Mooring Spaces for the Disabled

[canaldrifter]

The original thread on this subject was deleted for reasons known only to some moderator, but I will persist. No hard feelings. Just puzzlement.

 

If a national co-ordinated policy of providing a mooring space for disabled boaters at honeypot locations was implemented, would other boaters object, if the mooring could be used by anyone when a disabled boater is not there?

 

I am now aware that in some locations moorings for the disabled do exist, but there could be far more.

 

Tone

[nigel carton]

Yeah there's one at the Heart of England pub moorings, Grand Union, Weedon and Stoke Bruerne moorings. There are a few about.

[Neil TNC]

The original thread on this subject was deleted for reasons known only to some moderator, but I will persist. No hard feelings. Just puzzlement.

 

If a national co-ordinated policy of providing a mooring space for disabled boaters at honeypot locations was implemented, would other boaters object, if the mooring could be used by anyone when a disabled boater is not there?

 

I am now aware that in some locations moorings for the disabled do exist, but there could be far more.

 

Tone

 

Banbury town, OS, in centre of the too narrow moorings. (well too narrow for a few boaters we met last year)

[sueb]

As it looks as though BW are heading for 'breathing spaces' or no mooring areas, anglers areas, hire boat areas as well as the various short term moorings, why not disabled moorings as well?

Sue

[David Schweizer]

The original thread on this subject was deleted for reasons known only to some moderator, but I will persist. No hard feelings. Just puzzlement.

 

If a national co-ordinated policy of providing a mooring space for disabled boaters at honeypot locations was implemented, would other boaters object, if the mooring could be used by anyone when a disabled boater is not there?

 

I am now aware that in some locations moorings for the disabled do exist, but there could be far more.

 

Tone

I am assuming that you did not re-visit the thread in sufficient time to read the extreemly offensive post about disabled people. Having said that the post and it's follow up could have been removed without it affecting the remainder of the thread, which was constructive and helpful.

 

There is already a recognised BW scheme for disabled boater moorings, but it is not well publicised. Mooring bollards with a wheelchair logo painted orange in the top are sited in some key locations, and the rules are that anyone can use them, but must move if asked to by a disabled boater who wants to use them.

 

In your original post you asked about the one at Braunston, it is located on the Grand Union between the two Marina entrances next to the Bridge, and has been there for as long as I can remember. There are bollards for disabled boaters around the sysytem, but despite my wife havung a blue badge, we tend not to use them because they are usually located close to road access or facilities and are often either busy or noisy. However, I know that some people do find them useful.

 

The earlier thread included suggestions that many boaters would ignore the restrictions, and moor on the bollards any way, but that has not been our experience, evan at Braunston at the busiest times, the Bollards for disabled boaters are usually vacant. Whether more bollards would be useful is debateable, If there are too many being left vacant all night, they will risk being abused, just as excessive numbers of parking space parking spaces are abused,

 

The likelehood of more than one disabled boater requiring reserved mooring in any one location is probably quite small, so more in one place is probably not valid, but single sites in more key locations is probably a worthwhile idea. However, just as parking spaces for disabled drivers are indicated by signage, it would be a good idea if mooring spaces for disabled boaters carried similar signage, with a brief explanation about usage.

[casper ghost]

Your original thread was somewhat hijacked by a poster's late night rantings. Nothing wrong with your topic.

To answer your question, i would not have a problem unless like many disabled car park spaces they were empty while the rest of the parking was full and I couldn't use them myself. I also think that people get a blue badge often for just reaching 65, you see them hop out of their car and rush off to do the shopping..

[Albion]

Your original thread was somewhat hijacked by a poster's late night rantings. Nothing wrong with your topic.

To answer your question, i would not have a problem unless like many disabled car park spaces they were empty while the rest of the parking was full and I couldn't use them myself. I also think that people get a blue badge often for just reaching 65, you see them hop out of their car and rush off to do the shopping..

 

You would have had a plus for that Casp but it says, for some unknown reason, that I have used up my allowance for today (which as I've only just logged on today I fail to understand).

Roger

[deletedaccount]

The're one in bath with easy access to the road. It's just a sign giving priority to disabled boaters.

 

Can't see the problem myself. I'm hardly going to begrudge someone who finds it difficult to get to a boat the opportunity to do so.

[john6767]

To restate what I said on the original thread which backs up David's comments above; the disabled moorings in Braunston always have been vacant when we have been there. Personally I would not moor on them, even though I know it is allowed if a disabled boater is not using them, it just feels wrong. I guess that is years on conditioning wrt disabled parking spaces.

