I have been mulling it over and yes I am a little upset and angry.

Of course not all disabilities are noticeable but to issue blue badges to autism and dementia sufferers is going a little too far.

I was always led to understand that a blue badge was to enable people with mobility issues a way of keeping their independence by giving them the means to get as near to the shops etc.

Both my husband and I have a blue badge, so maybe I should not be too critical of others’ abilities.

However in Bridport town centre we are only able to visit Wetherspoons,
Specsavers, the Card Factory and W.H. Smiths.

The bank can be managed, but not on the same day and only if we can park near enough.

Now to parking for disabled people in Bridport.

To get a space near or outside Barclays is nigh-on impossible.

To get to other places we can just about make it from Downs Street if we can park near to the front.

However there are very often vans parked taking up vulnerable spaces suitable for us.

Up until recently, we were able to park in the space between the bus stop and the loading bay outside Specsavers etc.

This has now been taken away.

You do get vans parking on choice taking disabled drivers.

We however, do not want to risk getting a ticket should a very rarely seen traffic warden come our way.

We are being hounded out of shopping in Bridport because of the lack of our ‘policed’ parking spaces.

Too often you see people with blue badges that you know damn well do not need them or have borrowed someone’s.

We are lucky (or unlucky) to have a badge and it does open several opportunities for us but when you see cars blatantly parked in a space when they should not be there, whether in the town centre, the supermarket car park, the fast food establishment or a restaurant car park, it is not fair.

We want to keep as much of our independence as we can while we
can before we need to rely on others to help us.

All the while these people get away with it, they will carry on doing so.

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