I said I was shopping on her behalf and she has limited mobility and as was popping out was not going to get her ready get her in the car for a 5 min shopping trip, they said they were just doing their job so I had to pay to get the clamp of. But they said I can appeal ?
Questions I have - Can they really clamp the car within 10 mins ?, the site where they clamp me did not have any warning to say car would be clamped if I did not display a blue badge - should they have a warning sign ?
Where I parked in a shopping centre its a free car park so where is the justice to charge someone who parked in a disabled pay for less than 10 mins. There was over 10 other disabled bays all empty and as said I was shopping on behalf of someone and did have blue badge.

I will appeal but would like to know answers to above questions. Anyone help ?
Thanks

[DSJ]

I do know that a Blue Badge definitely cannot be displayed in a car when the disabled holder is not present. I think you may find it difficult to appeal against the clamping on this occasion.

[Lindy66]

I was kind of aware you may not be able to use it without her being in the car but its ridiculous as I was going out to get her something.. surely exceptions can be given.
Ok what about the fact there are no warnings to say you car would be clamped - I reckon they were watching me cause its silly car was clamped with mins of me leaving car.

[Buenchico]

(2-part post):

Using a blue badge to park when it is not valid (e.g.because the holder of the badge is not in the car) is a criminal offence, which carries a maximum fine of �1000. (That's in addition to any penalty for the parking offence). If a blue badge holder knowingly allows someone else to misuse their badge, their badge can be withdrawn:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/Mot oringAndTransport/DG_4001061

It's illegal to clamp any vehicle displaying a valid blue badge but your car was not displaying a badge and, even if it was, it wouldn't have been valid because your mother was not the driver of, or a passenger in, the car.

[Buenchico]

It's also illegal to clamp vehicles where no warning sign is clearly displayed. That looks as if it might be the only way you could challenge the wheel-clamping but, before you do so, take another look to check for signs. (When I ran a railway station, I often received complaints from passengers who'd had their cars clamped for parking in disabled bays. They frequently told me that there were no signs displayed but I could always show them that they'd driven past at least 3 large warning signs to get to the disabled area).

As long as the basic rules relating to wheel-clamping are met, there's no time limit before your vehicle can be clamped. (At the rail station where I worked, one guy repeatedly parked in the disabled bay while going to the cash machine. Our car park supervisor got so fed up of warning him that he waited for him one day. The guy hadn't even reached the cash machine, less than 10 paces away, before the clamp was on and our firm was �50 better off!)

For more on the rules relating to wheel-clamping, see here:
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/t_wheel-clamping _on_private_land.pdf

Chris

[LOZZER1]

Your not disabled, so dont use it

[Ethel]

I am really glad you were clamped. You are able bodied and can walk to and from a non-disabled parking place.

If that is not the case, you will have a blue badge of your own.

I cannot see you have any grounds to appeal. Your mother could lose her badge because of your thoughtlessness.

"Local councils can take away a badge if the badge holder misuses it - for example, by allowing other people to use it".

The fact you were shopping for your mother is irrelevant. You could have walked across the car park.

[mandimoo]

yup, YOU are not disabled. you parked in that space potentially depriving someone who is disabled the privilege of parking there when they NEED to. whether its legally right or not you need to ask yourself if its morally right for your lazy ass to be parked there.

[tufty7]

I am a firm believer that disabled people don't always use wheel chairs, people can be disabled in other ways and need to use spaces reserved specifically for them , it conserves there energy and enriches there life , therefore you as an able bodied person had no right to take that space away from someone who may need it . I feel you are guilty as charged......
What next , do you not need a tv licence because your mother sometimes visits and watches your telly??

[tubeway]

It does not matter that you were running an errand for your mother. It would have cost you no hardship to walk a few extra yards. The blue badge is for people who need it - and if you needed one you would have one on your own behalf. I think that you could have figured this out for yourself and will think a bit harder in future - You were in the wrong, you got caught - now accept your punishment.

