Parking in disabled when pregnant

[Notagainsusan]

So I don't actually think I am bu but I just need someone else to wtf with me and have no one I can rant to in real life other than dh who may soon cut his ears off rather than listen to me again 😛

Good friend is pregnant. I have a 10 week old baby. Yesterday we went to the supermarket together. As we were driving round my friend commented on the lack of baby and parent spaces to which I said oh don't worry he's in his pram anyway so not like I really need the space (I mean he won't be running in front of cars etc and spaces at this shop are quite big so I could easily get the buggy out 😊).

Friend then comments how she can't walk very far atm.
I did internally eye roll at this. She is 7 weeks pregnant. So far in this pregnancy she has had every symptom known to man kind and keeps commenting how her bump is huge already. At 10 weeks post partum I have more of a bump than she does, she is literally stick thin. However I realise I'm being a bit mean here and she is very excited to be pregnant.

Anyway! As we drive around she pulls into a disabled space. I didn't think she had realised so I said oh this isn't parent and child it's disabled. To which she tells me that as she is pregnant she is fine to park in disabled?! I replied saying I didn't think that was true and we should probably move. She said she wasn't and tbh I didn't want the hassle of an argument as she had done me a favour by driving so I shut up.

We get out the car, do the shop, all fine. When we are getting back in the car I was folding the buggy etc when a lady approaches and starts having a go at me for using the space?! Saying how it is not for child and parents. I didn't get a chance to say anything back to this woman as she stormed off mid shout about how inconsiderate I was. Friend just stands there and then raises an eyebrow to me.

In the car I bring up the woman shouting at me and friend just says 'oh don't let her ruin your day'. 😳😳 I said maybe this is a lesson in not using disabled bays unless you're actually disabled and she went in a huff saying how she was feeling really hormonal and not sleeping well so she didn't want to have to walk far ?! She dropped us off at home and it was all a bit awkward.

I'm annoyed that I got the blame for her wanting to use a disabled bay! And that she is using one in the first place!

Prepared to be flamed as I probably should have got her to move but I've no idea how and couldn't face an argument with ds in the back waiting for his stinky nappy to be changed 😂

She shouldn't have parked there but..

when a lady approaches and starts having a go at me for using the space

People like this are mental busybodies and best ignored. So take such complaints with a pinch of salt

A friend's husband saw someone do this and they had no badge. He waited till they were inside the shop and let one of their tyres down
Hats off to him.

Wow, some rude people on here. I havent felt the need to park in one yet actually as theres always plenty of space elsewhere but i do not judge other for doing it at all.
I'm rude because I'm disabled and if some lazy fucker takes my space I can't shop. Good enough for you?

If you are heavily pregnant I think it's fine but not at 7 weeks
No, it's for people with disabilities so sod off.

Well said Duffy!

@ItsGoingTibiaK

Why have you tagged me

Oh dear, all these brave souls on crutches during pregnancy really put me to shame. I asked to use a disabled space at work once I got to a certain stage, as the car park was massive, and late starts like me always got left with the furthest-away spaces. My excuse was being pregnant with twins, the weight of which exacerbated my arthritis and one evening I fell in the car park on the long walk back to my car.

It was only for a few weeks before going on maternity leave but I wonder if others thought I was trying it on, or being lazy. I didn't think I was, but when I see how well others managed in worse circumstances, perhaps I was being precious. And OP, your friend definitely was!

You challenged her. Hopefully she’ll think twice next time, not much more you can do. I challenge people like her all the time and get abuse. Well done for saying something, you couldn’t physically make her move.

Overall pregnancy is a bad reason to park in blue badge spaces. That said, if you are 7 months gone with SPD, I’d cut you some slack.

He waited till they were inside the shop and let one of their tyres down.

That’s a bad way to respond. Better to report it to the shop.

Overall pregnancy is a bad reason to park in blue badge spaces. That said, if you are 7 months gone with SPD, I’d cut you some slack.

No no no. Nobody gets any slack for parking in blue badge spaces. Nobody.

@HarryElephante Not all disabilities are visible.

Correct. But, by law, a blue badge must be visible when using a disabled space. And it clearly wasn't in this case, because neither the OP or her friend are entitled to one.

