To think some busy car parks have an excessive amount of disabled spaces?

[coffeeforone]

Every time I go to my local Sainsbury's, i very rarely find a free Parent & Child space, or any space that is not at the very far end of the car park. I've noticed this more recently as I'm heavily pregnant and have a 2 year old so would love a P&C space. There are only 12 parent & child bays, but there are 18 disabled spaces, the vast majority of them are always free. Given the ratio of parents with young children to blue badge holders in a supermarket at any one time, would it not be more sensible to have, say 12 disabled and 18 P&C bays, or even half & half? I've noticed this in places like IKEA and other big supermarkets too (but haven't actually counted the bays!)

Well a lot of car park spaces are free a lot of the time. That doesn’t mean car parks need to be smaller. I imagine they have enough disability spaces to fulfill need at busy periods. They want everyone who wants to spend their money in their store to be able to.
Is it really that much of a hardship to have to walk a few extra metres?

You chose to be heavily pregnant whilst having a two year old. Someone with a disability didn't make that choice. You cash walk / park further away.
And I say this as someone who is also heavily pregnant with a 3 year old.

I want to move to one of these magical towns where there’s always loads of BB spaces free. I’ve had mine for almost 20 years, moved all over the country and I’m yet to find one of these car parks.

What a nasty, nasty thing to wish on someone. Whatever point you might have had, you lost it there

I don't give a shiny shit.

So it's fine for people to wish to make our lives harder by taking away stuff we've fought for years to have, that are abused daily by able people, we have to share our facilities that might be needed in an emergency with baby changing, able trans people, people who can't be arsed to wait for a normal toilet, those who abuse disabled access on public transport, not get jobs, not get awarded PIP etc etc.

But to say I hope that someone who posts a shitty thread about there being too many disabled parking spaces gets to experience it themselves some day is too much?

Get a massive grip.

Professor i agree with you.
The op set out to goad.

100% - they must be having a boring day.

Park in a non-reserved place and walk. Exercise is good for the majority of pregnant women.
Order online and get your groceries delivered.
Go at a less crowded time.
Get someone else to shop for you.
Stop trying to take things away from a disadvantaged section of the community because you are temporarily inconvenienced by pregnancy and a 2 year old.
Yes, I’d put lots of P&C places at the far end of the car park. Then see how many parents use them when they are not right outside the store. I’d label it part of a community anti-obesity scheme.

SilverApples great post!

Get rid of parent spaces and make spaces wider.
And let's have more disabled parking spaces.

@Professer. I'm so sorry you experience this all.

Do you think making baby change a separate space to the disabled toilet will help?

Everytime I go to the supermarket I notice that all the disabled bays are full and most of the p and c spaces are empty. I think it makes sense to get rid of the p and c spaces and have more disabled bays.

It's not your fault, Defrack I just wish people realised when they post shit like this how it actually hurts people. I have had to go home many a time because if I can't park in a disabled space, I can't get my wheelchair out and therefore can't get to where I'm going. There are never any disabled spaces free anywhere where I live, so I wither have to wait or go home. They're either being used by other blue badge holders, or able people who don't give a shit. It's really not great, then when you get someone coming along saying there are too many spaces - well, you try it.

I've had to wait to use a disabled toilet navy times due to people queueing to change babies. Luckily I don't often experience urgency so can usually hold it, but many people can't. So yes, it would help a lot of disabled people if the toilets were purely accessible and not baby change areas too. Unfortunately in many places, it's not possible due to space, though why they can't put a pull down change table in some normal toilets, I don't know.

I’d put lots of P&C places at the far end of the car park.

Would this plan involve a safe pathway to the store for toddlers to walk? If yes then this is a great idea and I'm not sure why supermarkets don't do this. I'm Although it wouldn't help in an already full car park, if there were more spaces that were wider and had a safe route to the store that would be great.

ODFOD

Where I live there are rarely B.B. spaces available and don't get me started on how few there are at the local hospital.
Tell you what, borrow my spare wheelchair for a week and then tell me how you get on...see how easy it is then.

Everytime I go to the supermarket I notice that all the disabled bays are full and most of the p and c spaces are empty. I think it makes sense to get rid of the p and c spaces and have more disabled bays.

I would just make it clear that disabled people can always use the P&C bay.

I think in general there should be enough disabled spaces so even at the busiest time of day you can guarantee a space. It's a hassle for me if the car park is full but I'll just have to wait or park further away. I'll cope fine!

Oh FGS just park as near as you can to the store leave disabled people alone stop being a snowflake and realise an awful lot of people have to get on a bus with shopping and toddler and baby they and they plod on and dont whinge as if they're special

I have a spinal cord injury. You would not believe the amount of times I go to do my big shop and there are no disability spaces and no normal spaces anywhere near close, I often end up driving home and coming back the next day.
How is it difficult for you to just park somewhere else

Why do you need a special route.
Just hold their hand and walk them, you don't need a perfect path.

My DC are teens now butI honestly do not recall ever using a P&C space (maybe they did not exist in "my day" or at least not in such numbers that it became an expectation). And i honestly do not remember it ever being a problem or wishing for such spaces to be invented.

Why are they considered necessary? Is it more space to get car seat in and out, and less far for toddlers to walk? Do people really struggle with this?

So proffesors post is deleted, yet the op gets away with goading.
Never gets better on mn

I want to move to one of these magical towns where there’s always loads of BB spaces free. I’ve had mine for almost 20 years, moved all over the country and I’m yet to find one of these car parks.

Have you tried Berkshire? Loads and loads of empty disabled bays in my local Waitrose and Sainsbury’s, and always several free on the local high streets. Not sure if the LA is just very good at providing them or if it’s something to do with local demographic!

When you go to a public car park, there aren’t P&C spaces or special paths, are there?

True, but there also isn't a busy fuel station and a couple of roundabout, no pathways and constant traffic.

At the moment, obviously I do park in a standard space at the far end of the car park and hold his hand/carry him as there is no other option. Once you get nearer the front where the PC & BB bays are there are pathways and zebra crossings but nothing at the far end where it's sometimes possible to get a space.

This thread is an example of everyday disablism.

Advocating to take away/reduce essential provision for disabled people in favour of abled people is disablist.

YABU