Disabled parking.

I agree Pompa. Having suffered a broken leg a few years ago I too needed more space to get in and out of a car while I was indisposed. Surely it is not beyond the wit of man to develop a temporary Blue Badge for such times. Maybe one a different colour or with stripes with a very clear 'end date' and which could be given out immediately by hospitals or GP's. On many occasions my friend and I brought a car park to a halt as she pulled the car out so that I could then get out of the wheelchair and into the car and she put the chair into the boot. As I got more flustered at the honking horns the longer it seemed to take or was that me getting a tad annoyed and responding in the only way I could !!

maybe use the 'parents' parking spaces (although prepared to be harrassed) - as these are wider and nearer to the shop entrance.
I always try and park away from other cars so I can get in and out easily - doesn't stop some big 4 by 4 being parked too close to the line though by the time I return
I doubt that 'temporary' blue badges are the answer as they are open to abuse as the possession of a BB gives 'free parking' in lots of pay and display car parks.
I am glad they are clamping down on BB abuse and making the tests for it more rigorous (have to be unable to walk or virtually unable to walk)

I have just printed my own temporary blue badge. Explaining why I am using a disabled space. At our local supermarket, I'm sure half the people that use the disabled spaces have no disability whatsoever, so I feel reasonably justified taking one up (there are always some empty)

I wouldn't risk using this in a public car park, sure a traffic warden wouldn't bend the rules.

I'm in the same position only it comes and goes - if my condition is bad I struggle to get in and out of the car, other days I'm OK. Last year when I had my foot done Sainsburys gave DH special permission to use a disabled bay for me while I was on crutches and let me use their shopping 'scooter' for free- wasn't that nice.

I have a blue badge but went through the hoops to receive it- showing my walking, or lack of walking skills to an Occupational Therapist and answering questions for about an hour. It is a post code lottery still because some people get a replacement sent through the post.

I agree, not being able to open the car door fully is a nightmare and even in a disabled bay sometimes the person next to me parks too close and I have problems getting in and out. Gone are days when I could get in the passenger side and heave myself into the driving seat.

It is difficult when you only need help for a limited amount of time.

The abuse of the whole system is awful. I know of someone who walks with one stick but manages to walk the dog 2-3 miles a day. Not only does she have a 'Blue Badge' but a Motorbility car too which her husband uses more often than not. Apparently she got both when she really did need them but they just seem to be renewed without question.
And then there are the people who put the badge holder in the car, park in a disabled space and go and do their shopping leaving the holder in the car.

I have a Blue badge here, the expiry date is 31/12/9999
When we translated the letter from Dutch it said the driver had to produce the 'head' of the person authorised on the badge.
SIL was wondering if a wax model would suffice(jokingly) I think!!!!!
It covers all EU countries and I do not have to go for assessments.
If I had my own car I would get a badge just for it and a parking place as close to my house as possible with a plaque to stick on my front door.

To answer tiggypiro's point, having a Motability car is not related to having a Blue Badge. To get a Motability car you need to be in receipt of the higher rate Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance - and ALL recipients of that are currently being reviewed as part of this Governments attack on social payments.

But the REAL problem with Disabled Parking Abuse stems from the fact that the "standard parking space" as used by just about everybody who is building\marking-out a car park, is simply not wide enough for today's cars. If they made all the supermarket parking spaces 6 inches wider there would be much less reason for people to use the Disabled Bays without authority.

I am not disabled but still can not get in and out of the car when parked in a public car park. Our car straddles the lines and protrudes several feet at the back, a nightmare. DH has to let me out and then park, we have this problem with the GC too because we can never seem to find a mother and child space.
At present our local supermarket has a building site across the road, they are building a retirement complex, all the works vans and workers cars are parked there all day thus reducing available space