... to expect people who use parent & baby car parking spaces to have children with them?

So is it ok for disabled driver to park in P&T spaces when there are free disabled ones???
Maybe the supermarket should swap them round so the P&T were the ones further away!

Ah, someone to join me itsmemellowma.

Ohhhh don't get me started. My dad is a disabled driver (he is an above the leg amputee, though not for the reasons on MissGolightly's post ) and he tends to challenge people who park in D spaces. My son also has a blue badge for when he is on crutches (we never use it when he is mobile [smug emoticon]). People without blue badges parking in disabled spaces is generally considered unaccptable now.
People do seem to think it is OK to nick P&T spaces. I was told about a woman (who probably comes on here) who doesn't challenge people who park in P&T places, instead she rushes up to them on their way to or from the car and says "OMG, you must go back, you've left your child in the store/car (depending on which direction they are going in)". I now do this
Also, one of the guys who works in the same building as me was explaining to a group that he parks in P&T because it prevents his car getting scratched in the smaller spaces. He seemed quite surprised when I called him a selfish B

Actually, I think we are very lucky that they exist at all. On the occasions I take the boys to the supermarket, I look for a p&t space, but if they are all gone, hey ho.

Life's too short to iron socks and worry about parking spaces, imho

Oh yes...its always after say half 6ish - when its cold.

The disabled ones are right out front so I would not park there but the PT ones are at the side of the store, so I do it sometimes...not ALL the time...

But I must admit that before children, I would park in M&B spaces (only when it was after 8 in the evening and the car park was fairly empty.)

You certainly see things from a different perspective once you have kids and now I understand WHY mums need the extra space

yep 7 seater Fio. The seats just pop up. Very safe cars (think all Renaults are). The b ack seat isn't really any good for anything other than a booster seat though.

It is just basic good manners and shows consideration when you leave P&T and Disabled spaces for those people who genuinely need them.

Mellow- I wouldn't care. As long as you weren't taking a disabled space when we needed it I wouldn't give a stufff. And yep if its after what I call bedtime (7pmish say_) then I park in P and T spots.

Well yes, after we've all walked on water whilst watching the flying pigs we may no longer need mobility! Oh that's OK then. I'll start car shopping!

So do the people who get irritated by disabled people parking in P and T spots, get irritated by special school buses stopping to pick up disabled children. Because the idiots that beep at ds1's bus dont irritate, they piss me off beyond belief (and I make sure I take longer to get him on the bus) Idiots.

I gave up on trying to get M&T spaces when my DTS were about 8mo. So many times I have seen healthy child free drivers park in these spaces because they are too lazy to park elsewhere. Meanwhile, I had to struggle getting 2 babies in and out of a car when there were cars on either side.

Now, I shop when the boys are at nursery or if they are with me, I take the pram and walk and just get a basket full.

What about using a P&T space at nightime? Last night I was in London SOHO car park -not supermarket and there was a P&T space I was very tempted to park in it but I didn't but it was very tempting because imo people shouldn't be out with their little children in soho at nightime.

Okay so shoot me butI do this regularly at my local supermaket... I would never use a disabled space but I have a baby car seat in my car so, hey why not!!

It doesn't offend, but you might find that if you or your kids ever develop a disability (can happen to anyone- no-one is immune) you're considerably more irriated when you can't shop full stop because there's no suitable space for you. You may find that your disabled child is more than irriated and tries to put their head through the window because you're not doing what your meant to do (ie park and get out). Who knows you may develop a different attitude to life and get irritated by important things.

Ah well, if hes just sprinting in and out, you can wait.

I like it Fio- although we have to have ds1 in the back and he's getting a bit big. I have no idea what to get next (runs out in August), don't really want a HUGE car- grande is quite big enough, but can't have ds1 sat near to ds2 and ds3 and he pinches them and hits them if he's in one of his moods. Thought about the multipla, but he'd be pulling the handbrake on or fiddling with buttons when we're driving around.

No idea how we get another one though as there's only 2 years left on motability, I keep meaning to ring and ask, but can;t cope with the dla "helpline"

bisness men are just a law unto them selves i find

Munz, I just wanted to make it clear when I said I was irritated with people who were patently not disabled using the disabled spaces, of course if someone has a badge I would NEVER dispute their right to use a space. What I meant was bloody businessmen without a badge sprinting in and out to get fags.

or bring dh with you to sit in the car with the kids at far end of the car park while you leg it to get a trolly.... works well enough for us

well quite i mean ffs.

maybe we should all park over 2 spaces when the 4x4's use P&T with no children??