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?

I don't understand why p&c parking spaces must be so close to the entrance of the supermarket.I'd love to have them a bit further away so they wouldn't be so attractive for lazy gits people who don't need them.I don't care about the distance to the supermarket but I need some space to take the carseat out of the car.

P&C parking spaces are close to the shop presumably to stop small kids being run over.

Also because as observed above families spend more money in supermarkets and it makes financial sense to offer them preferential parking, especially if competitors do the same.

I have a family member with disabilities. The number of times she's had to turn round and go home, without getting her shopping or doing whatever it is she wants to do, because she can only walk a short distance and there isn't parking. It makes me so upset that someone who is mobile, could easily hold their dc's hand across a car park (lets not forget parents have done this for years before these P&C spaces were invented), would prioritise themselves over somebody who can't walk far. There are many, many people who don't use wheelchairs but can only walk short distances.

This evening I went to my local Asda and saw a young couple coming out and getting into their car. In a disabled bay,they didn't have a blue badge. I settled for glaring at them but so wanted to tap on their window and ask them what the fuck they thought they were doing.

The fact there were other bays available isn't the point.

It isn't a "caring more as you get older" thing, I'm 24 and have for years hated people who do this. Inconsiderate and selfish is the nicest way I can describe it. One perfectly fit and able persons "5 minutes" parking in a disabled bay can be the differences between a disabled person being able finger their weekly shop/their carer having to leave them in the car. Makes me so angry.

*able to get- not finger

how can you get people to experience whole body disability?

I make them get in a large two piece boiler suit, add foam pipe covers, up limbs and backs, add plastic pipe, gaffer tape various limbs to limit movement, garden gloves with gaffer tape, stiff offside cushion, to off set the sitting position, most uncomfortable.

Make them drink litres of tea, coffee, juice.

If you can, leave them in a shopping centre. with a list, tell them to go for a meal, then get home.

they never not want to go with un chair friendly designs again.

Get rid of the fucking stupid PAC parking, they seem to cause more hassle than they are worth and there's no way of stopping anyone who fancies parking there doing just that.

and convert a good number of the PAC places into disabled parking.

1. Get rid of all P&C spaces. They are unnecessary marketing ploys. Or if they must be kept, put them at the very far end of the car park. Children do not melt in the rain and if you can't supervise your children across a car park, you shouldn't be allowed out.

1. Employ a 'whacker' in every supermarket. This is a person with a large paddle who will whack any self entitled cock who misbehaves or parks like a fucking knobend. *this is not specific to P&C or disabled spaces, this can be used for general cuntish behaviour.

1. When on a P&C thread, read the whole fucking thing before verbally abusing previous posters who have apologise for their earlier lack of knowledge.

I'll do that job TidyDancer

This is awful.
The p&c car should feel ashamed.

Oh I love the whacker idea. I could have done with it about an hour ago when I had met my mother for lunch in a local pub. As I was reversing back out of my space afterwards a complete bellend who wanted the space decided to start reversing into it before I had completely backed out. I blew my horn to stop him driving into me and he mouthed at me to 'fuck off'. Well dressed respectable looking guy as well. There was an old man in the car beside him and I'm sorry I didn't get out and ask him if he was the guy's father and, if so, he must be so proud of him. .

Anyway, back to the subject of the thread - I grew up beside a shopping centre in pre P&C space days and never ever heard of a friend or another child on the road being knocked down there. I now live close to a shopping centre with only a few P&C spaces so presumably most of the parents have to park in the ordinary spaces. Again, I have never heard of a child being knocked down. There is no absolute need for these spaces to be beside the door; convenient yes, but there are other people who could also benefit from the convenience.

I think many people have an underlying, almost subconscious belief that people who call themselves disabled really just have a slightly bad back or something (unless they are in a wheelchair).

There is no understanding of what different disabilities really mean and what day to day living is really like for those people.

Newspapers grind out stories about people committing benefit fraud by pretending to have or exaggerating their disabilities. But they rarely publish stories giving an insight into the lives of genuine claimants. So people remain in ignorance and many have no interest in finding out more or extending any empathy to others.

My dad is 78, only able to walk a few metres at a time, and in doing that is incredibly breathless - he walks with a three wheeled walker, but couldn't self propel in a wheelchair as his hands are too painful. As he's the carer for my mum with dementia they manage by him being able to park very close to the shop, totter in, and then the staff push him round in a wheelchair (mostly as they don't want him dying in there I think) and then take him back to the car. He needs to be as close as possible, and extra space to get his legs out and then his walker. It takes him a while to heave himself out of the car.

He's been told to park in P&C by the parking attendant before if theres no disabled bays left, and one day some absolute tosser of a woman was screaming at him that he was not entitled to park there, effing and blinding at him. Fortunatly, the lovely car park man came and gave her a piece of his mind - but not before dad was hugely embarrassed. He's a proud man who has found it really hard to ask for help.

I hope that entitled 'mummy' would be ashamed of herself, but I doubt it.

The more personal anecdotes I read on this, and other similar, threads the more I think 'just get rid of these spaces'. I know it becomes a case of a few inconsiderate people ruining it for everyone but I really don't care. No elderly man who is disabled and caring for a wife with dementia should have to put up with that. Your post made me half angry and half just want to cry. I think if someone had done that to my dad I would seriously have wanted to kill them.

Children do not melt in the rain and if you can't supervise your children across a car park, you shouldn't be allowed out.

made me laugh

Great idea, TidyDancer!

Redtractor "That would be like taking away spaces for people with a disability just because some people play the system or use other family member blue badges."

No, it is not the same at all. Disabled people have a legal right to be able to access places.

P&C spaces should be completely abolished. Having a baby or children doesn't mean you can't walk or even need more space. Just park at the back and walk.

I aim to please!

If I see anyone in a supermarket car park wielding a large paddle, I shall say to myself "she be a MNer".

I disagree about the more space, though. On my own I open the door enough to get in, and pop into the car. With older child I need to open it enough to lean in and over to fasten seatbelt. With baby I need the door open the most to chuck the infant carrier in.

Doesn't mean I deserve a space, just saying there are convenience reasons why larger width spaces work well with car seats.

Yanbu, that's awful, a disabled person should always take presidence over a family in this situation. Shameful behaviour from the parents

and don't forget trying to get out of the car when 41weeks pg , large as a whale and a Mini, a fucking Mini parked so close the door that I seriously cosidered getting out through the sunroof or climbing over the rows of seats and fall out through the rear door!

keeping or geting rid of P&C spaces is irrelevant.
people need to learn to park sensibly and not block others in.

I agree, abolish PAC parking bays. Concert them to disabled. And Tidydancer's paddle idea is fab!