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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to have confronted this woman?

88 replies

AKMD · 15/07/2010 14:44

Usual story: in Sainsbury's carpark, loading up my shopping, some woman in a massive people carrier pulls into the parent & child space infront of me, jumps out of the car, locks it and walks off. There were clearly no children in the car so I called after her, "You do realise that's a family space, right?" She carried on walking so I called again, at which point she turned around, strode up to me and started berating me for shouting at her because I already had a space and there were other spaces free so why shouldn't she park there. I told her that she was being incredibly selfish and that she shouldn't park in a parent & child space just because she couldn't be bothered to walk a few extra metres to the store (ok, I was getting a bit het up at this point). She walked off so I took her registration down and reported her to the customer service desk, who really didn't care either. WIBU?

OP posts:
mosschops30 · 15/07/2010 15:08

eactly I couldnt give a toss if they put the P&C spaces at the far end of the car park, its the room i want.
This would also stop grippers with no badge, and fat lazy tossers using them

cfc · 15/07/2010 15:09

Moss, I honestly wouldn't care if a pensioner parked in a P&C place. They're old fgs, and might not have a disabled badge, granted. But they could still be infirm.

I don't like queue jumpers though, whatever age! I've never come across one actually, thinking about it.

paisleyleaf · 15/07/2010 15:10

They should put the P&C spaces the furthest away from the shop, then this wouldn't happen so much.

iamfabregasted · 15/07/2010 15:11

I parked in a mother and child space the other day. I had both DD's with me, they are 11 and 8. DD1 is in a wheelchair at the moment because she's broken her leg and it is a nightmare to get her in and out of the car.

I got the dirtiest look from this woman parked beside me as I pulled into the space.

And I went into Sainsbos and told the woman at customer services (who knows me and was busy going "Oh IamfabregastedDD1 what the heck have you done to yourself you poor wee lamb").

I didn't want anyone to think I was taking the piss. And i couldn't use a disabled space because I don't have a badge. and it was pissing with rain, and DD1 has a cast on that shouldn't get wet.

iamfabregasted · 15/07/2010 15:12

Sorry - that wasn't clear, I told the woman at customer services that I had parked in the mother and child spaces.

ShadeofViolet · 15/07/2010 15:14

I agree its about the space - I wouldnt care if the P&T spaces are at the other end of the carpark to the entrance, I just want to get my children in and out of the car without worrying about dinging mine or someone elses doors.

mosschops30 · 15/07/2010 15:14

In our sainsburys is says they are for people with children 12 years and younger not sure why a child of 12 cannot get out of a car like and adult but there we are.
I think your child being in a wheelchair is deffo a special requirement.
Its the space you need with wheelchairs/pushchairs/baby seats not the proximity to the store.

cfc I am obviously hardened old cow, age is not a disclaimer to park where you choose and queue jump

Tortington · 15/07/2010 15:15

you should have shit on the bonnet

ljgibbs · 15/07/2010 15:18

I'm with Peter Kay on this one

cfc · 15/07/2010 15:22

I bet you're not moss!

I'd have a word with someone queue jumping, but as for the coffin dodgers parking in P&C spaces, I wouldn't mind, really.

What I do now at our local tesco is park in the (literally) furthest space from the store so that the left hand side of the car is neighbour free iyswim? Then I have lots of space and a fair old walk to the store. It's frigging enormous. I feel like then I'm not taking up a P&C space for a new mum with a big pram and stitches! I remember this time well, she'll need the space and the shortest walk possible. (and as I'll be back there myself in a few months, hopefully without the stitches this time, I'm hoping karma will give me a break!).

TheCoalitionNeedsYou · 15/07/2010 15:22

Do it online.

iamfabregasted · 15/07/2010 15:23

Mosschops - you are joking! I assumed they were for people with toddlers / young kids that you had to manoever in and out of car seats!!

