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.

I remember when my daughter was a newborn and I had parked right at the back of the car park where no other cars were. Took her out in the car seat carrier that attaches to your pram and came back an hour later to find two cars had parked either side of me, so close that it was impossible to get the car seat back in. Cue sheer panic from a first time mum on how on earth I was going to get the baby back in the car! I ended up having to leave her on the floor in the car park while I drove forward enough to get her in. That’s when I realised how handy those spaces are when you have a tiny baby.
I wouldn’t mind in the slightest a pregnant woman or anyone with a disability using them. Anyone else is an arse.

It's fair enough for someone with a blue badge to park in one, if all the disabled spaces are taken.

A couple of months ago I confronted someone who took the last parent and child space, and had carseats but no children in the car. She explained that she was too busy to find a less convenient space, because she was a parent. Lucky no one else is busy, eh? 🙄

Because there aren’t shopping trolleys at my local supermarkets that are suitable for very young children. How else am I supposed to get around the supermarket with a baby?
I have, in the past, parked really far away from the store where I thought other people weren’t likely to park next to me. I’ve took the car seat out and struggled to the parent and child spaces with a baby bag, shopping bags, baby in car seat and toddler to get a trolley. Returned to car after and cars have parked either side. I waited as long as I could for them to return and then like a previous poster, I had to leave my baby in their car seat on the trolley, in the road bit (there’s no paths through this car park) while I reversed my car out, then I had to leave my car blocking the exit while I put my baby in and returned the trolley. All because several selfish people wanted a bit more space to park their car nearer the store.
So now I won’t go anywhere there aren’t P&C spaces if I have my youngest child with me. If none are available and I can’t park on the end of a row, I have to wait for someone to vacate one.

All through my pregnancy and when having a young child I don't think I've ever used one. I'm not convinced anyone really needs it's tbh!

Disabled spaces I get but parent and child nah....especially when people play the pregnancy card.

I always find it funny how much mumsnet hates mums 🤣

I never have them much heed when I didn't need them but my god when you have more than two little babies/kids to get out you need the space. Car seats are so much chunkier than they used to be and far less easy to move. I wouldn't care if they were miles away from the supermarket if only I could have the wider space and hopefully the distance would stop people using them so much. Don't mind if elderly use them tbh.

However I do have a badly behaved child and parking story..

After my c section day 3 i was n tescos car park and watced a young guy who pulled into the last parent and child space and I just lost it. I jumping out the car (DP was driving) chasing this guyyelling excuse me "excuse me I think you have forgotten something..." he turned around looking a bit puzzled. I then said "your child in your car..."

I don't have a child in my car was his response... then the penny dropped.

Never seen someone turn so red. I personally blame the hormones but he was so shocked and I must have looked a bit demented and hit scary (post partum isn't pretty on me). He agreed to move his car and was full of apologies.

Probably not my finest moment but there you have it 😵‍💫

I do but only 1 place in general.

My "child" is 18yo but has a BB.

My local Tesco has the P and C spaces closer to the door than the BB spaces. When he's particularly struggling with his muscular disorder we park there so he has less distance to walk.

Not very often - and I know we can use them with the BB - but it still pisses people off 🤷‍♀️ (I don't park there to make a point or annoy them but I'll be damned if I'm making him walk further than he needs when he's in pain)

I don’t think there should be parent and child spaces at all. I never used them. I think if there are any, they should and could by used by disabled people at the least.

Is this a thing? Don't think I was ever in a parking situation when I was heavily pregnant that required a wider parking space for my bump...

If you have bad spd you need the door all the way open to be able to get out.

Yes, cars have changed! Have you never noticed how garages built years ago are now too narrow for a family car?

Yea I have and will continue to do so in places that have c&p spaces closest to the doors rather than disability spaces.

Occasionally get the odd busy body who thinks they can police the spaces trying to have a go.

I sat in a car park waiting for my dd the other day - it was late afternoon. I noticed that around 5 cars came and went with no kids but had parked in the parent places which were near the door of the supermarket. They were, without exception, all lone men around 25-35. Selfish wankers.

