to get angry with people in family parking...

[SmileAndPeopleSmileWithYou]

...who don't have young children with them!?

I spent ages driving around a car park today looking for a suitable spot to get my 4mo DS out of car seat and into the pram. I don't always park in family parking and don't really mind the inconvenience if they are full with families.

But one of the spaces was taken up with a 2 seater Ferrari that was obv far too small/low to have a child in a car seat.
Sure enough, I saw the lady who owns the car on my way back. She was alone. WHY did she feel the need to park in one of those spaces when she clearly didn't need the room!?

It's not even like I can assume she had dropped her DC off somewhere as there is no way a small child in a car seat or one that needed a pram would have fit in there!!!

How inconsiderate!

I don't use P&C parking. I have no problem using a normal space so I clearly don't need to. I don't really understand why anyone would think they are necessary, they are very inconvenient as far as I can see, with loads of people circling round trying to get one and tooting at each other to hurry up as people fold their kids back in. In the time that takes them, I've parked, gone in the shop, come out again, got everyone strapped back in and we're off. So for me, Ferrari woman would make no difference. The spaces aren't legally enforcable so although I suppose it wasn't her good deed for the day I can't really bring myself to care much.

Cars with back sliding doors are brilliant.

This really bugs me, designated spaces are there for a reason and shame on those who ignore them. I've seen people park in disabled spaces, young people mind, jumping out of their cars, people parking in the drop off point to rush in the shop. Even if there are rows of empty child and disabled spaces I would never dream of using them. Have even thought of putting a notice on their windscreens, but haven't gone that far yet.

Thing is, you have a baby, you don't need the extra room, you just think you might like it.

Then, you have an expensive car, you don't need the extra room, you just think you might like it.

Sure the first option has the moral high ground but they are both reasons for wanting extra space, and p&c do provide that, and they are open to all customers regardless of whether you think that is right or not.

Crickey, i remember the days when people with kids went shopping WITHOUT CARS.....

Northernlurker you seem to have offered your opinion without really reading the thread.
12 years ago corsas were smaller but not by that much so yes it's a small car. Not really the point when the spaces are quite narrow and its tricky (but not impossible) to get the portable car seat out. If I had a big car I wouldn't have been able to do it in the particular car park I was in.
I wasn't in a supermarket... Never said I was. Can't understand why you're assuming I would be as most supermarkets have decent size parking spaces.
Aside from all that, you're assuming I am moaning about not being able to get a P&C space. I'm not. My problem is with people who fill them when they shouldn't.

Everyone else on here is offering an opinion related to this thread, you've jumped to your own conclusions.

I've always wondered why they don't have larger spaces close to the entrance for 'childless drivers with decent cars' that way their cars don't get damaged by people hitting them with their car doors getting kids out of car seats.

Plus they are usually in and out quicker as its just a microwave curry and a bottle of wine that they buy.

Yabu IMO find a spot and walk like everyone else.

Btw I have 2 DCs before I get flamed for not understanding

PC bingo....but I don't park in disabled spaces........whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine. I am a speshul little flower.

of course the ferrari driver must have been disabled

No, the disabled are not allowed nice cars. They should be all sad and stay at home in their poverty.

Crickey, i remember the days when people with kids went shopping WITHOUT CARS..... and forgot their kid in the pram stares at mother

YABU - I always make sure I get the chauffeur to stick the Bentley across TWO Mother and child spaces - I don't think anyone without a trust fund should be allowed a car, it only encourages the hoi polloi to move around. Surely they would be happier at home drinking special brew out of a can and beating their children?

Not that I actually shop in Tescos you understand, but I like observing the great unwashed at leisure as an anthropolgical exercise.

Legend has it, that in the depths of the fiery Doom of Mordor, the One Ring was forged to control all (wo)men. All (wo)men who were tired of ridiculously over the fucking top bulky prams and how long it took to vacate the space after ten minutes of struggling with said pram... Sauron's power grew and all of mankind began to park monotonously in the P&C spots.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One ring to bring them all... And in the darkness... Bind them.

The whole problem would be solved if the spaces were in the far corner, without crossing the road. The need a wider space to open the doors- they can walk!

Op for some reason and I'm not sure why, the ladies of MN think that they are above parent parking and will wank on about how we don't need it etc until they are blue in the face. But I also bet they have all parked in them at some stage. I don't think they are completely necessary but the are handy when it is pouring down with rain and you are trying to get two small children out of the car. I do think its rude for single people to park in them, and think if ur one of the people that do park I'm them without children it's rude. I don't park in them if I have my four ur old with me. But do park in them if I have my 4, 2 and 1year old with me.

Yanbu - op I am totally with you on this. It's bloody annoying and rude. I am actually surprised by how many negative responses you have got.
Sign says - parent & child space translated means space for car with a parent and child! Duh

There was no parent and child parking when mine were small. I think it a good thing but it just needs space for the doors and you don't need to be crossing in front of cars- it could easily be well away from the doors and then no one would want to pinch them.

I drive a corsa, I can't believe the op is saying the spaces were to small for her to park in but big enough to park a farrari in - either she is a crap driver or she is making very bad excuses!

The good thing about driving a smaller car is being able to squeeze into smaller spaces.

She isn't saying the spaces were too small to park a Corsa, she is saying they were too small to park a Corsa and then open the door fully so she could remove the carseat. I am so pleased you ate all genius parkers and contortionists who only need half a foot to remove a carseat. I am not, this doesn't mean I am an incompetent driver or that I can only park in p & c spaces. It does mean that there are sometimes v narrow spaces that I avoid (especially when others park inconsiderately) and it does mean I appreciate the luxury of occasionallybeing able to park in a p& c space. I don't care if it's right outside the shop or some distance away as long as there's a suitable trolley nearby in a supermarket or space to sort out my pram elsewhere. If you are parked in p&c without a child and I have just wrestled with a v heavy child in a carseat trying to get it out withoutdamaging the car next to me then yes I will feel pretty pissed off with you.

I was delighted to see someone being berated by the carpark attendant for having parked inappropriately in p&c the other day. She didn't seem quite so smug after he'd finished.

don't remove the car seat. they are designed for cars and babies shouldn't spend too much time in them. Remove the baby itself. Don't make the baby a stupid amount bigger, more unwieldly and heavier by leaving in in a seat! When the baby is a toddler you won't be lugging a seat around after all. Just leave seats in the car where they are supposed to be and it's no longer an issue.

exactly Ida.

I do think some parents just like to make things hard for themselves

Get your shopping delivered- problem solved!

If you go between twelve and two thirty ish loads of babies are having lunch/ nap so there are loads of free parent spaces.