To have asked if the lady had children with her in parent and child space?

[CoffeeCoffeeCoffeeCat]

So I know I probably was being unreasonable (pregnant, hormonal, toddler playing up royally that day!) but I just wondered how long I needed to feel mortified for.
Waiting to pull into a parent and child space but due to layout of car park other car got there first. Lady got out, locked car, started walking away. I couldn't see any child or car seat in the car from my view, so pressumed she was doing my massive bug bear of using P&C space with no child. So I wound down my window to call her out on it.
Coffe "Excuse me, how many children do you have with you to park in that space?!"
Lady "What?"
Coffee "It's a parent and child parking space for people with children!"
Lady"Of course I've got a child with me"
Coffe (hands shooting up to mouth in dismay) "have you? Oh I'm so sorry."
Lady (extremely cross) "don't you judge me, how dare you"
Coffee "I am sorry, you must hate it when people park in these spaces without kids too tho? I didn't realise"
Lady-storms off sending me evils.

I wasn't judging her and unsure how she thought I was, just when she locked the car and went to walk off without getting a child out, it looks like you dont have a kid with you surely! She was going to get a trolley which was obviously fine, and I won't be questioning anyone about their accompanying child status again, but it was a fair enough assumption no?? And I wasn't agressive about it at all!
Had to do my shop in Sainsbury's instead of Aldi as that's where she headed, and I was too miserable/embarrassed to bump into her.
Small local area and now living in fear of bumping into her
How unreasonable was I?!

Someone told me off last week for parking in a p and c space with ds (7)

He was in his SN buggy at the time but still another mother thought I was wrong for using it!

Quite frankly they can shove it though, Sirzy

Yup I just ignored them. Shows how daft some people get about the spaces though

It's when couples pull into those spaces in a 2 seater convertible that makes me roll my eyes!

The disability argument doesn't fly. There are always loads of spare disabled spaces at the shops round here despite having a really high elderly population. So that's really not an excuse.

Not all disabilities qualify for a blue badge though. Contrary to what some of the "experts" on here think they are very difficult to get. That doesn't mean the people who are disabled and don't qualify don't struggle though!

Crunchy there really aren't. Our local Asda has about 16 blue badge bays. Quite often 50% of those are being abused by non badge holders so if that's the case I will use the p&c spaces. Otherwise I have to go home.

I feel your pain Jaxing, but apparently according to most people here you're entitled and in the wrong

That posters tale was slightly different though, she didn't rudely call out the Parker, she was polite and the offendee didn't have kids. You rudely called out the offender and she did have a kid.

It's the driving around playing parking warden in a public car park that people are objecting to, it's arguably acceptable if someone doesn't have a kid and someone else is struggling but it's not acceptable when the person does have a kid. Plus you simply don't know, they could be going to get their kid or have a hidden disability. If the space is taken just move on instead of playing parking police poorly. It's really not your job to interview everyone who uses those spaces to determine whether it's justified in your view or not.

It's not about the P&C parking OP - it's that you decided to challenge a random person even though you had no right or authority to do so, and then blamed hormones.

A cursory search on here would yield hundreds of these threads

I suspect all the users on here saying you were unreasonable, OP, are the people who would park in the P&C with no kids.

I've had a word with people before now who clearly have no children with them. And I don't care what people say. That said, I'm over it now, it was during my car seat days. Now he's fully mobile I usually park elsewhere anyway.

I get angry at people misusing P&C spaces, it really inconsiderate.

I would like to think I would say something, so I would be in the same situation as you here.

I would be mortified, but it's tough, it happened, try and forget about it, you're a nice person or you wouldn't care. I'm sure that that mum would feel the same if she wanted a space and someone without a child parked there.

Lots of people seem to be self-appointed parking wardens.

I don't even drive so have never used a P&C space but challenging people about using them is just as twattish as parking in one without a child, and you risk doing it to someone who won't just be calm about it

I suspect all the users on here saying you were unreasonable, OP, are the people who would park in the P&C with no kids

Then you suspect wrong.

I would say for the sake of just letting be, don't question people who park in these bays. I know it's annoying, I know it's provoking in many ways. When I was pregnant you couldn't tell, even though I was past 30 weeks, due to severe HE. I also had problems with severe pain in my hips/legs and back, it got to the point where I'm occasion even walking was impossible due to the pain.

I would have parked in one of those spaces as I was with child. I did need to be close to the store, plus I needed to open my door all the way in an attempt of getting out the seat.