I think the solution is the locate the parent spaces further away. People wouldn’t abuse them as much but parents with kids would still have the extra space.

😂 ample spaces for blue badge?
not every carpark has ample space for blue badges. One we go to has over 20 p&c spaces right outside the door. And 5 blue badge spaces that to get into a store a road had to be walked over.

I will be selfish every single time that I need to park closer to the door in a space that was provided as a curtesy.

had the odd daft fucker complain and even bring out the store manager to tell us to move. However, once they see the badge they are more than apologetic to us and ask if we need further assistance. Unlike twat face who is told they will have to park elsewhere or wait for a space to open up. One said they would wait for a blue badge space and manager pointed out they would be fined 😂

Doesn’t it occur to you that males in that age group could have hidden disabilities just like females? Not all mobility issues are confined to oaps.

and yes I agree they should be further away. However this is always shot down with things like but what about when it rains?

Good for you @ihatethefuckingmuffin

@TooManyMoronsHere My local supermarket spaces are so ridiculously small, I already struggle as I drive a bigger car let alone with an 8+ months bump. Granted it's not everywhere but my local Sainsburys is a joke.

I think they should be put near the back of the car park with a walkway to the shop and a trolley bay beside them.
That way they're less likely to be used by other people.

And spaces near the door are also handy for elderly people who are frail but not bb holders, people recovering from surgery etc etc. They should not be reserved totally for young healthy parents but should just be generally available for all.

I meant to add that p&c spaces seem to bring out the worst in a certain type of parent who cannot see the difference between their convenience and a disabled person's genuine need.
Having them right beside the door seems to feed into their sense of entitlement and have them equate themselves with blue badge holders. When, in fact the spaces are usually a token gesture with most parents still having to use ordinary spaces.

I don't but I don't judge or give hard stares or any such nonsense to anyone who uses one of those spaces because you never know what their situation is. Maybe there are a few opportunists but I think most people are not dickheads and I'd hate to make someone feel judged or mortified.

The only time pre-kids I have used one was when we circled the supermarket car park and there wasn’t a single car park space except for one P&C space. Would never dream of taking a disabled space but I certainly wasn’t going to leave the supermarket without my shopping because the only space left was a P&C.

Now I have 2 young DC it’s more that in both our local supermarkets P&C spaces I can leave the trolleys in front of the space (both have the chains to attach them to so they are clearly designed for that) so I don’t have to leave the kids in the car whilst I go to get/put back a trolley. Size of the space doesn’t bother me too much, nor the distance to the shop. If I see someone using a P&C space who doesn’t have a child I just assume they have hidden disabilities. Though it’s amazing how many lone men there are in nice cars that seem to have hidden disabilities…

Yes at 9 months pregnant once we had the car seat in the car ready, after some idiot parked so close to my door I had to go in the passenger side and climb across (also at 8/9 months pregnant) I was lucky I wasn’t massive.

also one of our retail parks has 500 million disabled spaces which are always empty but no p&c. Since another idiot parked so close to me I couldn’t get my car seat in and had to leave my baby in the pram while I pulled the car forward to get him in I will now park in the furthest away disabled spaces provided most are empty so there’s plenty.

Or people who are parking there with no children should just park in normal spaces instead of them determining what time families can enter a shop 🫠

I’m honestly rather astounded by the comments on here claiming parents/mums have a sense of ‘entitlement’.. isn’t it called compassion?!
the fact others think that they should be allowed to park there, regardless of signs or other solaces, is surely a bigger example of entitlement?

If you have young children, you don’t want to traipse around a busy car park?

I admit to having called people out for this before several times, and not once has anyone had a decent excuse. I once had to reverse me car out to get the car seat back in the car when i saw a single man parking in the last p&c space- he said he was only ‘nipping’ into the bank and that space was closer than the others.

Of course it’s not legally enforceable (although it is private property) but I would’ve thought you’d extend the same courtesy to young families as you expect to yourself tbh..

Or people who are parking there with no children should just park in normal spaces instead of them determining what time families can enter a shop 🫠

I parked in one because I didn't have my blue badge. My disability is not comparable to you having a child. Hth.