 

So whilst having disabled moorings at other popular locations that do not currently have them may be a good idea, not sure I would like to see more of them at somewhere like Braunston just for them to stand empty.

[deletedaccount]

The one in bath is pretty central but it's not exactly a busy spot. I don't think you'd ever have to moor there due to lack of space.

[Jim Riley]

Harrumph! why not just edit / remove the offensive post? I think a rational explanation would be in order. A good discussion was spoiled by a ranter, perhaps he was one of the MP's who mimicked a fellow MP with cerebral palsy, we'll never know!

 

Another boater and I questioned the phrase "disabled mooring" , for it's lack of clarity. There is such a thing as a disabled mooring, it usually has a rusty bw workboat tied to it with blue string. The topic under discussion is about Accessible Moorings, Shirley.

[Guest User]

<snp>if the mooring could be used by anyone when a disabled boater is not there?<snip>

 

... but what happens if an able-bodied boater moors when it's vacant but otherwise full up elsewhere nearby, and then goes off to the shops/pub/etc and then a disabled boater arrives ? Surely this then is back to first-come-first-served basis ? Or would there be some means to help the disabled boater move the able boat in the absence of it's skipper ?

[David Schweizer]

Your original thread was somewhat hijacked by a poster's late night rantings. Nothing wrong with your topic.

To answer your question, i would not have a problem unless like many disabled car park spaces they were empty while the rest of the parking was full and I couldn't use them myself. I also think that people get a blue badge often for just reaching 65, you see them hop out of their car and rush off to do the shopping..

If you had ever hsd to try and get one, you would not say that. My father was registered disabled, he was lame, deaf and partially sighted, but he still had to go through a test to get a blue badge so that others could tranport him and park near the facilities he had to use because of his disability. And he was over 80 before he applied for one.

 

... but what happens if an able-bodied boater moors when it's vacant but otherwise full up elsewhere nearby, and then goes off to the shops/pub/etc and then a disabled boater arrives ? Surely this then is back to first-come-first-served basis ? Or would there be some means to help the disabled boater move the able boat in the absence of it's skipper ?

Not as far as I am aware, although I am sure rthat other boaters would help if there was a need. Basicly you should not moor on a space reserved for disabled boaters if you are going to leave the boat unattended.

Edited February 5, 2011 by David Schweizer

[Albion]

... but what happens if an able-bodied boater moors when it's vacant but otherwise full up elsewhere nearby, and then goes off to the shops/pub/etc and then a disabled boater arrives ? Surely this then is back to first-come-first-served basis ? Or would there be some means to help the disabled boater move the able boat in the absence of it's skipper ?

 

This begs many questions: If the other local moorings a full then where would the non-disability boat be moved to? and: No-one has the right to move another persons boat a significant distance without their permission. It's one thing to just budge another boat up a few feet to release space for one more boat in an otherwise unusable gap but it is quite another to shift it out of sight down the canal.

I believe that if, as at Braunston, the marked moorings aren't being used by disabled (and able-bodied because they don't understand the rules or feel uncomfortable doing so) then there are already more than enough in that area and I wouldn't want to see the same thing happening elsewhere.

Roger

[Keeping Up]

... but what happens if an able-bodied boater moors when it's vacant but otherwise full up elsewhere nearby, and then goes off to the shops/pub/etc and then a disabled boater arrives ? Surely this then is back to first-come-first-served basis ? Or would there be some means to help the disabled boater move the able boat in the absence of it's skipper ?

 

I've always reckoned that as long as I'm on a disabled mooring, then being able-bodied it's my responsibility to ensure that someone remains on board to move the boat if that should happen.

 

I can imagine it being a bit of a problem if all the other moorings are full, it's late at night, and then a disabled boater arrives - and I would hope that a compromise could be reached (for example if the canal is wide enough I move out, he moors to the bank, and I come back to moor alongside him).

 

Assuming it wasn't 'policed' by an army of jobsworths with clipboards, then It all depends on people, whether able-bodied or otherwise, NOT abusing the system.

[Hairy-Neil]

In your original post you asked about the one at Braunston, it is located on the Grand Union between the two Marina entrances next to the Bridge.

 

 

I've never ben able to work out the benefit of a disabled mooring in this loaction. What exactly does it give preferential access to?

[Albion]

I've never ben able to work out the benefit of a disabled mooring in this loaction. What exactly does it give preferential access to?

