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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Parent and Child Parking

220 replies

Faerie87 · 20/07/2018 02:28

After being a FTM for a coming up 7 weeks I have found that in most car parks the parent and child spaces are nearly always full, where as the disabled parking spaces are nearly always empty.

Would it be unreasonable of me to want more parent and child spaces as opposed to disabled as there seems to be a supply and demand issue?

I also think that the amount of spaces is not necessarily the issue. I would never begrudge someone with a disability a space however to park in a disabled bay you need a blue badge. Would it not be easier for parents of children under let’s say 5 be given a similar badge when the child is born in order for them to park in the P&C bays? That way you stop Betty aged 70 and her son Gerald aged 40 parking in the bay stating that they are parent and child! That way more spaces would open up as fewer people would be able to legally park there, similar to the system the have to get a blue badge?

What do you think?

Just for the record I would like to state again, that I don’t begrudge a person with a disability a space, I just feel a better system needs to be in Place for parents and young children as there seems to be more of them.

OP posts:
SilverBirchTree · 20/07/2018 02:39

I feel like there is some version of this question all the time. A summary:

  • disability trumps parental convenience.
  • disability is not a choice, parenthood is.
  • children grow up, most disability is long term
  • disabled people have legal rights to those spaces, quite rightly
  • the parent spaces are something stores offer to encourage people to shop there. If you think there should be more of them, write to the store. Don't bring disability into it.

You sound very entitled.

Beansonapost · 20/07/2018 02:46

What did you do before you had a baby?

Perhaps keep doing that?

LisaSimpsonsbff · 20/07/2018 02:46

Why on earth do you think the extra P&C spaces should come out of disabled spaces, rather than the rest of the car park?

KatieMarieJ · 20/07/2018 02:51

Funny, we legimately have a blue badge and young kids (pre school), yet invariably it is the P&C spaces round here that are full and the disabled bays under utilised.

KatieMarieJ · 20/07/2018 02:51

*legitimately

Eminybob · 20/07/2018 02:56

Oh dear op this will not end well.

Gizzymum · 20/07/2018 02:58

I understand what you mean OP. I see similar at my local supermarkets and have often wondered why the larger spaces aren't for both disabled and P&C. They could also do with a lot more of them as I suspect there may be days where the P&C drivers meant there weren't any disabled spaces left.

I also understand that the issue isn't wanting to be parked near the store entrance (ie convenience as another poster suggested) it's more the space needed to get a child out a car seat.

lunar1 · 20/07/2018 02:59

When I was out with my first husband we often found all the disabled bays legitimately full and could often have to wait ages for one, and you would take some of these spaces away?

P&C spaces make life easier but aren't a necessity in the same way.

MsFrizzle · 20/07/2018 03:00

have often wondered why the larger spaces aren't for both disabled and P&C.

Likely because they'd be full of P&C leaving no spaces if disabled people need them. It's good that they're separate - if there needs to be more, there can be more spaces taken from the rest of the car park.

LisaSimpsonsbff · 20/07/2018 03:09

I never understand people who say they need a P&C space because there are so many places that don't have them - around me the supermarkets have them but none of the car parks for the town centre do, the hospital doesn't, the leisure centre doesn't, the big park doesn't. Do people really just not go to those places because they can only park in a P&C space?

SilverBirchTree · 20/07/2018 03:27

@Gizzymum I have a child in a car seat, I manage to get him in & out of small car spaces. It's difficult, cumbersome, tedious.

But then I think 'this is what life is like all. The. Damn. Time. for people with disabilities and accessibility issues' and I count my blessings.

melonscoffer · 20/07/2018 03:29

Would it be unreasonable of me to want more parent and child spaces as opposed to disabled as there seems to be a supply and demand issue

Yes totally unreasonable.

After being a FTM for a coming up 7 weeks
Aww bless. What's that then 6 and and a half weeks?

callywags · 20/07/2018 03:33

Just no OP

I have 2 toddlers and a baby and would never expect to get rid of disability parking just so I can be convenienced, if I can't find a parent spot I will just look for the next available

Original poster
Faerie87 · 20/07/2018 04:03

obviously it does appear that many people can not read!

I have stated in my first post that I don’t begrudge disabled people their spaces! Did you all miss that? I did state it twice? I am not entitled I can manage without a space for P&C I just park further away where there are not too many cars so I can get the seat out.

Why are people on here so bloody angry? And jump at the chance to have a fucking go? I would ask any other poster on this to calm their tits or not bother fucking posting! Had it up to hear of it!

