To use p&c parking space

[attheendoftheday]

I set off this morning to Ikea on a quest for yet more toy storage, accompanied by dd2 (4 months). I parked in a p&c space and was accosted by a woman for improper use of the spaces. My crime was that I was putting dd2 in a sling rather than a pram or buggy. She pointed out that there is a picture of a pram in the space.

I didn't move my car, but I'm now wondering whether I've been misunderstanding the p&c etiquette for years. I conceed it is easier to get a baby in a sling than a buggy in a normal space. If it makes a difference, there were plenty of other p&c spaces available, although I took the closest available one to the store.

I'm writing this in the cafe, so I may return to the car to find the carpark avenger has wreaked havoc upon my car.

YANBU - She is clearly bonkers. By that logic, the spaces should only be used by highly stylised stick men...

Id tell her to fuck off. improper use as you have a sling - my arse

Sounds like utter nonsense to me. Who cares if you are transporting your baby in a rocket, a sling, a shipping trolley or on a unicycle. They are parent and child spaces. I would have thought the clue was in the name.

Clearly, she had nothing better to do on a Monday morning than complain. Ignore!

clue is in the name 'parent and child' not 'must use pushchair/pram. YANBU

What an odd woman. I assume the extra space is for dealing with children, strapping them in to car seats and to have a bit more space for hand holding so you can walk to the shop safely. The pram is immaterial.

What a silly woman, the pram is just a symbol for baby/child really isn't it.

Should have told her she'd end up in a sling if she carries on

You should tell her to Sling her hook.

Well, that's reassuring. I assumed she was bonkers at the time, but I'm now sitting having a tea and thinking that I can't remember ever seeing someone else using a p&c space with a sling, and wondering if it was a rule everyone else knew.

Trapper

I wish I looked like a stick

By the same logic only wheelchair users could use disability spaces, I know many people who have blue badges but not wheelchairs! Don't even give it another thought OP, bonkers car park police!

YANBU - I dont think I've heard anything quite so ridiculous! I thought he point of P&C spaces was you needed the extra space to get the child out of the car as you often need to open the door fully in order to reach them properly.
Hope the tea makes everything better

"By that logic, the spaces should only be used by highly stylised stick men..."

:o

"By the same logic only wheelchair users could use disability spaces"

Which actually explains a lot, if people really take things that literally.

Ahh she's nuttier than a rather large piece of squirrel pooh!!! Its the space you need for getting kids in and out of the car, not how you transport them. Don't mind the old bat.

Glad to know it's not me that's bu! Have returned to my car to find it unmolested, but have punished myself anyway by buying too many large items and having to play car-tetris to get them home.

And what about parents with very small toddlers, who, er toddle? I always thought that they were allowed to use the p&c spaces, but perhaps bonkers woman would disagree?

Ah fedup, in my supermarket the pic is of a tall person holding hands with a little person, so toddlers are clearly welcomed there.

By which logic me and DH should park there next time we're on our own as he is a giant and I am tiny!

nonsense. You get the wider space to give you room to extract the child from the car seat without totally wrecking your back. Doesn't matter how the child moves afterwards.

the comment about blue badge does not equal wheelchair is a good analogy.

What an idiot, i only just stop using P and C spaces for DD when she was 4, easier to get her out without banging someones door.

Who are these people who a) notice who is parking where and b) take it upon themselves to harass people who are just trying to do their shopping?

The mind boggles.

You can actually use parent and child spaces for children up to the age of 11 if they are travelling on a booster seat...

I was ocassionally tempted to make my 10 year old use a booster just so I could take them at their word... But I didn't, I was too scared of getting told off!

Did you also know, in our Asda and think it is a policy of Asda that if you are entitled to a P&C space and there are none available you advised and entitled to use the disabled spaces

She's was bonkers. I use P&C spaces when I'm out with my elderly (80s and 90s) parents. They need extra room as they use walking sticks but are not eligible for a disabled badge, so far no one has made any comments to me.

Interfering cow, you should have told her to get lost.

My brother has this problem being disabled but not in a wheelchair

Bloody bonkers if you ask me!

I use them when avaliable regardless of prams/ carriers/ toddling.

I also used them in the 3rd tri of pregnancy both times. I needed the width to contort my large bump in the small gap between my seat steering wheel and door which had to be open fully. I also had PGP both times so it was too painful to deploy my usual lazy parker technique of going to a far and empty end of a carpark. I had a baby with me. It wasn't even detachable.

The big/ little person stick people amuse me. By that logic, DH and I can use them. Maybe that would push my luck a bit beyond reasonable...