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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Mother and baby parking

461 replies

crispysausagerolls · 10/09/2018 14:33

Went to the supermarket today with my baby and really could’ve used the mother and baby space to get my car seat in and out etc (especially hard as I have a 2 door car). Just as I arrived a woman without a baby pulled into the mother and baby spot, without a baby. My mother asked her what she was doing and she said she was waiting for a child. 2 mins later a middle aged woman came out of the supermarket and got into the car and she started to drive off. So she had lied. I said thanks to her in a sarcastic way as i was struggling to get my baby out in a tight space (very passive aggressive of me I know but DS hates the car and had been screaming and I was so irritated by not having the space) and she started spouting off about being heavily pregnant and blah blah blah. Which was all completely irrevelant (if even true) because she didn’t get out of the bloody car anyway!

AIBU to think the mother and baby space isn’t somewhere to just wait for a mate to come and join you in the car? People genuinely need the extra space provided by them!

OP posts:
Original poster
crispysausagerolls · 10/09/2018 22:34

brokenwing

Was no shouting...pretty happy for my child to grow up learning to question things actually. But thanks for the concern.

Well no she couldn’t, because his car seat is behind my seat and as has been said we currently have a 2 door car.

My OP was mostly about the principle of people being selfish arseholes and I’m pleased to see some people get that ☺️

OP posts:
MaryLouFreebush · 10/09/2018 22:47

Just let it go. It’s not worth getting upset about. If all the P&C spaces had been full then you wouldn’t have been able to park there anyway, you’d have had to park elsewhere & just manage. I know that’s not really the point & I know it’s unreasonable of people to use the spaces just to pick up mates etc, but shit happens. You can’t really expect people to care that you find your own car hard work, that’s your problem. I do think it’s equally unreasonable of you & your mum to interrogate people & expect people to explain themselves to you.
And the people that confront others & it descends into screaming & swearing at each other, that’s just ridiculous & you’re as bad as each other in that situation!

itsalldyingout · 10/09/2018 22:48

Can Blue Badge holders really park in P&C spaces? I had no idea. I've always felt really bad about taking a P&C space when there's no disabled.

I was parking the car a while back when it kicked off in a P&C space - the mother had parked in a P&C and left her 2 teenage sons in the car playing on their phones. Mother waiting to park with twins in a buggy blocked selfish parent in and pointed out the P&C spaces had a pushchair symbol for a reason and that teenage kids that don't need pushchairs shouldn't be parked there. Teenagers got out and then also weighed in, but the twins' mum stood her ground.

I thought it was going to come to blows, especially when someone from the store came out to see what was going on after complaints then told the waiting mother that he couldn't get involved as the parking spaces belonged to a different company!

It was quite entertaining and I agreed with her. I also wish I had her balls! Gotta be honest, I'd have no problem parking in a P&C space if it's just teenagers going to be using it (seems to be a rash of teenagers left in cars in P&C spaces around here over summer holidays).

She did manage to park there when the cheeky mum drove off - to applause from the gathered crowd. I'm surprised it didn't make the Daily Mail or This Morning!

It all boils down to entitlement or cheeky fuckery again. Posh gits with expensive cars, lazy people, people who don't understand signs (or the concept of consideration for others).

BuntyII · 10/09/2018 22:51

People who take the p&c spaces are turds. I've often found it easier to park near a trolley bay at the back of the car park. Don't have to walk far carrying my toddler as there's a trolley right there and less chance of anyone parking right beside us.

Frazzledkate · 10/09/2018 23:11

Turds Grin

Frazzledkate · 10/09/2018 23:11

Yep.

givemesteel · 10/09/2018 23:20

My local retail park has a fine of £100 if you use them without a child under 10.

I wonder if it's ever enforced. Still probably puts most people off.

Think 10 is way too old to need a parent and child space though. Really it's for babies and toddlers.

Think up to 6 is plenty old enough to be using normal spaces.

Zigazagazoo · 10/09/2018 23:29

Yanbu I had to get dd in my car with this gap the other week because there were no p&c spaces. I was twisting and turning her seat to try and get it through the door, poor thing didn’t know what was going on.

Mother and baby parking
EwItsAHooman · 10/09/2018 23:37

Think 10 is way too old to need a parent and child space though. Really it's for babies and toddlers. Think up to 6 is plenty old enough to be using normal spaces.

