disabled parking rant.

[misdee]

we all know that attendants are there to make sure no-one abuses these spaces, but why the hell do they seem to pick on dh? so many times since he got his badge he has been 'quizzed' several times, most recently this week on holiday. attendant in gt yarmouth asda car park, quizzed dh as he went into the store as he 'had only seen kids get out, not anyone disabled'. dh has a badge and makes sure it is displayed correctly, if he wanted to check he should've just gone to look at the car to see if the badge was in place. he didnt stop any of the other 2 lots of people also getting out of cars at the same time, but thats probably because they were older.

waiting for it to happen to me misdee. Although so far whenever I've been with ds1 I've never been able to find a disabled parking space free!

misdee, at least they have someone checking. I know it's unfortunate that they pick on your dh, but perhaps that is better than no one being there at all (like at sainsbury's) and therefore there being no disabled or parent/child spaces at all. I guess that there probably isn't an over abundance of clever parking lot attendants to choose from. As my mother always says to me when I moan about my dumb cleaner..."if they were any smarter they would probably be doing something else besides cleaning your house" (apologies to any mumsnetters who are cleaners, I'm sure you are much smarter than my cleaner who seems to think that wrinkled clothes draped over an ironing board are for ignoring, not ironing)
In the usa the penalty for parking in a disabled spot (even in a private parking lot) is $200-$300. This is a very effective dissuader.

i know its good that they check, and tbh i dont mind if they are polite about it. but this bloke was sooo rude. down here, just after he got his badge and new car, we went to asda here. the bloke checking there, came up and asked dh about his car (new style astra) and was admiring it and asked when he got it as its 04model. dh replied 2days ago. he then asked if it was his. and the badge as well. dh said the car and badge were his. the difference in attitude is what makes us mad. politness goes a long way. just because dh doesnt look disabled when he gets out the car (he is breathless when he gets back in tho), and some people think we are abusing the spaces (its not a parent and child space u know!!) but they shouldnt be rude when there is a badge on display. i've even started chucking it on the dashboard before we get in the spaces now.

Sometimes I think misdee that people interpret them as elderly people spaces. I only have the right to use parent & child but many times I have seen white haired people, nothing wrong with them except advancing years, park in these spaces. No sticker, badge or anything.

I once saw a man have to park in an ordinary space and take his wife's wheelchair out the back of his car and then struggle her into it. The disabled spaces were taken up by older people again, perhaps if they like the spaces so much they would like the disability!