Ian Weaver - Blue Badge
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Now the other day I saw this woman, she had a disabled badge, but by no stretch of the imagination was she disabled. Out the car and a brisk 100 yard walk to the shops - no sticks. Makes you sick.
Why does he need a disabled badge if he lists on his biography "playing golf" as one of his leisure interests?
Ian Weaver
I'd have thought anybody capable of playing a round of golf would be able to walk to the shops and back.
Maybe the "faceless bureaucrat" did some research before deciding whether to issue a blue badge, and read the same biography. Seems like he might just have been doing his job by researching applicants.
Ian Weaver
I'd have thought anybody capable of playing a round of golf would be able to walk to the shops and back.
Maybe the "faceless bureaucrat" did some research before deciding whether to issue a blue badge, and read the same biography. Seems like he might just have been doing his job by researching applicants.
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Trim Stab,
Before you pan Wibble for enjoying golf, you may wish to know exactly how he suffers and why he requested a Blue Badge. The following is an extract from Wibble's letter to the authorities explaining why he wouold like to retain his Blue Badge...
"Dear xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thank you for your letter, dated 14th January 2014. I was disappointed to see you have reversed the decision to renew my Disabled Per...sons Parking Badge. Disappointed yes, but not surprised that suddenly, I no longer meet any of the criteria that I have met for the last 15 years, despite my condition worsening. It was obvious from the new application procedure that the whole process has become shrouded in levels of bureaucracy, that mean that a doctor’s advice can be completely ignored.
My injuries as you know, for they were well documented in my original application, were the result of a flying accident that occurred during training for the defence of this country. Since being discharged from the Royal Air Force, I have asked for nothing from this country in return; I have not claimed for any disability or mobility allowance, no unemployment benefit or income support. My only concession to this was, at the instruction of my medical team, to apply for and receive a Blue Badge.
That stood for 15 years, but you suddenly seem to know better. You stated in your letter that I admitted that I can walk at certain speeds in various situations. Yes I can walk. In fact, I pride myself on spending 40 minutes every other day, enduring the pain as I walk on a treadmill to keep myself slim and fit, thus not becoming another burden on the already over-stretched NHS. Strangely enough, I could walk 15 years ago, as you can read in my original application! You also stated that I had reported pain, yet took nothing to manage it. I quote from your letter: “Typically an applicant who suffers from higher levels of pain will be prescribed a stronger form of medication by a doctor”. DON’T YOU THINK IV’E TRIED or do you think I’m making it up. I have attended pain clinics on regular occasions, again well documented, but neuralgic pain is not touched by standard analgesic painkillers. The only drugs that can have any effect are anti-depressants, anti-fitting drugs and other mind-bending formulas. Of course, you would know this if you’d taken the time to research it. The last cocktail of such drugs I was prescribed, left me in a zombie-like state and caused me to collapse in a corridor after just 2 days. But yes, I can walk. Unfortunately, if I have to walk in the rain, it feels like burning oil is being splashed on any exposed skin. If it’s cold, my legs, feet, hands and the area around my kidneys feel like they are being immersed in boiling water. Just one episode of being subjected to the extreme cold for longer than necessary can leave me in pain and house-bound for weeks. So the closer I can get to my destination before I have to leave the car, the less I have to suffer this acute discomfort. But yes, I can walk!
So, how have I used the Badge over the last 15 years, during which time, presumably these conditions actually meant something. I have never parked on double yellow lines. If it is NOT cold or raining, I NEVER use the disabled parking spaces, but rather leave them to the people that have true walking difficulties. I only ever use it when, due to inclement weather, the distance to my final destination is going to cause me added pain and long-term suffering....."
His 'rant' as he calls it continues and makes for great reading and it obviously did the job.
Before you pan Wibble for enjoying golf, you may wish to know exactly how he suffers and why he requested a Blue Badge. The following is an extract from Wibble's letter to the authorities explaining why he wouold like to retain his Blue Badge...
"Dear xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thank you for your letter, dated 14th January 2014. I was disappointed to see you have reversed the decision to renew my Disabled Per...sons Parking Badge. Disappointed yes, but not surprised that suddenly, I no longer meet any of the criteria that I have met for the last 15 years, despite my condition worsening. It was obvious from the new application procedure that the whole process has become shrouded in levels of bureaucracy, that mean that a doctor’s advice can be completely ignored.
My injuries as you know, for they were well documented in my original application, were the result of a flying accident that occurred during training for the defence of this country. Since being discharged from the Royal Air Force, I have asked for nothing from this country in return; I have not claimed for any disability or mobility allowance, no unemployment benefit or income support. My only concession to this was, at the instruction of my medical team, to apply for and receive a Blue Badge.
