IWBU but by how much?-waiting in a disabled space?

[CrohnicallyAnxious]

Mitigating circumstances:
Waiting for a family member who has recently had serious surgery and can't walk far, or stand for long and isn't supposed to be out in the cold/wet to come out of the doctors
I knew she was on her way out so would only be there a few minutes at most
The only other available spaces were on the other side of the car park
There is no designated waiting or pick up area, and narrow lanes/one way round the car park meant nowhere to pull over and wait without blocking any other drivers
There was more than one disabled space so I wasn't depriving anyone of the ability to park
I waited in the car and would have seen if the other spaces became in use and would have moved to allow a bb holder to park in mine if need be

I pulled into the BB space as it seemed the most sensible thing to do at the time, but in the maybe 2 or 3 minutes I was there (same song was still playing on the radio) 3 people came past and gave me dirty looks. So how unreasonable was I to have used the BB space to pick up my family member?

It really doesn't matter if there are 10 empty spaces.

It really doesn't matter if you are a lovely person who is quite happy to move if a disabled person needs the space.

Every time you park, or wait in a disabled slot without a blue badge, you are normalising that behaviour. You are making it a little bit more acceptable.

You are making life a little bit harder for people who really depend on being able to get a disabled space.

Sorry, katie, I forgot to thank you for your good wishes. I was lucky that it was my weaker leg that went, but they think that's a lot to do with why it happened. And I totally agree, my biggest worry was losing the foot. And how vitally important for you if your other leg is not strong.

I understand the rage at people WITHOUT disabilities regularly using disabled parking bays and preventing those that need them from doing so, but have been genuinely quite shocked that people with disabilities on MN are quite so angry that someone with a temporary but severe disability might need to use a bay without a badge. As I previously stated, we did it en route home from Scotland to South of England after being discharged from a scottish hospital. I was severely incapacitated and had to survive an 8 hour drive. I had not yet sourced a wheelchair as the injury happened in a different country. Often people with temporary incapacity do not know how long it will last and are also not able to immediately source equipment like wheelchairs as the process can take time. The timescales for getting a Bluebadge are lengthy and not realistic to be done for shorter term need. I would have thought that anyone with a long term disability who understands the difficulties of accessing a toilet when you can't walk would accept that occasionally in dire straights someone without a BB might genuinely need to use a space. It should not really be a case of why shouldn't you suffer like I had to.Surely in an ideal world we would seek to minimise the barriers to all people with disabilities whether the disability be short or long term.

vdb your experience sounds horrible. It's so scary, particularly when you haven't managed to get a wheelchair and are in such agony.

People are so bloody ragey about disabled parking bays a blue badge is not needed for a lot of spaces a blue badge is not a ticket to override people who need to park at the drs, I have a disability we park in spaces for the disabled which anybody is entitled to

As i said upthread, if you think there is a need for a short term 'pink' badge (it was someone else who suggested pink), then campaign for it and sort it, don't steal my fought for rights.

I will not agree that 'sometimes' it is okay to use a bb space without a bb. As i said, park across two bays, you arent breaking any more rules than by using a space that is designated for people with permanent disability.

I am shocked that someone who has experience of the actual everyday life of disabled people would argue about this. No, scratch that, I'm not surprised.

You seem to think it is rare for someone to have a 'real reason' why they should have that space? People get hurt. Often. Most people will be on crutches at some point in their life, and some in wheelchairs. It might last a long time, but it is not permanent. That is the big difference here, you only have to worry about it for a short time, this time next year you might not even have to think about it.

Anyway, when it is hard enough to get a space now, people with other injuries would then start taking the spaces too. And you can build all the wide spaces you want not that they would, but only some people will be able to be close to whatever it is. And the policing of actual bbs now is shite, i can only imagine how bad it would be if anyone could get a temporary one from their gp.

Fuck it, do you know what? Its a hell of a lot easier for me to just not leave the house, why am i fighting this? Don't be inconvenient beyond, theres a nice wheelchair person. Just let the regular people go about their lives, and god forbid you upset one of those 'regular people' who happens to be temporarily incapacitated. How dare you, you have no idea how hard their life is

Oh and by the way, i couldnt park at the gym earlier. Seems there was a birthday party and they needed to park close so they didnt get the cakes wet. Five spaces, not one badge. But thats rare in mnland, isnt it.

Gym goers for some reason are the worst for BB space abuse.

It seems it is somehow impossible to walk a few extra metres before a hard workout.

Vdb - I agree with you. Disabled parking spaces should be for people who are genuinely incapacitated, whether short time or long term, and I am also surprised how much reaction against this.

