AIBU to park in a parent and child space?

[x1982x]

I have just read a story that tesco is going to start charging people who use parent and child/disabled spaces when they shouldn't.

I agree that these spaces should be kept for those who need them but once a week I am guilty of parking in a parent and child space (there are always a lot of them free) with my 82 year old relative.

The two reasons I do this are - Once when in a normal space due to there not being enough room my relative suffered a bad cut on her shin from banging it whilst trying to close the door.

The second being these spaces are always near to the door and less walking distance in an area that is dangerous for people with poor sight/hearing.

AIBU to do this?

Providing these spaces seems to have created a generation of crazy entitled twatish parents. I had 3 babies in 4 years, no P & C spaces, all DCs strapped into age appropriate seats at all times. No problems. My DSis had similar aged DCs, again no probs. Then she had a late baby when hers were teenagers, and suddenly due to the advent of the now essential P & C space, she became incapable of managing at the supermarket without one and God help any usurper she came across. I naturally reminded her that she still had a fully functioning body and brain and told her to get over herself.

I've said this before - we don't have P&C spaces here, and yet our supermarkets are full of parents with kids, and sightings of trapped toddlers are rare. Just get rid of them and your problem is solved.

Now shall I start on people that park in electric car charging spots with their non-electric cars?

I park in an electric charging spot when I am picking up DD off the bus. They're at the far end of the car park but it means she knows where I'll be. There are 4 such spaces and no one is ever in them. I am regularly the only car (apart from if my friend is there because she parks in them too) in them.

I am sitting in the car and if I needed to move to let someone charge their car I would do. I have never in all the years I've been parking in them seen anyone use them to charge a car.

Well that attempt at humour failed.

Sorry Katie 😳 Clearly I need more coffee

I've not RTFT but I don't think you are being unreasonable either,.

There is a gap in provision. If you have a blue badge it's fine. But lots of people can't get blue badges, but really do need a wider space or to be closer to a shop door. Maybe you could write to Tesco and explain to them that people can be infirm without having a blue badge and indeed they are difficult to obtain (as they should be ). And so would they like to think about elderly provision alongside the P&C spaces (which should be for parents with babies in my view, not kids who can get themselves in and out of the car but that's a different thread!)

If I saw someone abusing an infirm and/or elderly person for using a P&C space they would receive a big piece of my mind.

Can your relative apply for a blue badge. My FIL would never apply for one because he was too proud. My MIL could probably get one now too but as she doesn't drive it's probably not crossed her mind. It would be helpful for when she does travel in a car though.

I have a severely autistic teenager with no sense of danger, no road sense and some mobility issues with her ankle and knee.
We cannot get a blue badge, even though she qualifies for high rate mobility PIP. We often can't go out to the supermarket with her because if I park at the back of the carpark for extra room to the side of the car it can be too dangerous for me to push a heavy trolley and try and keep a strong hold of her to stop her running off.

Allwornout0 - You should definitely park in p and c spaces when they are available. I think it is awful that high rate mobility pip doesn't automatically mean a blue badge. We may have the same problem when ds is older.

What is the criteria for getting a BB?
It appears to be a postcode lottery that needs looking at. In some areas they seem to be given out without issue, someone up thread mentioned over 85 in their area get them without issue. In other areas that doesn't seem to be the case. In some areas Aspergers meets the criteria but lady above says her severely autistic child doesn't.

Maybe there should be a campaign for a national policy on them.

Maybe there should be a campaign for a national policy on them. Mostly it depends on the decision maker from the DWP reads a form filled in by the applicant (or by someone on their behalf) and also a report from whichever company did the medical assessment. It's a crock of shit but if the decision maker decides you qualify for enhanced rate mobility then you get your blue badge. On the other side of the coin, local councils seem to be more relaxed about accepting applicants depending on the area. Like I said before my dad didn't 'look' in pain so he was rejected by the council based on their occupational therapists opinion of him walking from the car (with a frame, doped up on co-codamol, gabapentin and Celebrex sp?) a different council assessment may have been more favourable based on his medical notes and drugs he takes daily

Enhanced rate mobility doesn't qualify you for a bb. You have to have a certain number of points in the moving around category. This means those with severe learning difficulties, severe autism and possible extremely challenging behaviours etc and need holding onto whenever they go out, probably won't get one. It is completely wrong and shows how little those that make decisions know (at best) or care about those vulnerable adults and their carers.

Meadow that seems to be the issue in some cases higher rate mobility allowance qualifies but Allworenout says it doesn't qualify her daughter.

Surely it should be automatic if someone qualifies for extra cash to get about / run a car they should qualify for the BB to actually make use of the car or am I being too simplistic?

Enhanced rate mobility doesn't qualify you for a bb. You have to have a certain number of points in the moving around category. apologies, I didn't realise the rules had changed!

My daughter was awarded points for the 'moving around' category due to her mobility issues, unfortunately not enough points for a blue badge.
The new PIP system has found some people severe enough care needs to be able to lease a mobility car but no BB, and others having the mobility car taken away but can still have a BB.

Why don't you let her out near the door then go and park?

As a severely sight-impaired and deaf person (albeit in my 40s, not elderly) I think it's important to realise this may not be an option for a partially sighted, hearing-impaired elderly person.

For some people (like me) that could mean having to stand literally in the spot you got out of the car, by the kerb, unable to see enough to go and sit down anywhere and unable to hear what the people around you are saying as they barge past, annoyed at you blocking the pavement. It's a very vulnerable position.

I had a lovely wrap thing for the babies and tucked them into the specially designed and provided baby seats trolleys

It's just occurred to me that I've never those at our (big-ish) Waitrose. Nor do they have designated Parent/Child spaces. I'm wondering what that says about them.

It also amuses me that people confuse P&C spaces with BB spaces. Here's a tip--only one type is required by law and has designated users who are entitled to them.

But this thread wasn't about BB spaces, it was about whether the OP was unreasonable to use a P&C space while doing the weekly shop with an elderly relative in a car park with many such spaces available.

Common sense, empathy, and courtesy says that YANBU.

As for the calls for supermarkets to designate more places for the elderly or those with other, similar needs (regardless of BB eligibility), I couldn't agree more. I suggest we start by changing the signs on P&C places near store entrances. Let's make it more inclusive.

YANBU in your circumstances. The problem is so many others seem to begrudge parent and child spaces anyway and a bunch seem to use them when they don't need to. I see it often on here... 'why do you need them, you chose to have kids' and so on. Some seem to hate parents getting an extra bit of help tbh. People who genuinely need the extra space should be able to use them..but if it was changed to be that, others would take the piss even more. Hopefully there would be some kind of case by case basis to this...where people like yourself, it would be obvious you needed to use it, but someone just parking there to be a lazy dick would be in trouble.

I do agree that the parent and child spaces shouldn't be so near to the doors though. This would solve he 'I dont have a child but I want 'perks'...waaaaaa' people from using them out of spite.

Also agree that there should be some kind of temporary BB scheme for those who have just had operations or something who do need help in the short term.

The new PIP system has found some people severe enough care needs to be able to lease a mobility car but no BB, and others having the mobility car taken away but can still have a BB.

Well it was designed to save money..this is unfortunately what people voted for. Cuts to the most vulnerable. DHs cousin qualified for high rate DLA and a BB. As he could not mobilize over 50m. PIP, the criteria was cut, so he still has the same issues, but since the money saving element says you only get higher rate if you cannot mobilize over 20m...he now has a lot less income, lost his car and has no BB. Illness is the same, government are just crueler.