That stood for 15 years, but you suddenly seem to know better. You stated in your letter that I admitted that I can walk at certain speeds in various situations. Yes I can walk. In fact, I pride myself on spending 40 minutes every other day, enduring the pain as I walk on a treadmill to keep myself slim and fit, thus not becoming another burden on the already over-stretched NHS. Strangely enough, I could walk 15 years ago, as you can read in my original application! You also stated that I had reported pain, yet took nothing to manage it. I quote from your letter: “Typically an applicant who suffers from higher levels of pain will be prescribed a stronger form of medication by a doctor”. DON’T YOU THINK IV’E TRIED or do you think I’m making it up. I have attended pain clinics on regular occasions, again well documented, but neuralgic pain is not touched by standard analgesic painkillers. The only drugs that can have any effect are anti-depressants, anti-fitting drugs and other mind-bending formulas. Of course, you would know this if you’d taken the time to research it. The last cocktail of such drugs I was prescribed, left me in a zombie-like state and caused me to collapse in a corridor after just 2 days. But yes, I can walk. Unfortunately, if I have to walk in the rain, it feels like burning oil is being splashed on any exposed skin. If it’s cold, my legs, feet, hands and the area around my kidneys feel like they are being immersed in boiling water. Just one episode of being subjected to the extreme cold for longer than necessary can leave me in pain and house-bound for weeks. So the closer I can get to my destination before I have to leave the car, the less I have to suffer this acute discomfort. But yes, I can walk!
So, how have I used the Badge over the last 15 years, during which time, presumably these conditions actually meant something. I have never parked on double yellow lines. If it is NOT cold or raining, I NEVER use the disabled parking spaces, but rather leave them to the people that have true walking difficulties. I only ever use it when, due to inclement weather, the distance to my final destination is going to cause me added pain and long-term suffering....."
His 'rant' as he calls it continues and makes for great reading and it obviously did the job.
I'd already read that elsewhere on the thread. Any person responsible for vetting blue badge applicants is only doing their job properly if they research an applicant's Facebook or personal web-page as part of the procedure. If I were to read that an applicant "enjoyed golf" I would take a very sceptical view of the application. Maybe he does deserve one - none of us here have any idea how many applicants there were in his borough, or how many parking places there are, or any of the other considerations that the council have to take into account before issuing badges. I'm just defending the so called "faceless bureaucrat" who some people on here are unjustly criticising for merely doing his job conscientiously.
Sadly Scottie he's not. He claims to be a pilot albeit not of the RAF type (he does seem to be very bitter about all things RAF though....).
Trim - you clearly feel that anyone disabled who remains active is not entitled to a blue badge. Good luck telling that to the number of paralympians who have blue badges or indeed the large number of war wounded ( from all conflicts) who continue to remain active in sport but who require the wider parking spaces available to blue badge holders in order to extract their damaged and/or broken bodies out of their car.
Just out of curiosity - what is your military background? Failed wannabe? TA? Regular? Not relevant to just this thread, just wondered why you frequent the military board??
Trim - you clearly feel that anyone disabled who remains active is not entitled to a blue badge. Good luck telling that to the number of paralympians who have blue badges or indeed the large number of war wounded ( from all conflicts) who continue to remain active in sport but who require the wider parking spaces available to blue badge holders in order to extract their damaged and/or broken bodies out of their car.
Just out of curiosity - what is your military background? Failed wannabe? TA? Regular? Not relevant to just this thread, just wondered why you frequent the military board??
From time to time I used to see a beautiful classic Mercedes coupe parked around town on double yellow lines, a blue badge prominently displayed. I had it in my head that the driver must be abusing the system - after all a disabled driver wouldn't drive a classic Merc, would they?
Then one day I saw the driver painfully dragging himself out of the car, and then proceed slowly down the road on his artificial legs, with the help of two crutches.
Hope I learned something about myself from that!
Then one day I saw the driver painfully dragging himself out of the car, and then proceed slowly down the road on his artificial legs, with the help of two crutches.
Hope I learned something about myself from that!
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Trim Stab
Your demonstrated lack of knowledge of brain, spine and nerve damage does not change the utterly life changing nature of it for those who suffer. I will not enter a pissing contest with such an uninformed yet opinionated pinhead but I will categorically state that sometimes, yes sometimes, I could play golf. Of course, golf is unlikely to feature on the days that I come round in a mess of my own faeces and piss and am so exhausted I can't speak, never mind stand. I am not Wibble, but I do have a brain injury. I also have a blue badge and the issuing office has never quibbled over it. Maybe you should 'walk' in Wibbles shoes for a few days before giving your opinion.
