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.

Christ almighty ToEarly, is that how your refer to your parents?

I was waiting for my blue badge to be renewed recently. It had been accepted but it was still 14 days before it artived in the post (after 4 weeks wait just to renew). I was told that I wasn't even allowed to display my acceptance letter alongside my old badge - to do so would be an offence.

So I used P&C. Mostly I had DS with me so it was Ok, but I lived in fear of being confronted after the last time I used a P&C spot alone. Earlier this year all the bb spaces were full so I used the last remaining P&C and displayed my badge. As I was heaving myself out of the car A woman pulled up behind me and leaned on her horn until I looked at her, then wound down her window and gave me a stream of abuse. I reached into my car and got out my badge and told her she was welcome to my space if she'd like my disability too. She drove off sharpish.

And really that's my response to anyone (here or otherwise) trying to claim there is any kind of equity between disabled bays and P&C parking. Heaving kids in and out of narrow spaces might be frustrating, but it doesn't prevent you from doing what you need to do. On a bad day or during a flare which could last days or weeks, when I have to save my energy up to even go to the shops (and until Aldi does delivery I'm kind of stuck having to go in person) and it's the only thing I can do that day, I need the bb space I'm entitled to. If all thats left are P&C then im going to use it. I'm rarely confrontef now, but I have been in the past for using both types of spaces, even with DS (with ASD) with me!

If you are able bodied and frustrated because one thing is inconvenient for you when out shopping I ask you to stop and think for a minute. Disabled people's lives are full of daily inconveniences and what adjustments we do have are hard won. If you are hale and hearty why do you resent someone who is struggling getting an adjustment to help them be a little less inconvenienced? Yes it might put you out a bit more but I can assure you that overall you are inconvenienced far less than they are on a daily basis. And I always ask this of anyone who uses a bb bay 'just for a minute', to pick someone up, as a taxi rank, blocks me in whilst they wait for someone to stroll out of the store, I even once had someone park across the back of me to change their baby's nappy! Not to mention the questioning looks and thinking that if I can walk round a supermarket I don't really need my badge. Why do you think your rights and comfort are more important than mine? Do you realise by doing these things and thinking this way you are sending a clear message that you believe disabled people are less than you. That you are somehow better and your lives more worthwhile because you are physically healthy. Disability affects people of all ages and isn't always obvious. As a parent in my mid 30s I still have to do the food shop, school run, work full time, manage DS social calendar etc alongside my disability. I have just as many things to do and places to be as the next person, stop seeing all disabled people as drains on society, inconveniencing you with our 'perks'.

I have one of those intermittent invisible illness bastard fun restricting cunt but also regularly shopped on my own with 3 under 3. We didn't have p&c spaces until the kids were 5-6 and I only used them once as frankly 1) I can park 2) they always have people queuing for them 3) I think they are ridiculous. And if you're worried about car doors getting scratched you park further away, and next to a trolley park

If you can't walk your child or children across a busy car park safely then you shouldn't leave the house at all!
I have 3 children, 2 with autism and I have never once used parent & baby parking. I always park at the back where it never gets busy and walk across the car park holding my children's hands and/or pushing a pushchair and sometimes I used to carry a child 😱
Parent & baby parking should be banned and more parking for the disabled should be put in its place.
I'm so sick of parents being lazy and coming up with the shit excuses of 'my toddler runs off, my babies car seats are so big I can't get the baby out without at least a miles worth of room'.
How on earth do people manage in normal car parks when there aren't p&c parking? I've seen them managing perfectly well to get babies out of car seats perfectly safely and with no bother even though the car door is only half open so I know they can do it.
Get a fucking grip p&c wankers.

If only shops would put the parent and child places in a far corner you wouldn't get the problem! They need a wider space to open doors- they can walk!! They could be in a far corner where you don't need to cross.
We didn't have them when mine were little and we all managed perfectly well!

The woman was rude and shouldn't have shouted at the old lady - she could have quietly asked her why she was parked in parent and child.

However, some people seem to think that being elderly or having elderly people in the car means that they can park wherever they want - without a blue badge.

DP's parents are both BB holders and were trying to park in a small car park, the last disabled space was taken by a man sat in his car in the drivers seat with no BB on show. When questioned he said that he was waiting for an elderly relative who was in the shops, but they didn't have a BB. The idiot was sat in that space for over 20 minutes whilst genuinely disabled people with a BB were unable to park.

The point about moving them to the back of the car park away from the store is ridiculous, the whole point of them is so that it is close and therefore safe so you don't have to get a toddler and various other children through a car park with various cars reversing and so that you are close to drop off the trolley return so you don't have to leave children out of sight.

Really? When I was a kid we only had one car, which my dad took to work - so my mum walked with us everywhere. Sometimes we walked to the supermarket, which involved walking across the entire carpark to reach the entrance. We didn't die.

ginflumpsandzebraprint I have one of those too.

The woman was rude and shouldn't have shouted at the old lady - she could have quietly asked her why she was parked in parent and child

She could have quietly minded her own business and walked on, in fact.

I do get a little raged when non parents park in those spaces, but i really don't think it would extend to an elderly lady awaiting a blue badge

It would be tough luck if your "rage" did extend to blue badges parking in parent spaces. They can park there if there are no disabled spaces left.

she could have quietly asked her why she was parked in parent and child

She could have minded her own business.

She should have minded her own business. Nothing to do with her.