Gigantaur · 15/07/2010 15:24

yabu.

you should have poured milk through her sunroof.

or shat on her bonnet

or pissed in her fuel tank

iamfabregasted · 15/07/2010 15:25
IveStillGotIt · 15/07/2010 15:26

YANBU to be pissed off at the woman, however by confronting her, you do come across as abit of a busy body, as like you said, you already had a parking space, so it's not as if the woman had done something which would have effected you.
I remember once when DS was about 4ish, we were at the supermarket looking for a space, it was packed and we couldn't see any, however I spotted one in P&C (we never used those spaces, as in my supermarket, there furthest away from the door!), so I go's to DP "there's a space" and he go's "someones waiting for it" I looked over, and there was a posh looking woman mid-fifties with NO CHILDREN in her car, waiting for someone to reverse out of the P&C space, so she could go in it, so I screamed at DP "put yer foot down", so we drove in that space before that woman could, and she had the cheek to get out of her car and start ranting at us "that was MY space, if you don't get out of it, I will report you" to which I replied "for what? parking in a P&C space, when WE do actually have a child in the back of our car" and she kept going on about how she saw that space first, and she was waiting for it, totally ignoring the fact that we had more right to that space, in the end I told her to go and fuck herself, and even the trolly collector who she went over too about the space said we had more right to park there than she did.

KickArseQueen · 15/07/2010 15:33

I agree its annoying but you've also upset yourself today by trying to reason with someone who isn't reasonable.

Either imagine the following to make you grin or if you have the guts...

Sighn on the back of the car that reads

" I think policemen are wankers and my license is fake"

See? Its possible to help karma along sometimes

emy72 · 15/07/2010 15:41

I agree it's annoying and no you were not WNBU.

I think however that these should be checked by the supermarket rather than relying on people to police them. I generally can't be bothered to tell anyone where they should/should not park as it's not really up to me - unless they are blocking me in!

As others said, it's not about the distance but about the space - sometimes I have no choice but to park across 2 spaces as I have a huge car and babies on both sides so I have to have full access on both sides and that's the only way for me to get my babies out without severely damaging/scratching somebody else's car!

5Foot5 · 15/07/2010 16:49

If she has a massive people carrier as you say then perhaps she parks in the P&C spaces because they are wider and she is s**t at parking the thing!

I have never really used these spaces much - even when DC was small - but whenever I see someone badly/incorrectly parked I am always tempted to get a whole stack of Post-It notes with rude messages on and stick them all over their car.

One day maybe I will finally crack and do just that.

Chathappy · 15/07/2010 17:07

No I don't think yabu - I see this so much and I also think about the next poor mum/dad driving along that can't get a more convenient space because someone else can't be bothered to walk an extra 10 metres!

I like you plucked up the courage to say something to a lady just a couple if months ago. Thing is I'm heavily pregnant at the moment (so extra hormonal !) and I have a 2 year old and 4 year old. I had done my weekly shop with them so was feeling slightly stressy anyway and was just loading them and shopping back in the car when this posh looking middle aged lady pulled up in the only free p&c space next to me and waltzed out (no kids obviously!). So I said 'i think you've forgotten your child' (thinking this was a very big a clever thing to say of course) to which she replied 'i'm just picking them up' and walked off. Of course the only witty response I could think of to this was 'oh okay...' but I still wonder to this day whether she was lying or was actually picking up children... (from a huge 24hr tesco which does seem odd...). I'm sure there are more important things I should be spending my time musing over!

Wish I hadn't said anything to her afterwards of course! But no, yanbu to have said that. It still winds me up but I won't be spouting off to anyone else in the future though.

hairytriangle · 15/07/2010 17:08

Yabu. Child spaces are unenforceable.

Chill out.

Morloth · 15/07/2010 17:09

Agree with paisleyleaf, put them a long way from the doors and it won't be a problem very often.

I always try to park as far from the entry as possible, easier to find a spot and also easier to get kids in and out.

usualsuspect · 15/07/2010 17:13

Who cares really why get so worked up about something so unimportant

cfc · 15/07/2010 17:24

Chat, it won't be long 'til Tesco start selling them, I reckon....

SouthernDad · 15/07/2010 17:43

Our Sainsbury's recently started enforcing P+C spaces - there was a leaflet campaign and there are signs up everywhere saying "Fine if you need it, £50 fine if you don't".

The rule is under-8s at ours though, which I think is still pushing it a bit - I can't understand how a 12yo couldn't manage to get in and out in a normal width space?

I guess all the car parks are sold off and managed by external companies, and the rules must vary between stores. I often see the parking attendants in ours, but the customer service people can also get involved - I know they've sorted out a mistaken ticket for someone before.

ivykaty44 · 15/07/2010 17:46

Gosh in my local asda it is tantamount to the highest criem in the land to park in the child and parent sapces - they call those people that dare to park there without a child and orce them to move their cars or get clamped - its scarey I don't park in the child and parents parking spaces even with my child on board just incase it is the wrong style of child that I have with me for a space to be legitimate.

i go to sainsbury and park in the corners where I may not be seen