Room 101!!!

RAwarrior

@66Mustang

People who assume a person is not disabled. I had someone query why I had pulled into a disabled space today and they had tooted their horn at me so I opened my car window to find out what was wrong as I assumed there was something wrong. However, they said “you have parked in a disabled space” I got out my car with the aid of my walking stick and held up my blue badge (at a distance because I maintain strict social distancing). I wasn’t confrontational but the man said to me “Oh I didn’t realise” and apologised. It is really upsetting because what gives a complete stranger the right to query why I am parking in a disabled space? 

66Mustang

@RAwarrior I can see how that would be annoying It is odd that that would query you before you get out of the car...It is bad enough when people query someone who doesn’t look disabled but they didn’t even wait for you to get out! Trying to look at it philosophically, maybe they wanted the disabled space - was it the last one?

A colleague of a family member had an accident that left them disabled and they received a large compensation payout which they used some of to buy a Porsche SUV. He takes great pleasure in antagonising people by parking in a disabled bay - can almost see them saying “look at that arrogant Porsche driver parking in a disabled spot” - then they go away when his wife gets the wheelchair out of the boot!

Cher_Alumni

I am getting second-hand rage from reading your comments on this post  

I'd put in Room 101:  People who say pacific instead of specific.  Yes I know there's bigger issues in the world but nnnnnghhh!! 

Cress

Turkey Twizzlers...apparently it's been decided they should make a comeback....be afraid!

My kids used to love these but they always looked like something that had escaped the props dept. of The Walking Dead, to me! Lol

leeCal

Over fishing - generally and  everywhere

RAwarrior

@66Mustang
Thank you for your comments?

The man didn’t want to park in the disabled space. Unfortunately I actually get the “you realise this a disabled space? or “You can’t park there” before I get out of the car more than once I have got out. I have those comments in shopping centre carparks and when I go for my hospital appointments. People look at me and for some reason assume I am not disabled. I have had abuse even from other blue badge holders who want to park and seem to think it’s okay to query my disability.

 I think part of the problem is the huge amount of blue badge misuse when the badge is shared amongst family members to avoid parking charges which annoys people so unfortunately some people might think I have borrowed someone else’s badge but I am only speculating. 

66Mustang

I’m sorry to hear about that @RAwarrior. You could well be right that the badge misuse leads people to query but I agree they have no right to and I’d be upset if it happened to me. I can’t believe you have had abuse as well in the past

What I do see a lot of misuse of is the parent and child spaces so I’m going to put that into Room 101 now! Very often someone will park in those without a child in their car!!

The only time I’d tolerate that is if all the disabled spaces were full and a disabled person needed the extra room.

RAwarrior

@66Mustang

Thank you very much for your kind words and support?

Unfortunately I have had a lot of abuse from people even before I have even got out of the car. 

It’s particularly annoying when it comes from another blue badge holder who I would think should know better. 

As I am disabled I try to support other people who are disabled. 

I have even walked over to the person but (not in a confrontational way) showing them the back of my badge with my photo ( pre Covid 19 as I keep my distance) but by then they are embarrassed because without stereotyping it is pretty clear that I am disabled. However, I shouldn’t have to do this.

It is a real problem when I attend hospital appointments because there aren’t that many disabled spaces that are free so some patients see me parking and assume I am parking in a disabled space using someone else’s badge because if I simply parked there without a badge I would get a parking fine. 

I even parked once at the hospital and I had just turned the engine off and I was going to take my blue badge out to put it on the dashboard which is not something I can do quickly due to my disability and another disabled driver immediately pulled up alongside me and asked if I was going which is fair enough but then said “you do know you have parked in a disabled space?” I replied by saying that as I had literally just parked I hadn’t had time to put my badge out but would they like to see it! I do look out to see if a driver is leaving but I would never dream of querying their disability.

I also think that part of the problem is the lack of disabled spaces which causes problems. However, it’s not an excuse for people to be abusive to other people.

Unfortunately blue badge misuse is a big problem and some of it is blatant. It really upsets me when I can’t get a space but also when I see someone else not being able to get a space because someone has used a family member’s badge particularly when they have to take a wheelchair out of the car so they need the extra space.

I often just park in the car park in the disabled spaces where there is a charge just to save the hassle. 

One of my main problems is that I need to fully open my car door to get in and out of the car so I can’t park in an ordinary space because I have not been able to get into my car on several occasions because someone has parked too close to me so I have had to wait for the driver to return.

I have mentioned the parent and child spaces in a previous post when parents cannot get a space in the parent and child spaces they park in the disabled bays. This is a problem in many supermarket disabled bays because despite the signs they don’t issue parking tickets. 

I have seen many people park in a blue badge space at the supermarket because they don’t want to walk. 

Another really annoying one is when someone is waiting in their car particularly at the supermarket and instead of parking somewhere sensible they park across two disabled spaces and then get annoyed when they have to move to let a disabled person park. 

Also the drivers that park across the entrance to the supermarket causing an obstruction again because the person has gone into the supermarket and the driver doesn’t park in a space.

I need to find a standard phrase I could use the next time I get abuse about parking in a disabled space?

66Mustang

Maybe another part of the problem is that disabled spaces in private car parks are not enforceable - anyone can park in them - so it relies on people being good citizens. In countries like the USA I believe there is more enforcement to make sure only disabled people use the spaces.

RAwarrior

@66Mustang

I know some shopping centres do issue parking fines. 

It’s also really annoying when someone says “I will only be a minute” especially outside a shop which means someone like me might just have to go home because they can’t park. If people only realised how being selfish impacts on disabled people?

Many thanks for your comments ?

 

Chloe_Alumni

Salt and vinegar crisps! 

[Deleted User]

Sorry Chloe, but I love them!

easy

Salt &Vinegar crisps URRRRR

RAwarrior

The phrase “moving forward”

It’s an expression that I have only started to hear in the last year and I find it irritating especially when people who say it to me don’t actually want to listen to me so it’s an excuse for them to talk about what they want to talk about instead dealing with the issue.

People who ask people “reach out” when they don’t mean it.

66Mustang

Chloe_Scope said:

Salt and vinegar crisps! 

It seems you picked a controversial one there!!!

66Mustang

RAwarrior said:

The phrase “moving forward”

It’s an expression that I have only started to hear in the last year and I find it irritating especially when people who say it to me don’t actually want to listen to me so it’s an excuse for them to talk about what they want to talk about instead dealing with the issue.

Do you mean professionals who are supposed to be helping say this? I can see that being annoying

RAwarrior

@66Mustang

Yes that’s exactly what I mean. I have heard too many people say this to me when they don’t want to listen or deal with the problem so they say this to change the subject? 

Maybe it’s just me but it’s only an expression I have heard over the past year and when people have said it, it sounds completely out of context and like yet another excuse to do nothing instead of trying to solve the problem?

leeCal

Komodo dragons 

66Mustang

@leeCal have you had a bad experience with them in the past?

Tori_Scope

I know I'm in a minority, but butter in sandwiches. I hate it. 

Thank you for facilitating the outing of my colleagues' weaknesses @66Mustang. What power we all now have.