those registered disabled in UK

[swecri]

I am writing this out of frustration to see if anyone else suffers from the same rude and downright ignorrant behaviour from members of the public....
heres the thing, i am often in a lot of pain. i am 19 and have lupus, extreamly seveare raynaulds and a scleroderma overlap. i have real bad joint pain in my feet and hips and my circulation is terribly poor. but because i dont use a wheelchair or any visual aids to walk i am subject to people shouting at me in car parks when i park in a disabled space, notes of abuse left ion my windscreen from people, and am often pointed at and asked to move my car when i get out of it after parking in a disabled space. i think it is because i 'look so young, fit and healthy' as one old lady shouted at me one day after opening my car door as i sat in it just as i went to pull out of my parking space. i dont see why i should have to wave my photo on my disabled badge to members of the public who think they have the right to subject me to this kind of abuse. im so tired of it i just dont know how to react to it any more and was wondering if anyone has suffered the same kind of ignorance or has any ideas of how i could handle these situations because its so embarassing.
appreciate any ideas!

[Christine UK]

<span style="font-family:Comic Sans Ms"><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%">
big hugs first(((((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))))
Let me tell you a story....
after years of trying to do everything i thought i should eb able to do....i finallt knew it was time i took one day at a time...if this meant being helped by people in different ways,..so be it.
A few years ago i was at an hospital apt...we had pulled into a disabled parking bay...i got my badges out of the glove compartment and hubbyw ent around to my side of the car to help me out.....
as he did so an elderly "gentlemen" said excuse me but you cant park there.....
i cant said hubby?...can you tell me why that is?
yes said the chap....because its a disabled parking bay ...and its quite obvious that neither you nor that lady are !!!
He continued....my wife is 75 and she needs that spot...well that was it my husband turned around and said....
let me tell you something....i will be lucky if my wife reaches 75.....how dare you etc etc....
the chap was gobsmacked !....
since that day i never used my badges agin....they were due to be renewed in feb this year....i didnt do it...why /
because we have to justify ourselves enough in this life....maybe i should have LUPUS tatooed on my head...but then would anyone understand ?</span></span>

[Blue82]

I'm in my early 20s and have a disabled parking badge. I've not had anyone approach me yet but I am aware of unpleasant stares sa people wonder if I'm really disabled or not. Like you I don't use a wheelchair or other aid but find walking very painful and so to look at me stood still you wouldn't think I had mobility problems. I don't know what the solution is, it's frustrating how ignorant people can be.

[birdie]

I even had someone come and see me from the DSS to make sure I was entitled to my car. I asked him if he knew what Lupus was and as usual he hadn't really got a clue as to what Lupus is. I told him what it was with the help of leaflets and how it affects me, afterwards he apologised and said how sorry he was for being there but he had to check up as someone had made a complaint about me having my car. He also told me that if another phone call or letter arrives about me and my car it will be bin bound as he was satisfied with what I told him and what he had seen and as long as I kept them informed if anything ever changes he was satisfied. By the way I am only 43 and not 83 style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif