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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

WIBU to park in a disabled space?

456 replies

FairfaxAikman · 05/11/2018 07:13

Ordinarily I wouldn't dream of it.

Our local supermarket closes off half the car park with barriers overnight to deter boy racers. It doesn't reopen until after 8am. ALL of the parent and child spaces are in the closed off side.

DS is still small enough to be in his car seat. In the past if I've arrived before 8am I've parked in a normal space but every time I've ended up with someone next to me, making it hard to get DS back in.

There is a row of 10 disabled spaces, all empty. WIBU to park in the furthest one from the shop?

OP posts:
Schuyler · 07/11/2018 22:22

The worrying thing is that he’s probably not a troll, just a twat. I see them a lot, especially in supermarkets. What is it about supermarket car parks that make people act this way?

Samcro · 07/11/2018 23:14

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Bananacakes · 08/11/2018 00:00

@Schuyler firstly I’m talking about supermarket carparks which are on private land and managed by private companies. She often does get out even just to have a moan to anyone who’ll listen, she is a law unto herself, but as the Blue Badge is displayed in the car and she is a passenger that is not misuse. She also sometimes comes into the supermarket but returns to the car after using the cafe or whilst I’m packing the shopping etc because she needs to go and sit down. There are multiple reasons why someone may be sat in the car. As the person above was ranting about people sitting in cars with blue badges I responded. Although how she knows who’s Badge it is and who is sat in the car I’ve no idea.
Seeing as no one monitors the badges I can’t imagine how on Earth hers would get removed.

aLilNonnyMouse · 08/11/2018 08:17

Sometimes I arrive at a place and find the drive there has made me too unwell to go in. I will still park in a blue badge space while my partner goes in for me.

If there was an emergency, let's say the car was on fire somehow, I would be physically trapped inside the car in a normal space (wheelchair user).

More than once I've needed to go find my a staff member to tell my partner to come back so we can go to hospital. I can't just call him as I'm also deaf and text messages are easily missed.

If someone actually has a badge don't go trying to police their use of it it's nothing to do with you.

ProfessorMoody · 08/11/2018 08:30

Sometimes, I've already been in a shop and have had to come out because I've had a panic attack, got tired or am in too much pain. Therefore I sit in the car and to someone just arriving, look like I've never left.

Sometimes, I'll go into a shop on my own and leave my husband sat in the car. I do this on my therapist's advice, as I have PTSD and shops or being alone are triggers for me, so I'm trying to build confidence by trying things in a safe situation. My husband might be sat in the car but I'm the blue badge holder and have left the vehicle.

Sometimes I might be sat in the car because there were no other suitable spaces to park in while my husband shops. I don't leave the house very often so will on occasion sit in the car while he drives and pops to tesco, just to get out of the four walls I feel so enclosed in. If he parked in a normal space and I needed to use the toilet, had a flare of my bowel condition or there was an emergency, I wouldn't be able to get my wheelchair out of the car, or transfer into it if I was in a normal parking space.

For Christ's sake. The sooner people stop judging the disabled the better. If someone is parked in a blue badge space and they have a blue badge there are a WEALTH of reasons why someone may be sat in the vehicle. Sod off and confront someone who doesn't have a blue badge and stop trying to make people's lives more difficult when every second is already a struggle.

Samcro · 08/11/2018 08:34

thank you to the posters who have shared why they sometimes stay in the car. its something I have never thought about. so have learned something. I rarely use BB bays now as my dd has grown up and is living away from home.

BishBoshBashBop · 08/11/2018 08:36

one of our local supermarkets has almost half of the bays reserved for blue badge holders and about 5 child/parent spaces. I regularly park in the disabled bays, because they are often the only ones empty.

Well as the saying goes @dadshere as yiu want my space would you also like my disability? No, thought not.

Schuyler · 08/11/2018 09:04

@Bananacakes I genuinely wasn’t having a go at you, so hope you didn’t feel that way. Itotally understand why a BB holder might need to stay in the car. I was just concerned. My grandma had an issue with this and got told off. :( I’m also a BB holder, so not coming from a place of ignorance either. Anyway, have a good day. :)

Valanice1989 · 08/11/2018 15:31

For the genuine percentage of blue badge holders, I'd say the vast majority won't be up & about so early due to their conditions & need for medications etc

Just. WTF?

MN has really given me a window into how much prejudice there still is against disabled people.

Angelf1sh · 10/11/2018 08:18

Valanice1989 yep we get that nonsense all the time 🙄

looselegs · 10/11/2018 15:25

Blue badge holders actually have to pay for their badges, so, in effect, pay for their parking even in free car parks.
Oh, and blue badge holders actually have presidence over mother and child spaces to- if there are no blue badge spaces left then they can park in m & b spaces as long as they display their badge.

NOTthepinkranger · 10/11/2018 15:30

Do people on here think just anyone can get a blue badge? Also do they think that if you’re disabled you shouldn’t leave the house before or after a certain time ffs?

Aquilla · 10/11/2018 15:38

Disabled spaces are always empty at night! Seems a waste to me...

BishBoshBashBop · 10/11/2018 17:41

Disabled spaces are always empty at night! Seems a waste to me...

So are most orher spaces. How about you use one of them and don't be a GF?

ProfessorMoody · 10/11/2018 18:22

Blue badge holders actually have to pay for their badges

Err, no we don't.

BishBoshBashBop · 10/11/2018 18:24

Err, no we don't.

Yes you do in oir council.

ProfessorMoody · 10/11/2018 18:36

Wow. Sucks to be you!

PMSwithacockinmydress · 10/11/2018 19:40

Have to pay with our council too.

hazeyjane · 10/11/2018 19:46

It's £10 here.

PMSwithacockinmydress · 10/11/2018 19:52

Double that here.

Sirzy · 10/11/2018 20:12

£10 here. I knew the application has been successful when they took the money!

Flowerpot2005 · 10/11/2018 20:31

Christ you're a judgemental lot lol !

Background: I helped run a centre for disabled people. We wanted to start early, people asked us not to because they had medications, time for meds to work etc. They asked for 10-10.30am & that's what we did.

We had, over a week 200+ people attending the sessions. Those who criticise, how many people have you worked with or spoken to in order to give opinion other than your own?

Londongirl888 · 10/11/2018 21:56

Get a grip and thank God you are not disabled. I am shocked you are still griping about this. Seriously if it bothers you to let less needy have priority please reconsider and maybe shop elsewhere where there are p& c spaces.

Sleepyblueocean · 11/11/2018 07:42

Flowerpot2005 there are millions of people with disabilities who work. There are thousands of children with disabilities who are setting off for school before 8 am.

Sleepyblueocean · 11/11/2018 07:49

You are coming across as someone with a very narrow idea of the lives of people with disabilities.