To be annoyed that old people park in mother & child spaces?

[olimpia]

There are never enough mother & child parking spaces where I shop - be it supermarket or shopping centre - so I've started to notice who is actually parked in those spaces. Well, I've noticed it's mostly old people with no children. The other day I was so annoyed by this that I confronted an old man parked in a mother &. child space at Morrisons having a fag in his car while his wife did the shopping. He got very angry and basically said that he had more right than me to park near the entrance because his wife had arthritis. This is not the first time that I see older people without kids abuse the parking facilities for mothers with young children. In fact it happens all the time and supermarket staff just turn a blind eye!
I have a three month old baby and a large car so really struggle to park in regular size spaces and take the buggy out. But AIBU?

"""""why do people always make m and t spaces about disability. if you are disabled you will have blue badge and entitled to use the disabled places. its non disabled knuckle headed people usually pensioners who use them. """" from scarlett...one of the most idiotic comments i have ever seen on mn

The time has come to move mother and baby spaces away from the entrance. They need extra space for the car doors and it would be best not to cross a road- beyond that they could be in a far corner.

I have wasted hours on here today.

I have done nothing I was supposed to do.

Not even the shopping ... I may take my newly acquired tank, that I confiscated from Frank, (poetry) down to Tesco.

And park in a P&C space.

Over the lines.

Christ on a fucking bike, Scarlett you actually emailed your local supermarket about pensioners parking in P&T spaces! Really? Words fail me, they really do! Of all the low life things to do!

Actually, the OP is techinically correct. At our Asda there is a sign saying that to use the mother and baby spaces you must have a child of 12 or under with you.

Whatever people think about entitled parents and mother and toddler spaces and whether they should exist or not - they do have guidelines about who they are for.

The only exception is when people who have a disabled badge park there - in that case of course disabled trumps any other perceived need.

Oh and you can't be fined £60 for parking in them because they are not enforceable! HTH

I always thought that the company could chose to if they wanted to.

There is a sign up at a supermarket near here saying fuck the government does that mean i have to do Dave?

Supermarket car parks are private land.

I don't think the "fines" are legally enforceable.

But I'll check.

I heard too late that fines are not enforceable unless by the council after I paid £35 for parking too long at Staples :(

Just googled it they can fine you but you can fight it.

I'm sure they probably need to say you can be fined that way you have been informed.

But the point is, Abat - the spaces have been designed by the supermarket to be used by parents with children.

Whether parent and toddler spaces should exist at all is a separate issue.

Well after the whole day of being unjustly insulted by you lot I think I need to make something else clear.
The point is not "can I park my large car" which I need for 3 (not 1!) children. Incidentally I learned how to drive in London so yes I can park in a smaller space if I need to! And by the way what car I drive is none of your business so fuck off all of you who think I should get a smaller car.
The point is not "do I want to park near the entrance" because I'm lazy or I don't want my children to get wet.
The point is P&C spaces are larger - as it's sometimes difficult to get a buggy and a child out if the car is parked in a regular space - and in a safer location (e.g. nearer the central pedestrian aisle). The P&C spaces are not necessarily nearer the entrance. It's not about being lazy, it's about being SAFE. In fact in this particular incident I'm referring to the old man would have been parked much nearer the entrance had he used the pick up point or other regular spaces.
So, assuming the woman DID have arthritis (which I'm not sure about because I did not see her) the old man having a fag should have moved his car to the pick up point, for example, rather than wait for his wife in a P&C space.
As I said earlier, if they have a mobility need then they should get a blue badge and park in the disabled spaces. Again I disagree with everyone on this, it is NOT hard to get a blue badge if you have a real mobility problem.
If these places are p&c then they should be used for the purpose for which they were designed. If someone is infirm and has a real need of course it's fair enough to park in p&c if that makes life easier! Incidentally most of the time the spaces are occupied by anyone and everyone who is not civilised enough to respect others' needs in terms of SAFETY.
I am truly shocked by the nastiness that you lot have displayed and the personal attacks directed at me. I have reported each and every one of those who attacked me on a personal level and were so stupidly mean to me for just posting a genuine question. I hope MN headquarters ban you from posting and trying to humiliate other people you don't even know.

So seriously Scarlett, you'd rather I dragged my boys with their bolting and everything else across a full car park in between cars so you get a M&B space?

Words don't fail me but I might upset some delicate soul, I suspect you can imagine a few I would use.

Until then though how about a little 'There but for the grace of God Go I....'
or
'The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions.
Oliver Wendell Holmes'

Oh shit I just saw it has disintegrated to the level of emailing shops about pensioners

really?

mind I bet the shops had a good laugh at the no doubt 'Loon of The Week' email.

lmfao peachy

I can understand emailing about a an driver say or annoying teens but not pensioners it may annoy you but just get over it.

Oh well OP if you disagree, it obviously isn't difficult to get a blue badge if genuinly in need.

Supermarket carparks are indeed fraught with dangers that only a P&C space will overcome.

Meant van driver lol

Oh I like that quote Peachy!

OP - the lady with arthritis probably struggled to get in and out of the car - hence her need for a larger space. You know - so the door could be fully open and her husband could help her out.
She may be OK walking but stiff and cumbersome negotiating cramped spaces. Jeez.

And is the cigarette relevant actually?

God if they banned everyone mean AIBU would be a quiet old place!

It would, it would that.

exoticfruits you are completely right, larger spaces are helpful but they could be smaller than at present (in Sainsburys there is a gulf between two cars parked there) more of them and further from the entrance but preferably with a good safe walkway.
I just use the ones tucked around the corner in our Sainsburys now as I no longer use a rear facing seat that needs taking out so don't feel I need an extra 4m anymore.
It goes without saying that if someone has a greater need then sod the semantics and be happy they can meet their needs.

God Ive got a real itch to go and park somewhere illegal after all this.