Parking... P&C if its the only space left? Do you take it?

[Certainlyreally]

So just one on of many other threads on parent and child parking, and I was just thinking, would you/can you take a P&C space if its the only space left?

Do you take it?
Should you leave it?

(My dc are older, and I personally dont park in p&c spaces, even if they are the last one in the car park)

For an imaginary parent and child who you don’t know is going to come or not you would seriously park far away from a shop? Honestly there’s thoughtful and just being stupid!

@Sometimeswinning did you even bother to read their first comment- unless they’ve edited it ???

Or added an additional comment ?

Not illegal,but you could get a parking charge, (which is enforceable in court).

Yeah I agree with what they said. They would park there and wouldn’t park down the road. Unless I’ve missed something?

You wouldn’t park there because you wouldn’t want to appear selfish. I don’t agree with that.

Literally the last space in the car park? I’d be taking it. I’d circle the car park a few times to make sure but I wouldnt abandon my shopping trip just because of that reason - I need food too.

I would never park in a blue badge space for any reason

Yup, I do quite often at our local leisure centre/gym.

I go at 7pm which is when the last of the swimming lessons finish. Often there is only one or two spaces left so I grab what I can.

Of course not, because I’m not a selfish idiot. I’d just wait for another space.

Most supermarkets are part of a complex with other shops. I'd park in the next car park over. But literally in all my years as a driver this has never ever happened. I've had plenty of times where I can't get a space and the only ones left are the disabled spaces though. You just sort of filter them out as an option though don't you? I wish people who didn't need them for various reasons would do that a bit more with P+C ones. That's why I like car parks where the P+Cs are further away but with a safe route to the entrance. They don't need to be close to the shop.

During Covid I had to go into one of the offices and I was allocated a disabled space.

The car park only had disabled spaces plus a couple of taxi spaces being near central London.

So myself and 3 colleagues who were driving in were all allocated them. My other colleagues who were driven in separate taxis used the taxi spaces in turn.

I'd be wary if the carpark was monitored/managed by a private parking company. It would depend on the signage and t&cs displayed.

I wouldn't

Morally, I'd have zero issue taking it. I need a space near the entrance a hell of a lot more than most parents.

But I don't because I'm never sure if I can get a ticket for it or not, and being disabled (but not enough for a blue badge) is already expensive enough.

Tbf I’d agree that they don’t need to be near the entrance and that’s not why I use them. I use them because they’re wider. You need that extra space for manoeuvring a toddler/car seat without hitting the car next to you.

Moving them further away would then stop the problem of entitled people using p&c spaces when they don’t have a child with them.

I had a similar arguement with my mum today. She drove to the shops and parked in a P&C bay because I'm pregnant. I mean I'm 29 weeks and already pretty huge but didn't have a child with us. Her arguement was it was for needing the extra room, which I could do with, and finding walking more difficult and they're closer. I don't park in those bays by myself. Tbh I think she just wanted to try protect her new car 😂. Would people be mad seeing a heavily pregnant person using a P&C space?

use it but leave your engine running while somebody goes in for you, totally acceptable… well it is for a disabled bay, don’t have a badge and are just waiting for somebody(idiot woman yesterday)

This was my thoughts too .. I was there at 10am this morning to avoid packed supermarkets

Leave it!

Most of the supermarkets near me specify these spaces are for people with young children or pregnant women.