to think that being in a hurry and not being able to find a P&C space does not justify........

[LifeIsButtercream]

........ parking a 4x4 sideways accross a disabled parking space (and its checked boxes either side)?

Without a blue badge I may add.

I may have had my judgy pants pulled up a bit high today, but bear with me!

I was going to the supermarket earlier with 2yr old and friend, we pulled into the car park and were lucky enough to find the last free P&C space. We pulled in and the mum in the car behind (4x4, 2 school aged children in car) honked her horn and gesticulated at me when we pulled in (toddler was obvious in back seat thanks to rather gaudy pink car seat) then drove past and yelled out the window that she was in a hurry. Opposite us was the disabled access spaces, all but two of which were taken (it was heaving), she pulled into one at such an angle that it covered the checked boxes as well (practically sideways).

She gets out of the car and ushers her two skipping children into the store muttering something about the spaces being for disabled people but she was in a hurry and really couldn't care less.

Call me crazy, but that just strikes me as a hideous attitude, I felt a bit red-mist about being shouted at for daring to arrive in the car park before her, so I'm not sure if I'm just being a judgy pant wearing moody cow little excessive, but seriously what if someone with a mobility issue or disability needed to use a space?

YANBU

In the past I have goen to customer services and asked for "Big f**k off 4x4 number plate abc 123 to be announced as they have left the door open"

then just wait by the door to see cow lady rushing bck out to tottaly fine car

couldn't care less how stressed she was, or how much of a hurry she was in, never an excuse to park in a disabled bay when you don't have a badge, hope Karma bites her on the bum

Dad has been known to block un badged cars in with his big tank of a car.

only when the driver has obviously been abusing the spaces

Maybe the 'ill' man had just found out he had cancer. Hope you felt a little better when your kids called him rude though.

And why does having a two and four year old warrant needing a p&c space?

kitty4paws That is brilliant! I could see myself doing that just out of badness to make a point and cause them some inconvenience.

I'm not sure about writing on the windscreen with lipstick - think that could be classed as vandalism ?

Northeastgirl - vandalism? Maybe. But if no-one saw you and it doesn't actually damage the car then hardly the crime of the century is it?

Gemsy, technically none of us need P&C spaces, but my 3 and 4 yr olds are both still in car seats. It makes a big difference if I have enough room to stand at the side of the car with the door open to make sure they can get in properly and are strapped in safely. Of course I can still do it in a normal parking space, but very often not without squashing my son in through a small gap and then pushing my car door against the side of the car next to me (many car park spaces were designed before cars got larger and compulsory car seats were introduced).

It just helps a bit, is all

And I agree that we shouldn't make assumptions about people's circumstances, btw.

Thank you Cloudbase!

Gensy - Yes 2 year old can't get up in car seat himself and do up his 5 point harness. Our car park has v narrow spaces (no I don't have mega 4x4) and poorly placed pillars. Standard space v hard to open door wide enough for to help small child. If 2 and 4 year old doesn't warrant a space what are Parent & CHILD spaces for?

Actually, at our local Tesco the P&C spaces sign says they are reserved for parents with children under 5 to allow for pushchairs - makes perfect sense. But I often see parents with much older kids swanning in there (and no, they don't have disabled stickers) leaving others with babies and toddlers etc. looking for spaces!
And the P&C spaces are closer than some of the disabled spaces

if i had of been you i would be in a bad mood all day. even hearing about it has gotten me angry.