to wish that Parent and Child parking spaces were

[WoTmania]

Further from the shop?
The last couple of times I've been to the supermarket with children in tow I've seen

1. A young women talking on her mobile sitting on her own in her car which was in the P&T space nearest to the shop 2)Two able-bodied, childless young women come back to their car, get in and drive off. 3)A man sitting, obviously waiting for someone to come back while two boys (8 & 10ish) sat in the back.

Meanwhile, I end up having to park in an ordinary space and struggle to get my 3 children out of the car (I would go on my own normally but DH is working 12 hours, 6 days of the week s not around to look after them).

AIBU to think that if the P&T spaces were further from the shop less people would use them who don't need them. Walking a bit doesn't bother me. Trying to get 20 month old DD into her carseat while squeezing between my car and a big van parked right on the white line(as happened the other day, I erm 'rearranged' the mirrors but that's another AIBU) does.

Normality, just wondering whether you had children when carseat laws were enforced? With four children I need seven seats(mother visits for long spells as she lives abroad) and you can't fit a pushchair in a six seater with six people. There is no way I could get a baby in a car seat in or out, or a toddler strapped in without wide spaces.

This makes me so cross. People just don't get it. It is nothing to do with wanting to be near the frigging shop. It is to make it a little bit easier when struggling to get car seat out/in and to allow you room to lean in and starp toddler in.
Get rid of them, they just cause so much anger, but make car park spaces wider overall.
Oh and I must apologise to the owner of the lovely new shiny black landrover thingy which I accidently scratched with my car door whilst getting a boisterous toddler out the other day. I fully understand your right to park ON the white line.
Again apologies.

I have sometimes used the parent and child spaces when I have taken my elderly(90s) dad to the supermarket. He needs a bit of space to get out of the car as he uses a walking frame. last time I did this a woman with 2 children who both looked over 10 berated me for using parking a space I was not entitled to. I pointed out that we were indeed parent and child and Dad needed the space more than her 2 boys.

What's wrong with wanting to be nearer the shop anyway? Means less time walking with a toddler/carrying a baby across the car park.

Thanks Normalitybites :)
Posie - nothing but it means people who have no children and don't need the extra room to get them in and out use them too becauwse they can't be arsed or walk.

sue52 - have you looked into getting a bluebadge for your dad and using the disabled spaces? Parents aren't 'entitled' to those spaces adn eldery folk or people with mobility issues IMO have just as much right to use them as they need the extra room too.

It's not just getting children in/ out of the car. For me it's choosing between carrying my baby backwards and forwards across the car park in bad weather or leaving the trolly (specifically for babies) in the middle of the carpark, or locking my baby in the car and leaving her while I take it back.

What I find far worse is our local multi story which has steps to get off every level (to the lifts) except the one which only has disabled spaces. So I have to push the pushchair up and down the car ramps. Madness.

"Means less time walking with a toddler/carrying a baby across the car park."

I used to walk 40 minutes to the big Tesco near us as easier than getting on a bus. The last few minutes walking across the car park was a doddle.

Hi Handsoff Dad doesn't drive any more so is not entitled to a bluebadge. It really annoys me when I see able bodied people using disabled parking spaces.

bruffin, you would make an under two walk for forty minutes and carry a baby...no pushchair? Wow. Carparks are notorious for shite driving, people not watching too.

but my dd doesn't drive(or my MIL) yet they have Blue badges,

How did they get them 2shoes?

Sorry I did have a pushchair, but most of the supermarkets have trolley bays all thruough the carparks, so you don't have to walk from one end to another with children.
They didn't have p&t spaces when mine were little and we never had a problem. We had a 2 door celica up until DD was born, always managed to get a baby and two year old out without too many problems.

Agree with them being further away from the shop as long as they're near a trolley park that actually has trolleys with child seats in it.

Otherwise I've either got to manouevre a baby and a liable-to-bolt toddler across a busy car park or leave them yelling in the car while I head off on a trolley hunt.

Sue - your dad is entitled to a badge if he is disabled. It has nothing to do with whether he drives.

I use P & T spaces if available but it doesn't bother me if they are full, and I wouldn't mind if they were at the far end of the car park. I also think disabled spaces are a must but do find my local Mothercare carpark a bit bizare. Just outside the door are 16 disabled spaces and only 2 P&T spaces. It made having our carseat fitted a nightmare for the staff as we couldn't get a P & T space and we would have had a ticket if we had used one of the 16 empty disabled spaces as the car park is managed by a private company who are very strict. The lady fitting the seat told us not to risk it as they use cctv and send tickets through the post!

Thanks localmum I didn't know that. I'll check it out now.

Oi - I drive a big car - I've got a 6 foot 7 sized husband so the Saxo (loved that car) had to go (gave it to lil bro who promptly crashed it).

Doesn't half give me a sense of satisfaction driving in a carpark, starting to back into a space and watching blokes sit there obviously thinking "oh little woman, big car, here we'll go she'll never fit in there" - and I nail it first time, dead centre going in backwards! Little woman in big car used to drive school minibuses - up yours blokeys!

Have to say I went to the hell that is one of the Asdas near here last night - and 90% of those going in/out of the disabled bays were parent and child cars instead because the disabled bays are like 1milimetre closer (the P+Cs had spaces available because we drove past them on the way in). Now that's not on to me - get in yer own spots.

or just shop online

TheLastWitchFinder - in the case of one of our Asda it's more The Land That Time/Style and Normal Behaviour Forgot.

Most people with 4dcs that I know seem to manage in an ordinary space, I certain do. Bit tricky when was pg admittedly but I'd far rather park in a quieter bit further away from the store for extra room than have the nightmare that is P+T round here.

I agree completely with doing away with them altogether, use the extra spots for more blue badge spaces.

As suggested elsewhere, if it's really that difficult shop online.

I have a slidey door car which has been a godsend for getting the children in and out.

The use of the P&T places for me though is more that you can 'park' your child or children in the trolley next to your car while loading/unloading them in/out of the car instead of at the back where they are stuck out there in the path of idiot drivers (and probably the lazy toads who have no children and are racing for the last P&T spot)

For this reason perhaps it would be a good idea to have the P&T further away from the door.

Yes, Posie - DD is only 4.

I've never owned a pushchair so haven't any experience of getting them in and out of cars. I imagine it's a PITA though

TheLastWitchFinder Sat 30-Oct-10 14:44:10
'"Means less time walking with a toddler/carrying a baby across the car park."

cos its so far Practically the plains of the Serengeti....

Is it only me that bothers to read people's posts in context? This was more about the stupid drivers than the distance. Many carparks have relatively few pavements and the less cars I have to walk past with my dcs the better, thanks.