Rarely use the Blue Badge to park on yellow lines, but forced to today as taking husband for eye test in town centre. All disabled bays full, so parked in a side street as near to opticians as I could. Test took ages. Anyway came back to find a yellow sticker.
Cross, and more than a little wound up, have appealed on line. However having read up, I now think there was a loading restriction in place as there were little yellow lines horizontal at intervals and having looked them up seems that this is a loading restriction - no loading at any time. Had no idea what they meant, to be honest. Well I do now. So I think I am going to lose my appeal.
Thing is next week have to go an collect new glasses with husband in tow, so what am i supposed to do re parking? Public transport is impossible, disabled bays may/may not be available and husband needs escorting?
I’m sort of debating the cost of taxi v fine… (expletive deleted)
Do not think that you are the first person to be caught this way.
Some towns use the “Loading restrictions” - yes, those little lines on the curb - as a way of making sure that they collect all their parking charges. If they are on the curb, there is no way round them.
Yes, a taxi is one option. Another is park somewhere it is free, and call a taxi from there. Think Park-and-Ride schemes. Think about nearby supermarkets - if you do, go in and buy something. Put it in the supermarket bag on the back seat and you are now a customer. Use the free phone inside the store. Most supermarkets apply a 3-hour rule in their disabled bays.
Look at it this way: under the BB rules, you have to be quite bad to get one. I used to be like you, but now I see double yellow lines as marking ine edge of a parking space. So play by the rules - but use all of them.
Sorry about the ticket, I know its very frustrating. I got one in similar circumstances about a year ago.
A street had a line of disabled parking bays, the end one was empty so I parked there displaying blue badge. On return ticket was attached to windscreen. The end bay was designated for loading. For a loading bay as well as the signs there has to be ‘loading only’ marked on the carriagway. The road markings were very worn and fragmented the words were not readable. I took photos and appealed. Which I won.
If you can check the lines are complete and visible, anything less doesnt comply with regs and tickets are unenforcable.
It seems in Town Centres they put no loading markings everywhere possible. A good way of excluding disabled people from ever visiting any of the shops/business’s there.
Thanks for the ideas/comments. Oh, the lines were there alright but I did not know what they meant. In fact I sort of thought they marked parking spaces as there was a sign about renting spaces. But on reflection that does not make sense either. (I think the rentals are off road). Anyway have a major problem about getting in that part of town with husband in tow. Going to think about the nearest shop that has a parking lot and go from there. That is a really good idea.
Thanks again, good to know I’m not the only one too.