Non-disabled people parking on handicap spots

Question

This morning, when I went to the local bakery, a woman (maybe around 25 years old) parking on the handicap spot right in front of the store. To me, she didn't look disabled at all. Granted, not every disability is visible from the outside, so to say, but here in Germany you have to have a special sticker stuck to the inside of your windshield, which you can get from the government, in order to signify you are disabled and actually allowed to park on such spots. However, she didn't have that one either and to me it looked like she was just too lazy to park across the street and walk 10 more meters (and maybe because she thought nobody would care since its really early in the morning).

This behavior is really upsetting me, and I was about to say something - but didn't knew what. If she is willing to park there, without being disabled, she'll be willing to park there in the future again and maybe block the spot for someone actually disabled.

In such a situation, how would you talk to the other person in order to, at least, get the other person thinking about what they are doing there? Maybe that leads to them not parking on such spots anymore. I myself am not disabled (if that may influence the way to deal with this).

Answer 1

As far as I know, the special sticker is actually a card, which can be layed on the dashboard (this eg allows people with disabilities to be passengers on other peoples cars, and still have the possibility to park in these special parking spots).

So one approach might be to assume that it's an honest mistake. As you said, there are invisible disabilities, and assuming that they are not actually disabled is rude.

You might say:

Excuse me, I think you forgot to lay out your disability parking card. [optionally you may add: I don't want you to get towed, as this is a handicap spot. ]

If it was an honest mistake, this gives the other person the option to say thanks and get the card. Or to say that they didn't realize, and that they will move.

If it wasn't an honest mistake, you can then decide how to proceed based on their response (aggressive, dismissive, confused, etc). Eg explaining to them that they are taking the place from someone that truely needs it.