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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Woman/friend parking in disabled spaces...

52 replies

Shootingstar1115 · 02/05/2019 18:47

So the other day I was visiting my home town and nipped into the the local supermarket. As I was walking from my car I realised one of mums friend getting out her car which was parked in a disabled bay and went in the shop with her children (teenagers so too old for mother and child spaces). I hadn’t seen her for a year or two and I tried to remember if any of them had any form of disability or illness but I’m pretty sure there wasn’t anything plus they didn’t leave a disabled badge in the dash board as far as I could see. I did my shop and came out and she was still parked there - so not a quick visit. I then went to my mums and asked if any one them were disabled and she said no.. (she is good friends with her)

Now I’m not usually one to moan about who parks where but it was the afternoon, the car park was full, people rely on those spaces including two of my relatives!!

Was it terrible of her to park there? Surely most people don’t do this??

OP posts:
krustykittens · 02/05/2019 18:49

Yes, it is terrible. Your friend is a shit to park in disabled spaces. She is making a disabled person's life just that bit more difficult because she is too fucking lazy to walk a few more yards.

CoraPirbright · 02/05/2019 18:51

Able bodied people who park in disable spaces are the scum of the earth. It’s really as simple as that.

Figgygal · 02/05/2019 18:53

Of course it was terrible she's a selfish inconsiderate arsehole if parking there without a legitimate need

TildaKauskumholm · 02/05/2019 18:53

Have a word with her. Some disabled people really need that wide space or they can't get out of their car. CF!

ScrewyMcScrewup · 02/05/2019 18:54

What a cunt.

nokidshere · 02/05/2019 18:54

Only my 3 closest friends know that I have a blue badge. I don't discuss it with anyone else.

GreenEggsHamandChips · 02/05/2019 18:55

They are scum if the earth. But then i'm not much of a fan of people who think they have a right to police them or judge my DS' disability....

OldAndWornOut · 02/05/2019 18:55

Incredibly selfish of her.

ILoveMyCaravan · 02/05/2019 18:55

Yes it was terrible of her! I've lost count of the times I've had to abandon my trip out because some selfish sod has parked without a badge in a disabled bay. I'm a bb holder obviously.

SnuggyBuggy · 02/05/2019 18:57

It's pretty terrible

Fairylea · 02/05/2019 18:58

If she didn’t have a blue badge and was misusing the space then that’s dreadful.

However, playing devils advocate- you can’t always judge whether someone you know is disabled or not based on what you see. I claim PIP and don’t tell anyone; I have a hidden disability and really struggle a lot of the time but I keep it well hidden. Admittedly I don’t have a blue badge but if I did I wouldn’t tell anyone and if someone I knew saw me getting out of a disabled space or knew I claimed pip they would probably think I was some sort of lying arsehole. I’m not. I just can’t be bothered to explain myself to people all the time.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 02/05/2019 18:58

But you would have displayed your badge in your car, wouldn’t you, @ - even if this person was similarly reticent about having a blue badge, they didn’t display it, and that does rather weigh things in favour of them misusing the space, I think.

NeutralJanet · 02/05/2019 18:58

If there was no blue badge displayed then yes she is a twat. I had an ex friend who used to use a disabled relative's badge to park even when they weren't there, and saw nothing wrong with doing it. Part of a pattern of selfish behaviour that explains why I cut contact.

myrtleWilson · 02/05/2019 19:00

But the OP says the friend didn't leave a blue badge out so regardless of who knows who has a blue badge, you'd still put it on display to use a disabled parking space surely?

Disfordarkchocolate · 02/05/2019 19:00

If it was a spot where a blue badge needs to be displayed just let the customer services desk know. Otherwise, just leave well alone as you may not know of hidden disabilities.

OldAndWornOut · 02/05/2019 19:01

You have to display the badge to park, I think?

Iwantacookie · 02/05/2019 19:05

Problem is nothing happens to these people.
They need to be fined and have points on their licence.
It's not like parent and child spaces.
I get so angry about it dp is disabled and the amount of people who abuse these spaces is disgusting.
If they want the space that badly they are welcome to the disability that comes with it

GreenEggsHamandChips · 02/05/2019 19:07

But you would have displayed your badge in your car, wouldn’t you,

I remember coming back to a nasty note on my windscreen once because i didnt have a blue badge up.... id forgotten because DS' was having a bad day and was struggling with his disability. It really didnt help and i can remember how upset i was years later

And no if its on private land the blue badge isn't a necessity. If the space is on private land including supermarkets its up to the land owner to specify blue bage only. Disabled parking on private land doesnt necessarily require a blue badge.

Mammylamb · 02/05/2019 19:08

Perhaps she or the kids had a disability your mum doesn’t know about?

I embarrassed myself once. With my friend and his partner. His partner parked in a disabled space, I was horrified. My friend said don’t worry they have a blue badge as he is disabled. I couldn’t think of why. He reminded me that as he’s blind, he is disabled. I had completely forgotten that his blindness was a disability. I felt like a right idiot

Passthecherrycoke · 02/05/2019 19:09

It’s private land so it doesn’t really matter if you have a blue badge or not, it’s up to the supermarket to enforce and not many do really do they?

Of course yanbu OP but obviously people parking against rules isn’t new? Are you just really surprised because you know them?

Original poster
Shootingstar1115 · 02/05/2019 19:10

I am fully aware of hidden disabilities but I’m pretty sure she doesn’t have any form of disability and didn’t spot a blue badge when I walked past! As far as I know her kids do not. It was the lack of blue badge that made me think..

OP posts:
Original poster
Shootingstar1115 · 02/05/2019 19:12

I probably wojldnt have took any notice to somebody I didn’t know using one because I would just have assumed they had a disability. Whereas I’m pretty certain she doesn’t. She does have a large expensive car and I believe it’s because she doesn’t want people to ding her car. I have seen her updating her status about others hitting her car whilst parking but I’d rather see somebody park across two spaces than use a disabled bag!

OP posts:
Original poster
Shootingstar1115 · 02/05/2019 19:13

Bay

OP posts:
GreenEggsHamandChips · 02/05/2019 19:17

I get so angry about it dp is disabled and the amount of people who abuse these spaces is disgusting.

You really have no ability to tell.

Another story..... we parked in a disabled spot. DS got out and was walking around. Staff member came running up telling us

"You cant park there as it was for disabled people",
"its alright my son is says i."

"No no for people with REAL disabilities who need wheelchairs"
"What like this one here?"

Ten minutes later he had collapsed was wheelchair bound and they were offering ramps for him and everything.

I'll say it again There may be a special place in hell for those who abuse wheelchair spaces. But theres a place in hell for those who judge others too

MontStMichel · 02/05/2019 19:27

Yes, it is terrible! In our experience, it happens all the time. I can't tell you how often we take DD out (she has a blue badge) and all the BB spaces are taken up - half of them with no badge! Motorway service stations, supermarket car parks, cinema car parks, you name it....

The owner of a supermarket or wherever has a duty I believe to provide BB spaces as a percentage of the car park spaces - and if they allow non BB cars to take them up, then they are breaching their duties under the Equality Act. Somebody was taking action on those grounds against one of the major supermarkets locally, because he said he could never get in a BB space and they did nothing to police it!

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