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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

parent and child bays

358 replies

fairy1303 · 27/09/2013 12:52

Our local supermarket is always rammed. I have often had trouble finding a space. There are some parent and child bays and these are great when I have to take the baby - you need the extra space for the buggy and to be close to the supermarket etc etc.

Today when parking in them, the woman next to me sprung out completely childless.

I know I shouldn't get so annoyed sleep deprived and am anticipating biscuits galore - but she was still parked there when I left and I really wanted to let the supermarket know!

There were other spaces btw, just a bit further away.

OP posts:
Sirzy · 27/09/2013 12:55

I can't say I care enough about p and c spaces to care who parks there if one is free I use it if not I park elsewhere.

I do think that moving them to the back of car parks would stop a lot of unneeded parking angst though

Rachel778 · 27/09/2013 12:56

No YANBU.

Some people just take the . Nick Ferrari of LBC Breakfast Show parked in the Mother and Baby spaces at Tesco and thought he hadn't done anything wrong . .If it says Mother and Baby then it is for Mothers and Babies. In my opinion .

ErrolTheDragon · 27/09/2013 12:58

Parent and baby, lets not be sexist here! Grin

OP, have a Brew and a nice Biscuit. If it happens again and riles you, then do let the supermarket know.

Buzzardbird · 27/09/2013 12:59

Good point Sirzy

Rachel778 · 27/09/2013 13:01

lol . Ok Parent and Baby :)

DawnOfTheDee · 27/09/2013 13:02

Aw OP...I was hoping you'd said something to this woman. What's the point of a P&C parking thread if you just had a little inner grumble?

OKnotOK · 27/09/2013 13:10

...dont even get me started on this. my OH has had rage at this and gets aggro & loud...he has been told to fuck off by a couple who flounced out of their 4x4 with no kids...

Does my nut in.

WhereDoAllTheCalculatorsGo · 27/09/2013 13:11

I always park in the parent and child bay regardless of whether or not I have my 17 year old child with me. YABU

BlackeyedSusan · 27/09/2013 13:13

I would be quite hppy fo them to be at the top end of the paths in the car park. safe pth to wlk down wwith the chhildren les liekly to get filled with people just popping in. more legitimate closer spaces for the twonks who park in the disabled bays.

DawnOfTheDee · 27/09/2013 13:14

Seriously WhereDoAllTheCalculatorsGo? But why?

I know there aren't any laws against it but I just think i'd feel like a bit of a tit if I did that. It just seems a bit arsey...

LordElpuss · 27/09/2013 13:16

I park in them too - without DD.

WhereDoAllTheCalculatorsGo · 27/09/2013 13:17

Because at my local supermarket the p and c spaces are right by the door, much nearer than the disabled spaces. I am a wheelchair user.

It pisses me off that the disabled spaces are further away. Babies melt in the rain? Even in the OP it says that 'you need to be close to the supermarket' er, no you don't.

Nerfmother · 27/09/2013 13:17

I'm with Susan - why do they have to be so close? If they were far away with a safe path that would be fine. I use them as ds has asd and some issues right now with saving stuff from roads and the little ones are not predictable but I would happily walk down a safe pavement from further away. I guess using potential parking spaces for save pavement = less customers = less profit.

gordyslovesheep · 27/09/2013 13:20

I park in them without kids - when I am collecting or dropping my kids off - I often meet their dad in Sainsburys - so often return to my car without them...oh the glares !

They are a nice luxury but no one needs them - get rid I say Grin

DidoTheDodo · 27/09/2013 13:21

Laugh.
How big is the biggest car park in the world?
How far would you have to walk if you parked in a quiet corner?

I think that shops should ban all P&C spaces as they obviously cause far more entertainment on MN problems than they solve. (Contentious much?)

geekgal · 27/09/2013 13:21

I also think the bays should be further away from the door, that way it would save a lot of this hassle. I'd still use them and I wouldn't have to get irritated by people with no kids parking in them. Plus, even though I'm a parent and I appreciate the extra room, it doesn't seem fair that I get that AND I get to be closer to the shop as well! I'm not going to be quick with baby in tow, so why would I need to be nearer the door?

DawnOfTheDee · 27/09/2013 13:22

Ok - at my local supermarket the disabled spaces are closest. But if there aren't safe pathways to walk it is helpful to have P&C spaces closer. I think Nerfmother probably has it right when she says using potential parking spaces for save pavement = less customers = less profit.

Dawndonnaagain · 27/09/2013 13:23

I have been asking Tesco Hmm to change their spaces in one of their stores for over a year. I too am in the situation where the p&c spaces are nearer than the disabled. If anyone says anything, I don't say a word, they soon shut up as 17 year old dds wheelchair comes out of the boot, and she looks at them and says: 'Swap the space for your legs'. Funny, never get any shit back.
Agree that the p&c spaces should be at the back.

Doodledumdums · 27/09/2013 13:23

YANBU, it really winds me up too. I think some people do it to make an unnecessary point about their feelings towards them. Quite why baffles me!

I do find there is a strange general opinion on here about P&C spaces though so i'm predicting a lot of people telling you that you are being unreasonable!

Mandy21 · 27/09/2013 13:25

wheredoallthecalculatorsgo I don't mean to be rude but I think you shouldn't use the parent & child spaces. If all the P&C spaces were full, I wouldn't dream of parking in a disabled parking space. It sounds like you don't even try to go in the disabled spaces, you just head for the P&C spaces? I had twins - I'm not saying it was akin to being in a wheelchair, of course its not - but getting twins babies out of a car, either in their 1st stage car seats or one under each arm, then walking across the car park to get a trolley etc in the rain was hard work. There are some spaces for disabled, some spaces for P&C and some general spaces. Everyone should use the spaces they're eligible to use.

fairylightsintheautumn · 27/09/2013 13:25

I think as with so many things now, its just a nice thing that makes people's lives a little easier (especially if you are trying to get an infant carrier seat out of the car) and there's really no need to abuse it. They aren't NECESSARY but they are helpful and they are there for a reason and I do get pissed off when I see them misused and have on occasion very politely asked if the person knows they are P&C spaces - I usually get a volley of abuse. It just seems a shame people i general can't be a bit considerate really.

TheHattifattenersBarometer · 27/09/2013 13:26

One of the sainsburys that I go to has parent and child spaces that are quite a long walk from the door, there are nearly always spaces, I wish more of them would do the same.

I used to 'need' them gordyslovesheep, I had a 3 door car and because the doors are longer than on 4/5 door cars I couldn't get them open far enough to get the DC's out of the car is I was in a normal bay. Thank goodness I managed to get a new car, it was a pita in a normal car park because I had to drive round until a space on the end became free.

gordyslovesheep · 27/09/2013 13:26

Mandy21 you don't NEED a special space - she does - disability trumps the ability to birth a sprog every time - sorry

kinkyfuckery · 27/09/2013 13:26

I also agree that they should consider moving the spaces further away from the store, to stop people parking in them needlessly because "they are closer to the store". I also think they should be making sure they are near a pavement/safe place for children to stand - so many aren't!

I have no issue with people using the P&C spaces for disability reasons, when there's no disabled space available. IMO, disabled spaces should always be near the store - again with a pavement or safe place to stand.

Sirzy · 27/09/2013 13:27

Mandy - I hope your not seriously comparing P and C spaces to disabled spaces?

As far as I am concerned someone who is disabled parks in whichever space makes life easier for them. Why should they be further away in order for someone to get a baby out of the car?