To be annoyed at everyone who uses the parent and toddler parking who shouldn't?

[sunshinemeg]

I am prepared to be told I am being a twat, but it's really bugging me.

So many people get angry (quite rightly so) at people who are not disabled using disabled parking spaces. However it seems so many more people use the parent and toddler spaces who really shouldn't.

The signs variously state
-for parents with children under 5
-for parents with children in pushchairs etc

Why do I see people park with their children who then jump out and walk off without a pushchair, it drives me mad, especially when I am struggling with a 6 month old and limited space to open her car door or get a pushchair remotely close enough!

Have skim-read thread. Several people have mentioned using p&c spaces while they have temporarily limited mobility - there was an adult driving a teenager with a leg-plaster, several very heavily pregnant drivers, at least one mention of SPD. When I was in the last few weeks before DTDs were born, there was no way I could get in or out of the car unless the door was fully open. And I've also had the joy of a dd with a broken leg. When she suffered this, I asked if it would be possible to get a short term blue badge, as we live in a street that has time limited parking so usually park about ten minutes walk away. However gp said they were only issued for long term mobility problems, usually for three years at a time. Luckily a very kind gentleman who worked in one of the offices very close to my house gave me the use of his private space until the plaster cast came off, otherwise the school run would have been an utter nightmare.

I was too tired to start a campaign about it, but I've long thought it couldn't be beyond the wit of man to come up with a short term blue badge scheme. Issued by GPs, and expiring after say four weeks.

I can only say what I do and I don't use P&C spaces any more because I would rather leave them for people with younger children. I found them useful (not essential) when mine were babies and think it's taking the piss to use them if you have older children.

Even if the older child has ASD and no danger awareness, for example?

What about people who have a disability but don't qualify for a BB?

Last question for anyone btw.

To be honest I would prefer to see heavily pregnant women taking up a P&T space than a disabled space.

I was too tired to start a campaign about it, but I've long thought it couldn't be beyond the wit of man to come up with a short term blue badge scheme. Issued by GPs, and expiring after say four weeks.

A different colour badge done on a sliding scale of up to 6 months, length of time to be decided by GP?

P&C spaces exist is because supermarkets have clocked that people with families are likely to spend more money at their store than people without.

Not because they are a necessity to people with children.

Hence your local hospital, church, hairdresser or trade building supplies shop will probably not have them.

I have no problem with those less able bodied using them be it because of pregnancy, age, illness whatever. I have seen car park places for those who need more assistance, not just parent and child places, available in other countries and at certain supermarkets round where I live. Ikea also does this I think.

I have a problem with perfectly able bodied people using them to leap out of the car and do their shop instead of using the mobility God gave them to walk an extra few yards from a normal parking space. I have seen more of these types than parents and children or elderly or whatever use the spaces.

I don't care why the supermarkets do them. They are very useful to have and people should be more considerate and just not park there! It really is not difficult.

Even if the older child has ASD and no danger awareness, for example?

No, of course not...but I suspect you know that.

Alpaca. When broke her leg she was given a 6 month temporary disability pass by the gp which made such a difference getting her out. However even with the pass its still hard to use those spaces. I kept having to be helped by lovely members of the public. Which idiot in the council built a car park with disabled spaces on a hill. The wheelchair even with breaks started to go down hill in the time i got it out and opened the door to get mum out. Remembers lovely young man who ran after the wheelchair whilst i stood there supporting mum. Like a carry on film! This space was the one we used the most and if id seen a parent parking and it was flat id have parked there instead.

I think a fit and healthy person should not take P&C space if they don't have a child (as defined by the car park company) with them. Common sense should be used in relation to people who need the space too because they are frail / injured / have recently had an op / are v heavily pregnant etc.

I was in a car park this morning and the only free space was a P&C one. I considered going in it, especially as I did have the car seats in the back so it wouldn't have been obvious that I didn't have kids with me, but it just seemed a bit unfair. I drove a bit further round the car park and a space came free as I did so so I took that instead. Not sure if I'd have gone back to the P&C space if no others had come free...

"I park in them if the disabled bays are full or if they are nearer to the shop than the disabled spaces. I've got a blue badge."

Yes, TheFairyCaravan I do too when my young adult dd with a BB is passenger. It's only happened twice, but both times she's displayed her BB when using a P+C space.