Beyond - I don't think anyone is undermining the rights of disabled people in suggesting this, but supporting all those who are incapacitated.

River Unless you are disabled you won't understand the reaction to this. If they start extending the use of disabled spaces to people who are temporarily incapacitated, where do you think genuine disabled people awe going to park? Where do you think they would draw the line with this? It would be so abused it doesn't bear thinking about.

I think I'm going to join Beyond and stay in, I mean us disabled are inconveniencing the non-disabled by wanting to use the facilities provided for us to make our lives easier!

I've had my blue badge since August. Prior to me being awarded it, dh would drop me off at the front door and park and join me or get me to call him when I was ready. Now I do have a badge and the spaces make it easier for me to open my door fully to help me get myself out of the car and not have to walk further.

My council will only give out badges if your condition will last more than 3 months. There are ways and means round it and I do think you were unreasonable, as you could have dropped off and moved to another space.

And while I may not look your typical disabled person, I have an invisible disability which makes every movement painful for me. I do get looks from people but this is the way my life is.

Shift up on the couch ladies, open a bottle, I reckon I'll be staying in with you.

Oo, its a proper little sit in!

I don't think you were being unreasonable especially as there were still free disabled spaces.

I probably would not have had the nerve to do it but I'm a big coward.

Anyway, a little Blue Badge anecdote (apologies to those of you who have heard me tell it on here before.)

Many years ago we parked in a disabled slot right in the middle of Manchester. In the space next to us was a beautiful, sleek, six figure sports car. I confess I had a quick glance, but it was displaying a badge.

"Wow" said 8 year old DS, massively impressed, "I didn't know disabled people could have cars like that!"

Immeadiately I leapt upon my high horse; disabled people, I told him passionately, can be as rich, successful and downright ostentatious as anyone else. And never let anyone tell you otherwise.

He gave me a very dismissive, heard it all before shrug, ""Well yes I know all that, I just thought it looked a bit low for a disabled person to get out of that's all....."

I had two knee ops last year. I was on crutches for 6 weeks. I could not get out of my car using a normal space as there was not enough room to get crutches out and to lever myself out of the car. I was legal to drive as it was an automatic, but not eligible to use a disabled space.

I don't see a problem with sitting in a car with the engine running in a disabled space - particularly if the other disabled spaces were free. Yes, o course it would have been possible to have parked on the other side of the car park, wait until you knew they were waiting, then drive around - but as the spaces were all free, I can't see what the big deal is.

If the people who have no genuine reason to use a disabled space because they are a lazy arse who takes it up during their shift, or using a cash machine or not wanting to get a cake wet were properly challenged and fined then everyone with a BB, even ones issued for short term incapacity could park.

I have a son who is disabled and I took a borough council to task for breaching DDA changing policy for other children...
There are times I have to ask for adaptions to be made so he can be included - I don't begrudge anyone with a child with those needs asking for similar things, even if its a short term need or the child is undiagnosed.

One of the special need's activities my son used to access doesn't require a formal diagnosis - they just assess if the need is there. Its not overrun or being abused by people and I certainly don't see it as 'non-disabled' children using facilities my disabled son needs. I went to a support group for parents with the same ethos as the majority of us saw that the time before diagnosis was the hardest point

And Tinkly that is brilliant

Definitely staying in tonight, Beyond, Tinkly, Fairy. After all, it's fairly obvious that by going out we are making life so difficult for all those poor able bodied folk!

Not even if there are 100 spaces and you have two broken legs and your elderly nan with you

So Beyond, you'd really be happy to watch someone struggle in pain in this situation?

Yup. I will watch from my (free) car upon the golden blue badge pedestal

Whilst i am parking in the bay just to prevent others of course, for shits and giggles.

It's not about anybody minimising your need or begrudging you things you are obviously more than entitled to.

It's not about anybody minimising your need or begrudging you things you are obviously more than entitled to.

No, as pointed out a number of times on the thread, it's about so much more than that!

So because your life (and mine) is challenging as a disabled person, we cannot give empathy, time and resources to those are temporarily incapacitated?!

So because your life (and mine) is challenging as a disabled person, we cannot give empathy, time and resources to those are temporarily incapacitated?!

Where would you draw the line with giving the resources to those temporarily incapicated? We already know the resources provided are scarce and people already take the piss by using what they aren't entitled to, thus causing genuine disabled people hardship. Do you not think that even more people would take advantage of the "temporarily incapicated" rule? There would be nothing left for the disabled to use.