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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

woman on my road had a go at me for my uncle using "her" disabled parking space

166 replies

sPJPPp · 18/03/2015 20:46

There is someone down my road with a disabled bay outside her house. Its on a public road and parking can be bad here. My uncle came to visit and he is a blue badge holder so seeing as this was the only spot nearby parked there. Just after he left said woman banged on my door and started shouting at me for using her parking space that the council gave to her.

Is this parking space exclusively hers? Aibu to think if not my disabled uncle is fine parking there?

OP posts:
Rainicorn · 19/03/2015 07:04

As a blue badge holder he is entitled to park there, doesn't mean he should.

As PPs have said, many hoops need to be jumped for one of these, no wonder the lady was cross.

Nice attitude there Scram. Should everyone have the power of foresight to think "Ah, I may in some years become disabled, let's get a house with a drive"

giraffesNeedBigPoloNecks · 19/03/2015 07:12

Can someone buy me a house with a drive please?

londonrach · 19/03/2015 07:14

There is a legal and moral argument here. Legally yes he can but morally he shouldnt as the space was made for someone who needed it.

NeedAScarfForMyGiraffe · 19/03/2015 07:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pregnantpause · 19/03/2015 07:25

wtf didn't you drop uncle off at your home and then move your car?! Legally your right if course, morally your lacking considerably IMO.

jonicomelately · 19/03/2015 07:36

All this talk of morality is pathetic. The OP's uncle probably had no idea he was causing the deranged neighbour any problems. Sadly there is so much entitlement in this country it's bordering on epidemic.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 19/03/2015 07:40

Hmm of course he knew. The blue badge space was outside the woman's house for reason.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 19/03/2015 07:41

So depressing to read DM forum style comments like that on MN. Used to be a wonderful place.

Ubik1 · 19/03/2015 07:42

No it's not hers. It's a public space for blue badge holders.

Your uncle was free to park in it it's there for everyone with a blue badge to use.

jonicomelately · 19/03/2015 07:45

He'd have known it was a disabled bay but if it was unoccupied he probably assumed it was ok for him to use it on this occasion. It was a one off for god's sake.
If people think this is 'immoral' they may need to reset their morality compass!

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 19/03/2015 07:45

Yes. Screw the woman's actual need for it since he is allowed to use it.

MinceSpy · 19/03/2015 07:47

No it's not exclusively your neighbour's parking space. When you apply for an disabled bay to be sited on the road outside your property you are told that your sole use can't be guaranteed. I do understand her frustration though.

Casimir · 19/03/2015 07:48

So being disabled means compassion is disabled too. How selfish, no one else who is disabled can use your own private (not) disabled bays? wow. Self absorbed much.

jonicomelately · 19/03/2015 07:50

That's true of all disabled parking spots though fanjo Lots of people need them but quite often, none are actually available. That's life I'm afraid.

Ubik1 · 19/03/2015 07:52

In fact we have a disabled space outside our building and there are no blue badge holders. It's just there because a certain percentage have to be disabled spaces.

Ubik1 · 19/03/2015 07:53

And he was disabled too!

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 19/03/2015 08:03

Well damn right a percentage should be disabled spaces UBik. People do have disabled visitors. Who need the spaces. Not just as handy perk.

"That's life I'm afraid".
Yes they are often full of the real entitled twats who have no badges. In which case someone with a disability should be even more understanding since they have probably been through it loads themselves.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 19/03/2015 08:04

I see the right to accessibility for those with disabilities has just sailed over some people's heads.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 19/03/2015 08:05

A percentage need to be disabled spaces...although I am not sure this is actually true tbh..many residential developments do not have disabled parking. ..so that everyone can have equal right of access. Is that wrong? Do you object to wheelchair spaces on buses? And lifts?

BsshBosh · 19/03/2015 08:07

Just because the space was unoccupied didn't mean the space wasn't needed. How would you know whether the person who had applied for that space hadn't nipped out to the shops and later returned with all her/his shopping then couldn't park outside her/his house?

Of course it's a legal right for any blue badge owner to park there but morally? No, I wouldn't. My DM is a blue badger but never parks in a dedicated disabled bay in a residential area even if parking is tight as she knows that a particular householder needs it.

Ubik1 · 19/03/2015 08:11

Christ there are some people here determined to take offence

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 19/03/2015 08:13

Well don't say offensive stuff then.

Icimoi · 19/03/2015 08:15

Good grief, some extraordinary comments here. Scram's "no sympathy, if you want a guaranteed parking space GET A FUCKING HOUSE WITH A DRIVEWAY" is probably one of the most stupid comments I've ever seen on MN. And a disabled person wanting to use the disabled bay that she has gone to a lot of trouble to get so that she can get to her house without undue difficulty is hardly "entitled" behaviour, joni.

Sure, in law the uncle is entitled to use the space, but that doesn't mean that it was a considerate thing to do. When he came to visit he presumably didn't know that a disabled space would be available and he did know that he might not be able to park near OP's house, and he presumably had plans to enable him to deal with that. Given that the space was "down the road", i.e not that near to OP's house, it rather looks as if he took the space because it was empty and because he had a blue badge, not because he actually needed it. If he would have had to park far away otherwise, couldn't you have moved your car so that he could use that space, OP?

bonkersLFDT20 · 19/03/2015 08:18

OP, maybe next time you know your Uncle comes to visit you could ask your neighbour whether the spot will be free and if so, could he use it.

OwlCapone · 19/03/2015 08:18

Presumably, as the uncle has a blue badge he is equally in need of a disabled parking spot as the neighbour. Maybe he shouldn't go visiting people.