To get infuriated by people mis using parent and child spaces?

[nothingbyhalves]

It's all in the title really. A woman just told me she had parked in one because she had a dog in her car. Aibu to think she is inconsiderate?

If you honestly, genuinely can't cope without a P&C space for whatever reason, yes, just shop online and save yourself the stress of it all.

I have parked in them by myself when there are no spaces close by. Although I am not entitled to a blue badge, I can walk, I do have a chronic illness which means that walking a lot is difficult.

They are helpful particularly if you have 2.

But there is a real entitlement thing with some people with young children. I parked in a car park a couple of weeks ago. I get back to my car and there is another car parked right over the space about 2 inches from mine. Guess what on the opposite side was a car seat and the silly cow had clearly done it to get her baby out.

She didn't bother to look into my car to see if there was a baby seat so apparently I had to get my baby in through the 2 inches she had left

I feel this is partly caused by a belief that you need extra space. ...

I always wonder when people say they can't get their kids out if they park in a normal space, what happens if they go to the hospital, or park in a car park in town, or a multi-storey NCP type car park? Do you all leave your kids in the car?

I park in P&C spaces if I want, I have a Blue Badge, in my view my need is greater than yours!

I often wonder the same Iam. Most car parks dont have P and C spaces do people not go out to somewhere if they won't have a P and C space?

DS has severe asthma, our phamacy is in the local asda store - if I need to get him a script made up when he is ill I will park in a P and C space if that is the closest to the store as it means he has less distance to walk. He is 4 now so I guess that is still acceptable, but I wont be changing that as he gets older. If people have a problem with that then tough!

"I park in P&C spaces if I want, I have a Blue Badge, in my view my need is greater than yours!"

You do know you're going to get someone telling you that your needs are equal, don't you?!

Oh no. Parking space necessity Top Trumps.

But the op was referring to a woman and her dog.
Not an asthmatic child.
Or someone with a blue badge.

Maybe the dog is disabled or asthmatic?

But when people make the decision to tackle these people they have no idea WHY they have parked there, yes they may be doing purely coz they can't be arsed walking (in which case tackling them is going to achieve nothing anyway and more likely to end in a fight) but they could have a genuine reason why they actually do need that space.

I just don't understand the angst about a car parking space, if one is free great park there. If not then park somewhere else.

I don't care, Candy, you and I (and most of the rest of the population) know they must be pretty thick to think that!

Yanbu. A bit sick of these threads too but really think p and c spaces are for p and c.

Personally I would never park in one without my child with me? Why make things difficult for others by using those spaces if you don't need to? It is hard to get a car seat out of a normal sized space so it's better that you aren't having to park like a tit elsewhere to be honest.
Why do people get so worked up saying that they'll park there if they want to - I just don't get it.

Well said mouthfullofquiz!!!!

Guernsey, your post is a bit odd, at 4'11" I can't say the thing I have particularly struggled with is carrying my dcs around in a cars eat or not, or pushing a supermarket trolley around.

Lugging ds (16kg) around because Tesco's have deemed to put the disabled spaces miles away from the shop and the p&c spaces in front of the shop, is much more of a pain in the arse.

It is hard to get a car seat out of a normal sized space

then don't get the car seat out. It took me until DS was about 4 weeks old to realise that taking the car seat out is really just a waste of time and energy. Much easier to just lift the child out!

If the baby is asleep it's easier to just take the car seat out if the opportunity to do so is there. Obvious really.

Well, that is stupid space-placing hazeyjane.
As I've never seen that, anywhere in the uk I hope it's rare to have the disabled spaces all far away from the store. How unhelpful of them.
I can't imagine anyone taking issue with a person I. Your position using whatever space they wanted or needed. I do hope no one has suggested so on this thread.

Well - easier if you have an isofix base which I did.

You'd think so mouthful

And a car seat is the safest way to cart a small baby around in the trolley.

so again how do you cope in a normal car park where there are no P and C spaces?

They are great if they are there but really not as essential as some would have us believe!

Whatever you reason you choose to take the seat out, you choose to make things more awkward by doing so - that doesn't mean you NEED a bigger car parking space.

Recently I was using a Tesco P and C space (thanks Tesco I love them, do not listen to those above and get rid of them). I was getting the baby out and into a trolley with toddler in tow and the lady in P and C spot next to me started talking to me.

Don't you just hate it when people park in the child places without a child, I know his passenger was in a wheelchair but there was definitely no child there.

Me: Erm, I think a blue badge top trumps us actually.

Her: Really, are you sure? (Very serious tone)

Me: Err yes.

I was honestly looking round for the MN Gotcha cameras accompanied by a clap of thunder and an enormous choir singing their chorus of
You're so entitled, just a courtesy, when I had my children we didn't have them, park at the far side and walk, lazy bastards all of you.

In normal car parks you don't also have a laden trolley. The spaces are helpful.