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.

The P&C spaces should be at the far end of the car park then they would be used by those who genuinely need them for space but not abused by those who don't really need them who can't be bothered to walk a little further.

I would say the elderly lady here had a much greater need and the mother was being unreasonable. How was it even affecting her?!

The rules in our local sainsburys are clearly posted on a large sign, they are for parents and children under 12.

The actual law trumps any Sainsbury rules. Those with BB can park there.

f 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

Then you are a horrible person and are teaching your children to be horrible people too.

However, if you are disabled then these rights are enshrined in law.
I was talking about moral rights. You might be disabled, but not actually need to be parked closer to the entrance of the shop. In this case, you should leave the spaces to those who actually genuinely have a need for it, ie. who might not be able to shop otherwise.

Rights by law and right by principles are different things.

The rules in our local sainsburys are clearly posted on a large sign, they are for parents and children under 12.
Puzzled!!! Because an 11 year old without disabilities is not capable of walking 100 yard? I bet they have no issue walking that distance if it is to get an ice cream!!

She shouldn't have shouted and I wouldn't have said anything. But it is annoying when you can't get a P&C space and can hardly get the car seat out and then have to lug the car seat across the car park to the trolleys and then do you leave baby in the car or leave the trolley back and lug the car seat the whole way back again etc.

But then parents deserve everything they get for daring to have sex and shouldn't even be allowed a minor convenience 🙄

Even without a BB equality law and reasonable adjustment would apply to someone who is disabled parking in a P and C space.

I do think some people don't realise how hard it is to get a BB so if parking in a p and c space make it easier for the disabled person and their family too right they should park there

Awaywiththepixies well if you haven't 'seen' a space that's enforced it mustn't exist! However I've been fined and so have others on here so?????

I absolutely hate P&C spaces. They've given some parents a sense of helplessness so now they think they need them and they are a right. Too many people compare them with disabled spaces and this attitude has overspilled on to wheelchair spaces on public transport and disabled toilets.

I saw a woman almost make an elderly man cry over a P&C space once. I'm disabled and was parked in one, all the disabled spaces were full, and an old, very frail man pulled into the last P&C space. He had his very old wife with him, who was a wheelchair user. As he was struggling to get her chair out of the boot this absolute loud mouth cow pulled up behind him and started screaming and shouting about how he had no right to park there, it was for kids and he needed to move his car.

I was hobbling across to my car as this fishwife carried on, effing and blinding, everyone else ignored. By the time I got there the man was shaking and putting the chair back in the car. I said to him to stay there, told her he was allowed to park there and she should park elsewhere. I,also, said I was leaving. Nope, that wasn't good enough for her, she carried on and he got back in the car and moved it. She then parked her car in the P&C space, left her kid of about 11 in the car, and skipped into the shop! 😡

I waited and spoke to the old man saying to him to park where I was and he wouldn't because he was too afraid of her coming out and seeing him. I really regret not reporting her to the shop manager. She was an absolute bitch.

But it is annoying when you can't get a P&C space and can hardly get the car seat out and then have to lug the car seat across the car park to the trolleys

Is that more annoying than being elderly and disabled? No.

TheFairyCaravan that's so sad! Good on you for getting involved. Makes you wonder what is wrong with some people!

These seem to bring out the worse is some people for some unknown reason. I get that is a P&C place blah blah but surley some common sense is needed. Like been said BB aren't easy to find and with those spaces close to the shop it makes sense for people who need to use them for other reasons to use them. Why do people feel the need to get involved on something so minor? If clearly taking the micky can sort of see why but other cases nope!

Find? Meant get.

But it is annoying when you can't get a P&C space and can hardly get the car seat out and then have to lug the car seat across the car park to the trolleys

You're right, it is annoying, but it's totally doable. I do it with twins both in car seats and I can manage.

No, it's not easy, I'm not some mega parent, it can be very tough, but I'm also aware it's very temporary whereas for those who are elderly or infirm or disabled their discomfort is likely not temporary.

Age related deterioration of the body is something that comes to all of us who are lucky enough to live that long, it doesn't hurt to show a bit of understanding/empathy.

Swbu to rant and rave like that. We have plenty of people park in the p&c at our local supermarket without kids and I admit I felt really hacked off when I could barely walk without pain and I saw it. But I mentally reminded myself that any one could have invisible disabilities and suffering bad incontinence which causes me to often run for the toilet, I know invisible truly is the right description.

I do tell taxis to move out of the spaces though. Here quite often the arsehole pull in just for a chat to each other and block disabled, p&c and often two spaces.

TheFairyCaravan that's awful, the poor man.

I agree that disabled should use the P and C spaces if they need them of a BB one isn't free but not to spaces being at the back of the car park unless they move the trolleys to nearby. Try finding a double seat trolley for 2 under 2's that isn't baby and toddler one and within view of the car ! It's a nightmare - and often they are behind 5-6 or more one seat trolleys which makes it even harder !

HiJenny I've already explained what enforced means.

But it is annoying when you can't get a P&C space and can hardly get the car seat out and then have to lug the car seat across the car park to the trolleys

Now, try doing that when you're on two crutches for example. The two are not comparable.

I wonder if a more sensible solution rather than pit two groups who both benefit from additional support, parents of young children and people who require parking for those with disabilities, against each other it would be more sensible to increase the number of blue badge parking spaces. In my Sainsburys which is both large and new there are far more disabled spaces than are ever used and not that many parent spaces, although usually at least one looks free. I don't need one as my pair are now nine and have no additional needs but they really were valued by me when they were babies. I feel both of these groups need support and a 'top trumps legally' approach is really unhelpful and reductive, both groups should be supported.

I feel both of these groups need support and a 'top trumps legally' approach is really unhelpful and reductive, both groups should be supported

One group needs the support much more than the other. The other should just stop being dicks.
Or get rid of p&c spaces altogether, see how they like that?

That poor elderly lady. P&C is a grey area but I don't see that what she did was particularly wrong. Shouting at her and then bragging about it on FB is horrible.

My local Tesco seems to have cracked this issue by having the disabled and P&C parking off to the side of the store. The disabled parking is closest to the door, P&C is further back but still close to the store. There is also ample parking at the front of the store for able but lazy people to fight over. You also have to approach from a different angle so you'll only go round to those spaces if you really want one which stops people using them on impulse. I've never seen any issues with the disabled or P&C use at this store. I've included a diagram (because I know MNetters love them). Blue is disabled, yellow is P&C, white are standard spaces. It's obviously not to scale and there are more spaces than I could fit in but it gives the idea!