Woman shouted at me for parking in a disabled spot

Those spaces, which spaces?

The ones near the front of the store might be much more needed for someone who doesn't have a walking aid, but struggles to walk distances.

I have a power chair, the store could be a fucking mile away, I do not care - I need room to get the bugger out without getting the ramps squashed/myself run over, but I do not need to be two inches from the door.

When I had a manual chair, on the whole I still did not need to be that close to the door, not say compared to someone using a walker or crutches (does depend on if the parking site is on a slope though... I really couldn't do up hill, in fact doing uphill is why I knackered my shoulders and now need a power chair).

There are myriad disabilities, some visible, some not, and everyones needs are different.

Acessible parking spaces for blue badge holders meet some very very basic criteria - wider spaces, near to the store entrance/walkaways. That is it.

Many do not even meet those criteria well - my friend has a side ramp and often finds the disabled spaces useless where they have a shared hatched area rather than a hatched area each, which can mean her ramp is blocked when people assume the hatched area is for 'their space' and park in it to allow greater access to one side of their vehicle. And no, people do not read signs on the sides or rear windows that state how much space we need.

I need safe rear access - but most of the spaces are front of store with bollards in the centre, so you can't reverse in and unload onto the pavement. So I have to unload straight into the road-way, as there is no extra space behind the vehicle and my vehicle is quite long anyway.

I also can't typically use road side spaces where you park alongside the pavement, as there either is no space behind to unload or if there is now, there won't be when I return (again, people do not read signs!).

So the spaces we have now do not meet everyones needs. Idiots going around being the bloody blue badge police need to fuck off!

If you think someone shouldn't use a space, either no badge or you truly think they're using someone elses badge - report to the carpark owner or local authority. If you think they are using someone elses badge, take a note of the badge number and report it.

That is all you can do. It is not your job to approach people and query their use of a badge!

Good on you!

A quick Google and I found this https://www.coventry.gov.uk/parking-2/disabled-blue-badge-scheme/7#:~:text=It%20is%20now%20a%20criminal,allows%20other%20to%20misuse%20it.

Councils can cancel your blue badge or not renew it if you break rules such as parking in a BB bay and holder sits in the car. BB bays are closer to entrances and are wider to accommodate able to open doors wider.

These people are preventing those BB holders to use the bays when they are actually going to get out of the car.

Can’t find the story. A couple got fined for parking in a disabled bay when the husband left the car leaving his disabled wife in it.

It’s your DH running into the shop that’s the misuse. You must know this. If not you need to familiarise yourself with the actual rules, not just how you interpret them. If a parking attendant asked to see the badge and realised that the person to whom it was issued was still in the car while someone else had run into the shop, no amount of arguing the potential need for your DS to access a toilet quickly would suffice. The need hasn’t arisen, and your DH is abusing the blue badge.

It’s not an entirely different situation, it’s exactly the same thing as you describe. You and any other family members who drive your son around are in exactly the same situation - legally you are designated drivers for the badge holder, and as such not entitled to display the badge and park in a disabled bay unless it’s directly for the benefit of the badge holder. If the badge holder is not getting out of the car, then it’s not for their direct benefit. Can’t be bothered with this any more, it’s exhausting and derailing the OP’s thread.

You’re wrong and attacking other posters doesn’t make you right. The only person misinterpreting the rules is you. I was a disability outreach worker for many years and advised on badge rules almost daily - I’ve come across every scenario you can think of and l know the rules inside out. It’s illegal for you or any other driver of the car to park in a disabled bay and display the badge if the disabled person intends to remain in the car. The need your DS has is to access a toilet as and when the need arises, not to sit inside the car just in case, while everyone else exits the car and does their own thing. It’s misuse.

And you can only use a BB space if the holder is also getting in or out of the car.
If the BB holder is sitting in the car, then that is a misuse of the BB. If they are not leaving the car, they do not need to be in a BB space. You can park elsewhere.

My DS does travel as a passenger in the car. Unless you think it means badge holders have to through themselves out in transit, this means when parked as well.

Angry lady: 'that's a wheelie spot'
OP 'Are you sure?'
Angry lady 'Yes'
OP 'Are you wheeeely sure?'

From Gov website -

You can only use your badge when:

• you’re driving
• you’re travelling in a car as a passenger
• someone is picking you up or dropping you off, and they need to park close to where you need to go

So, not sitting in the car just in case.

I had no idea my friend was going to pull out her husband's BB. And as a passenger in her car, I was a pretty captive audience. I didn't agree with her misuse of the BB at all.
And before you tell me that I should have told her off, or whatever, she died during Covid.

Because we often stop on the way home from going out.

Again I’m not missing it and I won’t be risking my son not making the toilet because other people wrongly interpret the rules

Werent you the posters who went out with a friend who used her husbands BB?

So you are in the car with your DS who needs the BB, whilst your DH goes into the shop? Why do you both need to be out? You can stay home with your DS whilst your DH goes shopping. You are misusing his BB.

I don't use other people's when they are not there. Where on earth did you get that from? I only ever go out in my mum's car, and neither of us have a BB.

You are wrong. Read the conditions that come with the blue badge.

Hard disagree. As long as it’s being used for the badge holders benefit.

You use it illegally. You say you are using it to meet his needs. Maybe that is true? But it is still not how you are allowed to use it.

No I use my son’s properly according to his needs. If that means parking in disabled while DH runs into a shop I will because it may mean DS needs the toilet quickly. I’m not going to let him vomit or shit in public and say “Well son I followed the rules according to MN” (and it has been needed more than once)

Unlike you I don’t use other people’s when they’re not there

That’s like so offensive to talk about somebody in a wheelchair like that

@JandamiHash

The only time that a BB holder would be permitted to be in a BB holder's parking space 'just in case they needed the toilet', would be if they were either the only person in the car, ie. the driver, or if any non-BB holder people in the car didn't alight the vehicle at any point.

Any other situation is illegal, because it would be a contravention of the T&Cs under which a BB is issued.

Yes, you are right. I think PP has been misusing a BB and is talking herself into justifying it.

There is something wrong with that woman ignore people like that. When the weird odd comment flies by my ears I turn my back on them mid-speech and don’t respond. They’re obviously nuts, don’t need that in my day!

I’ve given up now, it’s like banging your head on a brick wall !! It’s clear misuse of the badge. Badges are issued for those who need to access toilets quickly, but they’re intended to be used as and when the need arises or in an emergency, not so you can park up in a disabled bay and sit in the car, just in case the need arises at some point, and certainly not while other people benefit from a disabled space you’re taking up unnecessarily. It’s batshit.

Yes it is. Badges issued in consideration of someone needing to access a loo quickly are not intended so that the person can sit in the car while companions leave the car and go about their business. They’re intended so the disabled person can access a loo quickly as the need arises - not to sit in the car indefinitely just in case they need to go at some point.

No, it is misuse of the badge.

@Rosscameasdoody Agreed. And it says it clearly on the conditions you get with your Blue Badge