Parent and child parking

[spiderbear]

It winds me up so much when people without children park in 'parent and child' parking. Is it just me that has a go?? I just can't help it. I find them so ignorant and selfish. Just had to say something to someone at Tesco- she was with her (I'm guessing 20yr old) daughter.. and wouldn't even look me in the face.. I'm heavily pregs and also with a 2 yr old. But her daughter piped up saying they'd just dropped her dad and sister off at the entrance - which was rubbish as we'd been behind them coming into the car park!!
Am I out of order having a go ?? Should I just let it be? Or should supermarkets do more to stop this themselves??

If you are that lacking in self control perhaps you are better off not going out without supervision.

These threads never end well 😬

For what it's worth, with a 14 month old and due #2 in a week I find myself equally frustrated...but most people will tell you that you are being unreasonable...it's a sore topic on mn so brace yourself!

It is frustrating but use of these spaces is not legally enforceable, like disabled spaces. Sadly some people are just ignorant.

Oh god not this again. Wait for the 'hidden disability' posts OP.

I wouldn't 'have a go' at anyone over a parking space. Life's too short and other people are too unpredictable. I'm often on the receiving end though for using a disabled space (with a badge) and it's pretty scary.

Was it the last space in the car park?

Yanbu I have a 3 month old and need the extra space to wrestle her heavy car seat in and out. I'm sick of watching people (mainly women) striding out of their cars with no child. They often have an empty car seat in the back. You'd think they'd know better

Tbh I would prefer to see these spaces right at the back of the car park as they wouldn't b abused. Loads of space then guaranteed to open car doors and manoeuvre car seats in and out,

I have 4 kids and I dont think I have ever used a parent and child space.
If I couldnt manage to get them from a parking space further away then I dont understand how I would manage to get them around the supermarket? That goes for them as well why did they need a space close to the front.
Its going to be more energy for you to argue with a starnger in a carpark, I would have just left it they obviously dont care what they are doing and are not going to stop if you tell them too.

Well I'm quite new to mn so didn't realise this topic was such a 'no no'..
some places do give out fines for people parking in them when they shouldn't- I know some Asda's do.
It wasn't the last space on the car park , there was plenty - but the last parent & child spot.

I found them useful when I had little ones in car seats but I wouldn't have a go at someone for using one. They are a luxury but not really a necessity. You'll get flamed for not knowing if the 20 year old had a hidden disability. Brace yourself.

You know, I live in sadistic hope that me and my mum come up against a gobshite when we park in p&c spaces so she can get out/in the car easier but it never happens :(

Meh, for the flick of a coin it could have been me you were yelling at. I’d just think you were a bit cray-cray and carry on with my day.

There should be a copy and paste bullet list to summarise these p&c parking threads

1. Yes it's annoying, but...
2. They are a courtesy not a right, and if the supermarkets wanted to enforce them they can and occasionally do.
3. Most people agree that people with blue badges, hidden disabilities or mobility problems but no blue badge should be able to park in them too if they are close to the store entrance.
4. People think they should be moved to the back of the car park to stop lazy people using them.
5. There is finally the argument that people always used to manage without p&c spaces, and the counter argument that cars and car seats have got bigger and bulkier and parking spaces haven't got bigger to accommodate this.

Next time be dramatic "omg you have lost your child, where did you last see them? Can I help you find them, you must be going out of your mind with worry".

I totally agree. I've got a two month old and just discovering how frustrating this is. I see it all the time. The reason they are there is so that parents have the space to get the child out of the car seat. Often I will park in another space that has an empty space next to it so I have the room but more often than not I come back to (expectedly) find a car parked there and it's very difficult getting them back in the car seat in these circumstances.

What's wrong with the "hidden disability" posts? Or are you just being ableist?

OP, if the disabled spaces are full, I'll happily park in them whether I have my child with me or not. IMO, parents with children shouldn't have the spaces that are closest to the store. They should all be for the disabled.

Also, unlike the disabled spaces, they are a courtesy and unenforceable.

Yeah. I have 1 yo twins and a 4 yo and it’s frustrating because it does make the whole operation of getting them out more difficult. Especially because at our supermarket it’s normally one particular daft bitch who parks her Porsche in there so it doesn’t get scratched.

YANBU

Unfortunately, some people just don't care or are simply spiteful. These threads always attract posters who will take you how they didn't have parent and child parking in their time, and had to treck barefeet on broken glass in the snow carrying a month worth of coal, their groceries, a mattress and their toddler on their back whilst in labour so why should you have an easier life you entitled snowflake or something of that effect

These threads rarely end well. I am anti child and parent spaces, I park in them with my child, she’s the size of an adult but she has autism, she often runs out in front of cars but we can’t get a disabled badge because she’s not physically disabled. I got odd looks when I get out the car with my daughter because she’s not a bay or a small child. If I had a disabled badge for her I could park in the disabled spaces but usually all of these are full as so many people have badges now.

I don’t understand why parents really need to use them, I know it’s useful that the spaces are bigger to get a child out who is in a child seat but it’s usually easy to find a space with enough room to unload your child? Maybe they should just make all the spaces slightly bigger?

Nope, I don't have a go at people who do this. Because it's really a non-issue. Wish the shops would just get rid of these spaces or put them at the back. Too many precious and entitled snowflakes making a mountain out of a molehill over them.

I parked in a parent & child bay at a multistory in St Albans at the weekend and the parking attendant was by my car in seconds peering through the window checking that a child was present! I was a bit taken aback at first but he said he'd already turfed out four non-eligible cars that morning. They have a CCTV camera on that section of the car park so that he can see as someone arrives.

It would be impossible for all car parks to provide this level of staffing though.

I do understand your frustration but if you park to one side of a normal bay it is usually possible to get a baby in and out. For this reason I have my baby behind the driver's seat to ensure we can both get out the same side.

Didn’t any of you consider that having several young children may make things like shopping a bit tricky? Do you not consider shopping online?

When mine were tiny I would do it online or wait until dh was home (at night) and go shopping alone. I didn’t expect special treatment because I chose to have several children.

Bundlesmads did the ‘daft bitch’ tell you that was her reasoning...?

Too many precious and entitled snowflakes making a mountain out of a molehill over them.

see, that didn't take long

Some posters cannot even comprehend that some supermarket car parks DO NOT have these elusive free space at the back, because their local Asda has big wide space at the back, everyone has them, and people didn't have car when they had their own child and they still manage, they didn't even have supermarket or running water or a roof over their head and they did just as well thank you very much.