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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to have a mad rant about people who park in mother and baby parking spaces

164 replies

maGicGift · 06/04/2011 13:32

Why, just why? its not so much that the spaces are closer to the shops but the extra space they give you means the buggy can go next to the car while unloading all the shopping, instead of leaving the baby near the road.

People are so unreasonable to park in them just because they are close to the shops, I so want to shout at people with no kids who use them but so far I havent..... have you?

OP posts:
juuule · 06/04/2011 20:53

:o at "P&C banditry"

bumpsoon · 06/04/2011 20:54

TBH i dont really care ,its nice if one is free ,but i dont really freak if one isnt . I have seen a variety of people use them though who clearly havent got a child with them , i might think hmmm ,but i dont waste any brain cells getting agitated by it .

juuule · 06/04/2011 20:55

five your situation might need a larger car. I'm just saying that large family doesn't always = large car as implied by your "therefore".

fiveisanawfullybignumber · 06/04/2011 20:56

manticlimactic, I'd be very happy for them to be at the edge of the car park, as long as the relevant trolleys are available in a bay nearby. In fact I wish they were. Beats struggling across a crowded carpark with a wrigly 11m old and a changing bag on one arm and a semi-feral spirited Wink 2 yr old on the other.

fiveisanawfullybignumber · 06/04/2011 20:59

Rather pendantic don't you think juuule? I was talking about my situation, not as a general rule. Believe me if I lived in a big city, I wouldn't rely on my car as much, but stuck in a tiny village, miles from the nearest supermarket or high st, it's a necessity.

sleepingsatellite · 06/04/2011 21:01

ds is wild sometimes, but i still dont park in them now i am no longer fighting to get the carseat in!

ArcticLemming · 06/04/2011 21:03

I must admit I've never really got this (and have two pre-schoolers).
Surely it's not having children that means you need more space - it's the width of your car? I've never really had problems (have quite a small car), except in the case of rubbish parking (either mine or the person next to me. Getting a car seat out requires no more space than a large adult getting out of the car.

cheekyprincess · 06/04/2011 21:04

I have pre-printed notices calling people awful things. It's a real problem in my local supermarkets. I take my elderly neighbour with my toddler and the number of times every space has been taken up by non-parents. Ugh. You can also complain to the supermarket and they will be told to move. That's always satisfying.

Jeeps · 06/04/2011 21:10

I can't see the problem TBH. If there isn't one free, I just park further away and park over 2 spaces.

southeastastra · 06/04/2011 21:12

we need better designed car parks for everyone. older children are expected to run the gautlet at our local tesco so many arsey drivers (m and baby ones too who queue in the road waiting for a space Hmm) so my poor 9 year old has to dodge them to get to the car.

i think if babies are safe in car seats and can be carried - they're safer to transport to a car anywhere in the car park

therefore I propose parent and child parking for over 3s Grin

moomaa · 06/04/2011 21:18

Am surprised at the number of people who are careful about their doors touching car next to them, I don't bang my doors into the next car but do have my doors touching the next car. 'tis only a car.

Do get cheesed off when people park too close.

goodbyemrschips · 06/04/2011 21:25

goodbyemrschips, you're obviously just a selfish self entitled arse

Probably, but I don't lose any sleep over it.

fiveisanawfullybignumber · 06/04/2011 21:35
Biscuit
sweetkitty · 06/04/2011 21:45

I don't park in P&C spaces either, I park a bit away from the scamble for the spce next to the entrance and carry an 11 month old old and take a 2 year olds hand and walk across the car park. I've done it with 2 under 2, 3 under 5 and 4 under 6 as well (not at the same time before you comment).

I think all car parking spaces should be larger as well or maybe that's because I drive a huge car which thankfully has rear sliding doors so I can get the DC in when some selfish bastard has parked really close to me.

juuule · 06/04/2011 21:51

five - nope don't think I was being pedantic at all.

fiveisanawfullybignumber · 06/04/2011 21:52

Lucky you with sliding doors, my bus doesn't have that luxury, wish it did some days!

GetOrfMoiLand · 07/04/2011 10:43

I park in P&C spaces My dd is 15.

Mind you I never ever go to a supermarket at the weekend, usually go after work in the early evening sonot many kids about. I wouldn't use them on a busy day. But if it is quiet and there are loads of free one, yes I do use them as they are closer.

I never get the vitriol this causes on MN. Supermarkets are the only car parks which have P&C spaces iirc. What does everyone do in a multi storey car park at a shopping centre, or town centre car parks? People cope. I certainly used to.

MrsWitcher · 07/04/2011 11:22

But with 3 children under 4 it really is more useful to have that space at the side of the car.

Oh and it's not just supermarkets. My two closest shopping centres have them and John Lewis is awash with them. It is certainly good business for John Lewis as, when mine were very little, that's where we went for meet up and coffee etc simply because it was easy to park.

Of course they're not a necessity but why use something you don't need when it clearly makes some people's lives so much easier? Trying to shop with a 4yr old, a 2yr old and a newborn is tough enough. (we were very rural at that point and couldn't do internet shopping) A wide parking space where I could wheel the trolley down one side and safely lift them out just helped a stressed mum out a little.

tigermummy35 · 07/04/2011 18:48

I use them if they are available, but park miles from the entrance, ideally with car seat side to a no parking area, so nobody can block the door.

I did get highly hacked off at a woman in a sports car, no child in the car, taking the last space at my local supermarket recently. I've not got as far as speaking to these people though.

Oh, there was a lazy old couple taking one the other day too, so I parked next to them and said very loudly to DS "sorry darling, it's a bit of a squeeze getting you out today because some horribly selfish people took the spaces set aside for people with babies".

I'd be more than happy if the parent parking was further away from the shop, as long as the appropriate trolleys were close (like they are in our sainsbury's) to hand. Tesco is by far the worst, narrow spaces and too few parent spaces which are then fought over.

howlonguntiltheweekend · 07/04/2011 19:01

I parked in one last week without a child. In my defense I had really hurt my leg so did it to be closer to the shop. There were three or four other spaces available and I would have to have driven to the car park underneath the store and walked from there otherwise.

MikeRotch · 07/04/2011 19:02

i dont give a shit
always park in em after 6pm too
put the baby to bed

toeragsnotriches · 07/04/2011 19:03

I love them cos I'm shit at parking. And because our Asda carpark is like a fecking motorway.

howlonguntiltheweekend · 07/04/2011 19:06

To clarify on my last post, there were 3 or 4 other parent and baby spaces available!

Melly19MummyToBe · 07/04/2011 19:10

My DPs auntie always parks in them, she does have a child but he's 9. IMO that doesn't mean she needs to park in a P & C space, I only think you need to park there if you have an awkward car seat to lug in and out.

madhairday · 07/04/2011 19:21

Oh yay! We have the disabled toilet thread, now the P&C parking. Now all we need is the disabled parking, and all will be well with the world.

Come to think of it, it's those norty disabled people that are the worst. Some of them have the gall to park in PandC spaces you know. the lazy buggers.