Locals furious after car-shaped bike rack replaces disabled parking bay, demanding "give us back our parking spaces"

Likely comes from different budgets of money

I'm sure that the huge number of people I see parking in disabled bays just have hidden disabilities. It is amazing how many of them drive expensive prestige cars from brands like Audi though and seem perfectly capable of walking when they get out of their car.

No sticker is required in the case of the empathy disabled. If you see someone in yoga wear getting out a wankpanzer it's clear they are crippled by narcissism and are permitted to park anywhere it may cause an obstruction.

I'm just going to drop in here that I am disabled and ride a two wheeled bike.
In "lycra" too.
Guess you'd be judging me like this?

But not all disabilities are risible...

Now I'm primed I see a lot of stupid / rule-breaking or sometimes even dangerous parking around the local shops and supermarket (blocking visibility, immediately next to junctions / behind blind corners).  Not in disabled bays so much, but on double yellows (but but dropping off... with nobody in the car) or blocking lanes through the car park.

What people can do they will do.  It's training - the only way to correct that from where we are is guaranteed feedback.

I'd say it's a lost cause at the moment.  Social conventions don't necessarily say it's right doing that but it's clear that a large number of people feel entirely justified ignoring rules (or even common sense) under many circumstances (but always "when it's convenient for me").

The real social dont-give-a-fuck: parent and child bays.

Now ... that's free game for all.
Not legally enforceable and you *may* get a notice from the car park owner ... which you may or not pay ...

I'm not sure that disabled bays in private carparks are legally enforceable either.

chrisonabike wrote:

But not all disabilities are risible...

Now I'm primed I see a lot of stupid / rule-breaking or sometimes even dangerous parking around the local shops and supermarket (blocking visibility, immediately next to junctions / behind blind corners).  Not in disabled bays so much, but on double yellows (but but dropping off... with nobody in the car) or blocking lanes through the car park.

What people can do they will do.  It's training - the only way to correct that from where we are is guaranteed feedback.

I'd say it's a lost cause at the moment.  Social conventions don't necessarily say it's right doing that but it's clear that a large number of people feel entirely justified ignoring rules (or even common sense) under many circumstances (but always "when it's convenient for me").

I don't think I find any disabilities to be risible 

(I think that was an intentional pun, aimed at those mctrials23 identified, whose entitlement to use disabled spaces is questionable. But maybe I've missed your point and the 'whoosh' is on me!) 

Ah, OK… 

You were following me like a panther.

Hidden disabilities are real. Those with disabilities are allowed to drive expensive and/or prestige cars. And those with disabilities may be capable of walking. Much more reliable just to check if they've displayed a blue badge.

Incidentally, I only recently discovered that you can park on double yellows with a blue badge. I admit I am a little confused by this - surely double yellows are there for safety / visibility / traffic flow (e.g. avoiding parking close to junctions). Seems a little odd that this can be trumped (although I know it is routinely trumped every time it suits someone's convenience).   

Agree about the blue badge / double yellows ... as you say it's moot in practice.

As I understand double yellows officially indicate "No waiting at any time" (subject to any signage indicating variation) - but in practice mean "temporary parking, because dropping off innit? Or I'll say I'm working/loading".  I think it depends where they are also and the time of day: maybe parking for over an hour on double yellows in the middle of the day is seen as edging it a bit.

Then there's the delivery "exemption".  I have had a quick look and I can't find any official exemption for the Royal Mail, but it does appear there's general understanding that normal parking restrictions will not be enforced if a) they are in the course of performing their duties and b) they aren't causing a hazard / serious obstruction.

I think there is also some expected (unofficial) commonsense around e.g. removals vehicles.

Of course - there are specific "no loading" marks... the logic seems to be "if they didn't paint them, it's fine to leave my van / truck here!"

On which - a small detail but which seems to show a complete difference in mindset is possible.  In the UK to ask drivers not to park anywhere they feel we have to effectively paint two lines along streets everywhere - and if they're not both red (not the case for streets) we then have to add no-loading double-slashes on kerbs at intervals.

But in e.g. NL as I understand it they only mark where you can park.

A small thing, but a very different mental model of what public space is *for*.  And saves a LOT of paint.

