Blue badge police again

[Rainburstflowers]

Name changes for this as I do every so often.
I have blue badge but my disability is not visible.
For the 3rs time in 2 weeks I have been challenged about not looking disabled and I am fed up of explaining myself

yesterday got out the car and this man came charging towards me shouting “oi you don’t have a blue badge”. I sighed and said “yes I do”. He then said “where did you nick that from?”
I said “I didn’t nick it from anyone I got it off eBay”
He then looked at me and said “oh right and walked off”
as if that was then ok!!!!
or it could be my built like a brick shithouse husband opened his door and got out the drivers seat.

I know I should not have said the eBay comment but I am fed up of explaining myself.

if anyone has any good comebacks please let me know

I am very impressed that you came up with the e bay comment on the spot!

Arseholes.

Support like that is misplaced though, and unproductive. Hopefully you will never have to understand first hand why it is not helpful, to be approached in such a manner.

Blue Badges should be there for people who need to park closer to the facility. There are lots of reasons for this, some are not visible.

There are also people who have a Blue Badge who do not need to park closer to the facility, but do park there, because they have a Blue Badge.

There are also people who fraudulently use badges - either the disabled person is not with them, or they have bought a dodgy one.

The only people who lose out in any of this are disabled people who need to be parked close to the facility, often for mobility issues.

i knew someone who had a Blue Badge because they were deaf .. no mobility issues.. couid have left a space free for a wheelchair users, but didn’t.

I have been challenged in BB spaces and P&C. My blue badge holder is under the age of 5 and sits in the back of our van in a wheelchair, the rear windows are tinted so it is hard to see in but I think people see me jump out of the van, chuck a badge in the window and assume I am using a fake badge before I have even had chance to open the tailgate and get him out. If I use a P&C space and get out seemingly without a child to go and get an appropriate trolley as he can't sit in a regular one then people assume I am falsely using that space too. I used to feel I had to justify myself but I just ignore them now.

It's really really difficult to get Blue Badges for "non-visible" disabilities now. I know because I do supporting letters and complete the forms for them. It's so hard for the people affected and their families/carers. If they've got a blue badge, no one else needs to question it. They've already had extensive questioning from the powers that be.

In some countries I can't imagine anyone would ever challenge anyone in a Blue badge space simply because it would be unheard of for anyone not entitled to the space to park here
Sadly because there are so many arseholes here its a very real possibility that the person parking there doesn't have a Blue Badge BUT if they do have one its nobodies business why.

My approach, when caring for a disabled relative, was to only ever approach people NOT displaying a blue badge and politely remind them to display their badge to avoid getting a ticket.
Still got rude replies.
So many times I would attempt to take my relative out and end up coming home again because the spaces were occupied by vehicles without blue badges.
It is frustrating.

They could, and probably would, pull you up on one of those though. GPs don't have anything to do with issuing Blue Badges. The local council decide who is eligible and issue the badges.

Three times in two weeks seems crazy. I've had a badge for two and a half years and I've not had so much as one person look at me in a doubtful way. Maybe I now just look utterly knackered. I must admit that I struggle with pain, so it's maybe obvious when I'm getting in and out of the car that it's laborious for me.

Why are they shouting at you if you're getting out of the passenger side? How are they making the distinction that you're the disabled one? Or is it because you're getting out before the badge has been displayed that people are shouting "oi, you don't have a blue badge" I'm not doubting you, just wondering why it's happening so much for you as it would scare me.

It would send me into an Autistic meltdown if anyone questioned me. I'd either scream at them or go mute then not leave the house for fear of it happening again, so I'm very grateful it's not happened to me, and always very conscious to make sure the badge is waved around put out in full view to avoid arseholes.

This is my mother

She's tried for years to get a blue badge (only thing wrong with her,is the ailments in her head)

She's been refused a few times

She will have a go at anyone parking with one as 'its not fair!I have a disability myself!why should they get one?im waaayyy more disabled than they are!'

