Parking, assaulted. AIBU to report to police?

[newnamenew]

Car parked in disabled spot. Only disabled bay on site. I politely pull up alongside and down my window. Person does same. I ask if they are disabled, they reply no, I ask if she would please move as I use a wheelchair and really need the spit.

I'm to,d I'm arrogant and she was refusing to move due to my attitude. So I park alongside. She'd parked, if you imagine an inverse T shape, she would be the I part. She had a car parker behind her but room behind. So I parked I. The T of the inverse T. I got my wheelchair out and displayed my disabled badge. Person 2 comes and asks me what the fuck I'm doing and to move my fucking car. Goes into my car and takes my disabled badge saying I wasn't disabled anymore and goes to their car. I start wheeling to the shop, comes up behind me, drags me back towards my car by the back of the seat. It tilts, back at my car, chair still tilted hits me in the back, tries to get in my car again, puts finger in my face saying I give disabled people a bad name.

I go into shop, came out to find badge on back of car wiper thingy and they'd gone. Should I go to the police? Was I bring unreasonable not to move my car to give them move room to exit the disabled spot (mind they exited the spot anyway)?

My MP is good, he was raised in the vicinity of my town and defends his constituents passionately. I'm definitely penning an email over the weekend. I'm also considering raising this to a higher level. It's shocking what happened to me, to leave someone scared to leave the house.

SoleBizz, I'd be up for writing a chapter. If we could get 10 or so we could deffo do it.

I'm overwhelmed by the massive show of support in this thread. It brings a tear to my eye that total strangers can be so kind and supportive, I really can't thank you all enough.

MiscellaneousAssortment, your post nails everything perfectly, and so eloquently. Fantastic post.

DD has counselling support in place for another matter so she has that channel open. We also have a very open relationship where she can talk to me about anything.

My god, OP, I am absolutely stunned by your story. I'm horrified by the police response though. I am sure there must be another way. Go back to the police, keep going back until they listen. Go to the press. Start a GoFundMe in case you have to go to court.

this couple needs to suffer the consequences for this, and tbh so should the idiot who said "we'll have a word but that's all we can do". Absolutely not good enough. At all.

Thank you for your considerate, thoughtful post nacho. I'm sat here in the midst of a panic attack right now, it's even affecting my speech. Great username btw!

Deadgood - what is a GoFundMe ?

As I've read this thread I've gone from anger to tears and back again. What you went through OP was appalling and it's outrageous that this thug isn't going to be dealt with. To the pp who parks/waits in disabled spaces but would always move when asked- you are part of the problem here!! Why should a disabled person have to ask you for permission to park?? Who the hell are you to be so important??

Until this society is truly equal, where disabled people can access everything they want to without "special" provision then we will always have this. Town and city planners have to look to accessibility- why did this shop have only one disabled space? That's dreadful anyway made worse because of selfish, violent idiots.

I hope you're ok OP and I hope this thread has given you some comfort.

The disabled space at my local village supermarket has one disabled space too. It's often busy as nearest full size supermarket is 15/20 minute drive away.

At this store people abuse the disabled space, and even when I manage to park there people even park on the hatchings to make an extra space. When they do this, I cannot open my door to get out so I have to wait for them to leave. If someone does this while I'm in the store I have to wait in my wheelchair for them to leave so I can get in my car.

This assault has really opened my eyes to the injustices disabled people receive, and how life is so much more difficult to do even simple things. It's bullshit, so many people don't give a toss and so we struggle through life at the bottom of the barrel.

Totally OP and it shouldn't be. It's all wrong. I agree actually with the pp who said that the governments line on benefits has done nothing to improve attitudes to disabled people.

I'm not disabled by the way. My husband works with profoundly disabled people and regularly witnesses the difficulties they face trying to do anything at all beyond stay at home.

Glad to hear your MP's one of the good guys, OP - you're definitely doing the right thing contacting him

I mentioned yesterday that this object may well be known to police already, and am now wondering if that's in a positive or negative way (for him, that is). If I expand MN will no doubt delete my post, but given what his financial status might appear to be - a massively expensive car, I believe you said? - I'd give a lot to hear exactly what the police actually say to him when they "have a word"

Bloody hell, OP, that's a shocking response from the police. Definitely push back, don't accept their dismissal as all that can be done.