Bet they never did it again purple
The shop wouldn't do anything

Your friend is an utter twat. I couldn't drive when I was pregnant and had to get the bus everywhere or walk at 9 months. How would she have coped?

@duffyluth Why have you tagged me

Apologies - wasn't paying attention. My rant was, of course, aimed at @whateverhappenstheremore

@busybarbara People like this are mental busybodies and best ignored. So take such complaints with a pinch of salt

Not all thanks.
After circling a car park a few times and waiting for a space to become available close to service station doors so we could physically carry my 26kg daughter to change her nappy on a piss ridden floor (cos only babies wear nappies) - I told some boy racers who blissfully parked in the next disabled spot that they were selfish wankers. I don't think I was a 'mental busybody'

if you are 7 months gone with SPD, I’d cut you some slack.

Really? There are disabled people out there fighting for PIP and getting turned down yet you think you should cut come slack to pregnant women

If you are heavily pregnant I think it's fine but not at 7 weeks

Why do you think this?
Do you realise how long and hard disabled people had to fight to have those spaces become not only available but a legal requirement?

I think your friend should park where she likes. If there were loads of disabled bays then i dont see what the issue is. If she took the last one i sort of see where the woman was coming from.

You do realise there is a reason they provide more than one space?

As if people like @Beaverdam actually exist?!

Oh they do. I encounter them often. “Only going to be 5 minutes” “you got parked what’s your problem” “it’s raining, I don’t want to get wet, there’s other spaces” “the other spaces are too small, I don’t want my Audi/BMW/Jag to get dinged”

I’m amazed that people who always claim there are too many BB spaces and that’s why they use them, never use the furthest away ones, always the one closest to the door.

YANBU but your friend is. My mum has had cancer twice and she cannot walk far as she gets breathless and is quite frail now for her age but she wouldn’t dream of parking in a disabled space.

*Oh dear, all these brave souls on crutches during pregnancy really put me to shame. I asked to use a disabled space at work once I got to a certain stage, as the car park was massive, and late starts like me always got left with the furthest-away spaces. My excuse was being pregnant with twins, the weight of which exacerbated my arthritis and one evening I fell in the car park on the long walk back to my car.

It was only for a few weeks before going on maternity leave but I wonder if others thought I was trying it on, or being lazy. I didn't think I was, but when I see how well others managed in worse circumstances, perhaps I was being precious. And OP, your friend definitely was!*

Was this a private staff-only car park, or a public one? If it was a public car park, the you were being very unreasonable.

@CGTER567

Was this a private staff-only car park, or a public one? If it was a public car park, the you were being very unreasonable.

Staff car park, but huge, for about 2,000 employees.

Isn’t it illegal to park in disabled without a sticker? You get fined in Aus. Parents parking is different.

Our local fb chat page has some people posting angry rants along with photos of people who park In the two electric bays if they don’t have an electric car.... it’s very amusing

I asked to use a disabled space at work once I got to a certain stage, as the car park was massive, and late starts like me always got left with the furthest-away spaces

Did they really have no other way of reserving spaces?

Really? There are disabled people out there fighting for PIP and getting turned down yet you think you should cut come slack to pregnant women

Pregnant women who have restricted mobility, yes. I would cut those people with a disability who can’t get a badge but need the space some slack too. And it’s not a race to the bottom.

Incidentally, the rules on BB spaces in private car parks are entirely different to public roadside spaces. The building regulations say a service provider must make reasonable adjustments for service users with additional needs. This extends to the provision of parking spaces. That doesn’t mean you MUST have a badge to park in those spaces. It is not illegal to park in those spaces. The law is about the provision of the spaces by the service provider. This is why they have absolutely no responsibility to make sure they aren’t abused. Supermarkets choose to put signs up suggesting a badge is required, but if they gave you a ticket, you could challenge this and as long as you can prove it was difficult for you to use a standard space because of a physical impairment, you would win the case. It doesn’t have to be a permanent disability.

I am fully aware we could end up in a situation where DD loses her badge, but is still a sometime wheelchair user. I would use spaces in private car parks if that were the case.