If you are a full licence holder in the UK please use this subreddit to ask and discuss any driving related questions, such as insurance, motorways, anxiety, parking... This is the sister subreddit of r/learnerdriverUK
Sort by:
Best
Open comment sort options
Best
Top
New
Controversial
Old
Q&A
Yes, we have this problem quite often, albeit not with people being hostile and extra level dickhead in the way you described here. (N.B. I'm not disabled but my husband is) So you definitely have my sympathy OP.
What's somehow even more infuriating is when someone parks in the yellow hatched area directly next to the disabled parking space - it's bizarre how common this is in our local supermarket car park.
Oh I’ve seen that before, absolutely silly when you’re trying to get a wheelchair out! I imagine you can probably call up a towing company or something for such obvious rule breaking.
You cannot. The owner of the land would have to call,could only tow if it was properly described in the terms and conditions, and they wouldn't since they then become liable for any damage to the vehicle. All the can do is fine them *if* the car park is properly signed. If not they can't do anything.
White parking spaces are ‘advisory’ and perfectly legal to park in. Rude and asshole definitely, but unfortunately legal.
The owner of the land can issue a parking charge but even then in Scotland these are easily ignorable.
The difference between disabled parking in different areas is so strange, there’s a private car park for the shops just down the road that is stringent with disabled parking and fines. I swear I’ve seen council parking lots with white blue badge spaces, thanks for noting this I’ll go research.
It's still wrong even if it's legal.
…That’s why I said ‘rude and asshole definitely’.
Oh yeah sorry, I just didn't think it was that relevant that it's legal? We're all just having a bicker about dickheads parking selfishly
I do cvit work and we are specifically told to park in the closest space to the customer, this is agreed with the owner of the car park, and I pick up at council buildings as well. More often than not its a disabled space if the place does not have a marked space for loading.
If its busy I tend not to use them since it will just cause me hassle from people who have made the understandable assumption I'm just some prick parking in disabled spots for no reason.
I think that's a bit different tbf
https://www.brent.gov.uk/adult-social-care/travel-and-transport/disabled-persons-parking-place#applyforasisabledpersonparkingplace
And any other council you can think of.
https://www.ageco.co.uk/useful-articles/car/parking-in-a-disabled-bay/
Congratulations, you’ve found a single council area that bans the practice
…except for Calderdale, Torbay, literally all of Scotland, bathnes, derby… do you want me to continue?
Here’s more information from the Scottish government about the Disabled Persons Parking Places (Scotland) Act 2009 where it states: “Local Authorities have a duty to promote the proper use of disabled parking places. It is socially unacceptable to abuse disabled parking spaces and Local Authorities may want to liaise with major private car park owners, such as supermarkets, on local campaigns which re-iterate this message.”
So in layman’s terms councils should promote not using the space if you don’t have a blue badge.
One random council area in England enforcing a rule does not make something illegal.
Sure, you could be, if the council area has a rule against it and issues parking notices. But as I’ve just shown, the majority do not. The key word here is could.
https://news.jardinemotors.co.uk/how-to/disabled-bays-and-illegal-parking
I literally linked you to the act that is referred to in the article.
Instead of reading someone else’s thoughts on what they think it means, you could read it for yourself, but you’re choosing not to do that.
Rather than read the literal law you are reading a news bulletin on a random car sales website.
I think this conversation has run its course. Have a good day 👋🏼
At Costco by us they had one of their staff telling drivers without disabled badges that they must move their vehicles. Don't think I've seen this anywhere else.
That makes sense to me knowing that Costco is an American company (I think?) and the ADA in America seems to be more comprehensive than the equality act here
That’ll probably be a decent store manager there doing his bit for his customers.
Itd be amazing if they put up big warning signs, then banned those without a badge from returning for a day or until they return with said badge.
Would love to see one of those self important assholes in a luxury car turned away and told they'll have to face some inconvenience for once rather than being able to inconvenience the less fortunate without consequence.
An Asda near me has loads of disabled spots which are usually taken up by McDonald's delivery drivers which I'm guessing they've done for ages and nothing happens.
