People are being targeted in supermarket car parks with physical and verbal abuse, BBC Morning Live viewers told
A BBC Morning Live expert has outlined what people should do if they suspect someone is abusing a Blue Badge. Startling figures revealed on the programme today indicate vast numbers of users who have reported facing harassment and intimidation.
In a survey 67% of people said that they have been harassed in some way for simply having this blue badge. BBC Morning Live viewers were told 32% have reported threats of violence and 6% have reported being physically attacked.
Blue Badges in the UK are parking permits for people with severe mobility problems, including both visible and “hidden” disabilities, allowing them to park closer to their destination. The scheme operates nationally for both drivers and passengers to park for free, often on yellow lines, to improve access to services.
Former Detective Rav Wilding offered guidance to people who might be confronted by other motorists. He said: “It’s a sensitive topic, but I think don’t get into a confrontation straight away.
“That’s going to go with a lot of different situations, but with this one especially, don’t get into a verbal confrontation. “However, there are some phrases that I think you could use that could be very handy. So, the first one I would say, I’m not prepared to discuss this with you.
“Some people will get more irate if you simply ignore them. And that can be the right way to deal with certain situations, but with this one, a simple answer like that, it can shut it down a lot of the time. So, that’s number one. I could also suggest saying just please leave me alone. You don’t want to engage any further and I have a legal right to park here. Just saying that you’re setting it out. I have got the right to park here.”
Should the confrontation turn nasty and physical, Mr Wilding recommended they relocate to a different area where more people are present. He said: “You can alert store staff about what’s going on if you are confronted by strangers.
“Stay near other people as well. That’s really good to do. Note as much detail as possible about any cars that they might have been using. And of course, witness details to anyone that may be there at the time.
“If you are physically threatened or or assaulted in any way, of course, you can phone the police 999 if it’s an emergency, 101 or online. Um you can contact the police if it’s after the incident. Also, report things to the shopping centre if you’re there, for example, or the business premises that you’re visiting. Let them know what’s just happened. They might have CCTV. They might have other witnesses, but they need to know about this sort of thing.”
Mr Wilding said there are ways to ensure people don’t get harassed unnecessarily if someone has concerns. Host Gethin Jones said: “There’s a correct way of flagging it and reporting it. It’s definitely not any kind of physical or mental abuse, is it?”
Rav said: “We know that they have been fraudulently used in the past. We know that they have been stolen in the past. However, if you believe genuinely that someone is potentially using a blue badge, which they shouldn’t, whether it’s been stolen or it’s used on behalf of someone else, it’s someone else’s blue badge of simply put in their car.
“Depends where you are. If you’re in, say, a private car park or a supermarket or shopping centre car park, you need to report it to the authority that runs that car park. Think of it as an individual premises. If they run that car park, you report it to them. If this is on a road or a county, council run car park, then you can report it to the council themselves. If you think it’s been stolen, then that can be a police matter that you can report online via 101.”