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?

Pretty sure the parent and child places exist to entice families who will spend £200 in their shop. They don't have elderly places because the elderly will spend a lot less!
Business owners prioritise their best customers. Few have a social conscience.

Agree 100% parking in disabled spaces without a blue badge should be fined.

Fines for parking in P&C is wrong as it should be acceptable to use when there are no disabled places available or you or your passengers have mobility issues and no blue badge.

OP, hopefully you'll apply for and get a blue badge for your relative so you can continue to support her and get her out to do her shopping.

Parents who are mobile can always park elsewhere, further away where there is usually lots of spaces. Anyone with NT kids over primary school age don't need a P&C space, 12 year old in P&C is ridiculous.

I'm disabled and have a blue badge. On the odd occasion there are no bb spaces at the shops I will use a P&C space because I need the door wide open to get out of the car.

I also take my 91 year old neighbour to the shops and doctors. It's quite amusing actually, neither of can walk more than at snails pace (very well suited!) and we both need the door wide open to get out, she needs to hang onto me to get out of the car and I'm hanging on the car so I don't fall over. Bless her, she's lovely. She really can't walk far either so it's good that we can use a space that enables us both to get out of the house.

I'd say age trumps child, disability trumps both They should bring out elderly parking spaces so there doesn't have to be any queries but I'd personally give up a parking space for an older person who wanted it. Yanbu btw

You know I would love to be fined for using a space with ds. Would love to see how the responded to how that is a reasonable adjustment under the DDA!

I got lambasted on several occasions with regards to parking my god awful adapted Renault kangoo with my severley disabled daughter in the back. Some people are so effing ignorant and it would drive me crazy. I agree with all the posters who have mentioned that we can all cope without child and parent spaces but not without disabled spaces.

Another one offering applause and to Mrs DeVere.

'Tis so true about the special snowflake syndrome and it is amazing that (as others have pointed out) the space that is too small to get a child out of a car in a regular supermarket carpark miraculously becomes perfactly adequate at Legoland or Peppa Pig World.

I would agree that getting help from Age UK with applying for a BB (or for attendance allowance) is really helpful, because obviously they know theor stuff. But even having a BB isn't a panacea. I recently took my aged relly out and had a brain freeze while setting the dial on the badge and put the time of our appointment, rather than the time we arrived. Got back to the car to find a £80 fine for not displaying the badge "correctly". Great.

I always find it amazing when some posters show they don't care about the needs of disabled or elderly people but then expect people to care about their needs as parents.

The comments about how if a person can walk around a large store, then they can be dropped off are disgraceful. How dare you pass judgment on someone's needs?! I hate these threads because it brings out nasty little comments like that.

My mum needs to open the door fully too, in order to get out. So I'll set her off by the door & find appropriate parking. On the way back she'll wait on the bench while I pick her up again. I'd never use parent and child parking unless I was with one of my neices/nephews.

I presume your mum is safe and feels safe to be left. Some people aren't.

Part of the problem is that it seems so many people, and places, have such a narrow view of what a disability is. If someone can walk "normally" then a lot of people struggle to see them as disabled. One day people may understand that not all disabilities are visible. But I'm not holding my breath.

That's great that works for your mum fleur. Doesn't mean that it will work for everyone. Here is a shocking revelation - not everyone is the same! Just because two people are a similar age doesn't mean they have identical needs!

Without commenting on the fair/unfair, one way to solve the dilemma, is to drop her at the door while you go and park. And for her to wait at the front after your shop while you fetch the car.

HonkingHaddock - if my mum didn't feel 'safe' being left for 2-5 mins while I get the car to her, I'd be doing the shopping for her.

So she would never get to go shopping? People like my son would never get to go shopping?

Or my fil who might wander off?

God. The shopping trip is the only time my neighbour gets out unless it's to hospital appointments.

Why take that away from her?

My mum wouldn't feel safe. She has limited vision, limited mobility and is now deaf. She feels vulnerable around strangers.

She wants to go shopping because she wants to go out. Wants to walk around (leaning on the trolley). Wants to choose her own food. Wants to feel/smell the fresh produce. Wants to see what is on offer so she can meal plan accordingly.

She cannot easily get out of the car, she cannot walk long distances across the sometimes uneven car park. She forgets to check all around her for danger/other cars.

Should she stay in and fester or should she use a space that makes the supermarket accessible to her?

fluer even if that was the only hour she got out of the House each week?

Even if she actually wanted to go and do her own shopping?

if my mum didn't feel 'safe' being left for 2-5 mins while I get the car to her, I'd be doing the shopping for her.

You obviously haven't had much to do with elderly people, for some of whom shopping with a relative/friend is the highlight of their day, but who would get very anxious and possibly confused if left in a busy, noisy environment on their own for even a couple of minutes.