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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU Re parent and child parking

110 replies

BlueSuedeStiletto · 09/01/2015 12:14

Right. I'm fully aware that this is a bit of a contentious issue but...

DSis has broken her leg. Today I took her to the supermarket as she needed a big shop and her DP currently only has a motorbike. Plus, she needed to get out of the house!

We parked in an ordinary space, but she couldn't get out- the cast she's in goes above the knee with a funny metal bendy bit that's not very bendy, so to get in and out she has to open the door fully, sit down and swivel in or out. We needed space to do this so I moved to a parent and child space.

All was fine, she hobbled around the shop very slowly and we got it done. However, once we got back to the car a woman had a massive go at us for using the space. I explained the situation, and she reckoned I should have dropped DSis at the entrance and then parked. To be fair, I did think of that, but she's quite wobbly on the crutches and feeling vulnerable so I didn't really want to leave her alone while I faffed about parking. The woman was really rude and DSis was getting upset- she's fed up and in pain as it is! Angry

It got me thinking though- there are a few situations where you might need extra space- for example when I take my elderly GM and Aunt somewhere they need to have the doors fully open to get in and out- they're not disabled, just old and arthritic!

My point is, I fully understand why parents need the wider spaces and I wouldn't dream of parking in one of I was on my own- but AIBU to think that it's not just parents who need a bit of extra space?

OP posts:
MaMaMarmoset · 09/01/2015 13:39

Trying to get across a parking lot (when p&T is full) with three under threes and not have anyone dash in to the road is a fucking nightmare. Our Pt spaces are straight through the middle of lot with a safe space to walk.. it's also better for the wider spaces getting kids in an out and I don't have to worry about wankers who can't park parking too close for me to get my children in the car.

HOWEVER I do think you are not bein unreasonable to use them for you SIL while on crutches and I find it unbelievable that anyone would ever say anything to you as ours are always full of assholes who park in them with no child for miles and then white van men who sit and eat their god damned lunch in them

Amummyatlast · 09/01/2015 13:39

I have a toddler and agree you should have used the space.

I don't agree with those that say parent and child spaces are not necessary. It's not where they are placed, but rather the fact that they are wider, meaning I don't have to struggle getting DD in or out of the car because some wanker has parked so close I can't even open the door. They could be at the back of the car park and I'd still be happy.

(Laughs at the thoughtt of quiet areas in the car parks near us.)

Amummyatlast · 09/01/2015 13:41

Hey, marmoset, xpost. Great minds think alike.

StrawberryTot · 09/01/2015 13:48

YANBU to think that there are times other than when you have children to use Parent parking spaces.

I use them when I take my dad shopping, he's basically a knackered diabetic old man and really struggles walking, getting up etc. I don't have a blue badge so use the parent parking of the local tesco. I tend to only take him at night as he's dangerous on the mobility scooters so they are usually quiet anyway.

LL12 · 09/01/2015 13:59

I don't think I would have a problem at all if I saw someone with their leg in plaster using one of those spaces.

I'm never sure what to do with these spaces as I have a strong teenage dd with severe autism and no sense of danger and suffers pains in her knees and ankles, we cannot get a BB.
I have to have the door open very wide so that she can get in and out of the car and for me to reach in a sort the seat belt out, we also need to be close to the shop in case she tries to run out in front of cars. To be honest we just avoid going out with her a lot as we are worried about abuse from people if we use the P&C spaces.

LikeABadSethRogenMovie · 09/01/2015 14:00

I think they should do away with PandC spaces too. Just make all the other spaces slightly bigger and Tada! Everyone's a winner.

Royalsighness · 09/01/2015 14:02

YANBU, if anyone had a go at me about this I wouldn't even give them the satisfaction of looking at them, let alone justifying with a response. Anyone who would rather let a child on crutches walk across a car park than park in that space is an idiot looking for an argument.

Royalsighness · 09/01/2015 14:06

I am pregnant with an 18mo DS and I don't even bother with mother and baby parking anymore for the grief you get when parking, someone is always more entitled to the space than you and there's always bickering going on there. Me and my Husband care for a disabled man in a wheelchair and before we have taken his chair out of the boot we have had people coming over to the car saying "that's not a parent and child space park somewhere else." Actually we have a child AND a disabled person in the car FFS.

