to think disabled people should be able to park in P&C spaces if the disabled spaces are full?

[nappyaddict]

Someone I know today was moaning about an "old biddy" who had parked in a P&C space because there were no disabled spaces left. Now I actually have a blue badge for my DS who has no sense of danger but I only use it in car parks where we can't park near a footpath. If we can park near a footpath in a normal space then I will park there and put reins on him or hold his hand.

I just think it's a shame that people would rather an elderley person or disabled person struggle than offer them their P&C space!

I must be doing something wrong as I have never been unable to get Ds in or out of his seat no matter how tight that space!

HOUSE!!!

thanks, i was getting a sore neck from the tension then

Millionth time I've commented on one of these threads, but I just can't resist it!

I would be more than happy if they just moved the P&C parking further away from the store. The only reason you really need them is to have the space to open the car doors to get to baby seats IMO, and as long as there's some appropriate trolleys nearby, you can chuck the LOs straight into the trolley and walk to the shop.

This would mean that other people wouldn't try to nick the P&C spaces just because they are closer.

Also, my DMum is disabled (can only walk very short distances), and she has a much greater need for being near the store than I do, so OP YANBU at all.

Yes larger bays and also proximity to the parking meter if there is one. This is the best thing about the P&T spaces in our local Waitrose, the meter is right in front of the space so DCs can stay strapped into their seats while I get a ticket and we can all see each other, thus averting tantrum/safety issue.

Couldn't give a monkeys how close they are to the store. V useful to have trolley bay next door though for plonking tots in and getting across car park safely.

Sirzy - how do you do it? there is just enough room to twist and slip child into seat when i park. to actually strap him in i have to optn the door wider to get a position to physically do the job!

MargaretGraceBondfield what i meant is that there is the possibility of parents going out without their children, whereas Blue Badge holders do not have the option of going out without their disability.
I would indeed be surprised if every parent who takes their children shopping has absolutely no other option at all, however i am prepared to be educated.

There's nothing wrong with allowing a person, with a small child strapped in a car seat either too young to to walk or too young to have road sense, to be able to park near enough a shop to reduce the risk of the their child getting run over by the many fuckwitted drivers in any carpark. There is also nothing wrong with needing and/or using extra wide spaces to get a child out of a car seat. Ever tried getting a small child out of car seat in the back whilst eight months pregnant. There's also nothing wrong with a pecking order of spaces.

Christ if I wanted to hear lame stories about 'in my day' I would go to a nursing home for bitter and cynical elderly people.

Nobody said every parent.

Have only read the op, seen too many of these bunfights to read the rest but does anyone really believe that someone with a disability or a particular need shouldn't use the P&C spaces?

Unreasonable to use space not intended for you. When there are no spaces available I wait for one to become available, park to one side use my indicators etc OR go and jolly well park somewhere else!

Yes, it's sometimes a PITA to wait but then so is trying to get two small children safely across the car park and I'd imagine, difficult for a disabled badge holder to cross the car park safely too.

Patience is the key .

I would never make a fuss about a disabled or elderly person who needed a p&c space.As I think that is a genuine reason to need the space and yes we can park in another space.

I not sure I have ever witnessed that though as I always see loads of empty disabled car parking spaces where I live and as someone mentioned in an earlier post, I have been places where 3 floors of the car park was taken up by disabled spaces.

Nothing wrong with that, only I have never ever seen them all full.I do get annoyed with people who get out of a car parked in a p&c space with no child!!

Now everyone knows having car chairs and getting little ones in and out the car requires room, these are the people who annoy me.

"Patience is the key"

Patience... and vulture-like following of those pushing a full trolley back to their car

An able bodied person getting out the car with no child, just to clarify

YANBU.
I have to say though, it drives me round the bloody bend when people without children or a blue badge or infact any reason other than laziness, use those spaces.
It takes every bit of me to refrain from marching up to them and pointing out how completely selfish they are.
Maybe next time I should. Infact, next time we all should! Selfish eedjits!

Actually I had that row with a local supermarket... the car park was fairly quiet but the few P&C spaces were full and I had a very tiny baby.

I ended up on the end of a row and having to get baby out on a road.

The explanation from customer services? I hadn't really looked at the cars....

'Oh yeah that'll be blue badge holders - our disabled spaces are downstairs and they don't like using the lift'

WTF?

I was fuming! Not at the disabled drivers but that the supermarket KNEW it was a problem and instead of addressing it were just doing quick fix.

I asked what disabled drivers do when it's busy...

'Oh most of them know to come when it's quiet and use the P&C spaces'

Seriously!!! I then suggested that they swapped the disabled with the P&C (which are close to the store)...

'Oh? Do mums want to walk that far?'

I pointed out that they think that the disabled can walk that far so I am sure your average able bodied parent could manage and that actually all we needed was the wider space and safer area to get kids out on!

Talk about out of touch with the needs of the customer!!

It's still like it was BTW only everyone knows it's not policed so the P&C spaces are mostly used by people who want milk and bread!

You should stop shopping there. What a bunch of complete numpties!

totally agree dayshiftdoris, anyone seems to use the P&C spaces and it is more about getting a child in and out a car easily and safely more than having to walk a little further.

The shop is wrong when they no this is a problem.

Agree with undercovamutha on this. I would happily use P&C spaces which were further from the store. It's not about proximity but space. Cars are bigger nowadays and spaces seem to be smaller.

Several times when I have had both DC's in the car and we have parked in a standard space I have got back to find that I can't get one or both of them back into it because of the proximity of other vehicles. Queue me either having to put on of them in the front seat whilst I move the car which is unacceptably dangerous - or me having to nearly cripple myself by lifting one of them into their seats from the opposite side of the car !!

I wouldn't object to disabled drivers using a P&C space and ideally I think there should be mostly dual purpose spaces with a few designated disabled only spaces to make best use of parking space.

YANBU

I agree that a disabled person should be able to park in a P&C space if there are none available, I have a disabled child and when I go shopping at my local ASDA, there is always a queue for the disabled bays.

One thing I did notice when we had the bad weather was that because the snow had obscured all the lines on the car park, people were using their own judgement and parking a decent distance away from the other vehicles, thus allowing room for getting in and out without any mishaps or struggles.

Maybe the car park owners should just remove the lines of the remaining non disabled/P&C parking bays.

Be careful parking in P&T spots when no disabled spots available. There have been cases where people have been fined. Terrible, yes I know, but I hear of these issues every day and I have def heard of people being fined.

The only reason I like P&T spots is for the space. I agree that P&T could be put at the very back/crappest place to park. Mothers are able bodied and (unless a blue badge holder) do not have mobility needs so why have them near the door? Surely supermarkets car parks get enough complaints weekly to do something about this.

Disabled parking spots are like Gold dust where I live. They are continually abused and the system is such that no-one is really responsible for the policing of the badges, which in turn creates bad feeling and/or agression amongst users. The system is so flawed.

P&C places are stupid. If they must have them and I will admit the wider spot so you can open the door the whole way to get kids in and out is helpful. Then they should be placed a long way from the doors with easy access to the shops via a dedicated pedestrian bit.

My local mall here does this now and it is brilliant, they are always empty, I can pull my urban assault vehicle in and get out my ridiculous smugaboo and stroll into the shops very easily, the fact that I need to walk an extra 100 feet to do so is no issue at all because the path bit runs down the side of the carpark.

Tell you what does make me red with rage though, is people in the disabled spot with no badge.

I quite selfishly hadn't realised what an issue this is until I moved home and often ferry my Mum and/or PILs about (all badge holders). I am so tempted sometimes to give those cars a nice little bump when in the truck just to make a point...