Why does he need a disabled badge if he lists on his biography "playing golf" as one of his leisure interests?
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PN, Skeleton and in particular TrimStab,
Sometimes the disablement is not always obvious. I have a friend, also an ex serviceman, who has terminal cancer. Sept 2012 he was given from 3 months to 5 years to live. He is 41 and from looks alone you would not guess he is terminally ill (though you would think he is a lot older than he actually is).
He is quite often in severe pain but he does have good days.
He is a fighter though (as one would expect from an ex serviceman) and refuses to give up, refuses to allow his illness to stop him (when he can). He doesn't play golf (trim stab) but he does try to help round his fathers farm when he can; last month he even went sea Kayaking when visiting friends in Plymouth.
He insists on living life as much to the full as he can while he is still around (he has 3 children and wants to make as many happy memories for them as he can).
He has a Blue Badge because of his Cancer and also because of the sometimes terrible side effects the Chemo has on him (he is on chemo not to cure the cancer - it has been acknowledged that they cannot cure it, but to prolong his life for a few extra months and also to get some research put of him as he has a rare form of cancer). He has been taken to task a few times by people like yourself who question his eligibility.
Only once has he snapped, when some 'do gooder' would not let it rest (he was with his children at the time) and he was feeling particularly low as his chemo had been stopped because of the side effects. He turned round to the buffoon and told him where to go in no uncertain terms but didn't feel proud of himself afterwards because he acknowledges that some people are just idiots...
I'm sure there are plenty who abuse the Blue Badge, but please think twice before taking in upon yourself to police it.
Sometimes the disablement is not always obvious. I have a friend, also an ex serviceman, who has terminal cancer. Sept 2012 he was given from 3 months to 5 years to live. He is 41 and from looks alone you would not guess he is terminally ill (though you would think he is a lot older than he actually is).
He is quite often in severe pain but he does have good days.
He is a fighter though (as one would expect from an ex serviceman) and refuses to give up, refuses to allow his illness to stop him (when he can). He doesn't play golf (trim stab) but he does try to help round his fathers farm when he can; last month he even went sea Kayaking when visiting friends in Plymouth.
He insists on living life as much to the full as he can while he is still around (he has 3 children and wants to make as many happy memories for them as he can).
He has a Blue Badge because of his Cancer and also because of the sometimes terrible side effects the Chemo has on him (he is on chemo not to cure the cancer - it has been acknowledged that they cannot cure it, but to prolong his life for a few extra months and also to get some research put of him as he has a rare form of cancer). He has been taken to task a few times by people like yourself who question his eligibility.
Only once has he snapped, when some 'do gooder' would not let it rest (he was with his children at the time) and he was feeling particularly low as his chemo had been stopped because of the side effects. He turned round to the buffoon and told him where to go in no uncertain terms but didn't feel proud of himself afterwards because he acknowledges that some people are just idiots...
I'm sure there are plenty who abuse the Blue Badge, but please think twice before taking in upon yourself to police it.
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A GP friend who used to sign his patient's form before it went off to the council, or wherever, made the point that his assessment of disability was based on the patient's worst mobility day not the best. I don't think leaving as opposed to arriving at the pub was part of this consideration though.
As I said, I am not arguing whether or not he deserves a badge. I am merely defending the person who initially took the decision not to give him one from some savage attacks on here. If somebody publicly lists "playing golf" as a leisure activity, it is fair enough to question whether the person needs a Blue Badge. Quite possibly the council have a simple set of questions - such as "can the applicant climb into and drive a car?", "can the applicant walk 500m unassisted?" etc, and then prioritise applicants on that basis.
Nobody here can judge whether or not he deserves one - we do not have see the broader picture that the council have. We do not, for example, see the numbers of applicants with very serious disabilities who have to use a wheelchair, or the numbers who are blind, or are just too old and infirm to be able to walk to the shops, all of whom would presumably be higher priority for a blue badge than somebody who is fit enough to play golf. Nor do we have any access to the statistics of the number of disabled parking spaces in the borough to determine how many badges can be reasonably issued. Clearly if every applicant was issued a badge, a lot of the time they would not be able to find a disabled parking space.
Whether he (or I) are ex-RAF or ex-military really makes no difference at all when it comes to priorities for Blue Badges. You may disagree with that - but it is a fact that all disabilities are considered equal, whether they are largely self-inflicted (e.g. smokers who have legs removed) or whether they lost limbs in military service. Nor do we know what the tests are for issue of a Blue Badge in that council - some disabilities do not qualify for a Blue Badge (e.g. being deaf) as it can be argued that the disability does not prevent the person walking to the shops. Different councils have different rules, depending on their local conditions.
