Woman shouted at me for parking in a disabled spot

[AusMumhere]

I parked in a disabled spot at the supermarket today. A woman about four cars away shouted at me and said 'that's a wheelie spot'. I shouted back 'I have a permit'. She then yelled 'where's ya walker?'. I said 'not all disabilities are visible'. I hate confrontation of any kind.
Should I have walked away or should I have responded? I'm still in shock that I shouted.

The assessment is done on an individual basis unless you automatically qualify

Yes, but what does that mean really? Should a person not have a BB, because they are stable, for who knows how long? They would have had to be bad to get it in the first place. Your views are troubling imo, as a nurse you should understand why someone suffering from obesity may require a BB as well. It is not for you to decide who needs a BB, thank goodness. And it is an assessment on an individual basis, which determines if a person is eligible for a BB, so I am not sure that you know what you are talking about,

I think some of your views are a bit concerning - especially if you’re a nurse. Blue badges are issued on an individual basis. The claimant has to either present robust evidence which meets the LA criteria for eligibility or satisfy the required components of Personal Independence Payment to qualify. In cases were the LA has doubts the claimant will attend a face to face interview. You can’t get a blue badge for simply being overweight, and nor can you claim PIP for that - I was a disability outreach worker for many years and the only badges I knew of issued for obesity were either for the underlying condition causing it, or for co-morbidities. And whether stable or not Crohns would rightly qualify the claimant for a badge, depending on how their individual condition affects them - as a nurse you should know that no two people are affected by the same condition in the same way.

You also seem to be under the impression that blue badges are issued automatically for cancer. They are not. There has to be a reason for issue. It works on the same principle as PIP - it’s not the disability it how it affects the claimant. Perpetuating the myth that blue badges are handed out like sweets has a knock on effect on the number of disabled people being challenged when they’re not doing anything wrong.

I’m glad you brought up the question of individual assessment because I’m not sure what this poster means either. Blue badge issue is assessed on an individual basis and there is a high bar for eligibility and many claimants have to attend a face to face interview before a decision is made.

In my professional experience I’ve also come across many Crohns sufferers and whether the condition was stable or not they all had badges because flare ups are unpredictable, as is urgency. No two people are affected by the same condition in the same way, so the badges would have been issued according to need.

I agree @Rosscameasdoody . My friend could go downhill really quickly, when she was having a flare up, and it could come on, out of the blue. Just these small concessions, such as having a BB, or radar key, can make such a difference, in her daily life.

And those who automatically qualify do so by satisfying the stringent mobility/mental health assessment for PIP. Unless this poster thinks PIP is handed out wholesale too, because that certainly seems to be how she views blue badge issue. This attitude and the myth it perpetuates, is the reason disabled people get challenged even when they’re displaying a perfectly valid badge - because Joe Public feels entitled to know every little detail as to how they qualified for it.

Makes me sick - I bet you didn’t get an apology either. Both DH and myself are disabled and we both have badges. I remember being in the supermarket car park on one occasion waiting in the car while he went in for some bits. His badge was the one displayed.

I watched a youngish couple making their way down the row of spaces examining the badges on cars parked in the disabled bays and when they got to ours there was a knock on the window. I wound it down to be met by a very superior young man telling me that it was illegal to park in a disabled bay if the disabled person wasn’t getting out. I waited until he’d finished and calmly picked up the badge and showed them the photograph of DH on the reverse, explaining that he was in the supermarket. Cue red faces and apologies all round. Fair enough.

Then I said, if you really want to see misuse have a look in the parent and child spaces and see how many children are sitting in the car while the parents are in the supermarket - explained that those spaces should only be used if the child is getting out of the car with the parent. They both scurried off and out of curiosity I watched where they went. Turned out it was straight back to their car which was parked in a P&C space. Their kid was sitting in the back and was hurriedly taken out of the car and disappeared into the supermarket with them !!

Mmm You have pretty much echoed my post that not all hidden disabilities require or may be entitled to a blue badge. I’ve also stated that not everyone with a cancer diagnosis may qualify. Therefore your gaslighted dramatic response that my views on this are quite concerning clearly suggest you have failed to read the post properly and you are simply looking to cause trouble. Twitter may be more appropriate for you.

Again not sure why they are troubling? As other posters have said just because they have a hidden disability doesn’t mean they automatically qualify?
My mum has suffered arthritis for 10 years which has not caused her any issues and she’s never had struggle to get in and out of car or walk long distances however in the last 6 months things have changed in her condition and we are now looking to apply for one. Everyone is different!

I watched a youngish couple making their way down the row of spaces examining the badges on cars parked in the disabled bays and when they got to ours there was a knock on the window. I wound it down to be met by a very superior young man telling me that it was illegal to park in a disabled bay if the disabled person wasn’t getting out. I waited until he’d finished and calmly picked up the badge and showed them the photograph of DH on the reverse, explaining that he was in the supermarket. Cue red faces and apologies all round. Fair enough.

Honestly, it never even entered their head, that it could be the driver who is disabled then! How shortsighted of them.

I’ve read it just fine thanks. And it’s still concerning, as is your rudeness. No one is saying all hidden disabilities require a blue badge - I certainly haven’t. What I have said is that those people with hidden disabilities deserve the same respect as those with obvious ones if they are displaying a valid blue badge. Because you can’t see the disability doesn’t mean it’s not there, and if the person has a blue badge it’s because someone a lot more qualified than a random passer by has decided they need it.

I’m concerned because you don’t seem to understand how blue badge criteria works - you kept referencing the fact that they are not issued on an individual basis when that is absolutely not the case. The only automatic qualification is if the claimant has an award of a qualifying component of PIP - which again is very stringently assessed - or if they have a terminal cancer diagnosis and are not expected to live more than twelve months, when the application is fast tracked. And in all cases the claimant is assessed on the medical evidence provided.

