In thinking Mother and Baby car parking spots....

[Writerwannabe83]

....are actually for parents with babies/toddlers?

It was always my understanding that the wide spaces are for parents who have car seats and pushchairs to contend with, not for parents of 10 year olds who just want to park nearer to the shop, like a family that I saw today?!

I'm only moaning because I've just twisted and scraped my back trying to remove my car seat from my half closed back door door, in a very tight parking space whilst trying not to scratch the car I'm parked next to.

I was secretly fuming at those in the Mother and Baby spaces who surely shouldn't have been there, like the one I mentioned above.

And breathe

Slarti - parents find the spaces 'useful', disabled people find them 'essential'. Huge difference!

I agree with op.
Supermarket shopping was very hard work when my twins were toddlers and babies.
When they reached 4 years of age I stopped using those spaces because I fully realise other parents really need them more than I do.
I usually park as far away as possible, instead, where there is most space and my children are old enough to walk across the car park.
In fact - in my family all of us have legs that work so well we can walk for miles! :)

jaded - yes thats what i did cos theres loads of disabled spaces right next to them but i cant use them so there it is. she actually didnt mind me pointing this out

too many posts to read but i tjink im not too bothered abt 10 yo kids using bays as they are prob a handful to get in and out of shops. i do however have a prob with people who use they bays witg no kids - even told of a disabled lady for doing it the other day and im pretty sure you cant even do that lol think as a parent you deserve one of those bays as long as their are kids and 10 years old is prob pushing it

2/10, not funny.

No one can say I haven't tried.

It disablist to be advocating 'shared spaces' instead of dedicated disabled spaces. Those spaces are required by law to allow disabled people equal access in society. Arguing against them or trying to limit/reduce disabled people's access to them is pure disablism.

jaded - yes thats what i did cos theres loads of disabled spaces right next to them but i cant use them so there it is. she actually didnt mind me pointing this out

She was probably too stunned by your appalling actions. I get this often when I use my badge and park in p&c spaces. It's disgraceful and shameful. It's because of people like you everyone hates p&c spaces so much.

i dont understand everyones prob why hate p&t spaces just use them if there is one free big deal. btw love mn debates

Daisy ~ "even told of a disabled lady"

What did you tell her of? :)

I did cover that earlier I believe. That would indicate an insufficient number of spaces!

I used one of these at asda's whilst 9.5 months preggers with my first. The shopping trolley man told me off because I didn't have a baby. I agreed, but told him I could easily have one on the way back out. He did not appear to find me half as amusing as I found myself, but the homicidal glint in my eye must have got the better of his disapproval.

When your dc's get a bit bigger it is much easier to park at the end of the car park and walk. My dc's are more than capable of walking a couple of miles and do so frequently with me in the school holidays. They are too young to be left on their own at home when the dog needs a walk.

That said, it would be nice if all car parks provided a wide,enclosed, safe path through the car park to walk the dc's. It's terrifying walking young children through busy car parks.

Micksy

In the real world most peoe agree with you. In mumsnet they don't. Don't ask me why. It is what it is.

Slarti - parents find the spaces 'useful', disabled people find them 'essential'. Huge difference!

That depends vintage, disabled people aren't a homogeneous group.

bodicea - very true

In real life, most parents don't whinge as much about parking spaces as they do on MN. Such a non-issue that kicks off.

I agree op , after all that's what they were designed for! I too have a bad back(quite serious boring) and my dh is in afghan for most of the time struggling alone with two little ones is hard work , I used to have trouble just lifting ds car seat ( he's not big honestly I'm obviously a wimp!)

Slarti are you going out of your way to be ignorant or does it come naturally?! Do you really think those who need the BB spaces find them one of life's little useful pleasures?

That depends vintage, disabled people aren't a homogeneous group.

It doesn't depend at all. Blue badges aren't issued to all disabled people, only to those for whom they are essential.

The tone of this thread and the disablism of some posters is disgraceful.

No one said they're a homogenous group. But I think you will find that it is very difficult to get a blue badge and they are only assigned to those who would have to turn their car around and go home if a space close to the shop/restaurant was not available to them slarti.

I'm not sure if it's disableism or complete ignorance of the needs of blue badge holders, but either way your posts are pretty disgraceful Slarti.

Although very important why the arguments about disabled spaces this wasn't ops original question? Or am I missing the point?