Parking in a disabled parking bay

[VividLilac]

I am trying to give my 10 year old a little independence. He wanted to get himself ready after swimming lesson and meet me in car park of leisure centre. I was right on time and it was getting a little dark out so I swung into a close(ish) to entrance disabled parking bay. There are around 10 bays in total with one car parked up (I would never have pulled into these spaces if busy and certainly would not have taken the last space). I stepped out the car, waiting next to it for the 40 seconds until he came out of the leisure centre to wave him over. A small child was walking past hand in hand with their grandmother and she loudly started to speak to the child about how selfish it was to park in disabled spaces. Of course she is right and I wouldn’t do it again, no matter what the circumstances but ffs was there any need.

The grandmother is right...
Was it a need to park there? No.

She’s right though

Yes, it’s an ignorant move to park in a disabled bay if you don’t have a blue badge.

If there's lots if empty spaces and late in the day I really don't see the issue.

To be fair, it’s often the straw that breaks the camels back. The grandmother may have her own blue badge and is sick of being unable to park due to people without them. There’s no way for her to tell you’ve considered the empty spaces etc (not that you should’ve stopped there anyway, but you know that)

"I would never use a blue badge space, except from circumstances that benefit me" and then you expect others to be mind readers and guess what circumstances you deem appropriate or not.

You were wrong, the lady was right, you just don't like hearing it I suppose.

As someone who is disabled and has a painted disabled bay parked on the road outside my house. Which I had to jump through hoops for. And who everyone, no badges, ignores and parks in it, or even literally on my car, boils my piss.

If it was, as you say, empty and you were getting your lad for a couple of minutes pick up, fair enough. But if not, then it's unacceptable.

If it's late in the day and there's lots of spaces available why didn't you just use a normal space? I'm certain your 10 year old could still have had independence by walking to that space. My own 10 year olds walked back from the sports centre alone at that age

“but ffs was there any need…” to park in a disabled space?

No, you don’t take up a disabled spot for a nice little teaching moment for your son.

On the face of it, you were doing no harm; but if there's no absolute in place that people without blue badges simply never park there, that's when the lines can get blurred.

What if the next person thinks that it's OK to use one of the 10 spaces briefly if only 8 of them are in use?

If you have no blue badge, you really should consider that, as far as you are concerned, those parking spaces do not exist. Just like your neighbour's spare bedroom in their much bigger house is never, ever available to you to use, no matter how small your own house is or how many guests you have staying.

YABU
Its not for you to decide if the situation warrants it or whether there are enough spaces or anything else.
No Blue Badge no parking - end of

People need to mind their own business, if she didn’t need the space she should have just jogged on

Posters getting their knickers in a twist when there were plenty of spaces available are ridiculous. Maybe if OP had parked there and then gone in it would be a different story but she was with her car and could have moved if for some reason 9 blue badge holders had appeared in those 2 minutes

You can really tell the posters who have never had to relay on a disabled parking space 😡

It's the thin end of the wedge, that's the problem. You know you wouldn't use the space if there were no others at a busy time. The woman who spoke to you doesn't know that, and will notice doubt have experience of many spaces being taken by those who aren't entitled to use them.

You might want to rethink the term “jogged on” used in a discussion about disabled parking spaces. Because jogging on is unfortunately something that many disabled people find impossible to do.

You do realise that blue badge holders also come out at night you know?

You had absolutely no business parking there.

YABU, obviously.

I’m not sure what your AIBU is. You parked in a blue badge space and you don’t have a blue badge. It’s a selfish thing to do and that’s how the passer by described you. If you don’t want to be called selfish, don’t do selfish things 🤷🏻‍♀️

In the context you described I don’t really see there was an issue. You didn’t prevent anyone who needed a space from using it.

However you say you were trying to teach your son to be more independent. Perhaps consider if your actions taught him to be considerate of provisions for those with disabilities?

I wouldn’t have commented (in those circumstances) but I can understand why the lady did. As pp’s have said, once you start saying it’s ok in xyz circumstances the lines get blurred very quickly and these spaces are often essential (not a convenience) for many people.

As a pp said upthread, my attitude is “they don’t exist” so I would never use one - the only exception being if not doing so was life threatening/avoiding harm - though I struggle think think of a realistic scenario where that would be the case.i

Just don't park in 'em.

It's tempting.
There always seems to be loads free.
You'll only be 2 minutes.

but just resist and park somewhere else.

The reason it rankles is that you know damn well that she was right.

Be grateful it was just words, if this was in my little town the person would have had her phone out in an instant and you’d of been plastered all over Facebook with people braying at you.