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?

Some people have a really nice outlook to the elderly. Some of these people have sacrificed a lot for you, even still some around who fought in the war.

I would quite happily give my place in M&T parking to an elderly person who finds it more difficult than me to get around.

I hope one day when you are older and more infirm that young people show you the same respect!

You are wrong Scarlett yes, plenty of people with severe autism etc get them due to their safety needs.

And whatever the system, if someone thinks that because the system doesn't cover us we should get less priority than a mum with an NT younger child then their opinion is not one I am going to be paying attention to tbh, as they have no sense of scale.

As for mothers with children sending the most - how do you know that? Genuine question.
I might spend more than you. Even though my kids are grown up I still spend a heck of a lot at the supermarket.
Do I deserve a "valued customer space"? No.
I managed to shop without P&C spaces - back in the day.

(DS4 is 4 btw, not exactly a great teen or anything)

And yes Salmo- I would hazard a bet that in 15 years, very likely with 3 full grown adult males with asd at home as well as us, I will be spending loads and needing a catering freezer LOL

I have always managed perfectly well in a standard size space. If there is a free M&B space I might park there, most supermarkets have more than ample parking and if your happy to park further away from the shop there are plenty of places. Its so not such a big deal.

If people buy large cars, they have to face facts that they are more difficult to park.

mothers with young children tend to spend on nappies etc which adds extra costs.

i don't know if they all spend more, but why would the supermarkets place these spaces by the door?.

Hang onto your hat there Peachy when your boys hit the teens!

Scarlett - there a plenty of people (pensioners and otherwise) who have mobility issues but don't meet the criteria for a blue badge. They are hard to get and actually, I think people over 75-80 should maybe get supermarket spaces anyway because generally they will be a bit more fragile than a young person.

Like my MIL - she uses a stick, she walks a bit squint, and needs to watch her balance. But she's not bad enough for a blue badge.

HTH.

ScarlettAlexandra are you for real??? A lot of elderly people have mobility problems but not all of them can get a blue badge. Do you honestly think that a perfectly able-bodied parent with a child has more entitlement than someone like that, just because they spend more money? Bloody hell!
At my local Asda, some genius decided to put all the cash machines on the wall right next to the disabled spaces, so the spaces are regularly blocked by arrogant knobheads who feel that it's perfectly ok to block up two or three disabled spaces, just so they don't have to walk too far to get their money out.

Yay, p&c thread.

I did have thought the other day about how people never had p&c spaces and managed. And one thing I did think was that back then you didn't need to strap small ones in car seats and therefore open door quite wide..

I don't understand the hostility on this thread. Bonkers.

Yes, I can manage without a P&C space, and I don't have a massive car but it's nice, and safer, to have. Most of ones I use are near to the pedestrian walkway, so it's just much safer with small children. Not always nearer the store but with safer access to it. Car parks are one of the least safe places for anybody, let alone small children with cars coming in all directions.

Other people who are not parents with small children should not use them and it it's wrong to do so. They are not called "Parent and child or anyone else who feels like parking here" spaces. End of story.

Our local Tesco has the P&C spaces right next to the cash points!!

I have a blue badge. I use it to park in the p&c spaces. They're better suited to my needs.

MamaMaisaura - I can assure you I did have my kids in car seats back then when P&C didn't exist!
What are you on about?

Actually fairly often they are called 'parent and child' spaces, on of the supermarkets round here specifies children under 12 or as long as they are in a booster seat.

It's really not the be all and end all if you have to park further away with a child, i'd rather that than have problems walking anywhere that aren't classified as bad enough for a blue badge.

Oh God. These threads are like bloody clockwork.

Here's the thing - empathy.

I have a big car, a baby and a toddler. I am perfectly capable of parking my car and getting them out. I use a M&T space if it is available. I get mildly narked if I see a seemingly agile 19 year old lad ambling back to his car having just popped in for fags (though do try to remind myself disabilities aren't always obvious). Anyone who has a tough time- the elderly, the disabled, the mother of the autistic teenager - they are all welcome to the space if they want it.

Thatcher was right. There really is no such thing as society these days is there?

DS is 21. We had car seats with carry handles then. Very similar to what's about now

MarysBeard - elderly pensioners with mobility issues aren't know for their agility at leaping out of the way of cars either. Blue badge or not.

And I'm glad my DH parked in the P&C space for his mum's sake.
He could help her get out of the car with her stick much more easily and hold her arm to balance her.

don't you feel guilty unmember. you have disabled spaces uuurrgghh words fail me.

I just take my tank and park where the fuck I like. If that means mowing a few cars and people down, so be it. I don't want my poor ickle children to melt in the rain, or have to use their legs more than is necessary. Sometime I'll take the trailer too, just so I can park across 19 spaces.

But TheUnMember is perfectly entitled to do that Scarlett!!

I'm sure she feels very guilty about having a disability

FrankWippery - Water soluble children are such an under acknowledged health problem aren't they. Perhaps there should be an awareness campaign?

Go frank yay!

And Oi!! I mentioned my Incredible Dissolving Children earlier!! So there.