Parent/child spaces without the child

[Frogsalad]

I'm curious how many people would admit to using a parent/child space when they don't actually have their child with them, or their child is remaining in the vehicle?

I feel like this might be like asking "admit you don't pick up your dog poo" but I see it so often loads of people must do it.

@LolaLoo2 The difference is that you cannot park in a disabled space without a blue badge. It is, however, perfectly acceptable and legal for me to park in a P&C space as a reasonable adjustment for my disability. I am legally entitled to do this.

Can you point me in the direction of this law? I've never come across it.

@bbcdefg and irrespective of whether it's illegal or not, it's surely very selfish to do so when you have ample choice of parking within your blue badge spaces. P&C parking should be kept for P&C, and if legal only used as a last resort.

Oh dear.

Poor you.

@Frogsalad Im so glad its not just me!! I had to use them the other day as my bump was too big for me to squeeze out in normal space and I was so worried someone would be arsey with me about it!!! 🙈🙈🙈

Is it acceptable for obviously pregnant women do we think then? As if so ill feel less nervous using them when needed in future 😅

Literally anybody can park in a P&C space. The holder of a disabled badge can park in any space open to a member of the public, and in addition in many spaces members of the public are not allowed to use.

There isn't a law that spells out that it's legal for the same reason there isn't a law permitting you to breathe on Sundays.

Tbh it really pisses me off when people who don’t need them use them, including those with older children in the daytime. I have a pre schooler and a baby and though my pre schooler can climb through the car if she has to I then struggle to strap her in. 3x I’ve had to pull out of a space leaving my baby alone in her pushchair because people have parked too close for me to open her door. It’s quite dangerous.

Comparing it to 20 years ago doesn’t make sense. 20 years ago car seats weren’t even a legal requirement iirc. Cars are bigger nowadays and many car parks haven’t been adjusted to accommodate this. Car doors are also wider than they need to be (more aesthetically pleasing as the design is ‘smoother’) and many don’t have many open settings, my car for example has open or half open, so if I prop the door slightly with my body as I move around it can spring open and dink another car. Even if you park to give yourself space someone with a big car can park too close to you and cause a problem.

Literally anybody can park in a P&C space

Is that correct? On private land, eg a supermarket car park, can't they make any rules they like? If they want to charge, or say you have to be a customer, or set a time limit etc they can, so can they not also say "these spaces are for this group"?
Obviously you (not you specifically) wouldn't be breaking the law to park there, but they could fine you surely?

I could easily be wrong! And I'm not talking about those with a blue badge parking there, I mean just people generally.

I do sometimes

They could say that. But it could be challenged on the basis of reasonable adjustment for a disability by those who are disabled (but don't have a blue badge) for example.

20 years ago car seats definitely were a legal requirement by the way.

Cars have gotten bigger. My son is only 6 but when he was a baby, I could not get the car seat out unless I had the door fully open. There is no way I would get my car door fully open in a standard space. It is hard enough getting it open enough to squeeze my bump out.

How is it selfish to use a space that I am legally permitted to?

There are many disabled people who are not entitled to a blue badge and can't use disabled spaces.

Or, who like me yesterday, have forgotten their blue badge.

@LolaLoo2 it's the Equality Act that enshrines the requirement for a reasonable adjustment.

There's info here from CAB www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/discrimination/check-what-type-of-discrimination-youve-experienced/duty-to-make-reasonable-adjustments-for-disabled-people/

They could say that. But it could be challenged on the basis of reasonable adjustment for a disability by those who are disabled (but don't have a blue badge) for example.

Sorry yes, I meant specifically what the poster said about "literally anyone can park in a P&C space" rather than blue badge holders only. I see it written quite a bit that P&C spaces aren't enforceable but I didn't think that was quite right? I thought it was more that they aren't a right, but a car park owner could enforce them if they wanted.

Sorry, misread what you wrote about being disabled but not having a blue badge 🤦🏻‍♀️

A car park owner could enforce them but there is a duty to make a reasonable adjustment for a disabled person and if that disabled person has used a P&C space as a reasonable adjustment then it is likely to be challenged in court and it is likely that the right of the disabled person to their reasonable adjustment would be upheld.

I used them when heavily pregnant with SPD. But I don't use them if the kids aren't with me.

I do. Because my 9 year old is autistic and refuses to come in with me, but if he gets scared he'll leave the car and come after me. Better to have him exit onto a path than run havoc round the carpark.

I have done occasionally if they are the ones closest to the door. I have a disability that flares up sometimes and I can't walk very far when that happens. I'm below the threshold for a blue badge though.

The thing you all need to remember is parent and child spaces are there as a convenience, disabled people need spaces closer if they're unable to walk far, or bigger due to requiring extra space to get in/out of their very. I guarantee you every single disabled person would quite happily give up their disability to park further away & walk!

I wouldn’t but last week there were no blue badge spaces left for me so I did. Felt bad but displayed badge 😬

I will admit to using one without the kids BUT I was heavily pregnant at the time. Lightening crotch levels of pregnant and I couldn't squeeze out of the car in an ordinary space.

How do you physically get a car seat into or out of the car in a normal sized space if 2 cars park each side of you? You need to be able to open a door fully

Why are you taking the car seat out?
How do you manage if there are no P&C spaces?

I've never done this. Only brass necked morons do this.