Abuse...whilst shopping

50Twuncle · 16 October 2015 at 2:53PM

This morning - I parked my car in the local Morrisons, disabled area and put my blue badge on the dashboard and (slowly squeaked) towards the entrance (my leg brace needs oiling !!)

I looked back and saw a people carrier pull in to the space beside my car - the woman driving it couldn't park in a large disabled space (it overlapped my space) - she got out as did 3 kids and I thought "I wonder which is disabled" - She then started to walk towards me ...

"You are not allowed to park there" - she said, loudly, to me
I was taken aback and ignored her

15 minutes later - I was returning to my car, and she was standing by my car, with uniformed Morrisons parking attendant - who told me that this "woman" had reported me to him for blue badge abuse and could I prove that I was disabled !!
I pulled up a trouser leg to show my brace - which resulted in an apology from him but the woman glowered at both of us - dragged her kids into her car and sped off - almost colliding with another car in the process !!
I should have taken her reg number .......

mrcol1000 · 16 October 2015 at 4:10PM

I can barely walk. However being under 40 and being quite tall I actually look quite fit and healthy. I get a lot of dirty looks from elderly people who think I shouldn't be parking in the disabled bays. Sometimes even when I transfer to my wheelchair. Ironically the worse place is Morrisons.

I really think the problem is that there is so much abuse of disabled parking spaces, especially in supermarkets, that everyone is suspicious of everyone else. Especially when some people in all honesty do not need to use a disabled space. Those who are able bodied but think they can park there because they are buying something for a disabled or elderly person. Plus those who have a blue badge not because they need one but because they have badgered their doctor until they have given in.

DomRavioli · 16 October 2015 at 6:23PM

Hi OP,

Sorry to hear about that; there's some seriously stupid people out there.

I'm 30, female, short, and visually impaired. I don't look disabled to most (don't have a guide dog or a stick), but I'm legally partially sighted, and will likely lose the rest pretty soon. I've had your situation, mine was the local Tesco's, where a cranky old man told my mum to move the car because "these spaces are for disabled people, not young people". My mum literally snapped - she is a very calm woman, a retired nurse of 40 years - the security guard ended up coming out, as did the store manager, and a fair few shoppers (we were next to the main doors).

I think its safe to say he won't be speaking to anyone like that again, and hopefully that idiot who spoke so harshly today to yourself will engage what mental capacity she has before opening her mouth.

I completely agree with mrcol, round here if you're a certain ethnicity, you think you can park where you like. Our local asda loves dealing with these, they have a lovely clamper guy who charges a decent wedge of cash to remove it.

pol-zeath · 16 October 2015 at 6:59PM

50Twuncle wrote: »

This morning - I parked my car in the local Morrisons, disabled area and put my blue badge on the dashboard and (slowly squeaked) towards the entrance (my leg brace needs oiling !!)

I looked back and saw a people carrier pull in to the space beside my car - the woman driving it couldn't park in a large disabled space (it overlapped my space) - she got out as did 3 kids and I thought "I wonder which is disabled" - She then started to walk towards me ...

"You are not allowed to park there" - she said, loudly, to me
I was taken aback and ignored her QUOTE"

How did she know it was your car? You were nearing the entrance of Morrison's and had to "look back when she pulled up and was attempting to park"

calleyw · 16 October 2015 at 7:40PM

Been there, done it and got the T-shirt LOL!!!

My husband had a stroke at 44 and I am 10 years younger. He no longer drives.

Once when I parked in a disabled space I watched someone walk from 3 cars away to check we had a blue badge!!!! I wanted to to take the badge out the car and wave around and say see got a blue badge :rotfl:

Now, don't care what other people think. Stare all they want I know that I am using it correctly.

Yours

Calley

50Twuncle · 17 October 2015 at 8:27AM

B

pol-zeath wrote: »

50Twuncle wrote: »

This morning - I parked my car in the local Morrisons, disabled area and put my blue badge on the dashboard and (slowly squeaked) towards the entrance (my leg brace needs oiling !!)

I looked back and saw a people carrier pull in to the space beside my car - the woman driving it couldn't park in a large disabled space (it overlapped my space) - she got out as did 3 kids and I thought "I wonder which is disabled" - She then started to walk towards me ...

"You are not allowed to park there" - she said, loudly, to me
I was taken aback and ignored her QUOTE"

How did she know it was your car? You were nearing the entrance of Morrison's and had to "look back when she pulled up and was attempting to park"

She must have seen me - I was only 20 yards from my car !!
walking slowly

mrcol1000 · 17 October 2015 at 10:25AM

DomRavioli wrote: »

I completely agree with mrcol, round here if you're a certain ethnicity, you think you can park where you like. Our local asda loves dealing with these, they have a lovely clamper guy who charges a decent wedge of cash to remove it.

In our local Asda it is rare to see a disabled person shopping in there, as it is to see a blue badge holder parking in a disabled space. They do not bother to issue fines. Firstly as there as so many websites like this that tell you to ignore them (cheers Martin, I just won't bother to live a normal life as I can not park anywhere) and secondly its not good to fine your customers. I guess the loss of disabled customers is outweighed by the number who can pop in quickly with those handy spaces near the entrance.

oldhand · 17 October 2015 at 7:47PM

I would doubt very much indeed if the morrisons parking attendant had any authority whatsoever to ask you to prove your disabled.You should have went back into shop and spoke to manager to complain both about the attendant and the mouthpiece also...

50Twuncle · 17 October 2015 at 8:52PM

oldhand wrote: »

I would doubt very much indeed if the morrisons parking attendant had any authority whatsoever to ask you to prove your disabled.You should have went back into shop and spoke to manager to complain both about the attendant and the mouthpiece also...

You think of things like this afterwards

In any case - my speech is limited as well !!

sheramber · 17 October 2015 at 9:43PM

Our local supermarket owned the shopping precinct car park so were not able to enforce the disabled spaces.
They had so many complaints about people using the disabled spaces to pop into a shop( including the local constabulary parking their police car in it) or to use the ATM at the bank that they arranged for the council to take over the car park so that these people could be then be fined.

missblue · 24 October 2015 at 7:06PM

Disabled parking is such a hot issue. Sorry you met someone on the edge.
I think its a good thing about the badge being checked, people using relatives badges, fake badges and stolen badges are a real issue for the people who genuinely have to use the space.
I have a wheelchair accessible car for my son (a full-time wheelchair user), and the worse abuse I have had is from genuine disabled users because we are a young family and do not look disabled (I love getting the wheelchair out and telling them it is not over 60s parking, the badge has a picture of a wheelchair on it for a reason).
We need the disabled parking for the extra room, it is vital for the wheelchair but I wish they had some away from the front, and it would save lots of issues.
In the words of frozen 'let it go', you have done nothing wrong.

Abuse...whilst shopping

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