parent and child bays

[fairy1303]

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.

[Scrounger]

I have twins too, I used to park in the P&C spaces and then leg it to the front of the store to get one of the twin trolleys, they were rarely in a trolley bay. So I fail the leave the children in your line of sight test.

I like them, they make it easier for me to shop (I do shop on line but run out / forget things sometimes) and I don't care where they are so long as the twin / baby trolleys are near by. If they are needed as overspill for BB spaces or for instance, someone elderly uses them and it makes her day a bit easier if they are close to the store and she can get in / out a bit more easily, then great. Their need is greater than my want. They can make peoples lives a little easier.

However if you park in them, walk into town 5 / 10 mins and then back and then go shopping or its a white van with the name of the plasterer down the side I consider it a bit selfish.

I am astonished at anyone having a go at a BB holder using one of the P&C spaces, I don't doubt the stories I just cannot understand the mentality. To a PP complaining about a BB holder parking in them when BB spaces were free, there may not have been a spare BB space at the time they were parking or any other reason. They can legally park there.

[fairy1303]

Cikey, accidentally hid my threat thicko, worked out how to get it back and we're onto 100 messages.

I don't think it is a right to use p&c. BUT, they are next to a safe walkway, with space to open the car door, a bit where the pram can be if I need to use it so it doesn't sit in the open carpark whilst I get the baby out. They are also next to the trolley parks so I can eaily get a baby seat trolley without having to either leave the baby in the car to walk to get one or carry him through the carpark.

I admit it is for convenience and it is a nice helpful thing to take a tiny teeny bit of stress from shopping with a 3 month old and a whiny older child. It is not stressful at all for an able bodied adult to walk an extra few paces, so why take a space from someone who needs it?

The disabled bay issue is separate - obviously they would take priority!

[DreamingOfTheMaldives]

I don't understand why anyone would park in a P&C space unless they have a child with them (or are a BB holder and no BB spaces are available. I also wouldn't have a problem with a heavily pregnant woman using one.)

Yes, P&C spaces are a courtesy provided by the supermarket so why can't people do the decent thing and not park in them unless they have a need for them. It's just common courtesy. Before I had DS (4 weeks ago) I didn't park in the spaces, as they were not provided for me. Now I do have him, I would generally use one if available as it is easier to get the car seat out in a wider space.

[kali110]

Yabu for thinking of going to the shop and complaining its not like they can do anything!
Think they should be put nearer the back to stop the lazy people parking in them part from the disabled.
The disabled bays should be at the front.

[mumofweeboys]

Irks me too, even worse when last space is taken by a parent who's kids look about 14. They were a lifesaver when i pregnant as I couldn't fit down side of normal car space.

I dissolved in tears one day when two cars had parked that close in normal bay that I couldn't fit myself through the car door or get baby seat in - pregnancy hormones

[20wkbaby]

Surely it is a bit of a moot point about people not deserving of them parking in them, ie those with no children who are also not disabled.

I live in an area with a high proportion of parents of young children. These spaces are like gold dust and there are far more disabled spaces available which are often vacant. So whilst I wouldn't begrudge a space to a disabled driver they would be much more likely to find a space than I would.

As for people without children again you are much more likely to find a vacant normal space so they are welcome to queue for a space by all means but it would take at least twice as long as using a normal space.

[candycoatedwaterdrops]

I say the same things on these threads, how do you know the people parking in P&C bays without children are not disabled?! Blue badges are not easy to obtain.

[LadyBeagleEyes]

I managed fine when 18 year old ds was little, I don't drive but my ex just parked anywhere.
I do think using the spaces just next to the store is sheer laziness on the part of the driver unless they are disabled.
P&C spaces are not a necessity.
As for Nick Ferrari, he could do with the exercise, lazy pig.
I'm not a fan
I wouldn't use a p&C space btw, I don't mind walking a few extra paces.

[Sirzy]

even worse when last space is taken by a parent who's kids look about 14.

again how do you know parent or teenager hasn't got a disability?

DS has severe asthma, some days when he is ill having to nip to the shops with him is unavoidable, our pharmacy is also in the supermarket. At those times I use P and C spaces to make it quicker and easier for him - he is only 3 at the moment so using it is still seen as "acceptable" but it is easier now because he can still go in a pram or trolley as needed. As he gets older I will continue to park in P and C spaces if it makes things easier for him.

