To think if you’re a slightly more mobile BB holder you should park in the further accessible bay?

Why should it only be people with disabilities who have to engage in this fraught calculation about the relative severity of their own needs versus the needs of hypothetical later-arriving disabled people?
Why shouldn't able-bodied people do it too? Should I park further away from the supermarket entrance in case some other able-bodied person arrives who is shorter of time than I am, or who suffers from the cold more than I do?

If not, why should people with disabilities have less confidence in their entitlement to use facilities provided for them than I do?

DP has a BB and he perceives he is "less disbled" than others and its taken him a while to get used to using it, sometimes he won't, which is really frustrating as he gets exhausted walking more and more these days. I don't think you should ever question anyone using a BB as you have no idea whats going on with anyone's needs unless you're in their skin.

I know by the time he's in a wheelchair, I'll look back longingly when he "just" walked with sticks and didn't have to cart medical paraphernalia everywhere. But at least then we won't have to worry about BB judgement as he'll fit the stereotype.

What about people with incontinence issues? They need to get in faster.

What about people with fatigue issues? They will tire out quicker.

What about people with conditions that flare up through stress, lights, noises etc, they could be fine on the way in and really struggle on the way out.

It's clear you have a fixed image in your mind of what a disabled person should be, and look like, and have some sort of hierarchy of importance going on.

People have their own struggles, some you can't see in a few minutes, so just trust that the brutal process to get BB is enough and they don't need additional judgement from you deciding if they are worthy or not.

I think, given the current climate and the sheer amount of disabled bashing that is happening on MN at the moment, that if you are being genuine and not disingenuous, the decent thing would be to report your own post and ask Mumsnet to remove it as you have thought better of it.

Exactly, and its not like disabled people and carers don't have enough to think about already.

If you have a BB then you can park in a disabled bay. Thats it.

Same with parent and child bays - a parent with a 9 year old has the same “importance” as a parent with two babies and a pram. 🤷‍♀️

It’s a difficult one to judge. I have a BB and can often get out the car and walk into the supermarket fairly well, apart from my walking stick; however, by the time I’ve walked around the shop bending and lifting things, and packed all my stuff back in the trolley, often my back is buggered and I struggle to stagger back to my car. So, initially, I might look as though I could park further away, but by the time I’ve completed my shopping, I’m barely able to drive back home again!

First of all it was able bodied people moaning about BB holders, now the ‘more disabled’ are turning on the perceived ‘less disabled’.

I’m getting so sick of this constant rhetoric of people not deserving things. You don’t know anything about their level of disability.

Don’t be silly, OP. If you have a Blue Badge then you have a Blue Badge. No one with a Blue Badge should have to justify or even think about which bay to use when they’re parking. You’re being ridiculous.

When I was a walking stick user my legs ran out of energy by the end of the first aisle. Now I'm a wheelchair user my shoulders run out of energy.

You just can't tell how people are going to tire. So that was a thought that bears more thinking about (and let's not even go down the route of how disabled someone is or isn't 🙄)

Well it doesn't to me ,my son has a blue badge because hes severely autistic and has severe learning disabilities and absolutely zero awareness of danger,
Being able to park closer to the shops is a godsend due to his unpredictability
If you have a blue badge you have a blue badge
It's not up to you to decide some peoole are more eligible than others.

What do you mean by ‘more mobile’? My child is very mobile. She also has a severe learning disability and is aged 11.5. Cognitively she operates around a 12 month level and has very little understanding as well as being largely non verbal (she has a few single unclear words only we and her care team would understand). While she may appear ‘mobile’ to you, she will drop to the ground or have a seizure anywhere. It would take three adults to move / restrain her if this was in the path of a car. This happens frequently. So we park as close as we can. If she were a wheelchair user, her mobility needs would likely be more predictable. My point is, you simply cannot tell by looking at people.

Disabled people arent any nicer or more considerate than the general population. They are just people.

If you notice, people rarely make this consideration in other circumstances. For instance, on the tube, when boarding, I take the furthest seat in the direction I walk down the carriage. That's so I don't become an obstruction for the people behind.

Same with self checkouts.

This isnt what everyone does.

You can have no physical mobility problems and have a BB. I know people that have them for photophobia.

No, it's first come first served. Fifty people with advanced MND might all turn up four seconds later, or nobody even remotely disabled might come anywhere near there for the rest of the day? You can't base your life round predicting these things.

Why do you assume it's not theirs?

You do realise some conditions (like MS for example) flare up and down, and that exercise is often vital to health?

If an individual thinks they don't need a space as much as someone else then that's down to them, but it shouldn't be policed and people shouldn't be making judgements on other people's level of ability. We don't have any idea about anyone else's circumstances

Oh apologies all, I wasnt benefit bashing, just speaking about my own experience, definitely dont think anyone is more entitled to a blue badge than any one else xx

No. If you have a BB then you can park in a BB space. There is no hierarchy of who can park the closest. I really hope you don't try and police this sort of stuff in real life.
There is already a lot of hatred towards disabled people right now without trying to turn them on each other.

They should set up a consortium of healthcare experts and solicitors at the side of the car park.

Attitudes like this are exactly why I hate using my blue badge. I have MS, you (usually) can’t tell from looking at me. But some days using the badge is the difference between me having the energy left to shower, make a meal etc that evening or not. But I bloody hate using it because I’m scared everyone is thinking exactly this.

If you want something to really annoy you...
I go to a lunchtime exercise class. Up a flight of stairs and 45 minutes of movement.

Someone in the class always parks in the Disabled spots right at the front door. I assume it's not her BB. (And illegal to do that I know).

Yes there should be a points system for sure.

A guard should be waiting at the accessible spaces, and you have to fill out a form and you get a spot appointed for you just so some of those pesky - dare I even say fake - disabled people won't get one singular thing in life made remotely easier for them.

It's only fair.