An antiques dealer from Wales has recounted being 'chased by an old man waving his walking stick' after parking her white van in a supermarket disabled parking bay. The incident was highlighted on BBC Morning Live, which examined the experiences of Blue Badge holders following statistics showing many face confrontations from other motorists.
Survey Reveals Widespread Harassment
A survey found that 67% of Blue Badge holders have been harassed in some way simply for displaying the badge. Viewers of BBC Morning Live were told that 32% have reported threats of violence, and 6% have reported being physically attacked.
Marie Claire Blyth's Experience
Marie Claire Blyth from Wales has held her blue badge for 26 years and says such abuse is not new. She explained: 'I went into the supermarket and I was having a bad day. So on a bad day it feels like I'm walking through treacle. My legs are very heavy, and I get very tired, and I stumble, and a darling old man followed me in shaking his walking stick at me, yelling very loudly 'You're not disabled, what are you doing parking in that bay?'
'I drive a big white van because I'm an antiques dealer and I need it for my work, and people think that you're lying or you've been given a disabled badge for no reason. It's quite difficult to get the disabled badge, so people really need to understand that not all disabilities can be seen.' She did not disclose her disability on the show.
Charity Insights
The charity Transport for All surveyed 1,000 disabled people about their experiences, and a third said they'd faced negative attitudes from others when using their badge. Deborah Persaud from the charity said: 'There are a myriad of reasons why people would want or need a blue badge. People who are neurodiverse and need to be able to manage their environment. People with non-visible conditions, such as heart conditions and so on.'
'For example I don't drive myself because I'm visually impaired but we have a blue badge because of my guide dog.'
'What we are hearing through our advice service is that people are finding it increasingly hard to apply for a blue badge so the bar for evidence is quite high. People have to produce a huge amount of information.'
'It's never OK to ask a disabled person about their impairment or ask them to justify why they've got a blue badge.'
Blue Badge Scheme
Blue Badges in the UK are parking permits for people with severe mobility problems, including both visible and 'hidden' disabilities, allowing them to park closer to their destination. The scheme operates nationally for both drivers and passengers to park for free, often on yellow lines, to improve access to services.
Advice from Former Detective
Former Detective Rav Wilding previously offered guidance to people who might be confronted by other motorists. He said: 'It's a sensitive topic, but I think don't get into a confrontation straight away. That's going to go with a lot of different situations, but with this one especially, don't get into a verbal confrontation.'
'However, there are some phrases that I think you could use that could be very handy. So, the first one I would say, I'm not prepared to discuss this with you.'
'Some people will get more irate if you simply ignore them. And that can be the right way to deal with certain situations, but with this one, a simple answer like that, it can shut it down a lot of the time. So, that's number one. I could also suggest saying, 'just please leave me alone'. You don't want to engage any further and I have a legal right to park here. Just saying that you're setting it out. I have got the right to park here.'
Should the confrontation turn nasty and physical, Mr Wilding recommended relocating to a different area where more people are present. He said: 'You can alert store staff about what's going on if you are confronted by strangers.'
