to have shouted at the knobhead who parked in a parent and child space?!

[SparklyTinselTits]

(pre-thread warning: I'm a bit of a grumpy arsehole most of the time)

So, about two hours ago, myself, DH and DD (6 months) went to tescos. Headed for the parent and child spaces, but they were all full. I saw a couple, probably in their mid-30's loading their shopping into their car - not a child or car seat in sight. So DH pulled into a space just across the way from them. I made a big show of struggling to get DD out of her car seat in the normal sized space, and as we walked past I said "nice to see you struggling to get all your kids into your car in that massive space"

The man didn't know what to say, and the woman just put her head down and pretended not to have heard me.
Was I BU? Or does everyone else get The Rage when childless people park in parent and child spaces?!

Parking in the uk is usually fairly easy. Car parks in Spain are a fucking nightmare.

I wonder how many parents would make a fuss over spaces if those spaces were at the far end of the carpark. Let's be honest, most parents don't park in them because they have small children, it's because they're right next to the shop.

Personally I get far more enraged over parents with buggies who insist on using the wheelchair spaces on buses and then refuse to move because their pfb is sleeping, and would rather that the wheelchair user wait for another bus than vacate the space which was never intended for them in the first place. And no, I am not a wheelchair user. I do meet a lot of entitled buggy users on buses though.

It is irritating, but you don't have an automatic right to use those spaces. You are allowed to use them if they're free, the same as everyone else. This means sometimes people without kids will park in them. That's life.

And if supermarkets would put the kid spaces on the far side of the car park instead of next to the front door, this would happen less.

It irks me too when I cant park in a P&C space, I have twins, its hard in a normal space to open the door, get them into a twin trolley (if I can find one) much easier with a wider space. Often its white van men or pensioners in our local supermarket, the first rushing in for their lunch, the second as the disabled spaces are all taken up and the normal spaces are too far away. Ive spoken to customer services and they say to get security on it...it might seem petty but when you're tired and have toddlers anything that makes it easier to do the shopping is a godsend.

Yanbu

It's only on mumsnet that p and c users get a pasting. Nobody in real life would think you unreasonable.

I said that on a thread almost the same as this once kungfu suggesting the DP stayed with the small baby and the OP shopped. To be told in no uncertain terms that the baby 'enjoyed' going shopping so that wasn't acceptable.

Really? I think lots of people in real life would think her unreasonable for yelling at someone in a car park. Someone who hadn't actually done anything to her.

lachattequirit: "in rl, among the people I know, it is generally considered cunty to park in a parent and child space if you don't have a small child.
On mumsnet this is not the case. There is a large proportion of arseholes weirdos alternative perspectives on here"

I know. Weird, isn't it? Obviously you should only park in a parent and child space if you have a child. And to people who say they're a recent phenomenon - so what? It is a struggle to get a child out of a car (even more so if you want to take the car seat out as well) in a normal sized parking space. I can't see why people on MN get so angry about it. They are actively hostile to the idea of basic courtesy.

Gosh OP. You must realise how silly it was to react how you did. It might've made you feel better at the time but all you really did was buy into a supermarket marketing ploy and embarrass yourself in public.

Some people are cunts OP, nothing wrong with telling them so.

Do you call people cunts when you're in the car park with your little cherubs?

Top parenting!

in rl, among the people I know, it is generally considered cunty to park in a parent and child space if you don't have a small child.

Damn - THAT's why I get all those looks when I park there with DS (age 28). He did ask me not to

Feel good about having a dig, they hung their head in shame, so that's a job done really.
Now forget about it and move on.

Those spaces are a privilege IMO

however did our parents cope

disabled spaces- absolutely necessary

P&C spaces- a luxury that is not seen in every car park and funnily enough people still manage to utilise the facility they are visiting just fine.

there are usually just a handful if the spaces anyway. in RL people just get on with it. never have I seen people stood on carpal being passive aggressive or sobbing or driving round waiting fir ages waiting for one to become available. and guess what, enter the supermarket and it's still full if kids.

a - you didn't shout.
b - you didn't struggle.
c - you made a right fool of yourself, didn't you?

On the blue badge issue, not all disabled people get a blue badge. Infact is very difficult to qualify for one.

how did our parents cope?

My parents didn't have a car, we shopped locally at greengrocers, butchers, bakers, candlestick-makers, we used to play a game at Brownies to guess which shop you'd go to if you wanted to buy various items, now you'd just say Asda. Getting all nostalgic now.

If the people genuinely didn't have a reason to park there (and we don't know) then I would say they and the OP are evens with their undesirable behaviours.

Yes Anemones and then I go home and lock them back in their cupboard. What's your point? Or are you just being a cunt

My point is that any parent who advocates calling someone a 'cunt' in the presence of their children should maybe have a think about whether that's a wise thing to do.

Have I hit a shit parenting nerve you idiot?

YANBU to feel irritated. YABU to pass comment, you have no idea of their circumstances. A little compassion goes a long way, something that I'm sure you'll want your child to learn.

To the people who compare P&C places to BB spaces; you are either ignorant or a twat, maybe both. HTH. :)

I'm enjoying that my comment about 'is it worth getting angry about' was clearly aimed at the wrong poster.

what is it about p&c parking that makes people so aggressive?

Some people are cunts OP, nothing wrong with telling them so

Nah, i'm not a cunt. I wasn't a cunt when I have parked in one a few times. If someone is shopping and there are no spaces left except a parent and child space does it make them a cunt to park there?

In my aldi you will block other cars if you hang around waiting for a space. So it was leave and come back later, drive around for ages while in that time someone else would have taken the space who probably didn't need it either or just park in the parent and child space knowing that the world will keep turning.