It’s so frustrating! I’m surprised the ASDA doesn’t have some sort of parking charge system. Maybe the solution is to scratch up their cars with the wheelchair - oops
Glue and sticky notes telling them what they're doing is wrong
Oooh I saw some fun “you’ve parked like a c*nt” stickers with extra strong adhesive on amazon. Think ill invest in some haha
Stickers damage paint so best to stick them onto glass lest you end up with the police knocking. Asda usually have cctv on car park.
Dog shit on the handles is another one I've seen.
Even fake dog shit
To be fair, her fringe looks disabled
Arseholes
You want to get stickers that are hard to get off without proper scraping and stick it on the drivers side of the windscreen
Unless someone sees you and takes a photo hello criminal damage conviction.
That's not criminal damage. In fact, it's neither criminal, nor damage. (Not all damage is criminal damage. But this isn't even damage, according to established case-law.)
I beg to differ it is criminal damage
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/6952012.resident-arrested-no-parking-stickers-put-cars/
Arrested isn't the same as convicted. It isn't criminal damage. If it were, without special legislation to that effect, even parking enforcement working for the council wouldn't be allowed to slap on those stickers.
Anyway, you can argue the toss about whether it meets the requirements to be considered damage under the law, but it's absolutely unquestionable that it is not criminal.
https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/criminal-damage
A person has a lawful excuse if
at the time of the act or acts alleged to constitute the offence they believed:
that the property, right or interest was in immediate need of protection; and
that the means of protection adopted or proposed to be adopted were or would be reasonable having regard to all the circumstances.
Rendering property inoperable, even without leaving lasting damage, is textbook criminal damage.
It's obviously not criminal damage, the intent isn't there. And it's established case law, as I said, that sticking stickers onto things isn't damage at all.
I appreciate that the threshold for what’s criminal damage in the UK is ridiculously low, but that’s what it is.
I believe that water soluble chalk on pavements was classed as criminal damage by a court once.
See below for the actual legislation. There's no question that this is not criminal, though the threshold for damage is very low in law. As I said, not all damage is criminal damage.
I like this idea. I might get a handful made that have a disabled logo in a circle with a line through it. You know, make it clear why you've done it so they think twice in the future... maybe stick it on with super glue?
My grandad is 103 years old, registered blind and death and has pretty poor mobility. I need those spaces when he's with me, so he can get into the wheelchair.
I'm not above shaming some assholes for stealing these spaces.
Great idea! You could sell them on Etsy haha
To be fair, that van driver obviously has some sort of visual impairment. Not even in the lines.
What are you doing trying to park with a blue badge in an "I'll be quick I'm only getting a few things" space?
At the shops near me it's common to see van drivers park in both disabled and parent/child bays. Without either a blue badge or child.
This often leaves no large spaces free for those that actually need them
Not Nigel "man of the people" Farage this time. No chauffeur and no top of the range Mercedes.
So they accepted the contractual terms allowing them to park there for £60 if billed.
BTW the governments new parking laws clarified blue badge parking in private areas but the parking companies got it shelved.
Simples park behind them and block them in. Make sure your blur badge is displayed though
I'm always concerned as well with the number of people in parent and child bays who appear to have forgotten their children.
Ah yes a little two seater car with two grown adults is a dead give away haha
Could be a 60 Yr old father and 38yr old daughter.
Some of them have signs stating children under a certain age. I didn't know either until my son pointed out it shouldn't park there (I don't anymore). I just parked in those spots since my son was born and forgot that children grow up. He was only 7 at the time so it's not like I was parking there with a teenager but I still felt like a dick.
There's also the people who do have children in the car, but only one of the parents actually goes in the shop and the other stays in the car with the children. Or the people with teenage children who definetly don't need the benefit of the spaces.
Oh yes. That's a bit rude that one (the ones where only one goes in).
And the teenagers is just infuriating. As soon as mine are old enough to not need a physical car seat (which forces them forward in the car so you need to open the door wider so they can actually get out) we'll abandon those spaces.
That’s the funny thing about life, you don’t really need to be concerned with it.
I do if I need one...
Need is a strong word.
Erm, I'm not sure the point you're trying to make... If I have kids in the car a child space is larger to allow more room... So yes,I do need one otherwise it is much harder and far more likely to damage another car.
That one’s less clear cut.
Those spaces aren’t enforced, they’re entirely “Advisory”. There is also a moral difference between disabled and mother can’t manage on her own.
