Parent and child spaces - would you sign this petition?

[confuseddazed]

A woman has set up a petition for safeguarding parent and parking spaces for under 5s here

If anyone has Fb look on the Gloucester Citizen's page (it's a newspaper). They've done an article in the paper about BB spaces being abused and a man says they should be better policed. The comments, from parents, towards disabled people and regarding P&C are beyond sickening.

"So you suggest that a mum with a newborn baby who is fast asleep in the car squeezes her baby out- doubtless waking him/her up- to plonk them in a cold plastic (often wet) supermarket baby seat? Nice."

Yes. Some of us are suggesting just that. It's perfectly possible, as is shopping without owning a car.

I'm beginning to feel very sorry for these people who can't park properly, are too delicate to walk a few extra paces and/or too dumb to work out how to get a child out of a parked car.

Shopping without owning a car? Is that possible hooby? What, like the bus?

Well...my sister has a disabled badge and got it quite easily, despite being quite capable of walking places when she wants to.

But my father and father in law both really struggle - both with heart conditions, one with a chronic lung condition that leaves him gasping for air after a few steps, the other very unsteady on his feet. Both struggle to walk, they certainly can't walk anywhere near as easily as my sister. Yet they can't get blue badges and she can.

It leads me to conclude that the system is inconsistent, and that actually she is the exception, not the rule, in having got it easily.

fairy I read the first few comments then could feel my blood pressure rising. Some of those comments where just awful

What lovely, supportive people you are. It's good to see the understanding and comprehension from one mum to others. Personally I think it's more decent to want to help mums of young children in anyway possible with a little understanding of how difficult those first months and yes, years, are.
I can tell you I will continue to use the spaces when I have my children, continue not to when I don't and continue to be pissed off when people who have no child with them park in one of, let's face it, 8 or so spaces to which they have no claim.
I feel similarly pissed off about those who park in disabled spaces with no claim don't worry. In fact it irritates the life out of me when my mum places her badge then walks around the supermarket without difficulty....

So sing you are complaining about people not being supportive in the same post as you are admiting you will carry on judging people without knowing what it is you are judging other than a couple of second snapshot?

Er yep. I'm complaining about the inability of women on here (assuming your gender) to have compassion for other women who are in the early years of motherhood and could use some very slight adjustments in order to make it a tiny bit easier.

The only person without compassion is you! Nobody has said people shouldn't use p and c spaces if they are free, what people have said is they are just a nice bonus, they aren't essential and life can go on without them. What people have also pointed out that parents aren't the only ones with "need" for the spaces and asked people like you to stop being judgemental

Singsongsung I'm quite gobsmacked at the derogatory comment you made about your mum and her blue badge. You accuse others of lacking compassion and support? Mhmm.

Sparklingbrook, yeah, I know. Shocking isn't it?

sing it used to be a simple paper filling exercise to get a blue badge now it involves an assessment akin to a pip claim. It is hard to get one. Very hard.

what do you propose I do when I need to go to the supermarket and I can't actually get my child's car seat (which I put on top of the trolley in the designated spot) out? Do I just leave her in the car perhaps? Or drive off somewhere else where there is a space?

Do what you would do in a car park where there are no P&C spaces.
Why not take the child out of the car seat and put it in a sling?

Singsongsung and others of her ilk. Just checking, you do know those spaces are a marketing ploy? Tesco don't really give a shit about the struggles you may have parenting your child/ren.

Who am I judging?? People who declare that those with children should avoid the supermarket, or let their baby scream due to being woken up from a sleep, or not go in their car etc etc? What right do any of you have to dictate the way another lives her life?

And actually, in rural areas (such as where I live) there is no choice but to drive to a supermarket. Supermarkets are looking after some of their most valuable (ie high spending) customers. As they should.

Nice people aren't they Sirzy? That's what having P&C spaces have done to people. It's made them think they are on a par with disabled people and they think they should be 'theirs' and 'theirs' alone.

Make some big spaces for 4 by 4s as far away from the supermarket as possible and let the yummy mummies walke .

Click and collect! Genius! Put a parent and child badge on it and remove the p&C spaces altogether!

Klayden, as you don't know my mum you can't really comment on this can you. She has had her badge for around 12 months by the way.

I live rurally Sing, I've not done a big supermarket shop for over 10 years. I can't do it on my own and didn't want to drag DH and the kids round so we have it delivered. It's far easier and less stressful.

I don't believe myself to be on a par with the disabled (what a strange sentiment that is). However a baby who can't walk and requires pushing around a supermarket isn't actually that different if you base your assessment on physical abilities alone.
Why does one need to be compared with the other? Can supermarkets not cater for both?? Oh hang on, they do.

If you can walk you sodding well should walk. Giving birth doesn't give you some God forsaken right to behave like an entitled twat. Suck it up sweetheart. Being a parent can be inconvenient at times.

May I suggest online shopping or shopping when the child is in the care of others as an alternative if you find you are unable to shop without being parked right up at the door.

I wouldn't take a baby to a supermarket during busy times unless there was no other choice but to.
The world won't end if a baby gets woken up from a sleep whilst doing the shopping-that's the chance you take.

There probably were a few times I carried the baby and pushed the trolley at the same time just to get it done-just took a bit longer.

Who are you judging? Your own
Mother and anyone who dares to use a p and c space without meeting your criteria. You seem to be able to spectacularly miss the infortmation people are giving about the very real, life long, struggles of people and instead staying in your own bubble of having to take a baby out of a car seat!

And I'll repeat, I order on line also. Most of the time I go nowhere near a supermarket. However, if I run out of one item then I feel entitled to pop in. Is that ok with everyone on here? Probably my planning will now be criticised. Shocking I know. Imagine running out of something. I must be a crap mum. Of course, everyone else could do their shopping on line and then the car park would be empty. Problem solved.