[Lindy66]

Thank you for your comments etc, I agree that able bodied drivers use disabled parking bays illegally, but as I said in my original message I have a badge but for my mother.
Yes I was running an errand, yes I did not have to park in the bay but some of your comments are that "I deprived a disabled person from parking in the bay" READ MY ORIGINAL MESSAGE - There were OVER 10 EMPTY BAYS..if the bays were full or only a few available I would not have parked there. My question which has since been answered that I can not use the badge without my mother being in the car I was not aware of this.
A work colleague has a disabled father if her mother goes out to get the father medicine etc she is known to park in the disabled bays etc, maybe their is a carer pass.
It is not correct to attack me in your responses maybe you should attack those who are not disabled, do not have any person in their family who are and yet still swindle the system to get a blue badge!
Obviously if the badge had stayed in the window none of this would have happened.
But least I know I can not use it nor will I use it if she as in not the vehcile.
Thank you for your comments

[Ethel]

There is no such thing as a carers' badge.

I have just looked at my blue badge and it clearly states that it 'entitles the holder of the badge' only and misuse is a criminal offence.

There is no excuse for not knowing.

[derekpara]

Let's face it mate, you were being idle. Pay up and hope your mum doesn't lose her badge.

[Toureman]

It is also illegal to park in a disabled bay with the correct badge on display and a disabled person in the car if the disabled person does not get out of the car but someone else does the shopping.

[meglet]

You couldn't possibly have known that the 10 disabled spaces that were free when you parked there weren't filled up while you were gone. To say that you were shopping on behalf of someone who does have a blue bagde is totally irrelevant - you are not disabled so why should you use a disabled space?

You claim that you are better than those who swindle a blue badge when they don't need one. I don't see how, you and they are both using the badge illegally.

[bednobs]

grrrrr. Idiot. when you parked there may have been 10 spaces free, when you came back there may have been 10 spaces free, but who knows how many there were free when you wern't there you say if there had only been a few you wouldn't have parked there - so how many would have to be free before your conscience kicked in? 9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1?
It really annoys me when peple who CAN walk 50 yard WONT walk 50 yards, meaning that someone who has great difficulty doing so has to!
Next time you are out with your mum, see how she feels when able bodied idiots park in a disabled space so that either she cant go where she wants to or it ends up hurting so much she's crying, and see how your logic works then!
And as to saying i should be attacking people who are not disabled, but swindling the system, I AM - you!

[pink-kittens]

10 empty bays or not, numpties like you deserve clamping
I've heard pathetic excuses in my time but you, you really are something else.

You piad up now shut up

[Paul22118]

Lindy, there is no nice way of telling you the truth. Badges are for disabled people, not their offspring, brothers, sisters, carers or whoever. You are not disabled and are not entitled. It matters not a jot that the entire car park was for disabled people and ALL the bays were empty.
You my friend are simply wrong.

[Lindy66]

Ok I have said I was wrong and made a mistake - please can you stop making me public enemy number 1.
I came on here asking for assistance all I got was abuse.
As said I genuinley thought I could use the card on behalf of someone but I was wrong - Do you lot never make any mistakes ... ?
The end!

[tufty7]

I think you should be hunted down and given 20 lashes..... You naughty girl..........

[Buenchico]

Lindy66:
Please allow me to point out that my post, above, does not contain any abuse whatsoever. It simply contains factual information, including the fact that there's a possible way of challenging the clamping if you're able to show that there were no clearly-displayed signs relating to clamping operations.

I hope that you'll also read the following as purely factual information:

Last weekend (Friday and Saturday) I was supervising a team of people carrying out a survey of traffic movements into, past and within, a supermarket car park. (Sainsbury's, North Walsham). I assume that it was carried out on behalf of Norfolk County Council but I work as a contractor for a traffic survey company and I'm not told who the client is.

As part of that survey, we had to record the number of vehicles occupying the 12 disabled spaces. This was recorded every 15 minutes over a 12 hour period. At one point there were only 2 vehicles in the disabled spaces, but just 15 minutes later all 12 spaces were taken and there were a further 2 vehicles with blue badges on the 'parent and child' bays.

My point is that that 10 vacant disabled bays really can fill up within just a few minutes, so it's unreasonable to assume that they won't be needed for a while. (I must admit that I was surprised at just how rapidly the situation can change).

Chris