Not that I’m saying either is right, I park in both ;)
This REALLY pisses me off.
Isn’t that Tim Healey from Benidorm on the right in Pic 1 ?
In my early 20s (2010ish) I drove a gorgeous convertible MG B. Me and my misses at the time were pootling around the south coast when we stopped at Co Op to get some lunch.
Honest to god I didn’t notice the disabled parking spot I pulled into and we merrily skipped into co op.
Upon return to the car I was genuinely mortified that I’d parked in a disabled space - fortunately there were three or four other spaces next to the entrance and the lowered curb so I figured no harm done and put it down to experience.
Got in the car and sat in what must have been a whole bottle of fizzy drink 😖 lesson learned! I always double/triple check now.
Edit: to clarify, someone had poured their fizzy drink onto the drivers seat through the open roof.
Oh dear! That’s a shame about the fizzy drink and I hope you did manage to get it out of the seats. See, I don’t mind honest mistakes/emergencies and you even noted there were other spaces free which is what matters. What really bothered me was how aggressive and rude they were - if it were me I would have been mortified like you! Ah well, live and learn I suppose.
Also jealous of your car, hope you have an equally sexy one nowadays
More of this name and shame. It is perfectly legal to post a photo with a vehicle reg and a brand if a company van.
Be a shame if say... their light was to get broken mysteriously
I’d stay clear. They’re drivers and will literally kill you for standing up for yourself.
I was honestly shocked by the attitude and the man coming out of nowhere to act like their knight in shining armour. Like sir don’t you have something better to be doing??
You can buy stickers on line that look like a disabled sticker but actually say “Cunt”. I have never stuck these to someone’s paintwork.
I have some in my Amazon basket as we speak xD I was wondering how much those stickers would mess up paintwork since I don’t want to cause want damage
I don’t think they damage it, they’re just a “disabled sticker” to get off.
To be honest, as a father with 2 young children, I park in the blue badge bays at the supermarket if the parent bays are full. I see lots of people park in the parent bays with no children just because nobody polices it. I've also seen people with blue badges park in parent bays. So in my mind, all bays are equal, as that is how others treat them. Better than squeezing my kids out of a car and walking across a busy car park.
Because those parent and child bays aren't enforceable at all. They are purely advisory. Who's to say a parent can't park there with their 25 year old child? lol
They're as enforcable as an accessible bay, and rely on appropriate signage in the car park including terms and conditions. Same as electric vehicle bays, motorcycle only bays, delivery bays etc. Private car parks can decide what rules they want to put in place. Most car parks I've seen dont have the signage *unless* they're pay and display. OC still shouldnt do this because while its inconvenient to have to park in a normal bay and walk across the car park with his kids, it might be impossible for someone with a disability. Thats why people with blue badges sometimes park in parent and child bays if the accessible ones are full. They likely need to be able to open the door fully, or cannot walk the longer distance from the regular bays. If you have kids who cant be trusted to open the doors without dinging someones car, have them stay inside until you can get out and hold the door for them.
Yeah but my point is it doesn't have an age limit on the children part as that could be considered discrimination based on age which is a protected characteristic . I completely agree with the disabled bays. I've had argument with a private hire driver before because I was charging my plug in hybrid car at an ev charger because he felt it was for full evs only. Private land is only ever somewhat enforceable but as you say with adequate signage.
"Yeah but my point is it doesn't have an age limit on the children part"
Yes it does. Go have a look.
I see many many blue badge drivers who get out and walk just as well as I can. It is THEM that should fuck off to a standard bay if all the blue badge bays are full. Not steal a parent bay.
Try extracting a baby carrier from an isofix base and getting it out of the car when you can only open the door 50%. Watch a parent as they try to get a 4 year old into a car seat and fasten the finicky belt buckles without bashing the neighbouring car and hoping the trolley doesn't roll away.
I estimate 80-90% of people I see with blue badges are more mobile than a parent with a very young child and a shopping trolley, and should have some fucking empathy to not take parent bays. They can wait for a blue badge bay to become available instead of acting so entitled.
You obviously have not read the signs. The parent bays signs state that they are for parents with children 5 years of age or under.
https://images.app.goo.gl/mrdixp5ec8fhC8X17 an example for you
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-parent-child-car-parking-sign-logo-tesco-car-park-ely-cambridgeshire-58434487.html
The details may not always be on the signs. But they are at Tesco, and also on the parking T&C's.
