AIBU to be incredulous that this really does happen IRL?!

[ifyourehoppyandyouknowit]

Just saw a carpark skirmish between a car with a blue badge and a car with a baby, over the last parent and child space, at a big chain supermarket. All disabled bays were full, only one PAC space left, both car reach the space at the same time. Man in blue badge holding car waves blue badge from window, people with child in the car kick off and start shouting about how he should park in the disabled bays, saying that they don't care if they are all full that is a parent and child space. I just kind of stood there open mouthed. Plenty of space to park further back in the car park as it wasn't that full. Oh, and no one was going to dissolve because the carpark is under cover.

I'm just that this really actually happens in real life! I thought it was kind of a internet ranty thing and that no one would be dickheaded enough to actually challenge a blue badge holder's right to use a PAC space outside of the internet!

And now I feel like I should have said something, but the shouty parents didn't seem like they were the type to listen to anything except the sound of their own voices.

So am I BU and very naive?

Thanks dawn I know I am a twat sometimes. I'm actually really quite ashamed of my first thoughts. I definitely will know what to do if this happens to me in the future.

Can I ask a question and I realise I may have to name change after this! I agree that disabled people take priority however, I don't have a blue badge. I could go to appeal and possibly get one but part of my illness is chronic fatigue and the appeal process is just too much. When I go shopping I have 2 under 3 and I get tired very easily and can't walk far.
If I was the other car in the op situation (I wouldn't shout and scream I would explain my position calmly) would I be being unreasonable?
If I couldn't park in p&c parking I would never go out. I'd go crazy! It's a genuine question, please don't flame me, it's never happened so completely hypothetical.

To think you have priority over a disabled person who probably struggles over the smallest task every hour of every day. To think that this person has less right than someone who has just got a baby in tow is sickening in its selfishness and entitlement.

How ducking dare parents think they have priority here.

Selfish selfish fuckwits.

I child minded 4 every day under age 5 and would never ever do this.

It's usually the ones who actually need to walk a bit though who complain I think.

no you wouldn't be unreasonable cbeebies and can you get a social worker to put your case forward to the council for you?

bearbehind

Are you being serious?

Parent and child parking is a courtesy only,not a legal right.

Yanbu OP. when I worked in a supermarket I had a mum come over and ask me to call out the registration of a car parked in a mother and baby space because she had watched the people come in and "they're disabled, they don't have children with them. Blue badges should park in the right space". I told her no.

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/206022/blue-badge-rights-responsibilities.pdf

Yes if I couldn't park in a disabled space when I'm with my dad we wouldn't be able to go In the shop.

I suppose I could try dropping him off by the door and parking, but I need to help him out the car, he's wobbly on his feet, I'd need to escort him inside to find a seat to wait for me so I'd probably have been clamped or something by the time I got back to the car.

He doesn't drive as he doesn't feel able to currently but if he did drive he'sd have no chance if he couldn't park near the door.

Someone with a baby or toddler could still get into the shop even if they had to park right over the other side of the car park.

CBeebies - i understand your predicament.

is there someone else who can fill in your form for you?

Osmiornica - I've often thought that. Its wide spaces that p&c need rather than been close to the shop. Been close is an added bonus rather than been necessary.

When dd was little I managed to go to places like the retail park, MeadowHall, etc which don't or certainly didn't have p&c spaces.

Owl, the problem is the DLA or pip or what ever they call themselves now don't see me as disabled. I'd first have to fight to get the social worker onside before they would put my case forward. Aparantly being in pain and 'a little bit tired' is normal. I challenge anyone who thinks this is normal to spend 24 hours with us
Anyway that's another thread and another rant! Good to know I wouldn't necessarily be being unreasonable.

My DM can walk very short distances, very painfully on crutches and needs a step to get in and out the car.

Needless to say my opinion of BMws and jags, without blue badges or car seats taking out the BBays at motor way services is unprintable. Especially seeing how much watching DM suffer upsets my Dad.

Honestly, if the worse comes to the worse you can throw the baby approximately in it's seat, back out very gently and sort out straps quickly in the middle of the carpark.

You can not get my mum or out the car in less than 5 minutes and she is mortified if she's in anyone's way.

I too have never understood why P&C spaces have to be next to the door..parents need wide spaces to access car seats etc but they should be at the outer areas of the car park with marked footpaths to the entrance. I visited a supermarket last week where the disabled bays were further away than the P&C! DH is disabled...we drove in, looked, drove out and found another sensible supermarket. Their loss

Dear god. Anyone who is that dependent on a P&C space...that let's face it are only offered as a courtesy, shouldn't be allowed out in a car.

They're nice if you can get them, but to think they're more important than Disabled parking spaces is bonkers.

I actually complained to a supermarket about the whole P&C / disabled bay thing...

My son was very small and all the P&C spaces were taken with disabled badge holders... Why? Well because the P&C spaces were NEARER to the store than the disabled bays...
Sublime stupidity - I went in and complained to customer services who agreed with me completely and asked if I would spk to a manager I did and his answer was that they were a 'family friendly' store so put P&C first I suggested they moved the P&C to the lower, undercover car park (serviced by a lift) and he actually said 'But people don't want to walk that far'
The spaces are still like it now tho other supermarkets have cottoned on an moved wider P&C further away

The supermarket near me has just put up new signs for the disabled bays. Under the standard wheelchair picture it says 'laziness is not a disability'. Brilliant.

Sublime stupidity that the disabled bays aren't closer / where the P&C are NOT those parking in them... I agreed they should park there!

Oh and last week - saw 4, full disabled spaces - 1 x blue badge, 2 x people waiting for others and the last one a lifeguard from the pool came out and drove off

That's wonderful, if only all supermarkets did it±

I like this idea too.
www.idahostatesman.com/2012/07/23/2198554/parking-lot-watchdogs.html

Another BB holder here, and I have had to drive home without doing my shopping because all the BB spaces and PAC spaces were taken and I need to be able to open the door to its widest point otherwise I can't get out of the car. At a local Hall, where there are BB spaces, it absolutely infuriates me to see the spaces full of mothers waiting to collect their DC from after school activities and the rest of the carpark almost empty.

BearBehind you made me see red but you've been very gracious in accepting the error of your ways.
How very refreshing, especially on AIBU!

I'm gob smacked that this actually happened.

I honestly do not see why P&C spaces have to be so close to the entrance - they only need to be wider surely?!

I have a 10 mo dd and I would be happy to have a space further away, after all, I only need the extra space to get my child out easier, all I have to do is push a buggy. Simple!

Haven't read the thread (yet) but noticed comment that p&c spaces only need to be wider, not nearer the door. Presumably the closer they are to the door the less of the carpark you have to traverse over with wee Jimmy trying to do a runner or a car reversing into your pram.
Absolutely the badge holder had the right to the space, in case anyone thinks I'm saying otherwise!

I used to work on the customer service desk at a supermarket and a family actually came in and complained that one of the p + c spaces was being used by a disabled badge holder. Was very hard to be polite to them, especially as there were two of them with one child and should have been able to manage fine in a normal space.