To have been upset have a blue badge?

[Calypso44]

Yes sorry another disabled parking space one. And have nc'd as spoke to a friend about it who I know sometimes uses MN.
I had a GP appt this morning, I parked in a disabled bay. I have a blue badge for my car due to disability and I also struggle to walk long distances due to health condition. As I was pulling in, the man who had just pulled into the next disabled bay before me was pointing aggressively at the 'BLUE BADGE HOLDERS ONLY' sign. I ignored it as I am a blue badge holder.
As he got out of his car he came and knocked on my window and said 'you're parked in a blue badge space' I said yes I know I have a blue badge and pointed to it. He didnt apologise, walked off tutting and saying something about 'youngsters defrauding the system'. I'm 26, so not exactly a 'youngster'.

Maybe they could paint that phrase in the disabled bays too!

And I was right though, just from watching. There were 800+ prosecutions for misuse in 2015, so not everyone using them is disabled. And that is just the ones that were caught. And the ones that actually have a badge, many just park up in them with no badge at all just to pop in to the shop or whatever.

Not everyone is a cunt. That’s the point I’m making. A lot of them are just trying to keep disabled bays for disabled people.

He's an arsehole op. But lots of people are like this. Now I think people who abuse blue badges are terrible, but really he needs to wait to see if you put a blue bash on the dash before getting passive aggressive!

My friend has a blue badge, and we often have people trying to tell us we can't park in the space. That's until they see her struggle to get out and then they back off quite quickly. Although we once had a woman actually stand in the middle of a space to try and stop us parking in it!

Sorry you have had to put up with this OP. I know people are selfish, but it does seem to be an old man thing. I'm lucky that I don't have a disability. However, I live in a rural area and I drive to the dentist as it is a few miles away. If people park considerately, there is room for 6 cars, but don't you know it, lots of the elderly patients are atrocious drivers and as someone else has said, should not be on the road. They certainly cannot park considerately.

2 years ago one old man blocked me in. I had parked in front of the receptionist (as she told me to do) and left a space next to me, right next to the surgery door. The inconsiderate old tosser had parked in front of me, managing to block in 5 other cars - actually quite a feat of twattish parking. I went back in the surgery to ask whose car it was as I needed to get to work. He was really abusive to me, telling me he had "special permission to park there blah blah". No he didn't! The receptionist heard him and went bonkers, then told the dentist who owns the practice who also had a go. Grudgingly and with much faffing, he moved so I could get out. He was warned as to his behaviour and told that at every future appointment, they would check his parking.

In the OP's case, I would report it to the reception staff. They normally have signs up about being respectful to staff and I think it should extend to anyone on the premises.

Please don't let this get to you. There are a lot of ignorant people around.

I have a 2.5 year old daughter with a genetic condition that means she cannot walk or talk among other issues. Developmentally she is around 9-12 months with understanding so very minimal. She has a blue badge. I get funny looks using it - I don't think people realise it is for her and not me, they just see me lift a toddler in and out of the car into her buggy. What they don't realise is that doing this in a standard sized space is virtually impossible as she is so big but cannot climb in/out the car herself so we need the space to get the door wide so we can both fit in at the same time.

I would give it back tomorrow in exchange for her to be able to walk and be cognitively where she should be.

She is getting a wheelchair in place of her buggy next month so I assume the looks will lessen then since so many people need to see visible proof of disability to believe you are entitled to the spaces. A thick skin is needed at times x

Sadly though it is abused by some, who rely on the fact that most people will not challenge them. I have a blue badge, and without the wider spaces would not be able to get out of the car as I cannot bend my leg. I have to confess though that even I look twice at some with blue badges, those who hop out of the car and run into the shop. I also still don't quite understand why some disabilities such as MH etc need the wider space .....not being goady but often wonder if there should be 2 types of space - those with physical mobility who need the wider spaces, and those with other disabilities.

"I also still don't quite understand why some disabilities such as MH etc need the wider space .."

Some are wheelchair or sn buggy users for sensory or safety reasons.
It is difficult to get someone in or out of the car when they are having a meltdown ( and trying to attack you)
Some cannot fasten themselves in or have special safety equipment in the car.
Less likely to damage cars nearby.