All I am saying is that as on observation and nothing more! that where I am at least that P&C is always full where disabled spaces are not, I am not in the slightest saying there should be any less of each.

What I think may be a good idea is to create more P&C or to create a similar blue badge system to it to allow parents to park there with small children.

OP posts:
Ractify · 20/07/2018 04:05

I have a BB. There are rarely enough BB spaces, and when they are occupied (hopefully by legitimate BB holders), I can't get out of the car - and so can't get to my appointment/shop/do anything else I may need or want to do. I have to turn around and go home.

If you want more Parent and Child parking, lobby the shop or council or whomever owns the car park for it. Ask them to convert some of the regular spaces to Parent and Child parking. Don't take the few hard-fought for, essential spaces from Disabled people.

Life is hard enough as it is without the few adaptations that have taken so long to fight for being removed. Every day movements, travel and life are painful, exhausting and time-consuming enough, and will be for my whole life - BB spaces are not a convenience, they are a necessity to actually be able to participate in society.

BlueBug45 · 20/07/2018 04:07

YABU

  1. Use supermarkets with wider spaces generally
  2. Go when it is not busy and park further from the entrance so you are unlikely to have other cars on both sides.
  3. Just because a retailer has P&C spaces don't use them as an excuse not to keep an eye on your small child when they are mobile as not all P&C spaces are right next to entrances.
Ractify · 20/07/2018 04:13

I have found that in most car parks the parent and child spaces are nearly always full, where as the disabled parking spaces are nearly always empty.

Would it be unreasonable of me to want more parent and child spaces as opposed to disabled as there seems to be a supply and demand issue?

This is the portion of your OP I was responding to - the section where you stated that Disabled Spaces are nearly always empty, and you want more Parent and Child spaces as opposed to Disabled Spaces......

RebootYourEngine · 20/07/2018 04:17

P&C spaces are not a legal requirement. Anyone can park in them because they are a courtesy rather than a legal necessity.

EssentialHummus · 20/07/2018 04:25

Just park further away OP, so you can open your door enough to use tge car seat. Though fwiw I agree - since having DD I look at P&C spaces / their occupants when I shop and many are very obviously not there with children.

melonscoffer · 20/07/2018 04:33

This is the portion of your OP I was responding to - the section where you stated that Disabled Spaces are nearly always empty, and you want more Parent and Child spaces as opposed to Disabled Spaces

Yep me too. The "opposed to Disabled Spaces" is the part that means a lot.

melonscoffer · 20/07/2018 04:34

If there is no disabled bay then I park in a parent and child bay.

Shock. Horror. Aren't I naughty.

HerSymphonyAndSong · 20/07/2018 04:34

This is a very common topic on MN - thousands of threads over the years

Most P&C spaces are taken up by people without children, but I don’t really care - they are a courtesy and not enforced and as I have the ability I just park on the far side of the car park where there is usually more space

I think if they are going to have them, the parent and child spaces should be a bit further away from supermarket entrances - they don’t need to be nearby, just have plenty of space and a clear, safe run to the entrance. I’m sure they would be less full, as able-bodied people seems to be obsessed with being as close to the supermarket entrance as possible

BlueBug45 · 20/07/2018 04:35

OP P&C spaces are just a gimmick to get people to shop at a retailer particularly those that have small car parking spaces in comparison to the size of modern cars. On the other hand disabled spaces are a necessity - if you have ever been with a disabled person before they have received their blue badge you would understand why. Therefore you shouldn't do a comparison.

If you simply asked "Should retailers have more P&C spaces?" and made no mention of disability you wouldn't have got attacked. (The answer is no - all retailers should have decent sized parking spaces so if you can't find an empty P&C space, while it is hassle you can still manage to open your car door a reasonable width.)

callywags · 20/07/2018 04:39

I can read just fine thanks!

Where I live, most the parent spaces are not much bigger than the regular ones, only closer to the shops. There are so many parents, I just think they are always busy and full, and you also get idiots parking in the disabled bays too, they don't care, but at least they get fined.

These threads never go well, usually get people riled up.

BlueBug45 · 20/07/2018 04:40

@melonscoffer I hope the bay is wide enough for you.

In one supermarket I use the only difference is the hatched lines around the space, there as the disabled spaces are wider plus have the hatched lines.

Incidentally that supermarket has decent sized spaces in general so you get a lot of learners using it to practice bay parking.