Oh my goodness! Parking threads are areal thing in real life!

[Caff2]

My cousin posted this on facebook:

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Oh those P&C spaces. Some people take them waaay too seriously. I'd quite like to see them abolished just for the pleasure of seeing the dismay followed by furious pouting on some precious parents' faces.

^^^ agree!

Caff PLEASE tell me your cousin is a MNer and will be along shortly to defend her actions? I do love a good parking thread

hello cousin caff my handwriting is terrible

What if the person driving the car was going to pick up a child?

I really wish some parents would get it into their heads that those spaces are a concession but not an entitlement. I get so tired of hearing self entitled mummies insisting that No one else, no matter what their circumstances, should use those parking places. Personally, I would rather see spaces by the door reserved for elderly people, with wider spaces for parents with small children located elsewhere in the car park.
But of course, then you have the mummies whinging that they'd have to steer their toddlers across a busy car park. I mean, how on earth do they manage on the high street when they have to bring them across roads, or in the many many car parks that don't have these spaces?

It's very nice paper she's written on.

I would love if she'd got back to her car and found a note with 'fuck off and mind your own business' on the windscreen.

I once pulled into the supermarket late one evening to grab a newspaper from the kiosk. There was a handful of cars in the car park, one in the P&C spaces. I parked in a P&C space (so shoot me), nipped in, got the paper and toddled back to the car. The woman who was already parked in one of the many empty P&C spaces was loading her shopping into her boot while holding her baby.

When she saw me, she shrieked at the top of her voice such that I thought she had hurt herself or the child. No, she was shrieking at me for parking in the P&C space. I said nothing and made to get into the car. At which point she screamed "Somebody, somebody, STOP THIS WOMAN!".

Nobody came, because there wasn't anybody to come. That didn't stop her shrieking. I got in the car and drove away.

P&C parking is a very emotive issue it seems.

I parked in the only disabled space, with my Blue badge, at the doctor's surgery. When I came out there was a note on my car saying " this space is for the real disabled ie THE ELDERLY!"

I took it back into the surgery, gave it to the receptionist who said to a packed waiting room, it was for anyone with a Blue badge.

I know a lot of people who are very bothered that P&C spaces are used only by people with a young-enough child in tow. Many of them would probably have given your cousin a "like" for her note . I know it's not illegal or technically wrong for anyone who fancies using them but it IS selfish, unless you also have an actual need for a wider space or a space near to the door (which P&C spaces do not need to be). I would never challenge anyone on their usage of a space because a) they are doing nothing illegal, b) they may have a reason for needing that space that is not openly obvious and c) I'm pretty non-confrontational normally.

Like has been said umpteen times on these threads - the only reason I like a P&C space if I have DD with me is because it gives me a little more space to get her in and out of her carseat. If they were at the farthest corner of the car park they would be just as useful to me & less attractive to others I feel.

That is awful IamInvisible - like being elderly & disabled trumps being young & disabled!

"I know it's not illegal or technically wrong for anyone who fancies using them but it IS selfish, unless you also have an actual need for a wider space or a space near to the door"

To be honest, if I've driven around a car park a couple of times to find a space and the only one that becomes free is a P&C space I will take it. I don't see why a person without a child should have to go home without their shopping in order to leave a space free for a mother with a child arriving to the car park later. I think people have to be reasonable about these spaces.

I doubt the cousin is on MN, but I bet the 'offending parker' is .

MN is literally the only place I have ever heard anyone say (and almost everyone else agree) that it is perfectly acceptable for anyone to use a P&C space when there are other suitable spaces available. Maybe I just live in the wrong place for this .

The threads about this on the DS forum are unbelievable sometimes. Parents on there defend them to the death. No one, not even a 99 year old disabled person is entitled to use one of these precious spaces for fear a trembling young mum might have to get her toddler safely from one part of the car park to the other, or God forbid a drop of rain might fall on him.

Yes Vintage - that sentence should definitely have "or there are no other spaces available" on the end.

At our local Morrisons, the P&C spaces are actually nearer the entrance than the disabled spaces! This is, admittedly, because the shop was remodelled & the spaces not altered but still odd.

I would hope no decent human being would have a problem with a disabled person parking safely almost anywhere (anywhere reasonable obviously - not on someone else's drive for example).

"Anyone is allowed to park in a P&C space"

Actually, no, these spaces are always on private land so it is up to the owner of the land to decide who parks there and to enforce it. As families are often the biggest spenders at supermarkets, the supermarkets like to make things easy for them and if enough people complain they may up the enforcement of parking spaces. It is a bit like saying they don't have to provide child seats in trolleys - they don't but keeping customers happy ups their spend.

Children are also vulnerable in car parks - sit yourself in your car and see how tall someone needs to be to see them in the rear view mirror. I think a safe route to the shop is more important.

Elderly people are also vulnerable in car parks. Try walking across one when you're very slow and shaky on your feet, with cars reversing etc. I think they're at least equally entitled as parents to a safe and convenient space.

At least you can see elderly people in the rear view mirror! Disabled spaces should be near the entrance. P&C spaces should be near trolleys and a safe footpath to the entrance but don't need to be near it.

Yes children should be controlled by parents but accident prevention is not about what people should be doing.

Bilberry - the point is (I think) that a toddler would not be using the space on their own. There would always be an adult with them to escort them across the car park & stop them from being run over. Just as they would in any other situation in life where vehicles may be present. You can't always say the same for the frail elderly though.

I'd say anyone that parks in one of these and doesnt have children is a cunt - but thats just my opinion

I agree. Parents have to get small children safely around a lot of places and manage to do so quite effectively by holding their hands tightly, carrying them, using buggys etc. Elderly people are often on their own and I think should have equal if not more entitlement to a space at the door.

Sorry, that message was in response to Santa whom I was agreeing with.

Yes elderly/frail should have a space at the door . I'm not trying to set up a competition here! Yes toddlers should be holding an adults hands but it is not uncommon for toddlers/preschoolers to run off/walk ahead and saying 'well someone should have been looking after them' is no substitute for good car park design to prevent accidents.