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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to park in a Parent and Toddler/child space.

85 replies

penzance70 · 05/09/2012 14:00

I am 39 weeks pregnant so today parked in a P and Toddler/child parking space.
I did get a few funny looks so wondered if IABU parking there. Normally wouldn't but car park quite full (so couldn't park away from other cars) and P and T spaces fairly empty.

OP posts:
rockandahardplace2012 · 05/09/2012 14:02

I would say YANBU, its when the dickheads who clearly dont have children or who arent pregnant abuse these spaces!!

bragmatic · 05/09/2012 14:03

I don't think it's actually illegal to park in them is it?

I do. My youngest is 6.

JohnWayne · 05/09/2012 14:04

I've never seen a nearly full car park with empty P+T spaces.

BlackberryIce · 05/09/2012 14:05

Anyone can park in them, children or not! It's only 'courtesy' parking

TroublesomeEx · 05/09/2012 14:06

YANBU to park in the P&C spaces at 39 weeks pregnant.

YABU to start a thread about it.

Gentleness · 05/09/2012 14:07

According to the signs in several supermarket car-parks around us, it is not just 'courtesy' parking. You can incur a fine by parking in a P&T space without a young child.

I wish courtesy was more common. Selfishness seems to rule mostly.

SoleSource · 05/09/2012 14:08

PLEASE NOT ANOTHER PARKING THREAD

NOOOOOOO

I CANNOT STAND IT

RUNS SHOUTING AND SCREAMING

Princesslovelyboo · 05/09/2012 14:10

surely we will be able to play bingo today?

YouOldSlag · 05/09/2012 14:10

YANBU. You have a young child on board. He is in your tummy! Smile Good luck. I don't think any mother would begrudge a heavily pregnant woman a space nearer the door or with more room either side of the car.

LackingNameChangeInspiration · 05/09/2012 14:11

nobody is, they're not a legal requirement, its not like parking in a disabled space. They're just a marketing ploy you don't see em in council car parks do you?

RevDebeezWoodall · 05/09/2012 14:14

"You can incur a fine by parking in a P&T space without a young child." Yes but you don't have to pay it, same as if you get a fine for parking in a supermarket car park when you didn't do any shopping. Unless the fine is from the council just ignore it.

They're a courtesy, and I think YANBU to use it.

wfhmumoftwo · 05/09/2012 14:14

I dont think you are being unreasonable - and this is one topic that i get unusually irked with!
The spaces are designed for parents who have young children who need help to get in and out of the car - that is why they have additional width to allow for car seats to be taken in and out and for bending down doing up seat belts etc so you dont bash the cars either side. Its not really because they are nearer to the shop door, although i have no problem with the issue of minimising the number of young children running round the car park
It really winds me up when i see parents with teenagers with them or people with no children at all use them - its just plain rude and i agree you should be fined for being an arse!
Do i begrudge a tired, heavily pregnant woman using them ? Of course not. And if your tummy is as large as mine was with both of mine you will need the extra door space anyway Smile

Petsinmypudenda · 05/09/2012 14:15

Parent and toddler spaces should go, I f you cant get a child out of a normal space you cant park properly.

Park further back if you need room,Besides walking from back of will help shift the baby weight you've piled on

BlackberryIce · 05/09/2012 14:18

Ha ha ... Get a fine? 'they' can fine you?? Who are 'they'?

Its not enforceable.....dear oh dear!!

DesperatelySeekingPomBears · 05/09/2012 14:25

"They're just a marketing ploy you don't see em in council car parks do you?"

Yep, my nearest big town has several council owned/run car parks with P&C spaces.

CaroleService · 05/09/2012 14:25

The nice parking man at our local Waitrose used to usher me into a P&C space when he saw me driving up when I was heavily pregnant.

TroublesomeEx · 05/09/2012 14:30

As I have said before on one of these threads, I don't understand the vitriol and spite levelled on these threads by (usually) mothers towards other mothers.

No, they're not a legal requirement; yes they are a courtesy; no you and your child won't explode if you don't have one; yes they make shopping a lot easier and more comfortable.