Wrathmonk is correct in stating that many disabled people are physically active - and not all of them expect Blue Badges. One of my former colleagues lost his leg below the knee in military service - but he does not have a Blue Badge. My former CO was run over by a drunk driver and lost both legs below the knee - he did not have a blue badge last time I saw him.
I am pleased he has got one - clearly the system does work well as he was allowed to appeal against the initial decision - but I don't understand the venom on this forum directed against the person who initially took the decision. Nor do I understand the personal attacks against me for making a very reasonable argument.
Nobody here can judge whether or not he deserves one - we do not have see the broader picture that the council have. We do not, for example, see the numbers of applicants with very serious disabilities who have to use a wheelchair, or the numbers who are blind, or are just too old and infirm to be able to walk to the shops, all of whom would presumably be higher priority for a blue badge than somebody who is fit enough to play golf. Nor do we have any access to the statistics of the number of disabled parking spaces in the borough to determine how many badges can be reasonably issued. Clearly if every applicant was issued a badge, a lot of the time they would not be able to find a disabled parking space.
Whether he (or I) are ex-RAF or ex-military really makes no difference at all when it comes to priorities for Blue Badges. You may disagree with that - but it is a fact that all disabilities are considered equal, whether they are largely self-inflicted (e.g. smokers who have legs removed) or whether they lost limbs in military service. Nor do we know what the tests are for issue of a Blue Badge in that council - some disabilities do not qualify for a Blue Badge (e.g. being deaf) as it can be argued that the disability does not prevent the person walking to the shops. Different councils have different rules, depending on their local conditions.
Wrathmonk is correct in stating that many disabled people are physically active - and not all of them expect Blue Badges. One of my former colleagues lost his leg below the knee in military service - but he does not have a Blue Badge. My former CO was run over by a drunk driver and lost both legs below the knee - he did not have a blue badge last time I saw him.
I am pleased he has got one - clearly the system does work well as he was allowed to appeal against the initial decision - but I don't understand the venom on this forum directed against the person who initially took the decision. Nor do I understand the personal attacks against me for making a very reasonable argument.
Last edited by Trim Stab; 3rd Feb 2014 at 09:08.
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I'd have thought anybody capable of playing a round of golf would be able to walk to the shops and back.
Quite a few people play golf who are disabled to some extent. .Douglas Bader was one! Most golf clubs have buggy's for those who can't walk very well but still like to be active to the best of their ability.
Quite a few people play golf who are disabled to some extent. .Douglas Bader was one! Most golf clubs have buggy's for those who can't walk very well but still like to be active to the best of their ability.
Anybody who is able to play golf (even if going in a buggy between holes) is relatively mobile and fit as they can clearly stand and vigorously swing a club, and so would justifiably not be at the top of the priority list for Blue Badges. Whether they make the cut-off or not I suppose depends on the council's guidelines.
Last edited by Trim Stab; 3rd Feb 2014 at 10:15.
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For the love of all that is good in this world (Wibble's Blue Badge for one), will someone please pull this thread so that we don't have to read anything more from Trim Stab?
[I know that I could simply elect not to read but come on......]
[I know that I could simply elect not to read but come on......]
Trim Stab,
I would suggest that you are talking about something you know nothing about (excusable to a certain extent as most people on this forum do the same), and are making gross assumptions. Take one look at the images here:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=DI...w=1241&bih=606
....and tell me that all the people involved are "relatively mobile and fit"!
I would suggest that you are talking about something you know nothing about (excusable to a certain extent as most people on this forum do the same), and are making gross assumptions. Take one look at the images here:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=DI...w=1241&bih=606
....and tell me that all the people involved are "relatively mobile and fit"!
I thought you had to get higher rate DLA to qualify for a Blue Badge. The RAF chap in question says he's never applied for any benefit. Maybe different councils use different criteria. Nowadays, you can't get higher rate if you can walk 50m, aided by sticks/zimmer/handfuls of painkillers. There's been lots of publicity about multiple amputee Army vets not getting even close to qualifying for benefits. Emotive subject and I'm glad he got a result.
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Higher rate mobility for either DLA or it's successor PIP gives automatic entitlement to a blue badge. However, all councils have other measurements and assessments which will also trigger approval. I sincerely hope that nobody here ends up meeting those criteria. Fortunately being an unempathetic and unthinking judgmental buffoon is not on the list.
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Trim Stab - I play golf frequently with people who would qualify for a blue badge. They cannot walk far without pain or discomfort nor could they do so carrying shopping. They use a buggy to get them around the course and only use their undercarriage to play their shots. They could be couch potatoes and stay home but are prepared to suffer a little to stay as active as possible - I hope in your old age you are treated fairly as Wibble has been now.
