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

Also, as has been pointed out, the supermarkets don't put them there as a charitable exercise, but to get families in spending more money - I doubt they are going to be that bothered about doing a favour to others who might struggle with the smaller space, but don't have the spending power of a young family.

Sorry Alis, I didn't in any way mention a need for wheelchairs, crutches etc. I simply (correctly) stated that BBs are given out as mobility aids- ie to make it easier for disabled people to remain mobile. They are purely to make parking easier- they are parking badges no??

Are some on here genuinely arguing then that the only people who use those spaces without having children are people with a genuine need? Honestly? I think that some are very naive.

I think people should keep their noses out and get on with their shopping TBH. Seems they spend longer gawping at folk parking and where and pondering their rights to a space than their shopping would actually take.

That's not actually what people are saying singsong. They're saying that be reserving those spaces for P&C only, supermarkets are denying those spaces to others with a genuine need.

And I must just add that yes, if a supermarket provides p&c spaces and you are a parent with a child then absolutely you have the right to park there. If you aren't a parent or don't have a child with you then no, you do not have the right to park there.

The supermarket owns the land. They decide to designate the spaces as they see fit. That is their choice. Whether this is as an aid to stressed parents or as a cunning marketing ploy doesn't matter. Their land- their choice.

I haven't RTFT but I always felt spaces should be bigger so everyone can get in and out easily. Car park sizes do not reflect modern car sizes. But if P&C spaces are to be available they do not need to be outside the flippin doors..make sure there are pathways across car park and put them on outside edges. Parents should be supervising kids..

I often see older kids with mums and dads in them..If I went to the supermarket with my mum can I use them? She is 69 and I'm 48! Still a parent and child..

Ballet- again, their land, their choice. Those people with a genuine need who don't have sufficient need to be entitled to a disabled badge presumably manage everywhere else- as has been thrown at parents with children on this thread.

Feck- hence the reason for a specified age on the OPs link.

Are some on here genuinely arguing then that the only people who use those spaces without having children are people with a genuine need? Honestly? I think that some are very naive.

No, I am not saying that, but I am saying that a certain proportion of people who use them without children, do have a genuine need, and have been on the receiving end of abuse for using the spaces.

The fact that people with disabilities have been fined and abused for using parent and child spaces, is appalling. It is impossible to tell from looking at someone whether they have a genuine reason for needing a wider space or being nearer the store - this being the case, it is fairer to give people the benefit of the doubt.

Oh right, so elderly frail people who don't have a BB can just 'manage', in order that healthy young parents can commandeer all the spaces at the door, refusing to even share them with others in need.
What an unbelievably unpleasant attitude.

sing I will remove my tongue from my cheek...

Maybe they need to design car parks better instead? At my local Supermarkets, there are plenty of spaces close to the supermarket which aren't P and C or Disabled. P and C tend to provide bigger spaces with a safe walking route to the store, eg. either side of a walk way, so the children don't have to cross the car park. But some are some distance out along this walk way.

Ballet- they are p&c spaces. That's what they are! In my experience it's not the "elderly and frail" who take up those spaces anyway but the young and fit without children who are too bloody bone idle to park properly. The "elderly and frail" have usually got a deeper rooted sense of following rules in my experience.

Again, if you feel deeply that the "elderly and frail" should have an area designated for them then tell it to Tesco etc. Don't justify making someone else's life harder.

Mummy- I agree completely and the situation is much the same at mine. The p&c spaces are close to the door but there's a lot of normal spaces which are also very nearby. Yet still some people it seems can't resist the lure...

Your post Singsong really sums up the reasons why P&C spaces should be removed. The sense of entitlement and lack of compromise in your post are unbelievable.
Do you also think it's okay for a young healthy mother to kick up a fuss if an elderly person or someone recovering from surgery uses these spaces and insist they move to let her in?

Ballet. You're right. Let's remove them. Let's let the parents who get the benefit struggle to squeeze their children out of their cars because that will be much better for all.
I'll say again, I'm all for temporary disabled badges which would solve the problem in your scenario entirely. Currently as they don't exist and p&c spaces are designated for parents and children, those who don't qualify for badges and don't have children with them should park in one of the many other spaces which are, in my supermarket at least, around 10 steps further away from the door.

I really can't decide if you're being deliberately obtuse or are just genuinely so self entitled that you are unable to see beyond your own situation to the need for flexibility, compromise and just plain common sense.

And you didn't answer the question I posed to you in my last past. Would you go up and tackle an elderly person for parking in a P&C space.
Oh, and being elderly and frail isn't a temporary condition so why would they get temporary BBs?

The "elderly and frail" have usually got a deeper rooted sense of following rules in my experience.

I wouldn't think twice about parking in a p & c spot for my elderly and / or frail relatives esp if there are no blue badge spaces. Don't think my elderly and frail mum would care about following the 'rules' either. No deep sense of following the 'rules' here I'm afraid, esp if it means putting herself at risk through giving way to a younger fitter person who just happens to have a child.

So as I and others have suggested lets get P&C spaces re-designated to being extra wide spaces for those in need.

Yes, let's. And let's have you and sing and others of your ilk stop thinking you can judge who is "in need" based on their appearance or apparent mobility. You know nothing about their health or their need, so keep your childish tutting to yourself.

My 80 year old mother often tells me to park in a P&C space if I bring her shopping. She has a 'deep rooted sense of following' practical and fair rules, but not random unfair ones that are just a cynical marketing play and pander to young fit people at the expense of her and her friends.

Actually, I retract that - you aren't like sing. She doesn't assume she knows everybody's need, she just automatically thinks her need is greater than anyone else because she has children.

Ted, you talk as if we've met when in fact you don't know me from Adam. Nice.
I do know that if someone parks in a p&c space and then jogs into the supermarket they probably didn't need to park there. I do know that if there's a normal space right next to a p&c space and you choose the p&c space without having a small child with you then you are being incredibly selfish.

Oh and Ballet I did answer your question and have already if you read my earlier posts. I have never yet 'tackled' anyone over their parking choice. I have complained to the store on two occasions- once when someone parked in the hatched area at the side of my car so I couldn't actually open the door (hey, that was about as close as you could get to the supermarket so they clearly had a need hey) and once when a young lad in a builders van took the last p&c space then jogged into the supermarket.

Again, his need was clearly greater than mine.

What did you do, sing, when the guy took the last space, did you drive home, because it was impossible to get out of the car in a normal space?

I know you will think this is stretching it, but maybe a young fit guy jogging in to a supermarket is going in to pick someone up, an elderly relative or child even?!

I don't know if you the name, Brian Holmes, who was 'challenged' for using a disabled space (with a blue badge), because he was jogging into the supermarket, his 'challenger' was unaware that the poor man was going in to pick up his severely disabled wife who was in the supermarket.