Parent and child parking spaces- are they for pregnant women?

[Ohhbaby]

I thought parent and child parking spaces where for people with smallish children.
They are specifically wider as to not struggle popping a child back in a car seat.
But I'm prepared to be told they're for pregnant people too!
I was parking at a big grocery chain - there were no parent and child ones open, but I manage to park in a spot 2 spaces away from the parent and child one.
As I was getting my baby, 2 and 4 year old out, I saw a lady getting out of her car in the parent and child parking space. .
She had no children with her.
I was slightly annoyed as I don't think she should have used it.
I know I'm not entitled to a parent and child space and I don't mind if they're full- but they do make my life easier.
Easier to get the kids in and out without scratching another car, easier to get the pushchair in beside the car etc.

We went into the shop and I happen to shop in the same aisle as this woman.
I plucked up the courage to politely say. "You really shouldn't park in the parent and child spot if you don't have children"
She said " oh no I promise I have children- I have a 9 year old and I'm pregnant".
I just said ' o okay sure, sorry!" And felt somewhat bad for calling someone out that was pregnant ( you couldn't see it yet) ( but I was floored by the comment that she has a 9 year old. So what, he's not with you. The parking space isn't for someone who has kids, it's for someone who has kids with them). But I was too chicken to point it out.
But as the uncomfortability of addressing a stranger wore off I thought to myself: wait a minute, what does the fact that she is pregnant has to do with it?
I thought the spaces were wider not necessarily closer as to make it more convenient for pregnant women??

Am I just wholly uninformed?

I have a BB and my son is 9 but SEN. I avoided using one yesterday alone but I probably would with DS. Our local Aldi has 3 disabled spots but about 10 P&C.

Also I couldn't get worked up about a pregnant woman using it visible or not. I didn't have a BB when I was pregnant but every step was agony with my joints.

A man skidding his Porsche sideways into it and merrily leaping out and jogging into the shop then yes the chances are they are taking the piss like that woman could have been but I get so fed up of people glaring at me as I park and having to make a big flourish with my BB to show that I am allowed to park there quite frankly has ended any judgement or policing of other's parking.

The ones at the big Sainsbury’s near us seem to be mostly taken up by men with big trucks and vans.

Im heavily pregnant with a toddler. I see it as a bonus if one is available but don’t expect it.

If someone else who is heavily pregnant without a toddler is using one, I’m just going to give them the benefit of the doubt rather than “calling them out”. You don’t know what kind of day they’re having or what they’re going through.

Heavily pregnant women yes definitely. Anyone with young children in car seats, yes. Anyone else no.

I think it actually annoys me more when you see someone with teenagers use them. They dont need the extra space. No car seats, just lazy.

Our local sainsburys has camera's on them. I've heard rumour of fines. But not sure how they prove it.

The problem is they have often now out the C and P spaces nearer than the BB spaces.

So people are abusing them instead.

And suddenly people care!

They should put C and P spaces at the far end of the supermarket with a covered walkway to the store. They should have the trollies with seats stored at that end.

But that would make sense (and cost!) so they won't.

They see families are their profit.

Personally I don't think people with older children or slightly pregnant should use them. But I can't get upset about it when no one's given a shiny shite about BB spaces being abused for as long as I can remember.

I use BB space with my son and C and P space if they are full. I ignore anyone who comments and walk away.

Part of the issue is the lack of blue badge spaces.
I stopped at services and circled the car park 4 times for a disable or p&c space as need the extra space for wheelchair. There were 8 disabled bays, 12 p&c and then around 10 electric charging bays right at the front. Ended up parking over 2 spaces further up as would not gave been able get out of car otherwise. Put blue badge on.

Earlier, a few posters equated being fat with being heavily pregnant. Fat squidges, a baby bump does not - it's basically a person strapped to your front!

It seems they are for everyone.... "I'll only be a minute", "there's another space", "it's closer to the door and I'm in a hurry", "I normally have my children, so I always park here", "what's the problem the carpark is empty?"

I'm glad to hear some supermarket operators are start issuing tickets for infractions, no doubt someone will be along in a minute to complain using one of the excuses above.

Pregnant women are the least problematic of people using P&C space without the C part.

(Not counting disabled people of course)

The adults who just park there because they are fully arrogant are the problem. Pregnancy woman, carry on

I used them when I was 8/9 months pregnant and had SPD and sciatica. I was ready to wallop anyone who questioned me.

When I’m queen of the world, I’ll make them put the P&C spaces as far away from the entrance as possible. Lets see how many parents of 9 year olds still need the extra space.

Thing is, someone may have an 10yo that's perfectly capable of getting out the car themselves and buckling in etc, but want to use the bays because they have a habit of flinging door open. That's fine, it's within the rules, they look out for their family.

But it does irk me when I see someone get out of a car with a pre-teen in the last P&C space, meaning I have to park in a normal bay with my 10 month old and have to set the pram up behind the car in the road etc.

Pregnant woman? Fine. Disabled person if all disabled are full? Fine (though I did see a disabled person park in a P&C opposite the very empty disabled bays once which did annoy me, I did tell them that it was P&C politely in case hadn't realised but they had and told me the badge gave them right to park anywhere and she was sick of people being given the same 'access' just for opening their legs - she seemed a real peach!)

