Is it unreasonable for a disabled person to park in a P and C space?

[HappybutsometimesGrouchy]

My Dh is disabled and has a blue badge. Today we drove up to our local shop which has 1 Disabled space and 1 P and C space. The disabled space was taken (by someone with no blue badge, might I add!) there is a car behind us waiting to park so we drove into the P and C space and I got out to help my dh. The woman in the car behind us rolls down her window and starts shouting obscenities at us saying we have no right to be parking there as we have no kids. I apologise to her and explain my husband has a blue badge and really needs the extra space to get out of the car. She then tells me she doesn't give a fuck, she has a child and needs the space also. I said I would move the car once I got my dh out and she charmingly tells me to 'piss right off you fat bitch' and drives on. I'm a bit shook up by at, I am not good at confrontation and she has upset me. Obviously she was BU to shout abuse at me but was it wrong of me to take the space? Happy to be told if it was.

Nah, disabled people need the space over a parent (I say this as someone who has a young child and has struggled badly with arthritis for the last 2yrs - the child is easier to get from a small space than what it would have been for your husband.

The woman’s a bitch. Don’t let it bother you

Nope. Not unreasonable at all. Blue badge trumps p+c space. Sorry that woman was so awful to you

She was a cunt. Your DH has a legal right to park there, she doesn't.

A disability trumps her little Timothy.

So sorry that happened to you

Of course you can park there! What an awful thing for you and your husband to have had happen to you x

You were reasonable ... You only wanted it for a few minutes ... She feels entitled ... She's an idoit who has little control of her own life so took the opportunity to abuse a stranger ... Probably made her feel good ... Don't let it ruin your evening :)

Charming!
Nope you weren't in the wrong! Poor you to have to be approached in that way.

No
She was unreasonable. Her child doesn't trump your husband's disability.

No not at all unreasonable.

No, you weren't wrong to use the space at all. Your DH needed that space. The parent and child spaces are great but, in my opinion, if someone else needs them more, they go to that person.

Not at all unreasonable to do so.

Don't think anyone could argue YABU to be honest, blue badge gives you the right to park pretty much anywhere within reason and that was certainly within reason.

Blue Badge trumps P & C every time. A person with a disability requiring a blue badge is obviously more in need of a space nearer to a shop than a person with a child.

Blue badge holders take precedence over parents in my view.

The p&c spaces at my local Tesco are nearer to the door and the trolleys than the disabled spaces. If I'm having a bad day I park in one. Haven't been challenged yet.

Not unreasonable at all, blue badge > parent and child

No.

Disabled people take priority.

Next time, just don't engage. You've done nothing wrong at all! Blue badge first every time!

Some people really shouldn't have kids...

Nope you totally were not unreasonable, how offensive! Disabled badges give you a right to park anywhere necessary as far as I am aware. If you needed to park in that spot then you should do! I have a baby, it’s really not that hard to park further away...the extra space is useful for car seats etc but not necessary as it would be for a wheelchair or similar.

Thank you all for your kind words. Im oversensitive at the best of times and she has embarrassed me and made me feel like shit. Genuinely didn't know if a disabled person could park in a parent and child space. Im autistic myself and a stickler for rules! Good to know it's not illegal, I really do worry about these things!

I hope she choked on her bile at the fish counter and ended up face-down in a haddock.

The only thing you did wrong was apologise to her!

What a vile lady. Of course you were in the right. Please don’t get upset over this.

In your case, no Blue Badge trumps P&C.
However, my local tesco has 10 P&C and 25 disabled spaces. I have never seen all 25 spaces full, but I have seen a blue badge holder with no children park in a P&C space which gave me the rage. They WBU because in all 25 disabled spaces, there were 7 cars.

As a side note, does anyone know if your allowed to use a blue badge when the disabled person isn't in the car? Because there's one particular guy who does that and it pisses me off no end.

I’m sorry this happened to you and your husband.

Blue badge trumps parent and child space at all times.

I hope you aren’t too shaken up 💐

She was definitely BU, I don't think you were at all. As someone with a 1 yr old and 7 months pregnant, I'd happily give a space up for someone with a disability. DS and I can get out in tight spaces, those with a disability not always can.