Disabled parking in mother & child space

[CommanderShepherd]

disabilitynow.org.uk/2010/03/04/not-all-childs-play/

Firstly I want to say that I have never parked in a disabled space. having recently become a mother, the parent & child spaces are freaking awesome! I have a doona car seat which is also a pram, which means I have to lift ds and car seat in and out when we use it. Not too much hassle but I need room to get him in and out. I was curious if I could park in disabled space if parent and child was full (I honestly wasn't sure if it was illegal or just bad car etiquette) and came across this article. As per the article, do you think it's hypocritical that disabled can park in a parent and child space? Someone was actually finned by a supermarket for doing so.

I'm not sure where I stand on this issue, obviously I would never rob someone who has a hard time walking etc a space closer to the store, although it would bug me if there was disabled spaces free and they chose to use a p&c space.

Anyhoo, he's a pic of my ds being cute to distract the folk that will call me an evil cow for even thinking about it

As an aside, I've read a lot that says babies who can't sit unaided shouldn't be in car seats for prolonged periods of time. I don't know anything about the doona but it might be worth researching.

Maybe the issue lies with these travel systems - and the need to remove the car seat
I am not a fan off babies being in their car seat for hours they look uncomfortable
Ywbvvu to use a disabled space - you don't have a disability you CHOSE to have an awkward pram

So if parent and child was full and you park in a disabled space, where would you expect someone with a disability to park?

Also, it is ridiculous to compare being disabled with having a baby; of course someone with a disability should be able to park in P&C spaces.

Ye gods I've seen it all now.

As a mother of a disabled child I'm cock-a-hoop that I'm legally entitled to park in either type of space. Go me, bet you're well jel!

In case you haven't read the article, the lady in it was fined £30 by sainsbury's for parking in p&c even though she had her blue badge on display, it was the article that addresses the supposed hypocrisy.

hahaha, oh dear..seriously you need your bumps feeling

Settling in with popcorn.

Disabled parking spaces are a necessity & illegal to use minus a blue badge.
P & C spaces are a courtesy.

If I saw you park in a disabled space, without a blue badge, but rather because the P&C spaces were full then I would have a quiet word. Completely unacceptable & precious behaviour.

Having children is a choice. Being disabled is not.

You were curious if it was illegal?

No 1: You need a driving refresher course.
No 2 : You need to pull your head from your arse. Having a disability and having a child are not the same.

gunshot They don't want babies in car seats for more than 2 hours at a time

zen1 I'd park at the furthest away spaces

I park in p&c bays with my bb when the bb bays are full, at my local Asda it's usually because non badge holders are abusing bb bays.

I usually have my 7 year old with me, so does that make it ok with you, OP?
Both me and 7 yr old are bb holders, by the way.

Having a child is a choice, being disabled is not. Any parent parking in a disabled space is a moron to be very polite. The question should not even be asked.

I,m pretty sure a supermarket can't just fine somebody for parking in a p&c space can they even if they have no children or disability as it's a courtesy .

Oh and same Asda built its click and collect on 8 bb bays and didn't replace them. So there's a shortage.

Any BB holder should be able to take a P&C space if no BB spaces are free.

That's my opinion.

I'd rather be inconvenienced a bit than a disabled person not be able to shop because they can't use an accessible space.

Glasgowlass, I would be having more than a quiet word, I would and have reported people parking s disabled spots without a blue badge. Due to this ignorance my family has had to cancel days out due to not being able to park n a disabled spot. Being disabled and needing these spaces just to function on a day to day basis is in no way comparable to having a newborn. I feel no guilt to reporting offenders, they need to get their head out of their own self importance and see the much bigger picture.

Additionally the person in that link could easily have fought the fine, esp with public sympathy on their side. Disabled drivers can park anywhere (there are some restrictions with regard to double yellows/junctions but these are marked on the roadside)

That's anywhere. Even in your precious P&C spaces which are merely a courtesy to you, and not a right.

Can I add that I dislike the thread title intensely?

'Disabled parking in mother/child space'

is this shorthand for 'the disabled' 'disabled people' or neither?

Your thread title plus attitude indicates to me that you have no relatives or friends with experience of disability, no colleagues or fellow school pupils - if you'd had you might not be so ignorant.

To ram this point home most people with health conditions subscribe to the social model of disability. My illness is not that which disables me it is society's response to my illness which disables me. In this instance you are actively disabling people.

I don't call it disabled parking. The parking isn't disabled.
Blue badge bays are more descriptive.

From the article- The legal position is quite simple. Off-street car parks can have spaces for pink Sherman tanks if they want and if they put up the proper signs they can charge you if you park there with any other vehicle. Therefore disabled people without children cannot park in the parent and child spaces.

I was shocked that the woman was fined.

Being a parent is a choice, a disability is not. P&C spaces are a courtesy, disabled spaces are a necessity. I think it's clear who has the better claim for the parking spaces.

As someone with severe mobility problems I will park in whichever space works best for me. Any able bodied parent who objects to that is a fuckwit best ignored.

Are fines legally enforceable ?say I decided to.be an arse and thought I will. just use this p&c space as it's easier and I didn't have either a blue badge or children could the supermarket make me pay the fine ?

I think the real issue here is the standard size of spaces. Cars have evolved to be wider and higher and prams have become personal transport systems and the environment hasn't changed to deal with this. Frankly if they just made spaces 6 inches wider it would help.

I think its fair enough for pc places to be either or with disabled - if the disabled ones are full. It is extremely difficult for people with disabilities to get around in todays world - if its not restricted spaces, its barriers on pavements or signs blocking the way or stupid sign posts in daft places, lack of proper crossing places on roads, mixing traffic and pedestrians its just craziness.

I don't think it is hypocritical at all, one is necessary to get on with life, another is to make life easier - although trying to manage one of those flipping car seats out of a car when its actually parked is difficult. My solution had been in the past to use one of the trollies with a proper seat in it for babies. So park up near to trollies, get trolley, remove baby from car insert in trolley. And yes babies shouldn't be in car seats too long, although they don't specify that length of time

Many people who are disabled have to fight to get a blue badge and use the spaces they need. That makes getting out the house a logistical nightmare for them. (As it is for many people whole are entitled to a blue badge of course)

The difficulties getting out when disabled are in no way comparable to the difficulties of getting a baby out the house!

My2 we've been in the same situation.
Maybe it's my thick glaswegian accent that makes me sound more menacing (soft as anything really) when confronting anyone. I should point out that I too would have no hesitation in reporting offender if my 'quiet word' didn't work.