Blue Disabled Parking Badges - Limited to 'Suitable Cars'?!

The following is reproduced from a post of mine on the UK Limb Loss Information Centre Forum

I was very angered by a response on Radio 4's You And Yours programme the other day. They were talking about rationalising the issue and control of blue disabled parking badges, which I obviously wholeheartedly endorse. One caller, however, commented that he had seen a Porsche Boxter at the supermarket, parked in a disabled parking space and displaying a blue badge. Their immediate response that this was 'obviously fraudulent use' of the badge, because 'only a young, able-bodied person could get in and out of such a car'.

Erm ... three things:

1. 'disabled' does not always mean 'old';
2. 'old' does not automatically mean completely helpless, and
3. 'disabled' mean necessarily completely helpless either.

I drive a Mazda MX-5 Roadster. Admittedly, it is easier to get in and out of when the roof is down, but a few minutes struggling getting in and out of it is worth it for the fun I have when I'm on the open road. It's also quite amusing to watch people's faces as I pull up in a disabled slot and plonk my badge on the dashboard. People stop and frown. Then I push my seat right back to give me a bit of extra room, shove the door wide open (which is why I need the extra space in the parking slot) swing my legs out, my right one being very obviously false (I make sure my trouser leg rides up to show the carbon-fibre post), totter round to the the boot and pull out my NHS issue walking stick. As I lock up and walk away, I can sense the confusion in the people around the parking space.

Now, all the acting up is a bit of mischief making, and probably not the most supportive of our cause, but if I can manage with a sports-car, why shouldn't I? Christ knows our lives are enough of a struggle without denying ourselves a little self-indulgence now and then. I feel guilty about the MX-5, but I'm not sure that I should. Are we not entitled? Should we be restricted to sensible MPVs and Nissan Notes? (rant, rant)

Actually, and this is my main argument, I had to use a disabled parking space in the sensible hatch-backed saloon car I had previously. I still had to swing the door fully open to swing my leg past the door frame, so needed the extra space the disabled parking slot affords. It's got nothing to do with the car I'm driving. The need is the same!

I do sometimes feel a little guily using disabled parking slots. If there's only one space left, and someone else is pulling up in a big MPV with a wheelchair in it, I'm a good lad, and figure their need is probably greater so I let them have it, and try to sort myself out elsewhere in the carpark. In such cases, I can get out of my car, and back in again, but it's a real struggle. For a wheelchair user on their own, the disabled parking slot is essential, whereas in my case it's just a tremendous help. Should I be feeling all this guilt?