What is the Mumsnet consensus on P&C spaces?

My late father had a blue badge and I used parent and child spaces on occasions as it was easier for him given his limited sight.

I am legally entitled under the equality act 2010.

in point of fact, I have a BB now but it took ages to come. Following a life changing accident.

in the interim, as advised by Tesco staff (it’s my closest supermarket) I used the P&C spaces. They took a note of my car reg and that of my daughter in a book behind the counter at customer services.

if they hadn’t done that, I couldn’t have gone out at all until the BB came as I can’t get out of the car in a normal space.

I apologise for using shorthand I thought people were capable of understanding.

I’m also disabled but and have a blue badge, but nice try 👍

I think it’s more telling that that was your response to someone who is disabled trying to park safely for them

They are lazy fuckers op. I have no probs with the elderly using them though or blue badge holders when their spaces are full.

Tbh id put it up higher than gaza

It’s very inconsiderate, and not something I have ever done, but I whether the size of the car is relevant.

Many car parks were designed when cars were smaller. People may simply have been unable to squeeze their car into the normal spaces so go for the ones with extra space.

I no longer use them as my kids have all flown the nest but it still infuriates me when some dick - usually tattooed massive men - in a big car to fit their meaty heads casually parks in them and clearly don’t give a shit. (I was waiting for a friend one night and watched 6 do it - all men, big cars). Sat there fuming.

I’d love to confront them but wouldn’t dare. I wish they’d situate them further away so that p+cs get the space they need but swinging dicks don’t think they’re their own personal VIP space right by the doors.

Ds is 16. If I can’t get a blue badge space or like our local Lidl the P and C spaces are better located than the disabled I will use one with him.

I think on the whole though P and C spaces have created a lot of helpless parents who seem to think it’s impossible to go to the supermarket without one (yet manage just fine at the attractions that don’t have them!) and even worse some who think they are comparable to disabled parking!

Yeah but how would you know the difference, my ds doesnt LOOK disabled. And we didn't have a badge at this point.. so to you, it would have looked like a "child who is able to get in and out of the car". So it would have annoyed you.

I’m more bothered by the tight-arses who use supermarket parking as free parking - it’s this that makes the car parks congested and less likely to get a space. More supermarkets need introduce ANPR receipt validation.

I’m amazed at the amount of people who can’t just park up and Chuck baby in a sling and get on with their day.
its just a parking space!
local shops, on street parking, schools, hospitals and small carparks don’t have them.
if you can’t manage Tesco with a kid then get your shopping delivered

My reasonable adjustment is parking in the P&C spaces (or at least, I did before I got my BB)

In all honestly it’s annoying, yes. I’ll eye roll but never confront - it’s not worth your blood pressure rising. There are far worse things in life.

People do it, because it’s not enforceable like disabled parking.

I am also in the camp of park as far back as possible where I can take my time to park. I hate when someone’s waiting for me to slot in to a space 😂

To park in a disabled bay, you need a BB. Reasonable adjustments don’t come into it. They are enforceable.

A P&C bay is a retailer courtesy usually and they are not enforceable.

Camera's what?

Perhaps supermarkets should convert the current P&C spaces into additional disabled spaces and use some space at the back of the car park for P&C spaces where there is less likelihood of other people using the spaces?

Disability is different. A child who is able to get in and out of the car doesn’t need a p&c space. Parents with babies and toddlers and very young children need the extra space.

The vast majority of people with disabilities are not entitled to blue badges, and yet many of those not so entitled are less able to walk a distance to the entrance than parents with children. The distance you have to be unable to walk to get a badge, for instance, is 50 metres. On a bad day I can barely walk 200m. If I have to park 100m from the supermarket, and back, then I cannot enter the shop. If I park in a P&C on a bad day, I can reach the pharmacy, and buy a few bits. I am lucky that I am having fewer runs of bad days, but I cannot help but think of other disabled people for whom this is not true.

Yep, so many wannabe parking attendants out there. If you want to police other people's parking then get a job doing it.

I remember passing the security desk in a supermarket and someone was telling the staff there that a car was parked in a BB space. It had a BB, but was "not the sort of car disabled people drive"... whatever the fuck that meant.
My best friend has a BB and has a 2 seater sporty car.

Blue badge "trumps" all. A blue badge holder has every right to park in a p and c space, regardless of how many bb spaces are available. I dont understand at all how the two things could even be considered remotely the same!

You would probably have hated seeing my nearly 11 year old getting out of the car parked in one of the p and c spaces, before we had the BB to display. Imagine being so bothered about a parking space..

I don’t think those without a pre school aged child should use the spaces. I don’t think a blue badge driver should even park there and I say this as someone with a blue badge. Likewise I don’t think pregnant women should use them either. Finally if you’re not employed by the supermarket speak to someone in store rather than approaching customers you believe aren’t entitled to park in a place. It’s not your job, nothing to do with you.