I was so badly shamed by cruel trolls over my parking that I bought THEM flowers – I regret apologising
A DRIVER said she was so badly shamed by cruel trolls over her parking that she felt obliged to buy THEM flowers.
Abbie Bush was driving on Thursday when she started to panic that she may not make the toilet in time.
The 29-year-old suffers from ulcerative colitis, meaning she needs to use the bathroom frequently.
She rushed to an Asda in Hellesdon, Norwich, and parked in a parent and child bay as it was the closest to the entrance.
Abbie said she was worried she wouldn’t make it if she spent extra time looking for a disabled spot.
She claims two women who had parked behind her cruelly shamed her for parking in a parent bay without a child – and then insisted she didn’t look disabled even when she pointed out her condition.
Abbie said the embarrassing exchange made her feel so ‘terrible’ that after using the toilet, she left a bunch of flowers on their car and wrote an apology note on an egg box lid.
The cake business owner says she now regrets saying sorry to the women as she believes she’s owed an apology from them.
After sharing a photo of her flowers on the car and admitting in her post that she was now ‘kicking herself’ for buying them, Abbie was inundated with commenters commending her for ‘returning evil with good’.
Abbie, from Hellesdon, Norwich, said: “I was going out to meet my friend for breakfast but she was running late so I thought I’d drive around for a bit so I’m not waiting in the car park.
“My stomach started going. I haven’t felt great recently anyway. It’s my instinct, I’ve got to get to the toilet right now.
“The closest place for me to go was Asda. I quickly drove up. I was absolutely panicking and getting really hot.
“I’ve got a new car and didn’t want to have an accident in it.
“I went as close to the door as possible. I saw the parent and toddler space and drove straight into it.
“I didn’t really think, to me it’s just a space. There were plenty of spaces, there were two next to me and a space next to the women.
“I slammed the disabled badge in the window and got out. They were getting the pushchair out and one said ‘isn’t that a parent bay?’ and I said ‘absolutely but I’m desperate for the toilet and I have ulcerated colitis so I have to go now’.
“Then the other said I should have driven to a disabled bay and then made a sly dig about me not looking disabled.
“I had to get off and run to the disabled toilet. I felt terrible, I started to question myself wondering whether I should have stopped there and if I was allowed to stop there.
“I tried to find them to explain in Asda and apologise and say I wasn’t doing a full shop.
“It was just the shock. I thought the only thing that would make the situation better was to apologise and say it wasn’t out of ignorance or laziness. It was the fact that I had to go to the toilet. I couldn’t find them so I left a note apologising.”
CHANGE OF HEART
Abbie says after speaking to her partner George, 27, she realised she hadn’t done anything wrong and is speaking out to make people aware that not all illnesses are visible.
Abbie said: “I absolutely regret apologising. Why on earth did I do that? It should have been them apologising to me for their sly comments. I don’t look disabled but it’s 2022.
“I would have understood if there were people waiting behind me or I was taking it up for someone else but I wasn’t.
“All I could think about what was getting to the toilet. The fact that they had parked already annoyed me even more.
“I could have slammed my brakes on in the middle of the road but I didn’t. I still parked.”
Abbie says it isn’t the first time she’s been criticised for her parking and has even been heckled for stopping in a disabled bay despite having a badge because of her condition.
Abbie said: “I’ve had a few sly digs before but nothing to this extent. I got so upset.
“I have had accidents before and it’s disgusting. It’s just not nice.
Asda has been contacted for comment.