I think people who park in them just because they can, rather than because they need to are being incredibly selfish and just a touch ridiculous.

Why on earth wouldn't you just extend a bit of common decency and humanity towards other parents and if a P&C space makes the day a bit easier for a pregnant women/parent of young children, why would anyone begrudge them that?

I really don't get it.

I f you cant get a child out of a normal space you cant park properly

Actually I don't think this holds any water at all. I've got a citroen picasso. Not a massive car, but not a tiny one either. I can park quite well between two SUVs/big city 4x4s but can't always open the doors wide enough for anyone to get out of them if the spaces are narrow, which they quite often are in supermarket carparks to maximise the number of cars/customers they can accommodate. In these cases, it would be impossible to get a baby out of a carseat safely or to get one of those travel system carseats out at all.

I just don't understand the aggression towards parents on a parenting website tbh.

Princesslovelyboo · 05/09/2012 14:31

In my local town multi storey I was in a normal space getting baby and pram out of the car, the attendant/security bloke said do you know we have spent spaces (they have 4) I told him they were all full, and he actually told me to use the disabled ones instead cos they are not bothered and never check Shock I never have and never would by the way!!!

Princesslovelyboo · 05/09/2012 14:32

Parent not spent!

DesperatelySeekingPomBears · 05/09/2012 14:34

Pets, the only problem with your theory is, let's say I pull into a car park and park carefully, ensuring there's plenty of room to get DS's car seat out of the car. I'm in the shop for an hour, when I return, there's a completely different car next to me and they've parked so close I'm going to need a fucking tin opener to get the car out of the space.

Now what?

Do I leave DS in the trolley, in the middle of a car park, whilst I reverse out a little bit and then get him in the car?

Do I damage their car trying to squeeze him in?

Or do I find a lovely, passing stranger that many people on MN seem to think are lurking around every corner and ask them to hold him whilst I reverse out?

FolkGirl is right, why would anyone begrudge making someone else's life easier? Especially the lives of parents, on a parenting website.

Gentleness · 05/09/2012 14:36

Some supermarket carparks near us are actually council run not owned by the supermarket - they display clear signs about incurring fines for parking in disabled or P&T spaces. And people do get fined. It doesn't stop those who think their need to park near to the cash point is greater than the need of a parent with small children to have a safer, shorter route to the store than across a very busy carpark with a poor layout.

Why exactly do people on here get so determined to claim anyone has the right to park there? Why do they begrudge parents of small children this extra help, which actually does make a big difference? What exactly do they resent? And I am already groaning that the word "entitled" is going to come up... Where did all the kindness go?

(And OP you are not being in the least unreasonable!)

Petsinmypudenda · 05/09/2012 14:37

No idea I cant drive and get my shopping delivered so this has never happened to me...
Climb in boot with boy clamber over seats to strap him in, clamber back over seats get out of the boot put trolley back, back in the boot over seats wiggle into the front drive off?

anditwasallyellow · 05/09/2012 14:37

Totally agree with folkgirl.

And totally disagree that if you can't get a childseat out of the car you can't park.

Perfect example if when you have a young baby sleeping in a carseat instead of waking the baby to lift them out you can just take the carseat out and pop it in the trolley, so much easier. Some parking spaces would make it impossible to get a carseat out. Why hate sometihng that just makes life that little easier? It's almost as if some people get off on life being slightly more difficult and still getting through it.

picnicbasketcase · 05/09/2012 14:37

I think the P&C spaces should be used by anyone who needs the extra space around the car to comfortably get in and out without having to do some kind of limbo dance, ie heavily pg women or people with small children and babies, or disabled people if there aren't any designated disabled spaces left. I do think it's selfish and shit for people to use them out of laziness purely because they tend to be closer to the shop. I don't get how anyone can think otherwise really.

EnjoyGOLDResponsibly · 05/09/2012 14:49

If the P&t spaces, were just spaces with extra room located further back in the car park would parents with babies still use them? I'm guessing OP you needed extra room to swing yourself out vs needing to be closer to the door.

I think it's the proximity to the door that means they get used by non P&T.

Our sainsbo car park has sold its soul to a private company that do fine you if you don't park by the rules.