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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have parked in a disabled spot today

227 replies

AuntiePickleBottom · 30/09/2011 21:42

my mum recently broke her leg, she has a full cast on, I took her food shopping today so parked in a disabled bay as there is no way my mum could of used crutches far or get out of a normal spot, my mum used one of the wheel chairs supermarkets offer for the customers.

OP posts:
Pseudo341 · 30/09/2011 22:10

" either drop your Mum off and then go and park or get her to wait in the car while you go and fetch the loan scooter for her."

Surely this could be applied to any non-driving disabled badge holder though?

Well yes but it's a right pain in the arse and when you're permenantly disabled all of life is a right pain in the arse whereas broken leg is only a pain in the arse for a few weeks.

Original poster
AuntiePickleBottom · 30/09/2011 22:10

I was parked in asda so now have a lovely £60 fine to pay ( my dad is going to pay it for me)

Next week I will just drop her close to the door.

OP posts:
Pseudo341 · 30/09/2011 22:11

forgot quote marks so now it looks like I'm answering my own question, I'm crap!

cheesesarnie · 30/09/2011 22:11

i thought you said they gave you permission?

SoupDragon · 30/09/2011 22:11

[shrug] use a parent and child space instead.

5inthebed · 30/09/2011 22:12

£60?! I would appeal that one, can they actually enforce that?

I would personally have parked in the P&C just for the added space, you should do that next week.

Original poster
AuntiePickleBottom · 30/09/2011 22:14

Where did I say I asked

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 30/09/2011 22:14

I am normally with all the people who say never park in disabled (or
P&C) but, legalities aside, I honestly think you'd have to be spectacularly lacking in compassion to complain about someone in a full leg cast.

AuntieMaggie · 30/09/2011 22:14

Yes they can enforce it and will (should know more as I had the training dammit!)

BeyondLimitsOfTheLivingDead · 30/09/2011 22:16

I dunno 5inthebed , there are signs up in asda carparks here that you can be fined for parking in p&c without a child...

nomorethefool · 30/09/2011 22:17

My mum used to take my gran shopping who was in her 80's. My gran walked with a stick, was blind in one eye and generally unsteady on her feet. Mum would park in the parent and child bays and say "well its true, just reversed!!" SHe was right ofcourse, my gran was entitled to help as well as anyone else. She could not have been dropped off as she was generally unsteady, so was she being unreasonable? The OP was thinking of her mum and made the right decision. Her mum needed more space and the OP made that happen, good move for common sense I say.

cheesesarnie · 30/09/2011 22:17

did you not,sorry i imagined itBlush.in that case you took the risk,you got fined.

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 30/09/2011 22:18

What SoupDragon says.

What sort of world do we live in where we don't have sympathy for someone in a full leg cast parking in an unenforceable space?

5inthebed · 30/09/2011 22:18

Really Shock

I don;t park in them without DC and have never notived signs at my local Asda. Seems a bit petty really.

Pseudo341 · 30/09/2011 22:20

Being a genuine blue badge holder and forgetting to display it or failing to notice the stupid thing expired last week won't get you out of a fine so I doubt broken leg and no badge will do you any good. Might still be worth a try if the carpark's definitely owned and managed by the supermarket as they won't want to loose your business, though chances are they're outsourcing the parking policing to a third party in which case they won't give a crap about your circumstances they'll just want your cash.

Backinthebox · 30/09/2011 22:21

I broke my ankle 3 months ago and was in a cast for 7 weeks. Once the cast came off I was told I could drive my automatic car as I only need one leg for an automatic. I frequently parked miles away from where I wanted to be and tied baby son to my back in a mei tai (can't push a pram with crutches) before hopping along on crutches past all the empty disabled spaces. I would have dearly loved to have been able to park in a disabled space temporarily, but would have had to have suffered the glares of the permanently-judgey-panted as I am only temporarily in a really REALLY shit situation. I still haven't parked in a disabled place, even when I was in such pain I had to sit down on the pavement with my son to get my breath back.

And trying to get in or out of a car, either as passenger or driver, when you need crutches and some fucker has pulled up right close beside you!