In Switzerland, if you want to temporarily park a van for removal etc you apply and pay for a permit. Police officers then put up signage to leave space available for said date and time.
If you don't do this you will get a heavy fine.
Any parking for very short periods of time is okay.
The full street is not available for parking and has painted bays for where it is available, permit holders only.
The reason why this works is that the rules are enforced and punishment harsh.
It is accepted without any complaint because the benefits are obvious.

Why not check they are displaying Blue Badges? Remember the driver may not be disabled but a passenger may be.

chrisonabike wrote:

If not then it's a wow - this would appear to be a literal illustration of "let them fight over scraps".

It does seem to me that the council might have been better off removing a 'normal' parking space to replace with bike parking, rather than being seen to be 'picking on the disabled'… 

although, a standard parking space wil be further from the store enterance (and may have car parking bays on either side). While providing spaces for active travel is important, it;s critical that cyclists should be confident their bike will stil be there when they get back to it. That generally means front and centre, as close to the store enterance as possible to maximise passing pedestrians/witnesses, and that is usually where you'll find the disabled bays. 

Well, yes ... except that:

a) If it's this one it isn't really a store... just a town car park *.

b) Of course in the UK ATM it's moot - I'm not sure the extent of deliberate misuse of disabled parking spaces but where "but I can't park anywhere" or where people are "justing" ("Just popping in for a minute...") you'll see people ignore their own safety, any signs and markings or even the distinction between road and footway.  Certainly when "pressed" (pressure of course usually self-generated) people rapidly discount the interests of others.

Because we "have to drive" (see here just how strong that feeling can be... and people's attachment to their car / drive - but really a lot of this is "because we can").

*  In fact having cyclists "parking" in a a car park isn't really great for cyclists anyway.  You need to be aware of the cars.  Plus cyclists would ideally be accommodated actually on the shopping street, outside the shops - where there are lots of people coming and going for maximum social safety. Or - if you've got "problems of success" and thousands of cyclists (which the UK will likely never have in my lifetime) then in a dedicated cycle parking garage with staff which is really convenient for the shops [1].

I think Chrisonabike has hit the nail on the head. It's easier, even if not consciously thought through, to take from one weak, inconsequential group of spongers to give to another weak, inconsequential group of spongers, than to take from a strong, impactful group who pay parking fees.

Bmblbzzz wrote:

It's easier, even if not consciously thought through, to take from one weak, inconsequential group of spongers to give to another weak, inconsequential group of spongers, than to take from a strong, impactful group who sometimes grudgingly pay parking fees but often will do anything they can including parking in places which are slightly dangerous for them / their car never mind inconveniencing everyone so as not to pay anything.

Looking at this town - they could put the cycle parking just off the main shopping/pedestrian (sort of) area - oh, wait, they filled it with cars also ...

(Just a parking grumble - not a "paying fees" scenario) - here was one of this lunchtime's helpful drivers.  Removals (?) guy parked right across a separate cycle path (it runs left-right here marked in red).  Albeit the authorities haven't helped by making it continuous over this street (access only - to parking behind flats.  You can - appropriately - see a guy sat waiting parked in a dumb place on the double-yellows in Streetview).

Not that this would matter.  There is parking literally 5 metres further on - it's well used but I have always seen spaces (this starts where the two cars are in picture).

What you can't see in this picture is that there are a couple of builders vans which have driven up the cycle path (to left) and are parked outside the flats - half-on the footway.

Do they have a key for the bollards?  Did they just drive round them?

In one sense those guys are fine - there is still space to get round on either side, and no doubt it is more convenient for them if they have to move heavy or bulky stuff.  Pragmatism and all.  But... there is access to get in anything short of a grand piano from the parking spaces at the back of the flats!

I guess in the UK this would need some kind of (enforced) time slot booking, else (shock horror) people who needed to be there might have to walk up to 50 metres (there is some parking on the main road).

chrisonabike wrote:

the "hasty install" (e.g. not even bothering to remove the previous markings)

But we're the bike rack installation team - you can't expect us to go around changing markings - that's an entirely different department, and in any case, you haven't filled out the required sixteen forms and got the necessary twelve authorisations. What are you - some kind of anarchist?