Disabled person if all disabled are full? Fine (though I did see a disabled person park in a P&C opposite the very empty disabled bays once which did annoy me
Anyone with a BB fine in any space regardless of whether disabled spaces are free or not in my opinion. Anyone with a specific need can park in P and C spaced without needing to prove their need. Pregnant, mobility issue that doesn't get a BB but still causes problems, temporary injury etc. They all get a free pass from me.

I've never actually been enough of a busybody to consider policing them. If there was one free when I had small children and it was helpful to use I used them. If there wasn't one free I moved on and got on with my day.

To be honest, if I saw someone park in one and they clearly didn’t have a child with them I’d internally be annoyed but wouldn’t say anything. If someone’s hard-faced enough to abuse the spaces, then they’re hard-faced enough to respond negatively to anyone who calls them out on it. They’re not going to say ‘oh sorry, you’re right I’ll just go and move my car’.

I find our supermarket car park an interesting case. Its shared with quite a large soft play. (Immediately next to each other).
Supermarket was open along time.e before the soft play, so P&C nearer the supermarket (in a column away from the entrance). Then the disabled spaces are closer to the softplay (but same distance to supermarket as P&C). In front of the soft play is normal parking spots, not footpaths.

The busiest part of the car park, on a weekday morning, is the normal spaces in front of the soft play. The parent &C spaces more than half empty.

So somehow, parents don't need one to take their toddler to soft play, and the convenience of parking 50m closer is more important?

The whole car park has the same 3hr time limit, and you can park anywhere for either business

I used them at 5-8 months pg due to big bump and SPD. It was a squeeze to get in the drivers seat with the door fully open and no hope of crawling through the car from a more accessible door if I couldn't fully open the driver's door.
I couldn't fit in the drivers seat after 36 weeks anyway and had to stop driving.
I had to give up on supermarket shopping at 34 weeks because it was too painful to walk so far again. The GP said it was "pregnancy aches and pains" 🙄

Second time round, I normally had a toddler with me anyway.
I'm glad the P&C spaces are well located because trying to deal with a free- range 2 year old while on crutches with a bag shopping is not on anyone's list of how to have good times.
(Reins + crutches were a big fail 😂)

When I was heavily pregnant with twins, I could barely fit my bump behind the steering wheel, and it would be a help to have extra space to get out of the car.

I felt it wasn't right to use the P&C spaces until I saw some guys in white vans parked in them eating their lunch. Also a couple of chauffer-driven ambassador cars parked in them. So then I started to use them in the last couple of weeks of pregnancy. Now I think I should have just used them earlier in the pregnancy.

I’m almost 36 weeks pregnant, and have to have the car door open very wide, in order to get in and out of the car, due to pelvic pain, and the sheer damn size of me. It’s like there’s a keg of lager up there! 😂

I use Parent and Child Spaces when available, as I can’t get in or out of the car as easily as I used to. I wouldn’t judge other heavily pregnant women for doing so, either. I think if you’re in early pregnancy, and have no bump whatsoever, and you’re still in the stage where you can move freely, and without pain, it’s kind of taking the piss a bit.

But in the third trimester, it can be impossible to squeeze in and out of the car, especially when people can’t park within the white lines, and seem to enjoy parking as close to me as they possibly can! I’ve actually been unable to get in my car at times, due to people’s poor parking. When you’re the size of a blimp, and have less co-ordination than one, the idea of climbing across from the passenger side isn’t particularly enjoyable, or safe.

If a disabled person who need space or to be nearer entrance or heavily pregnant person used one I wouldn't judge

I disagree with people who use them for convenience

SoupDragon · 08/10/2024 22:14

There is absolutely nothing selfish about parking in a P&C spot with a blue badge.

Oops, I misread that as parking in a blue badge space - able bodied.

Apologies to that poster!

😃

I always assumed they would include pregnant women, at least, those whose pregnancy was far enough along to make it more difficult to get in and out of a car.

I wish they would have spaces for people with temporarily impaired mobility, e.g. recovering from an accident and using a walking aid - so not requiring a blue badge, but still needing extra space to get in and out of a car.

I've often wondered at people who won't walk a few metres in a supermarket car park? Is it psychological?

When I'm parking, I park in the quietest part of the car park so I can ideally drive straight through and don't have to reverse. I like free spaces on at least one side of me. I don't mind if that means I'm at the end of the car-park - we regularly take the children for fairly long walks at the weekend so I don't see that an extra 50-100 metres in a car park makes any difference at all unless we're in a hurry.

Whereas my husband will reverse into tight spaces and stake out spaces where people are just leaving to get one close by the entrance. This is a man who goes running at least twice a week for several miles at least. I find it completely illogical 😂.

When I had baby twins they were an absolute must. I remember one occasion where the place didn't have any so I used a regular space. Someone parked so tight I couldn't get one baby out so had to abandon him in a buggy, drive out of the space then block the road while trying to quickly strap him in then collapse the buggy etc. It was incredibly stressful. IMO once a child is capable of opening their own door they no longer need them. I have to admit I have very low tolerance of people who use them with pre teens or teenagers. Same with using lifts when there is queue of people with buggies or trollies.

When I had baby twins they were an absolute must. I remember one occasion where the place didn't have any so I used a regular space. Someone parked so tight I couldn't get one baby out so had to abandon him in a buggy, drive out of the space then block the road while trying to quickly strap him in then collapse the buggy etc. It was incredibly stressful. IMO once a child is capable of opening their own door they no longer need them. I have to admit I have very low tolerance of people who use them with pre teens or teenagers. Same with using lifts when there is queue of people with buggies or trollies.