The CCTV situation sounds a bit suspicious - have they wiped the footage/turned the cameras around or has it been like that for ages? At the very least the police could request that the shop faces the CCTV over the car park in case this waste of oxygen and you end up in the same place at the same time again.

I'm very shocked by the police response here.

No matter what happened you have been physically assaulted. It doesn't matter if you were a 6 and a half foot rugby player. You were left with soft tissue damage by this man. Surely there must be some come back?

I am totally shocked by this thread, which I have just read most of.

I am horrified at what happened to you, OP. I truly don't understand how your assailant could even be described as human. I struggle to understand how people like him can live with themselves at all.

The police response was also totally inadequate. You were seriously assaulted. Your DD was a witness and a doctor has noted your soft tissue damage. I hope the police commissioner and your MP pull out all the stops between them and you get a more appropriate response.

Did you report this lowlife to your local council or whoever it should be for the parking offence and violation of their blue badge system?

RTFT. Came back to see how you got on with the police. I am freakin' incensed at the police's attitude. Yes yes to MP and police comm. Can you write to Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson. She rocks. She might escalate this episode for you.

I'm so sorry you've got injuries OP. Its an insult to scum to call them scum. Please comfort yourself in the knowledge that there are more caring people out there than not. I'd say they are thicker than pig shit. But that again would be an insult to pig shit. Pig shit doesn't have a choice. They did.

Keep your chin up and know that you have the Mn collective behind you. for you and your Dd.

Un-fuckin'-believable. If I saw a man doing this to any woman I'd intervene. Probably get myself arrested.

Years ago in Edinburgh my friend intervened outside a kebab shop. A man was punching his wife. They turned on friend. He got arrested and a broken jaw to boot.

You know everydaysexism.com? I just thought hey we should start everydaydisablism.com but it already exists. Did you all know about this?

Thanks for the name drop Yoksha.

I was just going to let this drop but the amount of angry people have made me realise I need to take thus further. I'm unsure whether I should ring 101 first or write (to my local force?). I shall of course be writing to my MP who has been great in the past.

I'm really dumbstruck that someone would behave in this manner. All his actions of going in my car to get my blue badge, dragging me backwards (which really hurt my hands as I was traversing myself to the shop entrance), punching me, trying to get in my car a second time. It's just all fucking bollocks. The police officer said they aren't local, but why should that make any difference?

I'm totally unaware of the processes I should follow here and would appreciate any help. My disabilities hinder my mental acuity. Multiple disabilities are horrendous and I send love and light to you all who cope with this shit every day.

I'm so saddened by this thread, and shocked by people's stories.

This is horrific in 2017 and our supposedly civilized society. I feel absolutely sickened by some of your experiences.

Do you know who your Police Commissioner and Chief Constable are?

Yeah, found it just on the internet.

OP,

Here are the contact details of Tanni Grey Thompson. If you're inclined to go ahead and can't process how. Just give a brief intro & direct her to the Mn thread.

HTH.

Parliamentary
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 0207 219 3143
Fax: 0207 219 5979
Email: [email protected]
Web & Social media
Website Website: www.tanni.co.uk Twitter Twitter: @tanni_gt

OP,

Sorry, I'm not stalking you. I have emailed Baroness Grey Thompson & included a link to this thread.

You're a star, I'll email tonight or tomorrow. Can't thank you enough

Hello again OP. She's responded already & asked me to email link to your thread. Have done this. All the best.

You are a star Yoksha.
When you are feeling shocked and vulnerable like I'm sure the op is, taking assertive action like this can be scary.

The police officer said they aren't local, but why should that make any difference?

I'm no expert, but I wonder if the differing areas would have involved the police in more work (liaising with a another force, maybe?) Absolutely no excuse of course, but could it be they just couldn't be bothered with what they may have expected to be hassle?