I think whilst we obviously judge others, wouldn't life be better if we just gritted our teeth and thought if she isn't a parent, she isn't disabled, karma will get her or him.

Rather than raising our blood pressure and having confrontations.

I suspect all the users on here saying you were unreasonable, OP, are the people who would park in the P&C with no kids.

1. No kids or not. They can park there anyway, pissing people off is not illegal.

1. If you'd RTFT you'd see that 'suspecting' the driver has no children normally results with egg on your face. As it did for the OP, and it did for the woman who wrongly assumed my Dad was parked in one on his own when he was waiting for me and the DCs!

The disability argument doesn't fly

Crunchy its not an argument. Its a fact.

What the hell?! Why did you have to go to another shop?! There are a millions other spaces in the car parks you know?! What will happen if you have to walk an extra 10 metres? Will your legs drop off?

I have THREE children and if there's no p&c space I park further away in a less busy spot and WALK to the shop. To date, nothing has happened to me or the kids. And not suprisingly no fights with people parking in p&c spaces without children.

I don't get the point of p&c spaces. If they make larger car spaces and safe walkways to the shop, there'd be no need for them.

People parking in disabled spots though are arseholes and need to be called out.

Someone told me off last week for parking in a p and c space with ds (7)

He was in his SN buggy at the time but still another mother thought I was wrong for using it

Ridiclulous Sirzy. Hope you told them to fuck off jog on.

The sooner they get rid of them the better, after all people still manage to squeeze their cars into Peppa Pig world with no P&C spaces

I'll be using one today, op. I'll have no small children with me, but I'm in a lot of pain and wouldn't be able to get out of the car without opening the door fully and I'm not parking at the quiet end of the supermarket as it would be too painful to walk that far. I don't need a blue badge, as its temporary, but if I get accosted by anyone I'll tell them to fuck off, as I'm not in the best of moods. If you can be an arse because your child is acting up or your pregnant, then I've as much right to be an arse back.

If I take my youngest (no I didn't give birth to her) to the shop we probably won't be able to park in the blue badge spot, which she's entitled to, as its raining here. I find that they're usually full of cars with baby seats, when it rains, as apparently rain causes children to melt. 🤔😒 I won't be an arse and say anything to them, because life's too short.

Almond - no.
Having children is not a disability of any kind.

Simple - whoever gets to the space first can use it.

Don't know why people make it into such an issue!

Almond what a staggeringly ignorant post.

If it doesn't officially qualify for a blue badge then isn't it a little arbitrary who deserves the space more - the disabled person or the parent and child?

No. RTFT. My Dad lost his BB. My Grandma lost hers. Not because they no longer need them. They still have the same disabilities. Just the government have started being really bloody nasty about who they give these 'privileges' to. Just because they didn't qualify for the BB this time around doesn't mean they're less deserving of a P&C space.

I think you should get over yourself

I too would tell you to jog on, with kids or without.

The disability argument doesn't fly. There are always loads of spare disabled spaces at the shops round here despite having a really high elderly population. So that's really not an excuse

Until recently Crunchy, I would have agreed with you. But 3 weeks ago I went to a supermarket that normally has loads of disabled parking.

Every single space was full. I couldn't believe it.

But I needed something and then I saw a P&C space become free. I decided that just this once I would use it. The P&C spaces at this supermarket are closer to the shop that the disabled ones (arsehole designer!) and to add to it I'd also only days previously had someone rear end me so I was in a fuckload of pain, way more than usual, and could barely walk when it's already painful for me anyway.

I pulled into the space, opened the door wide and was just in the process of levering myself out like an old woman when someone parked across the back of me, blasted her horn, wound down her window and started yelling at me that the spaces were for parents. I flashed my blue badge, apologised and said all the disabled spots were full. She gave me a mouthful that was rather incoherent and drove off.

I've never used a P&C without DS before, but needs must. Like pp I've been accused of faking, using someone else's badge, using BB spaces because P&C are full (when DS is with me, because there are no disabled parents apparently. I guess they'd spontaneously combust if they found out that of the two of us, it's DS who gets disability benefits as he has ASD) etc. It's not a nice experience being questioned all the time, or people assuming the worst about you.

OP sorry but YWBABU. The self appointed parking police are the bane of my existence. Parking wardens and attendants are lovely (especially as they're used to abuse, a little kindness goes a long way with them), I quite often check I'm parked ok if I see one nearby and have a nice chat with them - either I'm parked within the law or I'm not and they will politely offer advice if needed. Often self appointed parking arseholes will directly contradict what the warden/attendant/law has said.