 

I think it is meant to give access to the long, steep, sloping path (up and over the small bridge) to the village but I've seen fit people puffing and wheezing their way up that path never mind the disabled.

Roger

[NB Alnwick]

The original thread on this subject was deleted for reasons known only to some moderator, but I will persist. No hard feelings. Just puzzlement.

 

>snip<

 

 

The topic hasn't been deleted. It was removed from view in the early hours of the morning so that those areas, that had been the subject of 'reports' (complaints to the site crew), could be investigated properly and deleted or edited as appropriate. Since an identical topic is now up and running, I have saved myself the effort of doing all that and I have moved the original topic, warts and all, to the archive.

[canaldrifter]

The topic hasn't been deleted. It was removed from view in the early hours of the morning so that those areas, that had been the subject of 'reports' (complaints to the site crew), could be investigated properly and deleted or edited as appropriate. Since an identical topic is now up and running, I have saved myself the effort of doing all that and I have moved the original topic, warts and all, to the archive.

 

Fair enough.

 

Tone

 

You would have had a plus for that Casp but it says, for some unknown reason, that I have used up my allowance for today (which as I've only just logged on today I fail to understand).

Roger

 

I think it means you can't have any more until 24 hours after the last two.

 

Tone

[canaldrifter]

Your original thread was somewhat hijacked by a poster's late night rantings. Nothing wrong with your topic.

To answer your question, i would not have a problem unless like many disabled car park spaces they were empty while the rest of the parking was full and I couldn't use them myself. I also think that people get a blue badge often for just reaching 65, you see them hop out of their car and rush off to do the shopping..

 

I think the real problem, Casp, is there's such a big market for stolen or forged ones, and if they're on display in a car park it is relatively easy for the scroats to break in and nick them. If the owner sees you do it, they are unlikely able to give chase.

 

But also, it is about not being able to walk very far without pain. Yes, I can get out of my car and walk fairly sprightly a few yards into a supermarket, but by the time I've got a trolley I am very grateful that I can lean on it.

 

I had to have an independent examination for my card, and those folks are trained to spot the malingerers. I just showed her my leg and she went, "Ugh!".

 

Now I have indefinite DLA and I'm very grateful for it. One day the leg will probably have to go, then I can be a real pirate of the waterways!

 

Tone (DVT survivor x4)

[Neil TNC]

 

Assuming it wasn't 'policed' by an army of jobsworths with clipboards...

 

The one at Banbury was policed by some jobsworth when we were last there with MIL. He did not even think to look if there was a blue badge in the window!

[Guest wanted]

Most public transport has priority seating, on london buses this seems to work pretty well and is regulated on the whole by the moral judgement of the passengers. Of course this is open to abuse as is everything.

 

I think provision should be made for priority moorings for people with the need. It's then down to everyones sence of community and logic to up hold it. In fact, that system is already in place, isn't it?.....

[Circe]

But also, it is about not being able to walk very far without pain.

 

They are also issued for 'severe mental impairment'. Our son cannot be taken out without 1:1 support (my husband is fortunately 6'5" and can still physically handle him. At 5'8", I'm no longer strong enough to cope with him alone)

 

Unfortunately, people are WAY too quick to judge. I hate the nastiness that comes from casual passers-by when we have to use the blue badge. Of course, the alternative is not being able to take him out - which isn't an option.

 

I wonder how similar the aggression would be to disabled boaters - it's not good on the roads!

[Guest wanted]

They are also issued for 'severe mental impairment'. Our son cannot be taken out without 1:1 support (my husband is fortunately 6'5" and can still physically handle him. At 5'8", I'm no longer strong enough to cope with him alone)

 

Unfortunately, people are WAY too quick to judge. I hate the nastiness that comes from casual passers-by when we have to use the blue badge. Of course, the alternative is not being able to take him out - which isn't an option.

 

I wonder how similar the aggression would be to disabled boaters - it's not good on the roads!

 

absolutly, When my mum was still around she had all sorts of abuse because she had a blue badge, I guess it's hard for people to see bone cancer, but it does not excuse judgements based on what we can see. Personally I am happy and grateful that I don't need to park closer to shops or whatever. maybe folk need to concentrate on what they have instead of what others do.

[canaldrifter]

I can't find any reference from BW that the blue badge is valid on their waters. Nor can I find whether there is a national scheme, or whether existing moorings have been made on a local BW or on a council basis.

 

waterscape and BW sites are silent on it.

 

Tone