Woman shouted at me for parking in a disabled spot

Maybe, but you could spend a lot of time having to explain your actions to some people.

Just you wait til they need a blue badge themselves.

I think majority of those who hurl abuse at non-disabled looking disabled people have no experience of having a disabled relative or close friend.

@EmmaMaria On a similar note, I worked with a colleague who was diagnosed with MS.
She was granted a Blue Badge, and frequently found the designated parking spaces in supermarkets, etc, full - often with non badge-holders.
She designed and had printed postcard-size cards which she would place carefully under these offenders' windscreen wipers.
The message on these cards, (I can't remember the exact wording), was something like "You have taken my disabled parking space. I would be happy to give you my disability to go with it".
I don't know if the cards had any effect, but she felt a wee bit empowered and a little less angry.

You sound like you've lived a very sheltered and fortunate life of good health to be unable to imagine why a disabled space would be needed by anyone other than those with mobility issues.

We had a blue badge for my dad because he relied on portable oxygen to walk even a few steps and so it made a huge difference being able to limit the distance he had to walk when we went anywhere. In part to conserve the limited portable oxygen we could bring with us.

My grandmother also now has a disabled badge as she is almost completely blind and the more she has to walk to and from getting picked up in the car the greater the chance of her falling.

Neither of them would actually drive the car (as a direct result of their disabilities) but it would have been impossible for us to manage without the badges.

I pray no one with your bigoted views is ever in charge of any matters affecting disabled people.

I had this with my mum. She had 30% lung function in her 40’s (and died of lung disease at 61). Because she wasn’t in a wheelchair, we would get abuse when we parked in disabled spots even though we had a clearly displayed permit. It really is awful and, yes, I did shout back on occasion.

I agree. There are always posts about older people shouting at people with blue badges who have an invisible disability.
What I see all the time is people parking in disabled spots without blue badges. I used to challenge them and they would often shout back they had an invisible disability. I do not give a shit if your disability is visible or invisible, but you need a blue badge. If you do not have one, you are not disabled enough for one.

Just display your badge, laugh in her face and tell her to jog on……… job done

What makes me cross is how easy it is to make assumptions over blue badges and disabled bays but not care about the rest of the shitty world disabled people have to navigate. Just simple things like parking on a drop kerb, leaving your bins in the middle of the street. They are just pissed off that someone might be getting something they aren’t. It is ignorant and rude to make assumptions over why people are using parking bays, lifts or disabled toilets. The thread a few weeks ago about people using disabled toilets to take children to the toilet was eye opening as to people’s entitlement.

Hopefully you shut her up to prevent her hurling nasty comments to other disabled users.

I do wish there is a temporary blue badge for people who had major injuries and subsequent surgeries. My DM broke her hip 11 years ago and had her hip pinned (she should have had the replacement from day one) then replacement of both hips and one knee. It was very difficult for both me and DF to find somewhere to park which was near to the entrance or wide enough bays to have car door fully open to get her in/out of the car. As everyone else parks next to the disabled bays.

Really bizarre behaviour on her part - I’ve heard of people questioning others (though not shouting across the car park) when a badge hasn’t been displayed, but this is just odd. Don’t blame yourself for answering her - if she said it that loudly then presumably other people heard her too and it’s human instinct to not want others to think badly of us (that you didn’t have a permit).

I saw a brilliant riposte on Instagram where a lady had been challenged about parking in a disabled bay, she asked the other woman. "Which of my stoma bags would you like to see, I have two, happy for you to inspect either!" Why do people feel that they need to interrogate people when their disability, visible or invisible is none of their business.

A few years ago, I badly sprained my ankle and found stairs difficult. I used the lift in the building which said "disabled and pushchairs/prams only". I got yelled by a young mum. I said its none of her business.

Some buildings I need to use the lift as due to a vision condition, I find some stairs difficult to see the edges of stairs.

Ah right 👍

Ugh, these parking space warriors drive me mad. What sort of a moron thinks only someone who has a mobility aid could possibly be disabled? I get that this behaviour probably stems from good intentions, but the lack of comprehension of shows such a one-track understanding of disability. You didn't owe this person any kind of explanation OP.

People are pig ignorant with disabilities. They think you need some sort of mobility aid or walk with an awkward/uncomfortable gait.

My friend's autistic DS has a blue badge because he cannot sense danger and is registered blind. She often get abuse. He rarely goes out as hates crowds

the sheer ignorance of the man made my blood boil - felt that if I had said something he may rethink himself next time

What a horrible woman. Your response was fine. x

It’s my experience too. Most people are OK - thankfully the really nasty blue badge warriors are few and far between, and in my experience people will be only too eager to help if they see you in difficulty. But I agree, for the most part, unless they’re disabled or have experience of someone disabled, most people have little idea of the challenges.

I also kind of like that people feel as though they can challenge if they think they see something amiss, but it’s the way you challenge. I would probably question someone breezing into a disabled space if they attempted to leave the car without displaying a badge, but as far as I’m concerned if they have a valid badge on display then whether the disability is visible or not, there is no reason to challenge.

Would you? Then you would be despicable.

This is very true. We had one for DM before she died. She could walk, but not very far and we had a fold up wheel chair that fitted in the boot for any distances. Even if the chair wasn't going to be needed it was still important to be able to park close to the entrance of where we were going. Also plenty of space was needed to help her get in and put of the car.

But I remember my sister saying what a mountain of paperwork it was to apply and needed supporting letters from GP etc.

Definitely not easy to get hold of.

I wish we could get one for 94 year old FIL for when we take him places as he finds it difficult to walk far now. However he doesn't have any specific disability, he is just very old!

It baffles me how comfortable people are confronting random strangers regarding this issue despite the campaigns regarding not all disabilities being visible.

If people are that arsed, a subtle check of whether the person has a permit would surely suffice?

Your response was perfect. You have a permit and not all disabilities are visible. There was no need to say more, and certainly no need to have a horrible row in a public place with an angry stranger who doesn't understand the basics about accessibility. It wouldn't help her understand, and would be very unpleasant for you.

I parked in a mother and baby parking space at a supermarket, in my Landrover Defender ( old model, I’m not megabucks 😀) and had a woman and man pull their car in front of me swearing and gesticulating.

I realised what they were complaining about, so walked over with my new baby, in my arms, right to where they parked, to get a ticket from the machine next to them, and show off said …..baby

That woman apologised to me everytime I passed them in the supermarket .

Nasty woman. 😂😂😂😇

My BIL used to park in the disabled spot as there was a badge on the car - for his mother.

However if there is a badge on a car you have to assume the person getting in and out of the car is legit.

I do admit to a moment of sarcasm with someone I saw using a parent-and child spot accompanied by what looked like her late teen daughter. Not abusive though.