Disabled parking wrongly? Or aibu?

[GetyourkneesupStepintime]

Yes, I've namechanged because I am scared of AIBU!!

I think the person who did this first (I've made sure there is nothing identifiable on the photo, it is a picture I took) was a twat. I acknowledge that maybe this person had to park like this because someone else did it first.

A disabled bay means that you park in the middle bit, and the hatched areas either side are for space for getting out, yes? Or have I been doing it wrong all along (I have a blue badge myself)?

Surely if one person parks on the hatched bit, it then means that others can't use the benefit of the hatched area for getting out? Potentially meaning they can't park at all and end up going home! (As a lot of end bays only have hatching on the car park side)

So, was this person bu (or are there reasons I havent thought of why they would have to park like this), or am I bu for being annoyed about it?

By the way, when I got here, there were other cars there, all parked wonky like this.

Well, presumably one person parked wonky and everyone else had no choice because of that

Sort like a domino effect.

That car may have arrived later and had to do that?

Yy, i see that. Sorry, I said further up in my op whoever did it first, then said "this person" at the end, I meant whoever did it first.

I was wondering though, what's the legality of it, with regards to not parking outside of 'your' bay. DH was telling me they were within their rights to park like that, while I was frothing away...

They maybe needed even more space, e.g. for wheelchair access??

Generally, yellow hatched areas mean you can't stop/park on them as they are for access (like box junctions, or around fire exits). So I imagine that if it was a council car park they could issue a fine for being parked like that, as you are outside of the marked space.

The problem with parking like that on purpose as kinky suggests for extra access, is that you could block someone else being able to get back in their vehicle. I imagine the width of the hatched area is designed to allow most car doors to open fully, and parking over the hatches means you are either parked right next to another car so their door won't open fully, or you are stopping someone who needs their door open in fully from being able to park in that space, effectively using two spaces.

If the council did issue fines, I think someone else parking like that first would be a poor defence, if the marked space is not accessible then it's not an available space, you shouldn't squeeze in.