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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have taken a 'reserved' disabled space?

35 replies

Edenviolet · 29/06/2014 18:17

We had to go to the shops this aft and looked for a disabled space.there were none except for three with cones by them saying they were 'reserved for shop mobility customers'

Shop mobility is a service the shopping centre run mon-sat (closed every Sunday) so it seemed ridiculous they were reserving the spaces when they were shut.
As all the other disabled spaces were full I got out and moved the cones so dh could park in one of the spaces. I was tempted to move the other cones too to free up the other two spaces for anybody else needing them but dh said to leave it as the office for the service was opposite the spaces and opening times were clear to see for anybody else. As I was moving the cone someone beeped at us and shook their head but then drove off.

I am considering emailing shop mobility and asking them not to reserve spaces on a Sunday so that they can be used by people who need them. Obviously I wouldn't have moved the cones on a mon-sat but it seemed silly the spaces were not able to be used and had been reserved for a service that wasn't even operating today.

OP posts:
picnicbasketcase · 29/06/2014 18:20

If you're entitled to use a disabled space and the only ones available aren't being used by the service they're reserved for, I don't see why you shouldn't move the cones.

LastTango · 29/06/2014 18:20

No, I don't think YWBU - quite sensible in fact.

Original poster
Edenviolet · 29/06/2014 18:21

I think I will email them as taking up three spaces that could be used every Sunday seems unfair. I'm assuming they just leave the cones there on the Saturday.

OP posts:
Pumpkinpositive · 29/06/2014 18:23

I'm confused. Surely the cones were there to indicate the spots should not be used by non disabled drivers? Why does it make a difference whether Shop Mobility is open or not?

Surely disabled people shop at the weekends?

Cones seems a rather strange way of demarcating the parking spots, being as they surely are liable to get nicked, but that's a side issue.

Sorry if I'm missing a rather obvious point. Confused

Original poster
Edenviolet · 29/06/2014 18:23

We were at the point of leaving the car park to go home when I spotted the office was closed and saw the opening times.
I wonder how many hadn't noticed that and had had to turn back which is sad as it can be difficult just getting out of the house with health issues then to get there and not be able to park and have to go home can be really depressing.

OP posts:
quietbatperson · 29/06/2014 18:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Edenviolet · 29/06/2014 18:26

The cones said reserved for shop mobility customers only. I assume when you use the service an assistant moves the cone for the disabled person then helps with their shopping. You need to have a bb and be using the service to park in those spaces which fair enough when its open as there are at least 15 other bb spaces but today they were all full and the only free ones were the ones with cones.
We were able to use it as the dcs have the blue badges so I could get out and move the cone, it might not be so easy for somebody on their own to get out, move a cone and park which is why on a Sunday they should be moved.

OP posts:
quietbatperson · 29/06/2014 18:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Pumpkinpositive · 29/06/2014 18:32

Ah right. Ok, in that case, YANBU. Smile

Original poster
Edenviolet · 29/06/2014 18:34

Yes it is inside a shopping centre car park. I had seen them months ago on a Sunday but didn't realise then that the service was closed on a Sunday. I've emailed them to request they do not have the cones there on a Sunday so that as many spaces as possible are available for those who need them.

OP posts:
grocklebox · 29/06/2014 18:40

I'm pretty sure they aren't really allowed to reserve the spaces anyway. Disabled spaces are for anyone with the requisite badge, they can't keep them for a subset of people.
So not only were you fine today, you should also feel free to use those spaces at any time, cones or no cones.

Original poster
Edenviolet · 29/06/2014 18:52

After checking the shopmobility website they state on there "you do not need to be a bb holder to use our dedicated spaces" you only need to be using the service. Ridiculous as the 'dedicated spaces' are just regular disabled spaces that they have put cones in front of !

OP posts:
jacks365 · 29/06/2014 18:54

Contact the management company for the shopping centre and make a complaint to them. It's appalling that shop mobility are acting this way.

BuzzardBird · 29/06/2014 18:55

It sounds as though they are breaking the law.

lettertoherms · 29/06/2014 18:57

I'm surprised they can block a disabled space for any reason.

