Postman uses wife's blue badge

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... blue_badge" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A POSTMAN who used his wife's disabled badge on his round has been fined £200 by magistrates.

Able-bodied Robert Grice, 44, of Water Lane, Droylsden, was spotted parking on double yellow lines in Parsonage Gardens, Manchester.

He was yards from the Employment Tribunal building where disability discrimination cases are heard.

He then ran into an office with a bag of mail.

A council enforcement officer inspected Grice's Peugeot he was using to deliver mail and discovered it had a disabled badge issued to Chantel Winterburn.

Grice told the officer that the badge-holder was his wife and claimed he had just dropped her off.

He then confessed to misusing the badge.

He said: "She's not with me, she's at work. I'm using the badge to do my job."

Grice pleaded guilty at Manchester Magistrates Court to misusing a disabled badge.

Off-chance

He told the court: "It was the first time I used it. It was on the off-chance and it just happened."

Fining Grice £200 plus £200 costs, Judge Duncan Birrell said the defendant made an 'expensive and very silly error'.

He added: "The abuse of the blue badge scheme undermines public confidence in it.

"As I'm sure you can appreciate, that reflects badly on those people who genuinely need it.

"You have pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and admitted the offence when challenged though it was said you lied, you did a half-hearted way but nonetheless these are matters which the courts regard seriously.

"A further aggravating factor is that you were using this badge to pursue your occupation as an employee of the Post Office which have to say makes it significantly worse in this situation."

[pinstripe]

I wonder if RM refused to help him? We all know where this will go, so I'll say it first, don't use your car. Still it only cost him £400 or one and a half weeks wages, is this a lesson learned?

[andy2007]

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... blue_badge

A POSTMAN who used his wife's disabled badge on his round has been fined £200 by magistrates.

Able-bodied Robert Grice, 44, of Water Lane, Droylsden, was spotted parking on double yellow lines in Parsonage Gardens, Manchester.

He was yards from the Employment Tribunal building where disability discrimination cases are heard.

He then ran into an office with a bag of mail.

A council enforcement officer inspected Grice's Peugeot he was using to deliver mail and discovered it had a disabled badge issued to Chantel Winterburn.

Grice told the officer that the badge-holder was his wife and claimed he had just dropped her off.

He then confessed to misusing the badge.

He said: "She's not with me, she's at work. I'm using the badge to do my job."

Grice pleaded guilty at Manchester Magistrates Court to misusing a disabled badge.

Off-chance

He told the court: "It was the first time I used it. It was on the off-chance and it just happened."
Yeh, right. That's really believable!

Fining Grice £200 plus £200 costs, Judge Duncan Birrell said the defendant made an 'expensive and very silly error'.
Is that supposed to be a deterrant?
There are people who really need those badges. And idiots like him, are damaging the credibility of the scheme. As the Husband of a Disabled Person, he should know better than anyone, how important these Blue Badges are. For maintaining the freedom of those who really need them.

The threat of a £200 fine plus costs, isn't likley to deterr anyone. Is it?

He added: "The abuse of the blue badge scheme undermines public confidence in it.

"As I'm sure you can appreciate, that reflects badly on those people who genuinely need it.

"You have pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and admitted the offence when challenged though it was said you lied, you did a half-hearted way but nonetheless these are matters which the courts regard seriously.
Of course he did. He was caught red handed. He could hardly get away with denying it. If he'd told the truth when first challenged, I might have taken him seriously. But pleading guilty in Court, is a good way to reduce the penalty. And IMHO that's the only reason that he pleaded guilty!

"A further aggravating factor is that you were using this badge to pursue your occupation as an employee of the Post Office which have to say makes it significantly worse in this situation."

Particularly as it's actually Royal Mail that he works for, not the Post Office. Did he lie about who his Employer is, or did the Judge just not bother to get his facts strait?

[ghostgirl]

If he hadn't been using his car then he wouldn't have been caught using the blue badge!!! When will people learn to do the job properly.

[andy2007]

Good point. But it was made far worse, by abusing the Blue Badge. I just hope they don't revoke it, or his Wife will be the one who suffers!

[shadow]

Could this guy lose his job?

[DGP1]

Could this guy lose his job?

If he's FT then there's a real chance

[brothermagrew]

Misuse of the Blue Badge

Local councils can take away a badge if the badge holder misuses it - for example, by allowing other people to use it or if a person's disability improves so that they are no longer eligible for the scheme.

If you are a badge holder, it can only be used for your benefit. If a trip is for someone else and you are a passenger and staying in the vehicle, you cannot use the badge simply to let them benefit from free parking.

Blue Badges must be properly issued and displayed in accordance with regulations. Badges should be displayed on the dashboard or facia of the vehicle with the side showing the wheelchair symbol facing forward. Badges should be removed from view when the parking concessions are not being used.

It is an offence if people other than the badge holder take advantage of the parking concessions provided under the scheme. The maximum fine if someone is convicted is £1,000 plus any additional penalty for the related parking offence.

[Lounge Lizard]

Misuse of the Blue Badge

Local councils can take away a badge if the badge holder misuses it - for example, by allowing other people to use it or if a person's disability improves so that they are no longer eligible for the scheme.

If you are a badge holder, it can only be used for your benefit. If a trip is for someone else and you are a passenger and staying in the vehicle, you cannot use the badge simply to let them benefit from free parking.

Blue Badges must be properly issued and displayed in accordance with regulations. Badges should be displayed on the dashboard or facia of the vehicle with the side showing the wheelchair symbol facing forward. Badges should be removed from view when the parking concessions are not being used.

It is an offence if people other than the badge holder take advantage of the parking concessions provided under the scheme. The maximum fine if someone is convicted is £1,000 plus any additional penalty for the related parking offence.

If he used the badge without his wifes permission it could end in divorce.

[dvbuk55]

Misuse of the Blue Badge

Local councils can take away a badge if the badge holder misuses it - for example, by allowing other people to use it or if a person's disability improves so that they are no longer eligible for the scheme.

If you are a badge holder, it can only be used for your benefit. If a trip is for someone else and you are a passenger and staying in the vehicle, you cannot use the badge simply to let them benefit from free parking.

Blue Badges must be properly issued and displayed in accordance with regulations. Badges should be displayed on the dashboard or facia of the vehicle with the side showing the wheelchair symbol facing forward. Badges should be removed from view when the parking concessions are not being used.

It is an offence if people other than the badge holder take advantage of the parking concessions provided under the scheme. The maximum fine if someone is convicted is £1,000 plus any additional penalty for the related parking offence.

If he used the badge without his wifes permission it could end in divorce.

You see - every cloud has a silver lining

[andy2007]

Misuse of the Blue Badge

Local councils can take away a badge if the badge holder misuses it - for example, by allowing other people to use it or if a person's disability improves so that they are no longer eligible for the scheme.

If you are a badge holder, it can only be used for your benefit. If a trip is for someone else and you are a passenger and staying in the vehicle, you cannot use the badge simply to let them benefit from free parking.

Blue Badges must be properly issued and displayed in accordance with regulations. Badges should be displayed on the dashboard or facia of the vehicle with the side showing the wheelchair symbol facing forward. Badges should be removed from view when the parking concessions are not being used.

It is an offence if people other than the badge holder take advantage of the parking concessions provided under the scheme. The maximum fine if someone is convicted is £1,000 plus any additional penalty for the related parking offence.

That's what I'm worried about. For all we know, she may not have known what he was doing. But she will be the one to suffer, while he gets away with a fine!

[POSTMAN]

He was yards from the Employment Tribunal building where disability discrimination cases are heard.
He then ran into an office with a bag of mail.

What a w****r.