To wonder about the etiquette on this (Yet another P&T thread).

[Jusfloatingby]

With Christmas coming up I was just wondering - if you've driven around the shopping centre car park twice and there's no free spaces and then you spot an empty P&T space and your only other alternative is to go home because you can't find parking, is it okay to use the P&T space or should you leave it in case a mother with a small child decides to come along in five minutes time to do her shopping?

Heeeeelpp, I really need to know

Is there not a disable space you could park in?

I suppose so Cheeky. But then supposing the disabled person then has to park in the P&T space because its beside the door and someone starts slagging him off on a sandwich board? I would feel sooooo guilty.

Sorry, that should be as joke obv.

I have to sometimes, no-one has has sandwiched me yet

This is no time for joking Cheeky. My nerves are gone with the worry.

*If the car parks are all full, you don't need to go home. You can either wait for someone to move their car, or park further away, or use public transport, or shop at a less busy time

So can the parent with child/children.*

That's true Worra, but on the other hand, the OP is so far fetched that I doubt it would ever come down to that.

I mean a vacancy in P and T when all other spaces are full? Never gonna happen.

TBH the worst case scenario is that parent would be inconvenienced. At very busy periods everyone is inconvenienced anyway, parents or not, so it's all a bit of a fair game/mash up then anyway (I'm thinking of busy periods during Xmas).

Although I was once 'tortilla wrapped' but that was quiet nice

Don't tell them your name floating. It won't be in lights then!

Or run them over then take the space they were standing in?

Hmm. You make a persuasive argument OP.

Um it boils down to whether a parent has more rights than a non parent and the answer should be no. We are all equal.

I would say on a non busy day when there are other spaces, leave the P and T spaces alone for those who would struggle in smaller spaces.

On a very,very busy day I would probably say, if there are no alternatives, then yes, park in a P and T space if the alternative is going home. It's no more or less unfair than a parent having to go home. It's just bad luck that the car park is full.

Disabled spaces are another matter altogether, but you weren't asking about those and it doesn't sound as if you'd park in one anyway.

I think OP has parked now. Bet she took the P&C space. As I don't know where she lives I have arranged for a light aircraft to fly over the UK with her name on a banner.
That'll learn ya!

The disable bay was a joke slag, I am a blue badge holder.

If you think this would never happen then you haven't been to the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre just before Christmas, just getting in to the carpark is a nightmare as the queue seemed to go on for miles. I'm not a driver and my sister had forgotten about the P&T spaces so we drove round for ages not finding anything till we both copped we could use them and there were loads of P&T spaces available but not a fligget otherwise.

In the extreme circumstances you have described OP then I would perhaps just do it. I do have a child - 14 years and hardly ever with me at supermarket - but I am a parent who has a child so why not park there if I had to?!

Yes, Cheeky I did take the P&C space. But I put a pack of pampers, a jar of sudocream, a doll, a jigsaw and a pair of postman pat wellies on the back seat. And I live in Ireland so no one I know will see your banner

tarantula I have had to turn my car around and go back home from Liffey Valley coming up to Christmas. It is totally mental out there.

I will know for next time just...won't be just your name that is 'justfloatingby', they have light aircraft in Ireland now don't they?

I would. And I'm not likely to pay much heed to some random screeching at me about it either