She did manage to blag one from a lady she's a carer for (seems she hung onto the old ladies badge and used it for herself-im a bit unsure about the details but she definitely used it) but she's got one of those faces that people don't mess with and is more than capable of standing up for herself

She really sees it as someone getting something she doesn't and a 'perk' have so she wants it

She's also been known to park in the parent and child spaces if she can't get a 'normal' spot as she doesn't see why the rules apply to her

You must be aware then how hard it is to get a blue badge! I had to go to an assessment centre to prove I could not walk far, not a problem as it was apparent that I was struggling before we had gone very far and the assessor ended that part of the assessment very quickly. On renewal, I had to get a copy of my medical history to prove that I was having ongoing medical treatment.

I am now worried about what I will have to do to get it renewed this year!

"The only people who lose out in any of this are disabled people who need to be parked close to the facility, often for mobility issues."

Mobility issues include not being able to get from A to B safely. It is not just about ability to walk.

Ask to see their warrant to inspect your disability seeing as they are the Blue Badge Police.

I think just ignore them or ask them to go away.

If it were your battle, you would have a very different attitude. Interesting how people who have no understanding of disability are happy for disabled people to be questioned because they think catching someone out is more important than respecting others.

I know someone who is disabled from the waist down. She’s absolutely beautiful, and always looks super glam. Think old Hollywood glamour.
Her car is specially adapted with a little ramp so her chair goes into it. Everything is then operated by her hands.
She parked in a disabled bay recently and a man was banging on the window - what’s a young girl doing parking there what if a disabled person needs it?
She smiled sweetly and slowly opened the door. And he had to stand back as the automated ramp came out and her chair started moving down it.
He watched the whole process and then added…
Well you don’t look like a disabled person from the waist up! Didn’t even have the good grace to apologise.
It happens to her a lot. And nobody ever apologies. But she says the looks on their faces when she alights on her wheels is priceless.

i knew someone who had a Blue Badge because they were deaf .. no mobility issues.. couid have left a space free for a wheelchair users, but didn’t.

Deafness without any mobility issues does not qualify for a blue badge @ExtraOnions

When doing something to support others, it's usual to ask them what's helpful. Otherwise you're just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see if it sticks, and then getting annoyed when it doesn't.
Disabled people with blue badges are telling you it's disruptive and distressing to be shouted at and questioned by the Blue Badge "police". If you haven't done that, great. You don't need to defend people who have.

Or maybe people mind their own business.
I have been asked a number of times, mostly really aggressively.
My reply is: if you want my BB you can have the disability that comes with it?
But it can be frightening, especially as a single female with children in tow.

The BBP are certainly NOT 'doing a public service' in any way.
If the BB scheme is scrapped that just means disabled people are trapped in their own homes, not taking up any parking spaces. I can see that 'works' for some, but not for Disabled people (you may guess I am one, with a BB I use)

I’ve never been challenged about my blue badge but I know it’s because I fit into the public perception of what a disabled person should look like:

I use a wheelchair or mobility scooter
I’m over 60 and have white hair
My disability is visible. Even the PIP assessor didn’t try to question it!

For what it's worth I also think people who park in parent and child spaces and get out with teenagers are ridiculous too.

I'd have to have fun with this to dull the anger.

'You don't look disabled!'

'I know! Good, innit?' [two thumbs up at the dumbarse]

[open eyes as wide as possible] 'yeah, I know. I sold my wheelchair last week for some meth anthetamine. It's really good shit' [giggle, and partially skip away]

'Oh, I'm not. It was my husband's who died on Tuesday. I'm on my way to meet an OAP's son who wants to buy his wheelchair because I can't afford the funeral costs. They can't really afford a wheelchair either. Crap, innit?'

Be as creative as you can and think up a new one for each time. Then give them a side eye glare and severe eye roll as you walk away.

They could use manners though. They don’t need to make disabled people feel even more ostracised than they already do in this horrible, ableist society.
A bit of politeness and respect would go a long way.

“You do know invisible disabilities exist right?”

Tessa, kindly, no disabled person asked you to sort this issue out.