Parking with a blue badge when looking "normal.."

24skins

My friend was abused recently while parking in a BB space with her son; he's terminally ill, tube-fed & a wheelchair user, but apparently didn't 'look' disabled enough while sat in his car seat - as a random man decided to scream "there's **** all wrong with you" across the car park at them!

She says she was shaking afterwards, think they have enough on their plate without having to put up with ignorant comments in public.

lollipopsarah

G*d what a state we are in when so many are so impatient/ignorant.
I know a lovely lady with MS, you'd never believe it if you saw her - brave face and all that.
Shameful isn't it, but don't let the idiots get you down.
There but etc.
xx

wiltslass

My husband has recently been 'awarded' a blue badge. I had never realised how abusive some people can be until we started using disabled spaces. Having the badge has made such a difference to his life in that he is able to get out quite a bit more because he knows that in most cases we will be able to park close to where he wants to go eg coffe shop, get a newspaper and not have to drive away because there is nowhere close by to park. Surely he has the right to be able to do these things without being subjected to such abuse. Does anybody know if these people can be prosecuted for harrassment or similar ?

Lizk

The disabled seem to be a legitimate target these days and apparently with government approval as press story after press story implies that anyone claiming disability benefits is a fraudulent scrounger. Wheelchair user or not, anyone appearing to be impaired seems to be a target which is bizarre when you consider that few of us will avoid having some period in our life when getting around is difficult whether because of temporary accident or long term condition or illness. After ten years of caring for my disabled husband, it never ceased to amaze me how cruel and insensitive people can be and totally lacking in disability awareness, like the person who drove up and parked so close to the rear of my car (whilst I was displaying a blue badge) that I couldn't get the boot open to put the wheelchair back in. I was just folding it at the time so politely asked the woman if she would reverse back a bit so I could open the boot. All I got was "well that's your problem isn't it? I'll park where I ****ing want".

The_mangler

We have encountered this a lot, my husband has had a blue badge since his 20s, and apparently, you cant be disabled if youre under 60 - or so it would seem judging by looks and comments we have received.

I normally respond by saying show me your medical doctorate and then we can discuss disabilities and illness, occasionally Ive told them if they are so desperate for the parking space they can have it along with the illnesses. However, I think in this case a call to the media plus letters to the company involved would be my choice.

Only if we all begin to stand up for ourselves and fight back will we begin to see any change - I fear it will get a lot worse before it gets any better though.

Mojo_Fones

It's only happened to me once. I responded something along the lines of;

"Yes I can park here. The car is also provided for me by a scheme partially funded by your taxes, thank you."

HB58

The best response I have heard to the 'But you don't look disabled' comment is 'You don't look stupid either but I guess looks can be deceiving...'

traceya89

I make sure my mam gets out of the car with her walking stick on full display, but I did see someone "normal" get out of her car this week and on close inspection she did not even have a blue badge on display! i was unsure who to report this to!
Since my mam got her blue badge i have noticed that there are not enough disabled parking spaces!!!

Lum

traceya89 wrote: »

I make sure my mam gets out of the car with her walking stick on full display, but I did see someone "normal" get out of her car this week and on close inspection she did not even have a blue badge on display! i was unsure who to report this to!

How can you be certain they are "normal", they could have one of the many invisible illnesses out there and only be able to walk about 50 meters or so before the pain becomes unbearable.

Also blue badges don't arrive instantly. Something I remember very well from the time period between my GF picking up her latest disability (August) and the council finally giving her a badge (January). When we were together I could use pickup or loading bays to drop her+chair off and then go park in a normal space. When she was on her own, unless she could get an end space she had no hope.

"Fortunately" she uses a wheelchair, and people tend to back off a bit once that makes an appearance. She was also able to come to an arrangement with the operators of the car park she uses for work so she got no hassle there. If she happened to have a disability that didn't involve a wheelchair, the abuse would have been terrible for the six months it took to get the bloody badge!

dori2o

Brassedoff wrote: »

Hmm, are you not claiming to be disabled when the person has a condition or illness? Not saying an condition or illness is less deserving at all, but to claim a disability and then using "limp" or "wheelchair" offends me! And before anyone jumps on me. Wheelchair user=disabled. Heart condition or agoraphobic = Ill or suffering from a condition.

I would do anything not to be disabled, but years ago after suffering from meningitis, which left me feeling depressed. Back then I was ill, not disabled. Next they'll be saying a slipped disc is disabled!!!!

Funny you should say that, my Dad is disabled and most of his problems stem from 'splipped discs', or to give them their true name herniated disc.

You see he has 5 of them, 3 in his neck and 2 at the bottom of his back. He also has spondylosis, sciatica and IBS, all a direct result of the herniated discs.

These problems have arisen as a result of working 7 days a week for almost 40 years in a physically demanding job.

The discs are pressing on his spinal cord. He has had to have an operation to insert rods into his neck to prevent the problem getting worse and leaving him paralised (without the operating the Dr advised he would lose the feeling in most of his body below the neck within 18 months such is the degeneration of his neck). The nerves coming from his neck are being compressed by the discs and he has a permanent feeing of pins and needles in his arms and hands. This will never go away, the nerves have been permenantly damaged.

The discs at the bottom of his back are pressing on his nerves and he cannot feel the bottom of his legs. again this damage to the nerves is permenent and can never be fixed.

He can't walk very far, is in constant pain, can't hold a cup in one hand, can'tcut foodwith a knife and fork.

But, according to you it's only a slipped disc, he should sop complaining and get on with it........