I’m struggling to see your point here if I’m honest, I’m also struggling to see where you actually said that not everyone with a cancer diagnosis may qualify for a badge - and again no-one has stated that to be the case.

I am glad people are challenging. I am fed up of spaces being taken by people not displaying a blue badge. I have been in contact with parking enforcement services who are going to send someone to ticket all the parents who keep parking in disabled spaces to collect their children because they do not want to walk a bit further.

Well hopefully that will deal with the problem. BB spaces are not a free for all to park in, unless they display a BB. That should be enough.

No you clearly didn’t! Not sure why you are concerned with me. Most people would be getting on with life rather than a post on a social media page. Maybe you should be seeking help.

I don’t think i was rude at all! You clearly were with your gaslighting post!!
As someone with a parent with a long term neurological condition, they were automatically were given a blue badge which they required as they were on the highest level of DLA.

I simply said not everyone does require or should qualify which you also advised the same.
You are simply trying to gaslight and cause further problems which really given this is social media chat u shouldn’t be ‘deeply concerned’ given your post has actually echoed what my post said!

My mum was in an end of life facility in a nhs centre in Scotland - she stayed for 14 months in the end (it was during covid) so we visited frequently.

And the parking was insane. Plenty of disabled bays but full of cars with no badges. You would see staff getting into cars in the spaces (there is a staff car park but round the back)! My dad had a blue badge but never once got into one of these spaces (next to the building).

People also parked on double yellow lines, in the emergency bay...

I took it up with my dad's local councillor who reported back that there was no parking enforcement at the hospital. The local authority didn't do it because it's private property but also the nhs had enforcement at its other two properties but not this one.

And so everyone parked wherever they liked.

I was so shocked that, given no enforcement, people would do this. Seriously, it's as if the disabled bays didn't matter.

People are awful.

No-one should be challenging where a valid blue badge is on display. A random passer by doesn’t have the right to question why the badge has been issued - the fact that it’s there should be enough. Disabled people have a right to privacy and dignity and being challenged by entitled people demanding to see and handle the badge, and asking questions about their condition is unacceptable. I’m not a fan of challenging where there is no badge displayed either. There are plenty of avenues for reporting - the LA or car park operator will be only too happy to fine them if they are made aware of it.

But in my example of the Scottish hospital, no one was enforcing any parking rules and that included the disabled places. Scottish hospitals don't charge for parking so there is no incentive to pay for parking attendants and no one in the hospital is interested. So the disabled bays are just used by any old visitor/ staff and there seems to be nothing anyone can do about it.

You are not ‘automatically’ issued a blue badge on claiming DLA or any other disability benefit - DWP administer disability benefits and are nothing to do with blue badge issue. DLA was replaced by PIP in 2013 and only those over a certain age at that time were allowed to remain on it. I don’t doubt that your parent has one, but they would have had to apply to the local authority for it and have provided proof of the higher rate mobility component of DLA. They would still have to do this every three years, as that’s the maximum issue period of a blue badge.

And yes, you are, very rude. So far you’ve accused me of gaslighting you, causing trouble and suggested that I’d be better on Twitter !! And your latest post suggests I should seek help. What’s that if not rude and insulting ? I’m not echoing anything you’ve said, because I don’t agree with anything you’ve said. Once more with feeling, no-one should be challenging anyone displaying a valid blue badge - whether the disability is visible or not. Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there. No-one here is saying that all invisible disabilities, or indeed all disabilities should qualify for a badge - and they don’t. Every application is decided on its’ merits on an individual basis.

I really can’t be bothered engaging with this any more - I think it’s you who’s out for an argument. Try Twitter - that way you won’t be constantly derailing the OP’s thread.

If they’re not enforcing the parking rules on the hospital grounds I don’t think there’s an awful lot you can do. I never encourage challenging where there is no badge, because basically if someone doesn’t respect a disabled parking bay, they’re unlikely to have much respect for a member of the public trying to uphold the rules and you’re likely to get a face full of abuse for your efforts. It’s risky. Usually there are other avenues to report and get something done, but I agree this situation is different.

As mentioned upthread not all disabled bays are legally enforceable, so you might want to have a look at the signage on the disabled bays. If it doesn’t include the blue and white wheelchair plate or a specific instruction to display a valid blue badge, then it’s a concession only and has no legal standing - basically anyone can park there. The advice will be to leave the spaces for those who need them, but most people ignore it in my experience.

Could you write to the NHS trust to draw their attention to the overall situation and ask them to look into it ?

It seemed to be a game to them - they were walking up to cars and peering at the badges. It clearly hadn’t dawned on them that the BB holder could either be driver or passenger. When I pointed out the misuse of the P&C bays they shifted back to their own car pretty quickly and disappeared into Tesco with the child who had previously been sitting in the back of the car parked in a P&C bay !!

I haven’t been rude to you.

I’m not ‘gaslighting’ you.

You have misinterpreted or misread what I’ve said - at no point have I even discussed whether all those who have an invisible disability - or visible ones for that matter - are entitled to a badge.

I can read.

There is nothing wrong with my reading or interpretation - I’m not the only one who has called out your posts.

I have no ‘learning needs’ thank you but I’ll be sure to let you know if I develop any.

In the meantime I think your posts are personally attacking me, so I’m reporting that as such to MN. Have a great day.

You accused my post as very concerning simply because I said not all hidden disabilities require a blue badge. They bloody don’t!

Blue badge holders can use parent and child spaces if disabled spaces are full

Yep. P&C spaces are concessions and not legally enforceable. Having said that, on the couple of occasions I’ve used one as a last resort I’ve always been challenged, so I don’t think many people are aware that it’s perfectly legal for others to park in them if there’s nowhere else.