These are our reasons.

It's easier to keep hold of someone when you have more space around the car.

My son's gorgeous, tall, charming and seemingly able-bodied 20 year old friend has a BB. To which he is perfectly entitled given the serious and life-threatening nature of his "hidden" disability. Sadly he is unlikely to live to an age where people will stop haranguing him for abuse of a BB.

Just ignore, you know you're entitled to the BB and that's what counts.

On the flip side, when you have a child whose autism is far from hidden, in all its drooly, stimmy, scripting glory, they constantly have people
A) sniggering
B) moving away in horror
C) tell you, at length, about their nephew who designs websites for a living.

I’m not getting why being able to push your own wheelchair means you aren’t disabled, or are being cheeky in some way. Wheelchair users are not just put in for day! And pushing one can act as a walking aid like a Zimmer frame can.

I only got my BB 6 months ago and threads like this worry me, that I may get this in the future when I use it. I have MS and my balance is very shakey and I struggle to walk distances so will use it but await someone questioning it.

Did see a cheeky parent this morning parked in the school Disabled bay, meerily walking back to her car with a costa. No badge in sight. Meant I had to park further away.

@Pericombobulations

My young adult relative has had a BB for 7 years and never been challenged and has used it properly in lots of different areas.

Report the cheeky parent to school.

Unfortunately there are a lot of people around who equate disability with old age. I had 'my entitlement' to sit in a priority seat on a bus questioned a couple of months ago (I am registered disabled and use one,sometimes 2,walking sticks). A man said to me 'Excuse me miss,but should you be sitting there? It's a disabled priority seat and there's a lady here who needs it'. I replied 'I AM disabled. That's why I'm using walking sticks'. His reply? 'Oh,you don't look old enough to be disabled'. I'm 54 btw,so not exactly young! But since when has age had anything to do with disability?!

My relative 'ran out of legs' in the supermarket earlier today, so I told her to go and sit down in the courtesy seats provided. It's a very usual procedure for her, so I didn't bother to check, just finished the shopping and assumed she's be resting while I did that and checked out.

I checked out and when I got to where she should have been seated in a block of 3 chairs near the supermarket entrance/exit, I found her standing because there was an old man in one and an old lady with him, also standing, who had blocked one seat with her trolley and was re-packing her shopping by using the other free seat.
My relative has communication difficulties so couldn't ask them to move, so now I have another job when we're out, look and make sure there's a seat available.
Just a few minutes to rest there would have meant she could cope for another few hours, now she's absolutely exhausted.

My DS has a blue badge and uses a wheelchair - he can’t walk and never has been able to. I’ve lost count of the number of times it’s been “suggested” that we park in a parent and child space instead of taking up a disabled bay

Some people seem to think that it’s ok to ask why he’s disabled under the guise of checking that he is entitled to the badge. When told to mind their own business they often look terribly offended that we don’t want to discuss his personal medical history with a random stranger

My favourite though was the time we were reported to the council for abuse of the blue badge because “the woman taking the wheelchair out of the boot didn’t look disabled”. Quite right I’m not disabled at all but I wasn’t the one subsequently getting out of the car and into the chair.

DS is now well into his teens and has developed a thick skin and the ability to smile; nod and ignore but when he was little he would often get quite upset about being challenged.
I can appreciate how difficult it is for people with hidden disabilities who have a blue badge knowing what we’ve come across with a plainly visible one.

BlankTimes, you are correct, the pic is indeed on the back and the numbers and letters do tell a story. I hadn't realised before. I just opened the envelope when they arrived, stuck them in my specially purchased bright orange holder and took them to DPs car and have taken very little notice of it ever since. I sometimes take it out of the car to use in someone elses, but I still don't really look at it, as such.

I wonder how non disabled people would feel if we all went looking in their cars, to spot if they have anything that doesn't comply with the law? Might try that next time I'm out! Or I might question parents with older children who don't need the safety of P&C parking, why they're using it when it's more designed for younger dc and pushchairs, etc? Wish me luck!

Or go up to parents in the P&C section and say ‘ You look far too old for these to be your actual children. Have you got proof they are yours?’

Nice one, Skating