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?

I find it more unreasonable that the old man has sent his arthritic wife in to do the shop by herself.

That said I have had to put my baby in the car seat without the extra space sometimes and it can be hard.

But then I also figure if the idiot in the big crookedly parked car next to me can't park properly it's not my fault if their car gets dinged by my door as I wrestle said baby into said car seat.

I've seen so many of these threads but never joined in, daring to now.

If something makes life a little easier with young children, why not use them? I know its a marketing ploy (and it works) and not enforceable but hey, they should be used by those you "need" them.

I'm using "need" in a very loose way for P&C, but I have no problem (and never had a go at someone) with someone elderly using the spaces, they may need a bit more space to get in and out and be closer to the store. Obviously any one with a disabled badge can park where they like. There are others, just some examples.

Having said that I don't like it (and give them judgey looks) if they are:

• in a works van with plasterers down the side
• have no kids and jump out of a 2 seater sports car
• middle to old age who park in P&C, then take the 10 min walk into town before coming back to do their shopping.

There are other parking spaces 2m away that can be used.

Helmet on, hunkered down behind some sandbags and rifle at the ready.

I'm curious as to why you have SUCH a large car when you only have one 3 month old. That's odd.

I do actually agree, those spaces are there for a reason, I was 30 weeks pregnant with DS2 when DS (22 mths at the time) broke his leg. I couldn't actually park in a normal space and get DS out with his cast and my large belly.

I had a row with an old couple over them parking in a parent and child space as they were both completely able and there were normal spaces literally a few places away.

The parking attendant wouldn't ask them to move but after me bursting into tears (hormones) he allowed me to park in a disabled space without being fined (what if someone who was disbled actually needed it). I was pissed off as I need the extra room and they didn't, they were just bloody arrogant, I didn't realise I wouldn't manage in a normal space or I may have just got on the bus instead.

Bloody Nora. What did people do before parent & child parking.

oh yeah, you just found a space, any space, and got on with it

Has anyone mentioned the time of day ?
If the children aren't with us can we still park in them, say after 9.00 pm regardless of our age ?

Fluffypillow - just for you

fuckarama Mon 14-May-12 21:10:06
I take DS out.

And I park in the parent and child spaces.

he's 21.

I'm the parent, he's the child.

I don't but wouldn't it be funny if I did

I have not ever parked in a P&C space when out with DS.

It was a joke.

I wouldn't do it I hardly ever used them when the kids were younger, I'm not likely to start now.

I don't get why old people are allowed out at all. What is the point of them? They don't actually do anything except get in everyone's way.

It seems to me like the op was more annoyed at the fact that her husband was sat in the car so he could have waited closer to the door maybe.

I think its irrating when other people in general park in the P&C spaces but what can you do. I just smile and then buy myself a treat lol.

I look back to when ds was little and I truly wonder how we ever coped without P and C spaces in car parks

I wonder how some people would cope without a car.
I have a 17 month old ds and am 34 weeks pregnant with painful Braxton hicks and I have to get a bus into town and home and then drag buggy and upto 6 bags of shopping up 4 flights of stairs to front door!

Actually just I didn't drive when ds was little so walked everywhere,puts it into perspective, doesn't it?

Yup id love to be able to drive to Tesco when I need to shop I'm lucky if I get to do a big shop gotta wait for my uncle to take me or shop online.
Amazingly you can cope.

Ive started to send my DS in to do the shop, he is over one so its fine. The only shitter is that they wont let him buy fags.

YANBU - I hate when all the spaces are taken up by people in cars, where is my goat supposed to go?

Pickled - Writehim a not and he;ll be allowed.

When driving endlessly round the full car park in town, waiting to snatch a place, I found myself pondering on the fact that parents with buggies, bags, and children manage normal spaces - as P & C spaces don't exist, and blue badge spaces are actually enforced.

I used to have to walk everywhere with a 17month and a newborn - then DH took the car to work everyday, and there wasn't any online shopping, if I needed stuff I walked into town and got the bus home (was also broke so saved the bus fare for the way home which was up hill)

I have a 2 children, arthritis in my knees, and carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands which gets really bad, painful, and weak when it flares up and yet I manage with 2 children in a normal parking bay.

The ONLY thing that narks me right off, is when someone parks stupidly wonky/too close and then you are basically buggered trying to get back in to the car.

I'm so happy, I've heard about these threads on mn but never seen one, I thought it was an urban myth

How dare people park in the mother and child parking space, they should all be hanged. God forbid a person with one child, a huge car and an even huger pram have to walk an extra 5 metres?

In fact I think the whole of every supermarket car park should be entirely mother and child spaces, all the fathers, disabled people, elderly people, people with children at school and people without children should be made to park outside the car park just in case the OP needs to park her huge car and get her huge buggy out as that is clearly a priority

I enjoyed that

And FFS get a grip

I think ALL p&c spaces should be banned

It's the white van drivers or black taxis that seem to be the culprits in my local supermarket.

I haven't been arsed to read the whole thread but LEAVE THE BASTARD!