Parking in a disabled parking bay

No I would have in a heartbeat - tell her to mind her own business

Totally unacceptable, as over time this kind of behaviour becomes the norm and the reasoning gets weaker and weaker e.g. 8 spaces free out of 10 becomes 5 spaces free, becomes 3 spaces free, eventually "I'll only be a minute"...

I know an ex-traffic warden and the stories I've been told about the excuses people come up with for being parked in a disabled bay would shock you. The most common is "well there are 2 other currently empty bays" - so what if 3 disabled people turn up?

Another common one is "but I'm picking something up for a disabled person". So blooming what - YOU don't have a disability, the bay is there for people who need to be close.

"I was only going to be 5 minutes." They would get this also on double yellows, loading bays (and no, popping in to fetch a takeaway doesn't class as loading!), but stops etc. Doesn't matter, law says "no".

But you "have" to give me 10 minutes. Nope, automatic instant fine. And don't argue that you know better, traffic wardens a) know the letter of parking law better than you as that's their job, b) they have to take exams on this stuff and regular refreshers and c) no most don't get any more money for booking more cars.

They had the retired couple saying they used the disabled bay as there was no other parking left next to the market, and when asked what if a disabled person also wanted to visit the market said "oh dear, I hadn't thought about that"!

I have a blue badge, I can be in a LOT of pain if I have to walk more than about 30 metres. But I moved out of the disabled bay at work a few weeks ago because it was 9am, loads of people were starting work, and at least 2 of the other disabled spaces (out of 5) had non-badged cars in them. Then my friend who is a wheelchair user turned up to start work. I gave up my space for her as her need was greater than mine, but what about the cars parked there who had no need? I ended up in a LOT of pain that morning having had to walk well beyond my comfort level, to the degree that my boss took one look as I got to my desk and told me to sit down & she would collect the post (usually I do that) and make my tea on her way back, and that I wasn't to move for at least an hour except for the loo.

The entitlement and/or resentment some people have over using disabled parking spaces can be breath-taking. There is one person who brings someone who visits our building 2 afternoons a week (not staff) who insists on parking his car in one of the disabled bays then sitting in it as long as their passenger is in the building - even if the only free one is further from the doors than a non-disabled bay. No badge of course, and was aggressive and sweary to me when I reminded him about the bays. Also told me he was "just waiting for someone" - for 3 hours. Unfortunately we have no way of stopping people using our work car park, and the reason for visiting is valid, so there isn't really much we can do.

I hate passive aggressive behaviour like that woman's, but you were being unreasonable to park in a disabled bay. It doesn't matter that it was dark or you were apparently only there for "40 seconds"; you shouldn't have parked there. And if your DC was only 40 seconds, why the need to park in the disabled bay at all? Park in one of the many other empty spaces next time. If you're worried your DC won't see you, park and get out of the car and meet him by the doors of the leisure centre.

I used to have a Blue Badge when I needed it so feel qualified to comment. I don't doubt for a moment you would have moved if needed. Don't over think it. They may have been having a bad day or are just a misery guts. Good on you for trying to give your son some independence in such a challenging age. Mine is all grown up but I don't envy parents with young children nowadays.

Interesting choice of wording.

YABU.

You're lucky that's all she said
There was no reason to park there you admit you just selfishly chose to anyway

If you want to park on a disabled spot you need the disability that comes with it. People who have to use them would swop their disability in a instant if they could, even if that means walking slightly further.

It's selfish to park in blue badge spaces without a blue badge. Nothing the woman said was inaccurate.

Be grateful it was just words, if this was in my little town the person would have had her phone out in an instant and you’d of been plastered all over Facebook with people braying at you.

The reason it rankles is that you know damn well that she was right.

Just don't park in 'em.

It's tempting.
There always seems to be loads free.
You'll only be 2 minutes.

but just resist and park somewhere else.

In the context you described I don’t really see there was an issue. You didn’t prevent anyone who needed a space from using it.

However you say you were trying to teach your son to be more independent. Perhaps consider if your actions taught him to be considerate of provisions for those with disabilities?

I wouldn’t have commented (in those circumstances) but I can understand why the lady did. As pp’s have said, once you start saying it’s ok in xyz circumstances the lines get blurred very quickly and these spaces are often essential (not a convenience) for many people.

As a pp said upthread, my attitude is “they don’t exist” so I would never use one - the only exception being if not doing so was life threatening/avoiding harm - though I struggle think think of a realistic scenario where that would be the case.i

I’m not sure what your AIBU is. You parked in a blue badge space and you don’t have a blue badge. It’s a selfish thing to do and that’s how the passer by described you. If you don’t want to be called selfish, don’t do selfish things 🤷🏻‍♀️

YABU, obviously.

You had absolutely no business parking there.

You do realise that blue badge holders also come out at night you know?

You might want to rethink the term “jogged on” used in a discussion about disabled parking spaces. Because jogging on is unfortunately something that many disabled people find impossible to do.

It's the thin end of the wedge, that's the problem. You know you wouldn't use the space if there were no others at a busy time. The woman who spoke to you doesn't know that, and will notice doubt have experience of many spaces being taken by those who aren't entitled to use them.

You can really tell the posters who have never had to relay on a disabled parking space 😡

Posters getting their knickers in a twist when there were plenty of spaces available are ridiculous. Maybe if OP had parked there and then gone in it would be a different story but she was with her car and could have moved if for some reason 9 blue badge holders had appeared in those 2 minutes

People need to mind their own business, if she didn’t need the space she should have just jogged on

YABU
Its not for you to decide if the situation warrants it or whether there are enough spaces or anything else.
No Blue Badge no parking - end of

On the face of it, you were doing no harm; but if there's no absolute in place that people without blue badges simply never park there, that's when the lines can get blurred.

What if the next person thinks that it's OK to use one of the 10 spaces briefly if only 8 of them are in use?

If you have no blue badge, you really should consider that, as far as you are concerned, those parking spaces do not exist. Just like your neighbour's spare bedroom in their much bigger house is never, ever available to you to use, no matter how small your own house is or how many guests you have staying.

No, you don’t take up a disabled spot for a nice little teaching moment for your son.