To think about standing in the Tesco car park...

[ElphabaTheGreen]

...wearing a sandwich board saying:

PARENT AND CHILD SPACES ARE NOT FOR LARDY-ARSES WITH TEENAGERS.

I literally cannot get my baby out of the car if I don't have the extra space. Unlike Miss Thang going to the ATM who looks vacuous when I give her a filthy look for taking a space which is rightfully mine. Or the family with FULLY AMBULANT under-10s-but-over-3s.

Can you tell it was pissing it down when I went to do a top-up shop today?

Yep - and then there are those that also take the piss which ruin it for those that don't.

I'm done. This isn't fun anymore. Night night.

"It's not difficult, really"

ah but it is, because in some people's minds there's a hierarchy of "need" in P&C area and if your brood/car size/buisiness ranks bellow theirs you will feel their wrath!

Of course P&C spaces are a 'nice to have' rather than essential, blue badge spaces. It doesn't, however, make it right for those who ought not to be using the spaces to use them.

@Raspberrysorbet

Olivia, are you a policeman from the 70s?

God, I might be.

I've never seen or experienced someone challenging someone else's correct use of a P&C space because their need is greater. I have seen incorrect use of the space challenged though. As another poster said, it's not difficult.

incorrect use.... like me with my "too small" car (containing bump and toddler) being "trumped" and agressively challenged by fishwife with massive car containing 8ish year old

on the one occassion where I thougth "what's the worst that can happen" and parked there instead of my usual civilised normal part of the car park

ye can keep the P&C spaces! they're all yours!

honestly I'm all for P&C spaces! they keep the numpties in stupidly large cars out of the way of the rest of us! There's just a load of bollocks spouted about how parents NEED them - they're just a marketing promo y'know!

I got challenged today for parking in the last regular space (on road) when I have a blue badge and can park in the empty disabled bay further up the road. Challenger failed to grasp that 1) the regular bay was closer to where I needed to be 2) both bays may have a 3 hour limit but a blue badge in a regular bay is exempt from that limit, but has to follow it in a disabled bay 3) we are actually allowed out of our designated areas once in a while, and most importantly 4) it had fuck all to do with her.

World's gone mad.

I have been on the receiving end of an aggressive rant in public from a woman who's need was greater

I had dropped my 3 off at Sainsbury's as their father was there and it was his access time - returning to my car without children - to be confronted by a screechy half mad person enraged at the very thought of somebody without kids being in her space - it was pretty horrible

they bring out the worst in some people :(

WTF flaminNora! that's awful! they are there to help disabled people IF that suits them, they're not feckin quarantine!

I actually think that women like that go to the P&C area with the intention of taking out her bad day on someone and I was it that day!

I wouldn't have minded quite so much if it was another motorist desperately trying to find a parking space, but it was passerby.

"I have seen incorrect use of the space challenged though. "

yeah, cause you're "one of them" and you think you can decide who is using it correctly!

You don't know why anyone else has parked there, like another poster pointed out, it could be parent no2 come to collect parent no1 with 3 kids inside! Or they could have dropped brood at the tutoring centres that you find in Sainsburys and are popping off somewhere else quickly..

but no you know best!

OP you are not being a madam for complaining about abuse of blue badge spaces (although in the early stages of my DM's progressive neurological deterioration I saw plenty of raised eyebrows and heard the comments from people who thought this young woman couldn't possibly need the space even though she could only walk limited distances - you CANNOT TELL why someone has the badge. "Luckily" she is now obviously disabled, what with the wheelchair and all, so would meet with your approval.)

You are being criticised for making such a fucking song and dance about p&c spaces just because you believe you are more needy than other people.

Raspberry - I was thinking more Olivia

Oh I'm "one of them". Yes, one of "them" people who can read the conditions on a parking sign. Not rocket science.

Me only brunette

do the signs give you special powers to be able to tell who has a brood waiting for collection inside? or who is in early pregnancy and needs to run into the loo to barf etc?

unless I park sideways across two spaces, or leave my tail half in half out of the space so that noone can get past, no bint has a god given right to RANT at me! I "qualified" according to the signs, she just didn't realise but that was fine, she could have the nasty rant she was hoping for at me??

PARKING PEACE AND LOVE

I just leave the baby in the car. No need to struggle with baby seats/getting in and out etc. Just wind down the window so baby has some air and leave it propped up with a Fruit Shoot. It'll be fine if you're only popping in for a few bits...

I've never remonstrated with anyone for misuse of a parking space. I leave that to parking wardens.

I've never remonstrated with anyone for misuse of a parking space. I leave that to parking wardens. And fucking loons.

I'm a fatty and I don't even have a car! I take my shopping home on the bus. Why does weight always get dragged into issues it has nothing to do with, as a means of insulting people.