[Bamboobambino]

Really, the parent and child spaces don't need to be near the store, but they DO need to be near the trolley bays where the trolleys fitted with baby seats live. This is what I find infuriating, having to trudge round the car park or over to the store to find a twin trolley. Once the babies are IN the trolley seats, then I have no issue with walking over to the store.

[OwlCat]

What I find most annoying is when people park in them, then one parent goes into the supermarket on their own while the other stays in the car with the children. Obviously, they're entitled to because they have children with them...

[evelynj]

Nobody said they were essential just that folk without kids shouldn't park in them.

Really pisses me off. In my area we have people who park over 2 normal spaces. Equally rude.

[Madmartigan]

I wish I had the guts to run over to someone using P&C on their own and say "oh my god! You forgot your baby!"

[OwlCat]

My 4 year old has asked me a couple of times in a very loud voice as we've walked past, where the children of people parking in the spaces with no children were. No prompting by me, he'd noticed that the spaces looked different and asked me why!

[jacks365]

My local supermarket is heaven the p&c spaces are the furthest from the door but they are the safest. Disabled bays are in front of the shop but you have to cross a road but the p&c are along the side of the shop so further away but nothing to cross and pavement all the way. They also have the special trolleys ie car seat and twin baby ones right by it. It only works because there is a longish exit road out of the car park.

[candycoatedwaterdrops]

I really do want to know, how do you know that the people parking in the P&C spaces are not disabled? Now, I'm not saying that they all are but maybe some are, eh?

[WinteronPluto]

Anything that helps out parents of young children is a nice, good thing surely?

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Last week I saw a man park in the Blue Badge spaces at our local Health Centre and sprint off to the newsagent.

Yes there was another person in the car (I'm assuming the Blue Badge Owner)
He could say that he had an appointment at the Health Centre for that person.

But at the time, the Health Centre was shut.

I didn't hang about to ask him TBH.

[WestieMamma]

It doesn't make sense to me therefore why someone would choose a P&C space over a disabled space if a disabled space was available.

I park in which ever free space best suits my needs. Most of the time that is a disabled space but not always. There are many little things that I take into account when deciding this that able-bodied people have the luxury of not even being aware of.

For example, one supermarket I use has one of those 'olde worlde' cobbled paths which are popular at the moment between the disabled spaces and the entrance. The path from the p&c spaces is normal flagstones. So I park in a p&c space.

Another one I've been too requires a ticket from the ticket machine showing time of arrival. The disabled spaces are closer to the door but the p&c spaces are closer to the machine. Parking in a disabled bay requires more walking. So I park in a p&c space.

And my closest Tescos have p&c spaces by the entrance and disabled spaces in the middle of the carpark.

[Mandy21]

Westie You've taken my point about it not making sense out of context - I said that coming from having always been to a supermarket where the disabled spaces and P&C spaces are next to each other. Obviously when there are differences (in terrain / proximity to ticket machine) like you've described, I understand the point.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Count yourselves lucky. I live somewhere where there are:

Bays for people with disabilities
Seniors' bays
Parent and child bay
Electric car bays
Small car bays
Shared car scheme bays
Taxi bays
Police car bays (at Walmart, quelle surprise)

All but maybe one of them is empty at any one time. Now, I get that the bays for people with disabilities need to be empty for when someone needs one, very sensible. Where the fuck can you park if you don't fit one of those fucking stupid categories? Miles away, that's where.

Why can't the numnuts just have bays for people with disabilities and one bay for 'any other need'.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Sorry and contractor bays.

[goldopals]

I have trouble understanding the big deal about P&C spaces, although I do recognise that they make things easier for parents. There are none where I currently live and only two shops (at least within 20km) where my parents live, so people here do without them. The P&C spaces (known as pram places here) are relabelled normal parks. They are the same size as normal parks but are closer to the door.

[ChippingInNeedsSleepAndCoffee]

goldopals - perhaphs the regular parking spaces are wider where you are? Here they are so narrow it's a nightmare if you have a baby in a carseat. I only drive a Ford Focus (small hatchback).

[SleepOhHowIMissYou]

It always seems to be tossers in flash cars who abuse these spaces in my experience.

I usually give them a really mushy look and say "awwwwwww, your invisible baby is sooooooooo cuuuuuute, lucky, lucky you" (unless they look scary, then I'll go glare from a safe distance)!