Does anyone have any recommendations for anti-theft devices for disabled persons Blue Badge? Seen some online but unsure if any of them are actually any good. Trying to avoid Amazon. Any suggestions would be appreciated. TIA.
MrsMC has a blue badge and I don't think we've ever even thought if it being nicked. If someone is going to break into the car, they are going to break into the car.
Mrs db has one and it never occured to me it might be taken. It lives in the glove box unless actually in use. Is there a big market it stolen blue badges?
We live in London and I can assure you both that Blue Badge theft is very much a thing. They are very seldom questioned by parking wardens and there's a pretty large illegal trade in fake ones too. There's a link in the post below this.
Not much to be done, as if it's in use then it has to be on display, so car alarm/dash cam etc. Whether that's an effective deterrent is another topic.
When not in use put it in the glove box or something.
I supose the ideal solution is that disabled cards should be linked to a drivers licence so a traffic warden would be able to easily check it against the registered owner of the vehicle, but then that still leaves the issue if the disabled person gets a lift to the shops in a family/friends car, and uses the badge in a 3rd parties car, as they are rightly entitled to do.
Can't it just be reissued?
I supose the ideal solution is that disabled cards should be linked to a drivers licence so a traffic warden would be able to easily check it against the registered owner of the vehicle, but then that still leaves the issue if the disabled person gets a lift to the shops in a family/friends car, and uses the badge in a 3rd parties car, as they are rightly entitled to do.
You've answered your own question, the badge is tied to the person not the vehicle. If I take my disabled friend somewhere as a passenger, she can use her badge to allow me to park like a ****. A paper trail is impossible, there's nothing legal to tie her to me / my vehicle. At best I guess a stolen badge could be invalidated and that may be checkable?
We’ve had a blue badge for our son for the last 15 years with no issues. In the last 6 months he’s been using it in London at least once a fortnight and it hasn’t been nicked.
Can't it just be reissued?
I supose the ideal solution is that disabled cards should be linked to a drivers licence so a traffic warden would be able to easily check it against the registered owner of the vehicle, but then that still leaves the issue if the disabled person gets a lift to the shops in a family/friends car, and uses the badge in a 3rd parties car, as they are rightly entitled to do.
You've answered your own question, the badge is tied to the person not the vehicle. If I take my disabled friend somewhere as a passenger, she can use her badge to allow me to park like a ****. A paper trail is impossible, there's nothing legal to tie her to me / my vehicle. At best I guess a stolen badge could be invalidated and that may be checkable?
I guess, but that's the easy bit...if some twunt smashes your car window to grab it, it's not much help though.
I'm not sure what the solution to that is.
Breaking into cars to nick a blue badge... humanity is really plumbing new depths these days...
he ideal solution is that disabled cards should be linked to a drivers licence
You are assuming that every disabled person has a drivers licence...
With more blue badge holders being required to pay for parking anyway, there's not much financial incentive to steal or fake one. It's purely down to the laziness of wanting a bigger or closer parking spot.
Definitely a real issue in London - heard from a local police panel that it was the target of the majority of car break-ins in their area. I've seen them in protective cases locked to the steering wheel in some cars.
there is also very clearly a large amount of misuse locally.
I guess, but that's the easy bit...if some twunt smashes your car window to grab it, it's not much help though.
Purely speculation of course, but if someone's going to smash your window to nick a parking permit then they were probably going to do it anyway regardless of whether there was a badge or not.
she can use her badge to allow me to park like a ****
I'm not sure a blue badge is strictly necessary to park like a **** judging by the mean streets of Ipswich!
there is also very clearly a large amount of misuse locally.
The number of applications for BB went through the roof not long after a Controlled Parking Zone was introduced near where my Mum lives. Amazing how many homes suddenly had disabled people living in them requiring 24/7 transportation (and free parking...) around the area.
So yes, I can see that theft of them could be pretty widespread.
It's purely down to the laziness of wanting a bigger or closer parking spot.
I will remember how lazy I am when I use my disabled badge.
I will remember how lazy I am when I use my disabled badge.
Many years ago, I got a lift home from a para-cyclist friend, we stopped en route at a supermarket. He popped the car into the Disabled space, started walking in and some guy went off on one, lots of swearing about how he was a lazy c-word and what about the actual disabled...
Mate rolled up his trouser to reveal his artificial leg.
Cue much embarrassment and mumbled apologies. 😅
"I will remember how lazy I am when I use my disabled badge. "
To be fair, I think our friend meant on the part of those who buy/use stolen or fake passes, not those who have them legitimately.
It's purely down to the laziness of wanting a bigger or closer parking spot.
I will remember how lazy I am when I use my disabled badge.
Selective quoting at its finest, check out the sentence before that.
[i]
Mate rolled up his trouser to reveal his artificial leg.
Cue much embarrassment and mumbled apologies.[/i]
I get similar abuse when I park in a sports car and use my blue badge. One woman shouted that I shouldn't be entitled to drive a flashy car if I had a blue badge. She was the exception as most people are okay, but she is not the only one.
I get similar abuse when I park in a sports car and use my blue badge. One woman shouted that I shouldn't be entitled to drive a flashy car if I had a blue badge. She was the exception as most people are okay, but she is not the only one.
Was much better in the good old days with those blue 3 wheelers.....
