AIBU to expect people to respect parent & child car spaces?

[Holly129]

This is something that has bugged me for a long time. I am constantly seeing men in vans in parent and child spaces amongst others. I would never park in a disabled space or a parent and child space if my dc were not with me!

Today I waited for a space at the GPs and when the person left a clearly signposted parent and child space someone cut me up and sped into the space. She then got out WITHOUT A CHILD. I wound my window down and said excuse me, I was waiting for that space and you don't have a child with you. Did she have the decency to back down or apologise? No, she gave me a tirade of abuse! There should be passes or something for those spaces, (like the disabled ones) to fine people who don't use them correctly.

[Doodledumdums]

Wow, some harsh responses here!!

I don't think you are being unreasonable OP. I find it annoying too.

Sure, let's do away with P&C spaces. I assume that no one will complain when their car doors get dented by parents who are trying to wrestle toddlers into car seats while parked in tiny parking spaces?

Or yes, let's relocate them to the other end of the car park, just to ensure that people are using them because they legitimately need more space to get car seats in and buggies out, not because they are lazy and think their children disolve in the rain. That isn't petty at all!

Mainly I want to use p and c spaces because I find it really difficult getting my car seat in and out of my car in normal spaces, not because of their proximity to the shop. But if you really begrudge people being allowed to park closer to the shop to make their lives slightly easier when shopping with small children, then maybe you would also like to have a go at us for using disposable nappies (because they didn't have the convenience of those years ago either), or using folding travel systems rather than coach built prams? Because god forbid we make the lives of stressed, sleep deprived mothers slightly easier.

[Sparklingbrook]

No P&C spaces in my town and no noticeable dentage car wise Doodle.

[1Veryhungrycaterpillar]

I'd just love wider spaces to get car seats in etc, don't give a damn where they are in a carpark but it scares me that someone would jump into a space you were waiting for regardless of whether or not it was p & c and then give you a torrent of abuse

[1Veryhungrycaterpillar]

Ive had my car dented by kids swinging the car door open, child locks please people

[bestsonever]

Parents who take there kids shopping are highly likely to be spending more money on goods than others (impossible not to - "mum, can I have?"), so in that sense we have paid for the privilege of the space and supermarkets know this, so that's why they have them as encouragement.
Having said that, I still park in them without my son on way home from work - late evening, when should be in bed anyway- and on school days. People should apply common sense, ie not on a busy Sat/Sun afternoon but after waking hours why not?

[lolidayplanning]

'Parents who have kids will likely spend more money' Doubt it. I spend a fortune on expensive food and wine and smelly candles and magazines and yumyumyum other stuff and decorative bits etc etc while my mates with kids buy fishfingers from tesco because all their cash goes on nursery fees.

[Sirzy]

Don't get the car seat in and out then.

Somehow I have managed 3 years of getting DS in and out of the car without damaging anyone elses, I don't think it takes much really.

I get frustrated when I see parents with older children parking there but I don't think they quite get the reason for them

DS has asthma, he is only 3 at the moment but as he gets older when his asthma is bad and I have no option but to nip to Asda with him then I will use the P and C spaces with him, I don't care if anyone judges but it makes life easier for him and his need is greater than most "but I NEED to get my seat out" parents!

[Sparklingbrook]

Sliding rear doors are a real plus.

[ifyourehoppyandyouknowit]

I have come back to a shopping centre car park (with DS in baby car seat) to find that cars have parked so close either side of me that the our wing mirrors are practically touching. I have to admit I was not particularly careful about avoid scratching their car with the car seat and my car door as I tried to wrestle it back in. Stupid fucking fuckers. Even if I didn't have the car seat with me, they parked stupidly close.

[Sparklingbrook]

Hop

[ifyourehoppyandyouknowit]

Not my proudest moment. But seriously, who parks like that?!

[exoticfruits]

I really wish they would do away with them- they cause far too many problems. We never had them when mine were small and we managed fine.

[Doodledumdums]

How can I not get the car seat out?! I can hardly push a tesco trolly full of food with one hand and hold my 5mo in the other arm! I do need to get the car seat out and put it on the trolly. There have been plenty of times when the car parked next to me has parked too close to get my car seat in the car, luckily DH has reversed the car a bit each time, but on my own with a 2 door car, it's really difficult, and if I can't get the seat back in then I can hardly leave the baby in his car seat on the floor while I reverse out of the space!

Of course no one is entitled to a p&c space, but having them there is of no inconvenience to anyone else, they can act as overspill parking if disabled bays are all full, and they make life a little bit simpler for parents...so I REALLY don't understand why people think they are so bad?!

[Salmotrutta]

I'd much rather see them re-consigned as blue badge spaces to be honest.

Or if parents really feel they need extra space they should be at the back of the car park.

I'd far rather the spaces nearer the door were reserved for the older generation like me.

[valiumredhead]

I didn't drive when ds was little but Dh did, we never got the car seat out, we lifted ds out.

[Doodledumdums]

But where do you put a baby if you're shopping alone and you don't get the car seat out?!

[Sparklingbrook]

I would say that even if the P&C spaces are full chances there are spaces a bit or even a lot further away in the empty bit of the car park. These spaces would be the ones I would use if I had a baby in a car seat now as I did back then.

[valiumredhead]

I put ds in a trolley with a baby seat.

[valiumredhead]

In

[valiumredhead]

Random in ignore that!

[Sirzy]

In a trolley with a baby seat.

I got the car seat out for about the first 2 weeks and then quickly realised that it was the biggest hassle going and made things so much harder!

[Doodledumdums]

As much as I hate to admit it, as I really don't see an issue with p&c spaces... you do make a valid point there sparkling!

[Doodledumdums]

My supermarket has about two of those trolleys and I can rarely get one! Mostly I have to use the one where you strap the car seat on the top. I hate it as I prefer the other type as I am short and can't see over the top of the car seat while pushing the trolley, but that is on the whole what I am forced to do. Also it is really tricky getting my baby out of the car seat and out of the car as my car is two door and I find it really awkward and only like doing it if I can pass him to someone before I get out.

[Sparklingbrook]

It's ideal Doodle. Pull the trolley round next to the car in the empty space, open door wide, and place either baby into trolley seat or car seat onto the trolley.

Nobody waiting for you to strap baby back in after so they can have your space. Take your time-far less stressful.

The only problem was v busy times/Christmas but possibly best to avoid them with or without baby.

[usualsuspect]