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?

Do you know how difficult it is to get a blue badge?

Why in the name of the wee man do you think that you having a baby trumps an elderly lady with arthritis? Did they give you the massive sense of entitlement with the bounty pack?

Nothing worth watching on TV tonight, dearie?

YABU.

I have a 9 month old baby who travels in a 3 door car in a rear facing car seat.

It's a PITA getting him in and out if my car's been boxed in when in a normal sized space, but I reckon that elderly (or disabled) people still need those spaces more than me.

If i use the smart car i often just drive around the supermarket,that way i dont even have to get her out of the car at all.

At one point I had a big car, and arthritis, and a 3 month old, do I win

Of course I didn't know it was going to get people to insult me and yes I was genuinely asking people's opinion. I still don't get why the insults by the way

Just park further away from shop in a space that has no one else on child side so you can get pram out, it really is a non issue non p&c spaces are generally easier to park in (for me anyway) as you can usually drive through the spaces whereas p&c ones generally have bollards and a pavement in between the two rows. Well they do here anyway.

I'm also pretty shit at parking so like to park as far away as possible so as to avoid embarrassment.

Olimpia If you're new,search for M&B / disabled parking on MN.
People tend to get a bit het up.

My ex's mum had arthritis. She had to sit down every 100yds (and she didn't qualify for a blue badge). On the strength of that, the fag-smoking man was being VVVVVU for not doing the shopping himself.

The cheek! I hope you made sure you rammed her arthritic ankles with your giant buggy as you passed her on the way in. That'll teach 'em.

This whole prioritising of stuff over people really gets to me.

Babies are tiny and very portable, they don't need extra space or priority in the same way a struggling adult/older person/disabled person does.

FFS you don't get it???

Come on - there's an elderly lady, with arthritis, for whom walking is clearly an issue, and you got a strop on with her husband because he parked in a PARENT and child space?

(BTW it's parent and child not mother and child)

Don't your legs work?

Because the person with arthritis can get a blue badge

Oh, so you're a doctor and you've examined the lady and know that do you?
The bar for getting a blue badge is pretty high. And the lady mightn't want to take a disabled space from someone who was in a worse state than her.

:)

The reference to one child and a large car as well as the usual old chestnuts does make me . 4x4 would have been over egging...

Did he have large dog in the back that jumped all over you and pee'd on your big car?

I know full well that these spaces piss people off no end and I must admit that I was always pissed off about mother and baby spaces being available (pre children!). I now think they are very useful and have been wanting to vent on this for some time!.

I am currently 38 weeks with DC2 and DD is 18 months (not yet walking).
These spaces are important and it really irritates me when people (and mothers with bleeding teenagers, old people and blokes in white vans!)use them!. I couldn't get in one a few weeks ago and ended up parking elsewhere (and carpark was pretty full!). Came back to car with trolley and baby to find I couldn't get DD in, neither could me and my big belly! Cars weren't parked that close but still close enough. I ended up finding a lovely gent who reversed car out for me (I then caused a car park blockage while I got DD in, took trolley back and me in!)

Yes I can and do use internet shopping but I still need to pop out for fresh stuff during the week. No my car is not huge and Yes I can park pretty well! I just wish people would bleeding well think about those of us who might need those spaces!

Feel better now! :)

To be clear, OP, the P&C spaces are advisory by the supermarket, not a legality. Anyone can use them. Unless you take the buggy out of the SIDE of your large car, there should be no problem for you.

When I go shopping with my mum we park in Parent and child spots...... Well my mums is the parent and I am her child

And round and round we go - groundhog Mumsnet.

I have missed these threads. Not seen one for a while.

YABU btw, they should have old people spaces.

Sorry still not get why all the swear words. Yes I am fairly new and did not know this was a heated topic, definitely not heated in the sense that people hate p&c spaces!

Oh dear me!!

In my supermarket there's not enough disabled spaces and see this regularly. They need it more than We do so Yabu!!

the insults are because you come over as believing that you being a mother your needs or your babies needs are a priority over others

many do not feel that way and feel those that do are stupid, annoying and deserve to be told so when the opportunity arises, and yet again it has