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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to get annoyed about people parking in parent/baby spaces

184 replies

Mummyto2munchkins · 25/01/2019 17:11

So went shopping today. A woman parked her car in a parent and baby space but left both kids and her mum in the car with the car running..
I shook my head as it annoyed me.

She stopped the car and opened the back door showing her kids saying "if you wanna get lairy my kids are in the car"

We explained that the parking spaces are for parents with kids in the car to get the kids out.. She then said that both kids were in the car. We said also with your mum in the car too.

She then said "he didn't want to go in, what do you want me to do drag them out" we responded with "no just park in a Normal space"

AIBU to think she's out of order, and the spaces are for kids getting out of the car as you're needing extra space to get them in/out? Or am I completely missing something here?

OP posts:
SleepingStandingUp · 25/01/2019 19:30

These spaces shouldn't exist. Having a baby does not make you incapable of walking a few extra steps to the shop entrance. It does your children no damage to walk either

Lots of things exist which aren't essential to life. Would you abolish chocolate too?

Abyway it isn't about the distance to the shops it, it's about being able to open the door enough to get a baby seat out or to properly unload a couple of small children and them have somewhere safe to stand whilst you get them into the pushchair or lock up etc, to be able to open it enough to load and properly strap said kids back in again

It's like saying pedestrian crossings didn't always exist so we should abolish them. And seat belts. Child car seats. Washing machines. Electricity...

ILoveMaxiBondi · 25/01/2019 19:31

Why is such a simple comment so unbelievable to you?

I guess I’m just a committed cynic 😂

elQuintoConyo · 25/01/2019 19:38

Get. A. Life.

I could not give two fannies if someone used a p&c space who didn't have DC to get out of the car. Total non-event.

Therighthonourable · 25/01/2019 19:44

The car seat / use a pram or a sling argument is flawed. The problem is the fact that whether you take the carry seat out of the car or you take the baby out of the carry seat to put into a sling or a pram, you have to open the doors very wide. That's the point of the extra space!

ILoveMaxiBondi · 25/01/2019 19:48

You really don’t have to open the doors very wide. Outside of shopping centres there are only standard sized parking spaces. Are we really expected to believe parents with children don’t park anywhere but in Supermarket car parks? That must be a very boring life. The reality is we can and have all managed to he our children out of the car in normal parking spaces oodles of times. Yes it nicer to have space to fling the door wide but it’s not essential.

DappledThings · 25/01/2019 19:57

left both kids and her mum in the car with the car running

Can't bring myself to get het up about anyone using P&C spaces but people leaving the engine running fuck me right off. For this bit specifically YANBU.

In 3 years I've never had a need to get the car seat out of the car.

ghostyslovesheets · 25/01/2019 19:57

I used to get mine out of the car in normal spaces with little difficulty - I don't think it's flawed

3 kids and I never used the car seat as anything other than a car seat in the car!

bourbonbiccy · 25/01/2019 20:08

Oohh here we go again. Everyone will give examples that are absolutely nothing to do with the post and more related to disability. @Seline your 1st post made me laugh about 50 kids in a fiat 500 lol

I love all the "Entitled" comments that normally appear - hardly entitled to use the space and expect others to use them for what they were actually provided for.

I do think it's inconsiderate to park there if your not getting your kids out, I don't park in them if I'm going to leave my DS sleeping in the car. I leave it available for someone else it would help.

I would still use them if they were at the back of the car park as they do make life a bit easier if your getting car seat out and it would probably stop all the lazy people who they weren't provided for, utilising them.

Unicornfoodissparkle · 25/01/2019 20:11

Yanbu op.
But on Mumsnet no one believes that parents should receive any extra help.
no one believes that people should follow the rules when it comes to p and c parking to ensure that the spaces are used correctly for the purpose they were designed : making it more ergonomical for parents/carers to move heavy children and car seats as safely as possible and with less risk of damaging a neighbouring car.

However, if a parent were to ignore a rule about something designed for adults only, such as taking the liberty of allowing their child to run noisily around an adult orientated restaurant, or using the adults only pool on holiday/at a spa with noisy kids in tow, Everyone would be up in arms.
As decent parents should always respect the rules, but never expect to make use of anything that was designed to make their life minimally easier.

So in my opinion unless you are getting children out of the car and need the extra space, or of course have a blue badge, it is just as rude to use a p and c space as it would be to allow your toddler loose in a luxurious spa.
But I am aware that on here at least, I am in the minority.