ScotsWhaHae · 09/01/2015 14:07

The only thing you done wrong was engage with the crazy lady.

kinkyfuckery · 09/01/2015 14:11

I hate the mis-use of parking spaces, but you were totally NBU in this case. Twat of a woman.

Original poster
BlueSuedeStiletto · 09/01/2015 14:55

Maybe they should be "accessable" or "wide access" spaces instead of specifically aimed at parents.

Anyway, thank you all for not flaming me, and DSis says thanks for the sympathy, p she's on the sofa with cake now. I'm off to pick her DD up from nursery now, perhaps I'll head back to the supermarket, park up in a normal space and wave her about a bit to show willingness to adapt! Grin

OP posts:
Osmiornica · 09/01/2015 15:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HedgehogsDontBite · 09/01/2015 15:24

YABU AND COMPLETELY SELFISH AND WILL GO TO HELL FOR THIS!!!!!!!!

( A p&c thread with everyone in calm agreement gives me the jitters. )

Loletta · 09/01/2015 15:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

crazypenguin · 09/01/2015 15:39

Your need was greater. I wouldn't have engaged with the stroppy car park bitch at all.
I'm another vote for moving the spaces further away from the entrance. My local supermarket has the p&c spaces in a much better position than the disabled spaces! WTF is that about? Confused
Reduced mobility? Here's a road and silly bollards to negotiate!
A kid? Here's a spot just 5 metres from the door.
Twats.

LuisSuarezTeeth · 09/01/2015 15:44

You can calm down now Hedgehogs Grin

CaroleService · 09/01/2015 15:45

I was present when a child was killed in a car park. Horrible. Maybe if there had been spaces right near the doors he wouldn't have been in the path of that reversing car?

Noisy monkey - that's why the P&C spaces are near the doors, because car parks are an inherently dangerous place for small children without the maturity to walk slowly and carefully in traffic, and whose Mother might have no hands free to hold onto them.

JassyRadlett · 09/01/2015 16:02

Actually, the P&C spaces at my local supermarket are right up the back. Nice wide spaces to get kids into and out of car seats, but no suggestion that they are to minimise distance from car to shop.

MythicalKings · 09/01/2015 16:02

There's a lot more traffic around the entrances to supermarkets than further away. For safety P & C places should be at the edge of the car park and far away from the entrance.

MythicalKings · 09/01/2015 16:03

Cross posting with Jassy

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 09/01/2015 16:05

The "Park at the end where there's more space/less cars" does NOT guarentee that you will keep the space.

In the space of a month, I parked , well away from P&C and Blue Badge spaces, inside my allotted rectangle.............to come back to my car with my trolley and find a car parked so close I couldn't open my boot Angry
One huge 4x4 was actually 18" inside my space.
I had to leave the trolley in front of my car and move forward.
Would you want to do that with your buggy? Even an empty buggy?
No.

I only used the P&C while mine were babies/toddlers but I know some people take it to include all ages, no upper limit.

Norfolkandchance1234 · 09/01/2015 16:26

Yanbu - common sense seems lost on people who like nothing more than to have an excuse to vent their anger on others. Rise above the silly cow and move on.

Norfolkandchance1234 · 09/01/2015 16:28

Supermarket car park spaces should all be a bit wider to accommodate everyone tbh.

Gileswithachainsaw · 09/01/2015 16:38

but if your sister is well enough to walk around the store, she's well enough to be dropped off at the entrance and wait 2 minutes while you park

so you'd rather see someone on crutches with her leg in aster struggle more than she has too because someone's too precious to hold their child's hand or get a buggy that can actually be assembled without it being a multi handled military mission requiring mules of space.

your lucky to get a P & space regardless if people with broken legs use them or not

Gileswithachainsaw · 09/01/2015 16:42

I do t even drive yet. shock horror I have to walk my kids and shopping to wherever the bus or taxi stop.

and your moaning about a few measly meteres