AIBU to tell people off who park in parent & child spaces but have no children with them?

[Ameybee]

This does my head in when I'm struggling to get 2 kids out the car in a normal space yet some idiot without kids is parked in the child space!!

I told a lady off today! I said 'do you know this is a parent & child space?' She said 'yeah' I replied 'so you're just being inconsiderate then?' She thought about it then made up some bullshit about her child being 'down there, in that shop!!' - she had just driven in!!! Clearly lying. So, would you say something to someone!???

[Sirzy]

I have arthritis thankfully not bad enough to need to register disabled yet. It mainly effects my knee, when it is bad I will park in a P and C space if one is feee because I need to room to get out of the car easily and it means I don't need to walk as far. If none are free I struggle on but it's easier. When my knee is ok then I don't park in them.

DS has serious asthma so when his chest in bad I will park in P and C spaces irrespective of his age because is easier for him.

Our supermarket also has the pharmacy so sometimes trips can't be avoided.

The problem is often people with children seem to forget that other people have problems in their lives which make shipping harder and for some people they also need to convenience of closer/wider spaces

[SconeInSixtySeconds]

I find about half ten to be a good time (except for pension Thursdays) or if your other dc are young enough about 2.30 so that you get there before the schools finish.

[Sirzy]

Outside - i find about 2.45 on weekdays pretty quiet I assume it's because most parents are on the school run ar

[NayFindus]

But not everyone without kids using P&C is disabled.

[whathellcall]

YANBU. I cannot stand the selfish twunty attitude of some people over this. It doesn't matter if you agree with them, never needed them in your day etc.etc.

I had a load of points to make about this but tbh i can't be arsed, it shouldn't have to be explained to a normal prson with a healthy respect for others, just don't fucking use them unless you have a child.

[Sirzy]

But you dont know them or their reasons nay that's my point. You can't tell if someone is disabled or ill by looking at them.

[usualsuspect]

We park in them with my mum.

[whathellcall]

Unless you're disabled and there are no disabled bays left.

[OutsideOverThere]

Sirzy, I am sorry that you suffer like that.

I have only once in my entire life used a disabled space and that was when I had to register ds, who was 2 days old, and had really bad bronchitis that meant I could barely get out of bed (or drive) and was getting so breathless post partum that I kept nearly passing out.

It was a car park full of disabled spaces, not ONE of them in use, no normal spaces at all (in centre of town behind register building) and the nearest car park was at least a mile away so I parked there for 10 minutes so I could get ds registered. I felt awful about it but couldn't think of an alternative.

It's not something I would normally ever do, let alone try to justify. Your life sounds harder than mine anyway. Of course people have bigger problems than having to carry a heavy baby seat. But just, I wish people would not take up the sought after spaces meant for others, disabled or parents/ There's no comparison there but I hope it makes sense.

[OutsideOverThere]

I'd be MORE than happy to find a disabled person using a P&T space. More than happy. Ther need is so much greater than mine. It goes without saying.

I do have to do the school run at 2.45ish but 10.30am sounds good. Thanks

[maddening]

Well I think they should have valet parking.

[FrankWippery]

Usual - yep, my mum always uses them when she has me too.

[INeedThatForkOff]

To those who 'don't care', can I ask why it is that you need to post on a thread to say so?

Contradictory posturing.

[xigris]

Clouds I am so with you on everything you say. I also have no idea why the OP is getting so much flack! I have no problem whatsoever with someone parking in a P&C space without children, if they needed to for some reason eg a broken ankle or something. I don't think anyone's going to moan at them. I do have a problem with people parking in them out of laziness / for convenience. Parking spaces seem so much narrower these days (or maybe cars are bigger?). I'm guessing that the people so outraged at the luxury of P&C spaces have never (as I was) been forced to park in regular space with a small toddler and 9 months preg with PGP. Thanks to a MASSEEEEVE 4x4 practically parking inside my much smaller car I actually physically couldn't get into mine! I had the school run to do so it was a total nightmare. I actually had to get a total stranger to back my car out of the space. This wouldn't have happened had I been able to park in a P&C space.

[NayFindus]

So for the folks that aren't disabled - why can't they just not be shit then? 'Oh look - a P&C space! 'm not disabled. I don't have kids with me. I'll not be a cunt and park there just to ruin some post partum Mum's day!!!'

What the fucks wrong with that then Sirzy?

[OutsideOverThere]

What I don't understand is why it's Ok for non parents to want to park conveniently near to the shop, but not Ok for parents to want this? Someone has to use the spaces.

If we all acted like martyrs and didn't need them, parked further away, 'managed', then they would be empty. So how come the un-child-encumbered get to use them and those with kids have to put up and shut up?

[Ameybee]

Sitzy - if she was disabled why didn't she park in one of the million other disabled spaces??

Putting on my hard hat....

Would've been interesting to see the response if I'd of asked AIBU to park in a p&c space with no kids - just because 'they didn't have them in days gone by etc etc!'

And yes I do get the bus sometimes. My point is - it is unreasonable to park in them when u don't have kids!!

I don't make a habit of berating people that use them without kids I just saw this woman do it & had been up all night with teething baby!

[Sirzy]

No idea Nay, but thats their choice.

Amey - not all people who are disabled are registed disabled. See my earlier post.

[NayFindus]

Oh, aren't you one of those people Sirzy? You're very much for them.

[Sirzy]

Outside, there is nothing wrong with people wanting to park near the shop. My issue is when people seem to think that parents have some god given right to and seem to forget that other people have other things in their lives.

As I said earlier, put P and C spaces at the back of shops for those who feel they really need the extra space. Put trolley parks near them with the baby trolleys in. Or even better just make all spacers wider but places won't do that because it means they loose some of their spaces.

[Sirzy]

Oh, aren't you one of those people Sirzy? You're very much for them.

what?

[NayFindus]

Well you're saying it's okay for folk to crap on other people, just because they can. No, it's not okay.

[OutsideOverThere]

Yes if there were baby trolleys available it would be fine to be further away.