To not believe what I just heard.... parent/ child space one sorry!!!!

[Freddiesfling]

Was at my local Aldi lady earlier this week about to drive off when I heard raised voices.... I looked around to see a mother with a child of around 5/6 shouting at an elderly lady who had parked in a parent/ child space ( there were 3/4 other empty p&c spaces free)... the elderly lady calmly told her that she was awaiting a blue badge and all the disabled spaces were full... the mother than shouted " well that's not my fault" and stormed off... the elderly lady then with some difficulty started walking away....
I got out of my car and asked if she was ok.. she said she was but looked upset.. I asked if there was anything I could do/ help with and she said she was ok! I wished her well and went back to my car really shocked that a mother with a school aged child who had already parked on the parent/child spaces would go out of her way to be so vile...

I later heard from a friend that this mother posted what happened on Facebook ... including her shouting at an elderly lady and was practically applauded for it with a lot of likes and even a few comments like she should have scratched the ladies car... my friend reported the status but Facebook said it didn't violate their standards.

I cannot believe that another person could go out of their way to be so argumentative and lack such empathy.

that's why I specifically said WALK round the supermarket

That still makes no sense.

People managing to walk around a supermarket doesn't mean they don't so through pain, and I can't believe I'm saying this in the 21st century but not all disabilities are visible.

Our local Tesco has two rows of disabled parking, around 30 spaces, (my DP has a blue badge) and the P&C parking is on the far side of the car park so we often find parents using the disabled bays as 'they are closer'.

On the subject of parking spaces for the elderly, how do you judge that? Pensionable age? One of the guys I worked with as a train driver has just retired at the age of 72 !

Whether disabled or P&C parking, they are there because there is an assumption that some have needs that mean that a wider space/closer space will be required for them. It does NOT mean that just because you're a parent or disabled, you have these needs and therefore should be entitled to these places.

My DD was born with an eye condition. She had surgery but it didn't resolve the problem fully and therefore will need to learn to cope living with double vision. Her consultant told us that due to this condition, she would be illegible for special arrangement with exams and extra time. This would have been an advantage, especially with a recent exam she had to take that was all about speed. However, she said that her condition didn't affect how quickly she answered questions and even though it would help, it would be cheating and therefore she wasn't interested.

Same at my Sainsbos simon. P&C is right round the other side of the store and BB spaces are directly by the door. So many parents with children use the BB spaces that they've had to erect signs basically pleading with people to leave them free for BB holders. It sickens me!

If a space isn't free park elsewhere!

It's nothing to do with you or anyone else why someone has parked where they are (disabled spaces without badges excluded obviously)

Anyone challenging an elderly, infirm lady over a sodding P&C space is morally bankrupt

Couldn't put it better myself.

My grandma has a blue badge. When I visit her and take her to the supermarket we park in blue badge space or a p&c space. She isn't too stable walking without something to hold on to - so once she has a trolley she's ok. Ish. And can manage to trip round her local Tesco. Only her local one though. Disaster ensued when I thought I'd be clever and take her to Sainsbury's... she didn't know the layout so didn't know the quickest way round.

If there are no bb spaces or p&c available I drop her off at the door, make sure she has a trolley then park the car and go and find her. And we do the reverse at the end - I take trolley to car load it up and swing round to pick her up.

She hates the fact that she needs her blue badge. Absolutely hates it.

Are there age limits for P&C spaces? We had our first baby a couple of months ago so have started having to use the P&C spaces to get her in and out of her seat.

However have noticed, mostly at our local Tesco that the majority of the P&C spaces get taken up by people with older children (mainly seems to be around 8+). Would have thought at that age P&C spaces weren't needed (providing no hidden disabilities, etc).

Anyone challenging an elderly, infirm lady over a sodding P&C space is morally bankrupt

Hear hear.

Every time one of these threads pops up I really hope this will be the one where people who have had children all show sympathy and kindness to those who have mobility issues and disabilities. The arseholes always turn up though.

I'm off to do something more edifying than read more crap from people justifying why their baby means others have longer, more painful walks through car parks and disabled old ladies deserve to be shouted at when they have mobility issues.

It does NOT mean that just because you're a parent or disabled, you have these needs and therefore should be entitled to these places.

If you or a person in the car are disabled and you have a valid blue badge you most definitely are entitled to use them! Whether you want to or not.

I remember when I used to go out with my mum and she's pull out her blue badge and then get comments about not looking disabled. She was terminally ill and would save all her energy to be able to walk around a shop normally. Once all the disabled spaces were full so we parked in a p&c I saw a mum park and head our way ready for a fight, mum didn't see her coming but her wig was itching so she whipped it off, never seen someone spin round and retreat so quickly. Disabilities are not always easy to spot, I am damn sure none of you would want to take on their burden so why the hell begrudge someone a slightly easier time of it.

They are parent and child spaces so presumably I could park in one with my 80 year old mother. I don't and would not but as someone mentioned people did manage to go shopping with children before they were introduced. I remember a book called "Mad to be a Mother".

My son walks from the car and then gets into a wheelchair in the supermarket.

if I can't see a blue badge I don't know she is disabled. If I am waiting to park in an area designated 'parent and child' by the shop, and someone without a child is parked up in it, I don't see an issue with challenging them

Some entitled twat marched over yo my Dads car once to give him a bollicking for parking in a P&C space. He hasn't walked into or around a supermarket in ten years. (His Housemate does the shop). He'd taken me as I was just out of hospital, I had the kids with me as I'm a single parent and my niece had came into help me. My Dad made sure I got stuff in so I could rest and recover for the week properly.

Thankfully she had the good grace to look stupidly embarrassed and scuttle off when she saw me and the DCs approaching my Dads car. If she'd uttered one word to my Dad I'd have given her short shrift that's for sure.

THAT'S why you don't challenge people. Because you don't know the full story.

YANBU. At all. This infuriates me. I hate it when parents think that they have 'rights' in the same way that disabled people do. The P&C spaces are provided as a courtesy, there is absolutely zero legal basis for them at all - unlike the disabled spaces. It's like that woman who didn't want to move on the bus so that a man in a wheelchair could get on because her baby was sleeping.

The funny thing is that disabled people must have to deal with people parking in their spaces/using their facilities all the time yet you never hear of them launching hatred campaigns on Facebook. Or at least I haven't.

There is people at my local supermarket who park in disabled spaces who have no badge, if there were no other suitable spaces avaliable and elderly lady parked in a p&c space to make things a bit easier for her to get to the shops i wouldnt mind. Perhaps its one of only a few things she looks forward to and is still able to manage. Your friend didnt act very nice to the lady and putting it on fb was bad. Would she of acted the same way if someone had done to her mum what she did to the lady?

And also because it is none of your business.

True Francis. Never fails to astound me. That the entitled ones manage to park fine in legoland and leisure centres but lose all sense of reason when in a supermarket car park.

Before anyone says anything. Yes I know you don't have tonnes of shopping with you in legoland / at the leisure centre / local soft play. But that is never mentioned in these sort of threads. Just how difficult it is to open your car doors etc. If it's that difficult surely you'd all be petitioning places like legoland or peppapig world so you can all still get the babies/toddlers/kids out the car with ease? Given the reasons you all must experience the same difficulties there...