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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

About 'mother & baby' parking spaces...

200 replies

toohardtothinkofaname · 15/03/2016 15:47

And that those without kids who park in them should get bollocked?

I can never get parked in one & today a woman trying to park in the space next to me BEEPED at me struggling to attach the car seat to the pram because she couldn't get in beside me. The baby spaces were opposite, no spaces for me, and of the 4 people In them I saw get in or out of their cars, absolutely none had children Angry

The bloody spaces aren't even closer to the doors so no idea why they insist of taking up space.

I'm sure there's been threads on this before but need to rage & OH sick of my driving stories haha

OP posts:
ilovesooty · 15/03/2016 15:50

I thought they were called parent and child spaces nowadays.

Littlecaf · 15/03/2016 15:51

Oh gosh, this has been done to death. They are a privilege, not a right.

However they are bloody useful.

leelu66 · 15/03/2016 15:52

YANBU. I admit to having occasionally parking in M&C child spots in the past but I see now it is not a victimless crime and have stopped.

Could my erstwhile fellow offenders be trying to protect their cars from scratches by parking in bigger spaces?

hedgehogsdontbite · 15/03/2016 15:52
Primaryteach87 · 15/03/2016 15:52

I think unless you've had a baby and wrestled with Prams and car seats you probably don't realise what parent & child parking is for. Maybe it should be in the driving test!

charliedontsurf · 15/03/2016 15:52

I agree with you totally, DH was trying to get DD out of her seat recently and some stupid woman tried to swing into the space next to him and almost hit them both Angry

Plenty on here who won't agree with you though I'm afraid.

tinymeteor · 15/03/2016 15:53

YANBU. People who park in them without having small children are twats. And anyone who beeps at a mum visibly wrestling with an infant in a pushchair is a galloping arsehole.

PaulAnkaTheDog · 15/03/2016 15:53

I'm willing to bet if they were put further away from the shop that many parents would mysteriously find normal parking spaces not that difficult. Close to the shop should be reserved for blue bag holders and that's it.

namechangeformypost · 15/03/2016 15:54

Yes they are parent and child spaces, I've pulled a few people up (about 9 people) about parking in them with no kids, no car seat, just themselves and they tend to just shrug
One woman actually had a go at me for leaving the door open, I was getting my son out his car seat. Swiftly told her that if she didn't like the fact it was open she'd be better off using the other half of the car park as this is parents with their children in the car!
She said I shouldn't have kids just to get a big space. Told her she shouldn't be driving if she needed such a big space
Huge bug bearer of mine!

usual · 15/03/2016 15:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

namechangeformypost · 15/03/2016 15:56

White van men are the worst for it imo
And if you are worried about your car getting scratched double park! Don't use a bigger space for others who actually need them!
Would never park in a p&c space without kids or in a disabled space without a disability.

FireflyGirl · 15/03/2016 15:58

If they're not near the doors, it's probably because they need the wider access. Pregnant ladies, older people or disabled people who haven't been able to jump through the hoops to get a blue badge.

I agree, it's annoying, I'm in the same boat as you. But it's really not worth getting upset about, and you just don't know why they are using the spaces.

hedgehogsdontbite · 15/03/2016 15:58

She said I shouldn't have kids just to get a big space.

I'd have laughed in her face at a batshit comment like that.

PurpleDaisies · 15/03/2016 16:00

I haven't seen them called mother and baby spaces in a long time. All parent and child around here.

Would never park in a p&c space without kids or in a disabled space without a disability.

Being very pedantic you can have a disability and not be allowed to park in a disabled space-you need a blue badge.

spidey66 · 15/03/2016 16:01

*We park in them when we take my elderly mum shopping. She struggles to get out of the car unless there's a lot of room.

Happy to be called a twat though.*

Nah. She's a parent, you're her child. :)

MTPurse · 15/03/2016 16:01

Yes YABU and I haven't even read the op.

honkinghaddock · 15/03/2016 16:02

There are people who need the extra space or closeness to store as much as those with young children. I think it completely reasonable that they park in them. People who park in them through laziness or because they have a big car etc are being inconsiderate.

LBOCS2 · 15/03/2016 16:03

I've been parking in P&C lots recently, even without DD with me.

I'm 36 weeks pregnant; I can't get out of the car otherwise!

Original poster
toohardtothinkofaname · 15/03/2016 16:03

Aware they're not a right, but it comes in bloody handy when I can open my door wide enough to get the car seat back in doesn't it?

paulanka I'm assuming you didn't see the bit in my OP explaining the spaces aren't nearer to the entrance?...Hmm

OP posts:
imwithspud · 15/03/2016 16:05

I'm willing to bet if they were put further away from the shop that many parents would mysteriously find normal parking spaces not that difficult.

Actually I would still use the spaces if they were further away, as it's the space I need rather than being closer to the store.

It's a bug bear of mine, I never park in P&C spaces when I don't have my DC's with me, it's common courtesy. Yet nearly every time I go to the supermarket I see people with no children pulling into them. I once came across a taxi parked up in one, engine running. Obviously waiting for someone to come out of the supermarket, there's a taxi rank for that!

I get that they're a privilege rather than a right but that doesn't give people without children the opportunity to abuse the spaces and spoil it for the people who they are actually meant for. It's just selfishness.

That said I have no problem with blue badge holders using the spaces if there are no disabled spaces available.

PrimalLass · 15/03/2016 16:05

I'm sure there's been threads on this before

Once or twice ...

kawliga · 15/03/2016 16:06

OP, may I invite you to imagine a world with no P&C spaces? Where mothers get on with their happy lives, having no need to get worked up in the parking lot over who has parked where? You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.

This is how the world used to be, before P&C spaces were introduced and mothers acquired one more thing to get angry about.

Original poster
toohardtothinkofaname · 15/03/2016 16:08

Of those seen today; 1 bloke in a van, 2 able bodied men (one of which jogged over to cheerily greet his friend) and 1 elderly couple. Admittedly the latter could have had issues getting in/out of cars but they looked fine to me. And isn't it usually a big no no on MN to treat the elderly different because it's ageist? Wink

OP posts:
TheFairyCaravan · 15/03/2016 16:08

People are having their blue badges taken away from them due to the Govt's savage cuts to DLA and cruel treatment of disabled people. They aren't losing their disabilty, they still need the extra space and easy accessiblity to the stores. (I know you said in this case they aren't closer but most are).

I can completely understand why people are using P&T spaces and don't blame them.

PaulAnkaTheDog · 15/03/2016 16:10

I was talking in general op. I haven't ever been to a shop where the P&C spaces are further away from the door than the normal ones.