You will also have various posters whinging that back in there Day there was no such luxury as p and c spaces. Whinge whinge whinge.
I wonder if they are this sour faced in real life.
I mean my parents didn’t have a perfect prep machine for making bottles, or disposable nappies. Does it mean I’m going to use the kettle to make a bottle every time or put my baby in terry towelling nappies just because my parents didn’t have this luxury? Nope definitely not.

It’s also very interesting that anything that makes a parents life easier makes them a snowflake. But other things that have advanced in recent years to make life easier aren’t criticised in the same way.
My great grandmother used a tub and mangle to wash her clothes. Yet no one calls me a snowflake for having a washer/drier do they?!

GertrudeCB · 25/01/2019 20:16

@Klopptomist indeed !

LeSquigh · 25/01/2019 20:17

YANBU. This has happened to me twice in the last week, couples using P&C spaces when they had no children with them.

I do think that the spaces should be placed further away because it would discourage people from using them. It isn’t the distance from the shop that is the issue, it’s that it’s very difficult to safely get a toddler or baby out and back in to a vehicle when there is so little room to open a door properly.

I accept that there isn’t always going to be an available P&C space when I need one but it’s very selfish of those people using them who do not need them.

Drogosnextwife · 25/01/2019 20:19

*In every other aspect mumsnet are sticklers for the rules.

Tesco has accidentally delivered a Freddo bar and not charged you? Get on the phone to them with your your credit card!

You found a five pound note in the street with no sign of anyone about? Take it to the nearest police station.

A twenty five year old fully able bodied man parks in a P&C space you were waiting for and you're eight months pregnant with 11 month old triplets in the car? Tough luck, they're nota legal right, they didn't have them 20 years ago and it wasyour choiceto have kids.*

^ 😂 this sums MN up perfectly.

tiredscaredmama · 25/01/2019 20:22

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

PurpleAndTurquoise · 25/01/2019 20:24

Different subject but related...
I get annoyed when people use the twin trolleys and only have one baby - they put their handbag in the other seat.
Maybe they expect me to use a single trolley, put one baby in the seat and the other baby over my shoulder like a handbag!

Drogosnextwife · 25/01/2019 20:25

They are not enforceable at all and shops do not need to put them there anyway, they just do.

Yes, they do, for people with children getting out the car to use.

ILoveMaxiBondi · 25/01/2019 20:29

This has happened to me twice in the last week, couples using P&C spaces when they had no children with them.

What do you mean “happened to me”? Confused are you the space?

ChoudeBruxelles · 25/01/2019 20:30
Biscuit
FuckOffMeadowSoprano · 25/01/2019 20:31

These p&c threads are so fucking dull.

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 25/01/2019 20:31

The point of the spaces is for safety hence why they are located near the doors.

Many say they wouldn't mind them at the back of the carpark.

saying that they are less safe as near the front where more cars pass - erm what sort of person takes there children to the back of the car into traffic and not the front where the path is.

I deliberetly missed out your offensive word If you reverse park then it is the other way around.

HTH

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 25/01/2019 20:34

Yes, they do, for people with children getting out the car to use.

They are not a legal requirement, unlike BB spaces, so no technically they don't.

Drogosnextwife · 25/01/2019 20:36

saying that they are less safe as near the front where more cars pass - erm what sort of person takes there children to the back of the car into traffic and not the front where the path is

What if there is no path? Hmm

CatnissEverdene · 25/01/2019 20:36

What supermarkets need to do is put the P & C parking along one edge of the car park and not next to the store.

Then they can label the old P & C spaces for the "selfish gits whose needs are more important than everyone elses" Grin.

Not worth getting wound up over though. Nothing will change.

Drogosnextwife · 25/01/2019 20:37

I didn't mean they have to provide them, I was answering another poster who said "they just put them there" and I said "Yes they do, for people with children."

Drogosnextwife · 25/01/2019 20:38

PigletWasPoohsFriend

^

Drogosnextwife · 25/01/2019 20:42

As usual OP gives an example of a selfish twat taking advantage of a privilege that she has no need for and it turns into a war about disabled people being allowed to use P&C Spaces 😂, yet this person did not have a disability.

I do look forward to the first person who tells me I don't know that she wasn't disabled though. Should get the bingo card out.