Cricket Matches And Car Parking
Yesterday, I took a break from blogging to watch live Test cricket. A special experience, which was made a bit less special by the small detail of where to safely park the car.
The disabled parking was taken by people who really needed it as much as we did. So after a bit more driving than we should have had to do, we finally found a safe spot- where we could park, with a Blue Badge, for a maximum of 4 hours. The problem? Anyone who watches Test cricket knows that a full day’s play lasts 9 hours.
The ‘clock’ that came with my Blue Badge infiorms me in bold type: Time Limit 3 Hours. So, usually, I would have been happy to see that I was allowed to park for 4.
This experience got me thinking. There must be many Blue Badge users who go out and need to use public parking spots for longer than 3 hours. Three hours is just about long enough for a Bollywood movie fan like me to watch the movie at the cinema. There’s trouble if I need to eat first, though. Live concerts last longer than 3 hours. So, usually, does live tennis and live snooker. What if a live football match goes to extra time and a penalty shootout?
Surely Blue Badge users have the same right as anyone else to experience these very special events live without worrying that their car will cost them money they can’t afford to pay if they leave it parked for too long? Surely we’re not supposed to only take our cars to medical appointments?
Many of us can’t use public transport, as a direct result of our disabilities- the reason we need the Blue Badge in the first place.
So, Blue Badge users, I welcome your thoughts in the comments below.
Same Difference 
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