To want p&c spaces to be renamed "easy access" spaces?

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This has been triggered by other threads but also by life events as a person with disabilities and reduced mobility who doesn't fit blue badge criteria.

We all know and love the p&c warriors and I have had the misfortune to be accosted by them in carparks and have had photos of my car plastered on Facebook parking pages as I will use these spaces if they are close to the shops to alleviate fatigue and pain.

Aibu to think there must be a large amount of people like me or with temporary issues like a broken leg or recovering from surgery who could benefit from the rebrand?

star don't you realise that not everyone who needs a bb badge has one?

But it is you who that is doing the begrudging.

I really don't think p&c spaces are going to be overwhelmed by the groups mentioned if they aren't policed by aggressive parents taking it upon themselves to challenge interlopers into 'their' spaces

Well I think that's naive thinking hazey as plenty of people feel they have a need or a greater need than somebody else to use them.

Haddock it may seem that way but as I said many people feel the need to use them so are we going to have somebody there with a checklist judging need?

September 2014, a 2 year old girl was killed when she was hit by a car in Asda car park in wembley.

Puts everything else into perspective in my mind.

Fanjo, name changes? You've got the wrong person. I've never name changed since joining months ago.

Yes you were coming ^across* as competing.

But people on here say they use them, without younger children, and at present they aren't overwhelmed - the point of the thread is that people feel they have a right to have a go at those that use them without younger children.

Ahh, online shopping would save everyone the hassle and there would be less aggro. Although, Mn might shut down because of the lack of goady parking threads, then there would be trouble

I think it should be obvious that managing an older severely disabled child isn't going to be less difficult than managing a younger child. It doesn't take much imagination to think of what the issues might be.

I wasnt aware people with disablities had to compete for amenities. Apart from on this thread.

If I and others like me resorted to online shopping only when would we go out? What if going to do a weekly shop was the only time that person got out the house?

Surely if as a normal human being you see someone struggling to carry an older child with sn, or someone really struggling to walk unaided themselves, in a supermarket carpark, the considerate thing to say is 'can I get you a trolley?' Not 'why are you in a p&c space?'

If that's another dig at me lurked then your wrong. I've never been in the situation where somebody carrying an older child with sn or somebody struggling to walk unaided using a p&c space.

I have seen able bodied people using the space and I have no qualms in mentioning -politely of course- that the space is for people with children in car seats.

Of course I understand there are hidden disabilities etc but I don't believe that all people parking in these spaces without children are disabled.

The children I know with disabilities or sn have been able to get blue badges so have no need to park in the spaces unless there are no disabled spaces available...I know very well the process to get blue badges and that not everyone that would benefit from it is able to get one.

Me neither! Till I saw this thread...

I think calling them 'easy access' would mean more people would abuse them. I see your point though.

I honestly don't understand why people have issues with p&c spaces. It can be a tight squeeze lifting children and carseats out of a car in a normal space. The extra room means the door can be opened fully without the risk of bumping the next car.

It is also safer to be able to park pushchairs in that space at the side away from the road. Unfolding a pram and strapping children in in the way of where cars pass at the front or back of the car makes me nervous.

I don't expect to be near the store, but the extra space makes things easier.

Really enjoying reading what a breeze it to is to carry two babies at the one time. Maybe you can all clue me in as to the technique because I never managed to do it safely despite having twins.

Really enjoying reading what a breeze it to is to carry two babies at the one time.

Where are you reading that?

As a mother of twins myself I know it's difficult but no one in their right mind would equate it with the physical challenges of manual handling a older child with disabilities.

Toomuch has experience, and is saying she found it hard. She hasn't said it is as hard or harder then anything else.

It has been said that it is harder than carrying an older disabled child and that people using p and c spaces for reasons of disability are selfish because the space is not for them.

If P&C spaces were further away from the store entrance, with a safe walkway and access to trolleys designed for children then parents would be happy and other people would be less likely to use them. I haven't used one for many years as my children are teenagers, but I really doubt that most people who 'misuse' the spaces are disabled or helping those that are disabled or have other access issues. I think they are mostly just people who like the easier parking and shorter walk. Just like those that misuse the disabled parking spaces really.

Have the rules for blue badges changed? My mum had one when she had her first hip replaced - granted she also has terrible arthritis and now is permanently disabled by it, but she wasn't back then.

It sounds as if the issue is with the rigidity of the scheme. If there were ways of identifying people with temporary disabilities then it would be easier to have them use the disabled bays (which should obviously be close to the entrance).

I have fibromyalgia and have a BB. Our council allow you to apply separately to have the assessment to see how poor you are.

Prior to the bb, I sadly just had to get on with it.

I think someone listed the criteria further up the thread. Some councils are more flexible than this but you can have severe mobility issues and not be able to get one. It is also possible to receive the highest rate mobility pip and not get one.

I don't think there is any way these could be self policing for people who are unable to walk for but don't have BB. Sadly there are too many people who are total hypochondriacs, or just wimps. You could never stop someone using one could you? "You've taken this space and this gentleman in a wheelchair needs it" "yes but I have IBs and have to be able to run to the loo quickly" (one I've heard loads of times on these threads) how could you prioritise? It would never work.

Although the debates would probably keep MN alive a good 5 years after its had its day

The point is that people shouldn't be policing these spaces anyway. They are not like disabled spaces. There is no reason why the person with IBS shouldn't be able to park there so they could rushing and save themselves a lot of pain and retain their dignity, I hope that they would use a p&c space anyway and not get grief for it.

No but the stores have to police them