'You don't look disabled' - asking for your best comebacks.

[MycatsaPirate]

I have a blue badge and drove to the shops today to get about 6 things. I parked in a disabled bay. A man in the passenger seat in the next car plus an older man in the car in front were both staring at me. The older man kept looking into his car and then back at me, he was saying something to the driver and then kept staring at me. They had just arrived and he wasn't moving away from the car. Clearly he was waiting for me to get out so he could lambast me for parking in a blue badge bay (and no he wasn't waiting for anyone else, as soon as I put the blue badge up and got out he walked off).

So I get this alot - you don't look disabled!

Well no, I probably don't because I have all my limbs and I assume that a vast majority of disabilities are invisible. So here are my best comebacks. Please share yours and feel free to steal any you like for future use!

• Thank you! I try not to let my disability define me as a person.
  

• oh! What DOES a disabled person look like?
  

• Well, you don't look like you say stupid things but you just did! Looks are deceptive aren't they?
  

Frustrated with pain today - not grumpy - just tired.

[AllThatGlistensIs]

With 2 of my DC having various disabilities, one being a wheelchair user and another diagnosis being Tourette's Syndrome, I get fucking sick of the stereotypical jokes surrounding it.

I shouldn't have bitten and responded because this is far too close to home for comfort, but I can assure you, my child does not suffer with the extremely rare Coprolalia.

His Tourette's affects him physically. He suffers with constant, uncontrollable facial tics, grimaces, snorts and flails his limbs around continually. He is stared at wherever we go, and I've been told on many occasions what a shame it is because he is such a bright, physically beautiful boy. Until he moves. Apparently.

He does not call people cunts and I wish people would perhaps think before cracking these jokes. It really, really isn't funny to so many of us who have to deal with this disability day in day out

[riobruins]

mycatsapirate sorry if it came across a touch off that wasn't my intention. I was just trying to say that it's not acceptable to treat anyone like that so try not to inadvertently say that it's okay to treat mentally disabled people like that. I'm sure no one means it like that but it's just it how comes across.

I get the whole ignored thing albeit in a different way. I've had people just walk away when I've been trying to say something but can't stop ticcing long enough to get anything much out or told to shut up because you're just wasting my time. It's exceptionally disrespectful.

[jmh740]

Driveinsunday our local asda have a similar sign.

Oh was shouted at by a woman last week for parking in a disabled bay (at asda) it was the first time it had happened and he was really upset about it I'll show him this thread to give him some ideas. Even after he had said he had a invisible disability and showed her his blue badge she told him he shouldn't have it because he could walk!

[MycatsaPirate]

rio It's fine, it's words on a screen and there's no way of telling how they are meant to come across. We are all guilty of misreading something that's not there and I'm sorry if I also came across as touchy.

All I totally agree. All of us on this thread are affected by disability and shouldn't be mocking other disabilities to get at others who are having a go at them. I am so sorry you have to deal with this on behalf of your son. My dd has facial tics, nowhere near as bad as your son but she is under assessment for autism and I don't know whether that's part of it or something else. She is a beautiful girl who just can't help doing it. It doesn't make her a lesser person any more than it makes your son a lesser person!

I think this thread has opened my eyes to a lot of things I didn't really understand and I thank everyone for sharing the things they have to deal with.