Original poster
Edenviolet · 29/06/2014 18:59

It is apparently a service for anybody with reduced mobility, whether permanent or temporary and you do not need to be registered disabled or have a blue badge to use it.

The fact they are blocking up three blue badge spaces really angers me though, surely they could just 'have' three of the other non disabled spaces for their service?

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 29/06/2014 19:01

Maybe they were going to do some maintence (like repainting or something) so had cordened off the spaces?
Maybe they had picked a Sunday as it would be quieter?
Worth asking them anyway as it does seem unreasonable to put them out of use otherwise?

Original poster
Edenviolet · 30/06/2014 20:06

According to shopmobility the car park have let them 'have' these three disabled spaces for their service and they cordon them off 'just in case' they need to be used by somebody who for eg has borrowed a wheelchair long term but isn't registered disabled or has a bb. Seems ridiculous as these are 'official' disabled spaces with he signs/markings to distinguish them as such
They also said that sometimes on a Sunday a member of staff may need to use them to go into the office???

Whilst I think it is good to help those with temporary or permanent mobility issues who are not reg disabled ithink the car park owners should be using non bb spaces for this service and replied to their email with that.

OP posts:
SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 30/06/2014 20:12

Maybe they cone them off when they leave on Saturday, and leave them coned off because otherwise someone might park in 'their' spaces on Monday morning before the Shopmobility staff get in?

Even if that is the explanation, though, it doesn't make it acceptable for them to cone off spaces on a day when they don't offer the service - and it is definitely not acceptable for them to reserve disabled spaces and give them to people without a blue badge!

Icimoi · 30/06/2014 20:14

They probably need to use the disabled spaces as those are the ones nearest the shops. Non disabled spaces may be too far away for some disabled users. They certainly would be for someone like my 85 year old mother who has very limited mobility.

WhereDoAllTheCalculatorsGo · 30/06/2014 20:15

buzzardbird, no one is breaking the law, in a private car park disabled spaces are just a courtesy. The OP was sensible to move the cones.

CrohnicallyExhausted · 30/06/2014 20:17

The thing is, if it's in a private car park then it's up to the car park owners who can/can't use which spaces. As far as I know there is no such thing as an 'official' disabled space in a private car park- only council ones.

I can see why shop mobility want to reserve disabled spaces for their customers- if someone is temporarily disabled then they won't qualify for a be but might not be able to use a regular space- so shop mobility could be the only way they can access the shops.

And while it doesn't seem fair that they reserve spaces on a Sunday when they are closed- would you be objecting if a business had a small car park of its own that was chained off/had penguin bollards installed when it's closed? Would you feel free to use my parking space (on a private road, the deeds to my house state I do not own the parking space but I do have exclusive use, which could be similar to shopmobiity's parking contract) if I was out and didn't need it?

CrohnicallyExhausted · 30/06/2014 20:18

be bb

Original poster
Edenviolet · 30/06/2014 20:25

I just feel for anybody with a bb who might have gone there, been unable to park or not been able to move the cone and would have had to then go home.
We find it a huge ordeal to just get out of the house with dcs and to not be able to then park in spaces that have the disabled sign painted all over them and signs on the wall saying 'for disabled blue badge holders only' but are actually reserved for people not registered disabled or in possession of a bb seems a bit silly. We were lucky one of us could move the cone, others may not be able to.

I appreciate having a temporary mobility problem must be difficult but really can't see why some other spaces (and there were non bb ones there too) could have been utilised.

OP posts:
CrohnicallyExhausted · 30/06/2014 20:34

Because some service users might not physically be able to use a non disabled space. Maybe they need the door opening extra wide to allow someone to help them in and out. Maybe they have crutches but can't walk very far with them.

It might help to forget about them being painted as disabled spaces and just think of them as 'shop mobility private car park' and they just happen to be extra wide spaces. Because that's all they are really, the signs and
disabled markings can't be enforced in a private car park.

(Not that I would park in one anyway. So if I was temporarily in need of shop mobility, I'd be grateful for them reserving these spaces and making it clear that I was allowed to park in those particular spaces)