My children are grown up now but I never felt the need to park on P&C spaces. Besides, only the supermarket has them so what do you all do when you go elsewhere?

For the past 2 years I have done my shopping outside peak times, although it's not always been possible, and I use a BB space if one is free despite not having a BB. Because I can't walk regardless of the powers that be who say I am not bad enough to warrant a badge. If I have to park away from the store and walk across the car park I then cannot physically shop. I have never been challenged and even without a badge I would park in a P&C space if it was closer to the store. Because I have been denied a BB the supermarket is the only place I can shop because car parks in town are too far away from the places I need to go.

I don't know any parent who doesn't go to all manner of places where there are no P&C spaces, they are just not necessary. Being rude to anyone simply because you have a child is revolting behaviour. If you have a need then fine, but a child is not a need!

Tomorrow I can take myself to specsavers without making all manner of elaborate plans for someone to drop and collect me because, finally, I have been granted a badge!

So if P&C isn't enforceable, does that mean that you can just ignore the parking tickets? I don't know if I'd have the guts to risk that but interesting to know it's an option!

A lot of people seem to be missing that it is very hard to qualify for a blue badge
That must depend on area. My mum has a blue badge which she got very easily. She has osteoarthritis and morbid obesity so she can't walk very far without pain but she doesn't need a stick or a walker yet and can walk for 5 minutes plus when needed. My dad had a blue badge when he was recovering from leukaemia and, when he relapsed and became terminal a few years later, the badge was still in his drawer and valid so he just started using it again. My grandma had one just for being generally old and unsteady. All of those badge issues were in the rural North West so maybe they're less fussy there than London or somewhere.

Blue Badge holders are a bit of a red herring in this thread anyway. They can park anywhere they like that isn't causing an obstruction or someone else's private property. Therefore whether the space is a p&c or not really doesn't matter.

The woman in the OP is a slightly different case but it was hugely unreasonable of the mum to shout at her and make her feel guilty; the old lady obviously needed to park there.

manic, no, you shouldn't ignore any tickets. As long as the signage for the parking rules are clear, it's quite 'legal' for the landowners of the car park to 'invoice' you for breaching the contract (ie their rules) you entered when you parked on their private land. If you feel you've been wrongly invoiced you can appeal but if the signage was quite clear that you shouldnt park in a p&c space unless xyz (child under 5 etc) and you still do, then the invoice stands. It's a civil matter. Land owners/private parking firms can and will peruse through the courts for unpaid invoices.

All of those badge issues were in the rural North West so maybe they're less fussy there than London or somewhere.

Not London or NW and certainly difficult to get here.

I'm glad you have got your badge at last, nokids, but very sorry you had to wait so long

Thank you

I hate the fact that I need one but am pleased because it will make life easier.

People applauding her rude behaviour on social media is disgraceful. Some people really seem to be lacking empathy and respect for the elderly nowadays, which is sad, as we will all be there ourselves one day. She is certainly setting a horrid example for her child, wow =(.

The shouting mother is a bully and a bad example to her kids.
If she's that easily riled she should not be driving, as god help us if her road rage behaviour happens when she's got the car in gear.

No excuse - she clearly sees herself as the parking regulator - but imagine the supermarket has the position covered already.
She needs to wind her neck in and learn how to behave respectfully and responsibly.

Slightly different scenario but same premise. I have a brain tumour and therefore have a disabled badge (which took 5 weeks to arrive). I haven't ever parked in a p&c space - the need hasn't arisen and I don't think it would cross my mind to do so. However I can understand why some disabled people would need to.
I have had so many people shouting at me for my husband parking in a disabled space with me as 'there's nothing wrong with me' because I don't look visibly ill. I find it very upsetting - I feel like screaming 'I have cancer!' But obviously I don't. I even had one young mum say 'it's a disgrace people like you park in those spaces, there's nothing wrong with you that a good kick up the arse wouldn't fix'.
Some people are just thoughtless.

Depends where in Scotland you are! Still waiting for DF's BB - we applied in April....

I well remember parking in a p&c space a few years ago on a certain occasion, and being given very evil looks by the woman in the next p&c space..who had young children whereas I only had a teenage child with me. On this occassion I used a p&c space as it was very near the shop and I was on crutches and non weight bearing. I might add I didn't use the last one up. I considered I needed it just as much as an able bodied parent who could walk...I could barely hop along as I had to keep the foot off the floor and had only recently injured it.
However, to give her her due, after she gave me the evils..which I ignored...she watched me lever myself out of the car, teenage daughter helping me (I think in fact she drove as I couldn't have done) and awkwardly move towards the shop a few metres away. What made my day was the fact she waited for me to come out of the shop and apologised for judging me as she didn't realise how disabled I was. I thought this was a really nice, and brave, thing to do.

Incidentally I never use them otherwise...and they weren't really around when mine were litte..and if they were, people queued for them and I couldn't be bothered to wait...more hassle for me and the littleys. I agree..move them further down the car parks then there wouldn't be any hassle over them! It annoys me to see able bodied adults parked in them too...and I haven't got little children any more. It's the typical "Why shouldn't I...I can if I want" mentality of some people today....

It does make me really angry as a lot of disabled people use the p&c bays at my local supermarket as they go right up to the door and the disabled are around the corner - makes no sense I know - and if I parked in them I'd get a ticket! But there were other spaces free whats her problem!! Taxis on the other hand are a whole other story...