All those who would deny the broken-legged a place nearer the shops with a wider space - I hope you are next to break your legs and are forced to eat your words till you choke on them.

Original poster
AuntiePickleBottom · 30/09/2011 22:23

I don't care about the fine, it was worth it to get my mum out of the house and my dad will pay it.

OP posts:
Backinthebox · 30/09/2011 22:24

Pseudo341 - "broken leg is only a pain in the arse for a few weeks."

Really. Hmm 3 months on and I am still struggling. I have been told to expect it to take up to 18 months for my leg to recover fully.

PeachyWhoCannotType · 30/09/2011 22:25

It's not how it works but I'dd have to be a cow to feel the same way about someone in a cast as someone just trying to get the best spot

Not surprised at fine though; I accidentally aprked in a BB spot years ago now, wasn;t properly amrked and was changed soon after- thought it was P&T. Anyway we got a warning for a fine but as the boys I had with me were both dx'd with ASD it did seem a bit- silly.

Pixel · 30/09/2011 22:29

AuntieMaggie, Ouch that doesn't sound much fun, I suppose I was assuming that most people would have a family member or neighbour to get a few supplies in but I can see that wouldn't always be the case. I was going to agree with whoever said there should be temporary badges available, then everyone would be happy, but I suppose the other way of looking at it is that there are ways of getting around a temporary situation that wouldn't be sustainable for a permanent disability (internet shopping/taxi to door of shop?). Would there be so many reasons for people to have temporary badges that there would be no spaces left for people with BBs which are hard enough to get as it is? And would it be easier for people to abuse them by lending them to friends etc? I don't think it would really work, doesn't stop me having sympathy for someone in pain or with a broken leg though.

LoremIpsum · 30/09/2011 22:29

It's not somebody in a cast parking, it's her able bodied daughter parking. I just don't see it as being any different to using a disabled toilet because you have a pram. I just don't think it's right to use it and risk pushing out somebody with a disability who really needs that spot or that toilet when you could have avoided using it. I don't think that's particularly frothy or unsympathetic.

Oops, lots of I's in that post. Sorry, makes it sound more pompous than I mean it to, but in the spirit of PARD I'm just trying to own my feelings by using I statements Grin

Pseudo341 · 30/09/2011 22:31

Backinthebox, sucks that you're leg is such a nightmare, and personally I think they should introduce temporary badges for exactly this reason, but is this:

"All those who would deny the broken-legged a place nearer the shops with a wider space - I hope you are next to break your legs and are forced to eat your words till you choke on them."

really necessary? I get hacked of with selfish lazy twats with nothing wrong with them stealing disabled bays, I'd never wish an injury on them, that's pretty fucked up.

MillyR · 30/09/2011 22:32

There isn't a distinction though between whether or not a disabled person is parking! It is whether or not a disabled person is in the car.

Glitterknickaz · 30/09/2011 22:32

Could have been worse.
You could have got the 'justice' that was meted out to me this afternoon.

I was perfectly legitimately parked in a blue badge bay. Someone pulled in next to me, obviously saw me, in my thirties, with a toddler in the car and decided we shouldn't have been there (despite badge).

So he parked half way over the line, close to my car, then opened his door hard and fast into the side of my car. He did it so hard that not only is there a dent and his car paint on my car but also the primer.

He then sneered at me aand walked away.

So now I have to pay Motability £75 excess for the damage to their car.

This is my life. Any wonder when you think about stuff like this happening plus the comments thrown around on here that I don't post any more (I'm making one exception for this topic however).

PeachyWhoCannotType · 30/09/2011 22:32

See Loren there are greys everywhere; with toilets there are plenty of people with no disability label who need to use them- we've discussed that on here: people with SPD or who have an inco bag or urge incontinence.

Spaces are more of a specialist thing hence the badge but whilst I don't think I would (heck I know it, it took a yelling at on here to get me to use the disability life when I had SPD so severe climbing the stirs was making me cry) it's in no way the same as wanker in a boy racer car who just wants to make sure his heap doesn't get scratched.