Yanbu or twatty.
Im sorry but its inconsiderate. And you BB people that do it is even worse.
I may look a little twatty, But I had a huge go at a gormless man in tescos the other week after he drove past a disabled spot (only about 10ft further from the store) and nabbed the last p&c spot.

He diddnt have a child with him at all. There were no other spaces around for ages other than an abundance of disabled spaces, so I got out of the car and asked him politely where his baby was. He said "I havent got one but my mums disabled" She was, well she had a BB, I said "thats lovely, you can go and park in the disabled space over there then and ill park here with my heavy baby"

He argued the toss and I threatened to call a staff member over, so he moved the car and stood and waited outside the store for me to check I actually had a baby.

Funniest thing was his mum was practically running round the shop, I had a baby and my mum with me who was on crutches with a broken leg.

Im sorry but they are for PARENTS AND CHILDREN, NOT FOR DISABLED PEOPLE. Im not being predjudiced at all to the disabled people, and if you are in a space that says either parents or disabled then fair enough, but im sure if I parked in a disabled bay and said "ooh im a parent heres my baby" I'd get a big fat fine, so to park in the parent spaces when they are closer and there are disabled spaces around is just unfair. What if a mum is recovering from a section and cant walk very far? or its raining? Its just selfish!

I'm 7 months pregnant and have very severe SPD - I've been signed off since mid August, and I need two crutches to walk. I would be nervous about using a P&C space in case I got a mouthful from someone with a pushchair, and I'd never use a disabled space without a badge. Fortunately I'm so crippled now that I can't do the shopping anyway... Aside from hospital and doctor's appointments I haven't been out of the house in weeks. [/world's smallest violin]. But if I could, would I be justified using P&C spaces, do you think?

Umm

Umm was to needacosmo.

Carminerose go for it

Last I checked, children don't melt in the rain.

needacosmo - You cannot be serious. People with Blue Badges can park in whatever space they like. They can also park on double yellow lines as long as they are not blocking road. Your behaviour is outrageous. I suppose if you'd approached him politely and asked if he could use the disabled bay and you could use P&C that would have been OK but even then he'd be in his rights to say no.

Sorry for the rant, that mans dickish attitude just really ground my gears!

CarmineRose do it! and if anybody says anything to you, you have your child with you. Its a struggle when you're coming to the end and you need a bit of extra space getting out the car with a big bump. You are justified!

Ghoul Yes I probably am being completely unreasonable. If there were no spaces for them to park in I wouldn't have minded, It was that he had left a wealth of the disabled space to get just a tiny bit closer to the store, and we had been driving round looking for ages, and he took the only space we could have got in, there werent even any normal spaces going. It just seemed really selfish. Even his mum who was the disabled one looked embarrassed when she saw my mum get out. I know most people are completely justified but there are some that are just thoughtless for anyone else.

It sounds like he wasn't the only "dickish" person....

Ah. A P&C parking thread. Joy.

OP yanbu. Its inconsiderate to use something that is not meant for you to use.
No children don't melt in the rain
and yes, our ancestors managed without them

But they are a concession afforded by the stores to make life easier because it can be uncomfortable and awkward (and sometimes dangerous) getting babies and small children from car to store and back again.
It is inconsiderate to use the spaces if youre not eligible.
Of course ppl will kick against that, and make insulting remarks about "entitled mummies". That doesnt mean youre wrong OP.

It seems common sense to me that disabled people should be able to park in p&c spaces, but sadly it is possible to be fined for doing so, as this article shows.

When DS was a baby I didn't need the spaces and rarely used them. Now he is nearly 5 and has brittle asthma - when he is bad we NEED to be able to park close to the shops so I will use a p and c space and will continue to do so. He may look fit and healthy but he is far from it.

Hazey as most p and c spaces are in private car parks fines wouldn't be legally binding would they (I know too many people would still pay tbough)

I think that supermarkets wouldn't want the bad publicity they would get from fining someone that is disabled.

Sirzy

It's not fine but a 'charge' and they can be applied. It is a matter of contract law though, and in most cases if you ignore it you're OK. But in some cases it does end up at small claims court and people have lost.

As I said upthread, legally speaking, disabled spaces and P&C spaces are deemed the same in private car parks, i.e. if you breach the conditions of contract you could be subject to a fee.