There are plenty of children over the age of six who still benefit from use of a wider bay when it's available, particularly children with SN.

Original poster
crispysausagerolls · 10/09/2018 23:38

zigazagazoo

😱😱😱 hats of to you!!

OP posts:
Original poster
crispysausagerolls · 10/09/2018 23:38

*off

OP posts:
EwItsAHooman · 10/09/2018 23:38

As an aside, do people take the car seat out every time they stop? I don't think I've ever take mine out of the car except for every now and again, certainly not every time I've gone to the shops. When my DC were teeny they went in the pram, then the pushchair, then they walked on reins and holding hands.

Original poster
crispysausagerolls · 10/09/2018 23:54

I only take mine out because of the 2 door situation - otherwise I would simply unclip baby from the seat and put him into the pram or carrier. However I do see a lot of babies in car seats in trolleys or on the buggy frame so I think it’s popular.

OP posts:
TheWinterofOurDiscountTentsMk2 · 11/09/2018 02:00

Nobody owes you an explanation for anything OP. I would have told you to fuck off.

Also if she was as she said heavily pregnant then she did have a baby in the car and had as much right to the space as you!

Underhisi · 11/09/2018 07:06

I would motion annoying p and c police away.. They are not worth speech.

Aaaahfuck · 11/09/2018 07:15

A few weeks ago in tesco car park I saw a woman get out of the car with a 'child' who looked 18. I'm sure most supermarkets say young children. She was a twat.

Unfortunately I think p&c bays just need to be policed by people's own moral code and understanding others actually need them. However you'll always get the odd twat who doesn't care about others.

On the other hand once I dropped my niece off to handover to my sister at a supermarket used a p&c bay as she was a baby and I wasn't great with the car seat fasteningBlush. Then felt embarrassed going back to the car just me.

Sirzy · 11/09/2018 07:18

Or perhaps she had an injury and was in constant pain....

Or perhaps her child was autistic so needed the space much more than any baby....

Again you have no idea what it is your actually judging!

Timeisslippingaway · 11/09/2018 08:12

They should just make all spaces wider or make the all disabled or P&C, if everyone is allowed to park in them anyway then what's the difference! Parking spaces should be bigger than they are. It would save a lot of car doors banging into other cars, people scratching cars trying to get into spaces that are too small. I don't know why every one gets so touchy when someone says they wish there were more P&C spaces or they wish people who don't need them would be a bit more considerate and not park in there.
I have never said anything to someone parked in a P&C space but I have felt like it, especially when I am trying to get 4 or 5 children out the car, 2 of them getting into a pram and the car before me, with a 20ish year old man alone in takes a P&C space and he is back at the car with his purchase by the time I'm finished getting the kids out the car.

Sleepyblueocean · 11/09/2018 08:20

Aaaahfuck that could be me in 6 years time with my 18 year old who has the understanding of a 1 year old and so needs the space more than someone with a toddler.

Sirzy · 11/09/2018 08:25

Time have i misread or are you basically saying they should get rid of disabled parking spaces? As that is what making all spaces the same would do!

LyndorCake · 11/09/2018 08:27

The thing is, you wouldn't go up to someone sitting in the priority seats on a bus and ask why they are sitting there, would you? Could you imagine the hurt and embarrassment you would cause someone if they felt if they were pressured to tell a perfect stranger about their disability? When I was younger I would have been distraught.
Yes you should question injustice when you see it, but to this extent?
I would tell you to fuck right off if you did this to me.

Timeisslippingaway · 11/09/2018 09:19

😂😂 yeah thats what im saying. Or maybe no that's not what I'm saying and you are being purposely ridiculous and yet again acting like everyone is out to get people who need disabled spaces.
I said spaces in general need to be made bigger or make all spaces, except the designated disabled spaces, P&C. Everyone is allowed to park in them anyway so why not make all car parks full of them (except disabled spaces, which would remain the same). God some people just are desperate to get into a slagging match online.

Timeisslippingaway · 11/09/2018 09:21

@LyndorCake

Actually this does happen to people on busses.

Timeisslippingaway · 11/09/2018 09:23

@Sirzy

I did not say make them all the same I said make them all disabled or P&C with no regular spaces in any car park just disabled and P&C, is that clearer?

Sirzy · 11/09/2018 09:26

You said “make them all wiser or make them all disabled or p and c”

I simply asked for clarification because your post wasn’t clear.

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