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.

I had a man accost me for that once as I walked round to open the boot ‘you’re not disabled!’ I said ‘well your glasses work as that’s true I’m not but he is!’ I pointed past him to where my mother was pushing my Dad in his wheelchair to the car. As he deflated a lot due to not catching someone out I said ‘now if you have quite finished making a tit of yourself you will need to excuse me as I have to help transfer my father!’

They are handing those Wheelchair cards out like smarties. A lazy and overweight neighbour of mine is trying to get one. My brother, who is in a wheelchair, frequently can't park in wheelchair spots because they are taken by people who have can walk without any issue. The system is being abused.

Only people in wheelchairs, or people are have significant difficulties, walking should get them. It's turning into a joke.

My friend can physically walk without any issue, except she can't see when it is daylight (has photophobia). She was issued a Blue Badge despite not being on PIP, because she can't see where she is going, and has to have someone guide her.
She has to submit a lot of evidence whenever her BB needs renewing. She gets one, so is entitled.

Some disabilities aren’t visible which is correct, and some people have disabilities that good days and bad days, just because you “can” doesn’t mean you “should”

We shouldn't get in to disability top trumps. If the organisation who provides the badges decide that a person is disabled enough to need one, then they should have one, and they should use the spaces provided for them. They aren't given out like sweeties, you do have to have a specific reason for requiring the spaces. Not every disabled person is eligible for a badge.

What's a wheelchair card?

"Good days and bad days" - yes because disability comes and goes like the wind......one day you can just start skipping and running around.

To be fair, there are some disabilities where this can be the case. My friend has lupus. On her good days she can run for miles. On her bad days, she can't get out of bed.

Unfortunately they are given out like sweets by some doctors.
My brother has a wheelchair bay outside his house. He lives a 20 min walk from a well known concert venue. Whenever a concert is due to take place, you can guarantee a chancer with a badge will try take it if he's not at home.
Anyone who can walk 20 mins to a concert venue, enjoy the concert, and make the walk back to the car hours later is taking the piss. They shouldn't be taking the space from someone who is actually disabled.

I think you need to look up the criteria. I can walk 20 metres. I can't do it safely without the help of another person due to dual sensory loss

This, I have better days than others it doesn't mean I'm skipping about cured usually just means I'm in less pain I'm still going to use a disabled spot (or the lift) to maintain the better day.

I can't even be arsed to comment on the concert space scenario I mean how dare somebody have an evening out.

I get the same. I just say I'm registered blind 🤷🏻‍♀️

Lol at wheelie. Where on earth do you live?

I don't know you, or your condition Tigerrag, so I'm not going to discuss your difficulty.

I'm talking about people who are able bodied, can obviously walk unaided, who feel no guilt in taking a space from a genuinely disabled person.

Where I'm from, you get your car for cheaper, and tax back on petrol if you have a wheelchair card. Obviously the system will get scammed.

Australia

You did just comment on it though.

Anyone who can walk 20 mins to a concert venue, spend hours there, and walk back to their car, should not be taking disabled spaces from people who are genuinely disabled. That's a scam.

I have spoken to many wheelchair users who say the system is abused.

Erm, do you think it's easy to get a blue badge?! We had to provide a ridiculous amount of evidence for my child's blue badge.

I honestly can’t count how many times I have had abuse for parking in a disabled bay, my Mum is disabled so I get out first and then go to get her door and people see me and just go off on one. It’s always been other people with blue badges who want the space, their attitude has always been terrible.

Had the same shite once being parked in a parent and child space, sat in the car (massively 9 months pregnant with a huge toddler car seat in the back) while DH took our toddler DS in to get new shoes. Parking brings out the wanker in everyone.

Blue badges are not given out by doctors. The disabled person has to apply to the issuing local authority and the criteria are stringent. The decision to issue a badge isn’t dependent on the applicants’ GP or any other doctor. It’s dependent on whether the medical evidence presented supports the fact that the applicant satisfies the conditions for issue of a badge. And that decision is down to the local authority.

On your point about the disabled bay - it may be outside your brothers’ house but if it’s on street it isn’t for his exclusive use. Anyone with a valid badge can park in it. And it might interest you to know that blue badges aren’t just issued for walking disabilities - they can be issued for any number of conditions where walking would exacerbate them. Heart conditions for example. Mental health disabilities where there is no appreciation of danger, epilepsy and other seizure based disabilities. Too many to list here. So the criteria for how far someone can walk doesn’t always apply - and even when it does it’s not just the distance covered, it’s’ the manner in which someone walks, how long it takes, how much help they need, whether it causes them pain, and many other considerations.

If someone has a valid badge then they have been awarded it by someone far more qualified than you to judge whether they qualify for it, and they can legally use that or any other disabled space. To call people you know nothing about chancers and piss takers is fairly disgusting and shows a lack of critical thinking.

You don't need to be in a wheelchair to used disabled spaces though. A lot of people get permits/BB to use those spaces and do not use wheelchairs.

@Inabitofbother

I think the bar to get them does vary. My dd was offered one (or rather I was offered one as dd is forbidden from driving as she's epileptic) when we were collecting her disabled bus pass, the lady at the council was surprised when I turned it down, my dd doesn't have any mobility issues unless she's having a seizure, and her kind of seizure aren't the kind that parking spaces make any difference. According to the council lady the blue badge is offered with a disability bus pass automatically at that council. Not being able to drive for medical reasons is separate to your ability to walk to the supermarket, some people need both but not all. I couldn't with good conscience take it

Of course it’s not a scam, what an ignorant thing to say. The ability to walk isn’t a factor in many disabilities - and it’s by no means only wheelchair users who need these spaces. Even when it is, it’s not just the distance covered that’s taken into account, it depends on a lot of things. Or is it that you think disabled people shouldn’t be attending concerts or generally taking part in society ? That’s what disability benefits and blue badges are designed to enable them to do. Or has your unconscious bias blinded you to that fact ?

@Rosscameasdoody

Actually my DD's gp does sign the medical need section of the form you take to the council. For her it's the bus pass we accept as she's unable to drive (epilepsy) but the council offers blue badges from the same form (we didn't accept it because she can walk just fine)

The bar doesn’t vary for blue badge issue. The rules are set by central government and councils in England are only permitted to make minor changes because the rules are designed to be consistent across the country. Your DD will have been offered those concessions because epilepsy can present as a danger in areas where there is traffic volume. And blue badges aren’t offered automatically with anything else. They are a stand alone concession - qualifying for a disabled bus pass won’t necessarily qualify you for a blue badge because they have different eligibility criteria. Your DD would have had to make a stand alone application for a blue badge.

But she has a bus pass ? I mean nobody is forcing you to take a BB but you didn't have to refuse it because "she walks just fine",

Omg how awful. So sorry your sister experienced this. I used to get this many years ago,as, despite using a walking stick,apparently,I 'looked too young to be disabled'. Thankfully,now I'm 61,it doesn't happen any more.