It's also expected that people show some common sense and don't use a parent bay for their 25 year old offspring.
I always say that my kid is locked in boot while i go shopping
Not every sign says that is my point lol. Most I've seen don't 🤷🏻♂️
No don’t do that. Come on. Blue badges and disabled users obviously have more need, and legal protections, for the spaces than parents and child.
Then they should be reassessed every year to make sure they still need the badge. Cmon, you know there are a lot of fakers out there who fooled their GP to get s badge so they don't risk getting their nice cars dinged. Those twats need to be reigned in before I start struggling with getting my kids out of the car in a standard sized bay.
All I actually have personal anecdotes of is people who I think need blue badges and weren't entitled to one. Such as the girl who broke her ankle spectacularly and spent much of the next 18 months on crutches and in a boot, and will never walk the same again (I think as it gets worse she'll become entitled). Sure there's misuse of the badges that occurs but I actually reckon we should give more of them out.
You’re a cunt then
I'd be a cunt if I parked in the blue badge or parent bays when I didn't have my children in the car with me. I don't do that.
But I'm not fucking struggling to get them out in a standard parking space and walking/carrying them across a busy carpark and past the Audi's and Range Rovers with no child seats and blue badges on the dash board in the parent bays. Why the hell should I ?
People can down vote me. You can call me a cunt, but I bet you all park as close to the shop doors as you can get without considering leaving those spaces for people who may struggle to walk far but don't have blue badges. For me, on my own, I prefer to park further away and walk as I'm healthy enough to do so.
Actually. If there are disabled parking spaces further away from the front door I’ll take those because in my wheelchair I can do the distance pain free, whereas someone who is on their feet might be in a lot more pain than me. So no, if someone born with their feet on backwards can take the time to think about other people for five minutes so can you.
Having kids isn’t a disability. Parents have been getting kids out of the car in standard parking spaces for years. Buggies are normally stored in the boot of the car, whereas a lot of wheelchair users need to fully open their door to unload their wheelchair, for example I have mine on my passenger seat and carry it across my body so I can put the wheels etc on just outside my door so I am still sat in the drivers seat. I can’t do that in a standard space, which is why it’s so important to reserve those spots for people who need it. Applying for a blue badge is quite often hellish so if you don’t have one, don’t use the space.
"So no, if someone born with their feet on backwards can take the time to think about other people for five minutes so can you."
Did you not even read my last paragraph???
I would only use a disabled bay if all the parent bays are full and I have both my kids with me. I've just talked to Tesco customer services about this 30 mins ago. They are totally okay with it. Parents with children under 5 and blue badge owners can use either space.
It's not parents you should be upset with. It's the blue badge fakers who take up your spaces just so they don't get their expensive cars dented.
BTW. You are in the minority of blue badge owners. You need a wheel chair. The majority do not.
Remember not all disabilities are visible 😂😂😂
Why’s that funny?
Do you wank off to Rishi Sunak speeches demonising mental health?
Comment removed by moderator
I'm assuming you mean that disabled parking is parking that doesnt work, and blue badge parking is for people with blue badges and therefore disabilities?
Comment removed by moderator
Disabled bays are advisory and not enforceable, so you can’t really get mad at them (Denoted by being painted in white)
It’s only the Blue badge bays that are actually enforceable, and they’re not all that common.
u/bubbatunday ran off from our conversation and blocked me. Obviously they don't need a blue badge! 😆
You either care or you don’t, there’s no in between.
If you haven’t had too experience the issue, you typically don’t give much of a fuck about the issue. Which is what you’re seeing here.
Alas a lot of people park in these spaces. I do it myself in the evenings, daytime I don’t, but if I’m honest that’s only because I can’t be arsed getting moaned at than actual sympathy.
We’re a selfish bunch
White markings couldn't care less tbh
Disabled car parking spaces and ones for parents with kids are only advisory. Ppl need to remember that...
Yes of course, people need to remember that you won’t get sent to prison if you deprive someone who actually benefits from the space from parking there. As long as you don’t get in trouble, who gives a shit?
So many wankers on every thread about the disabled.