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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:
PigletWasPoohsFriend · 25/01/2019 21:45

You are saying mothers have no need to use them

Please point where I have actually said that?

PurpleDaisies · 25/01/2019 21:46

Piglet - nobody has said disabled people shouldn't park in them! Not one single person.
Did you miss the posts from plasticgiraffe?

PurpleDaisies · 25/01/2019 21:49

From up the thread...

I saw two older and I assume disabled drivers taking the last of the parent and child spaces today. There were 5 empty disabled spaces free. Yes they can legally park anywhere including p&c spaces and p&c spaces are only a nice thing to have but come on just use your own spaces. I'd never say anything either as I'm a wimp but being 6 months pregnant with a wriggly toddler it really annoys me

MrMakersFartyParty · 25/01/2019 21:51

But if there were 5 disabled spaces free surely they could use them? What am I missing?

tiredscaredmama · 25/01/2019 21:51

The you was in the wider sense of the side you seem to have placed yourself on in this thread.

If you'd like to agree with me otherwise feel free.

Sockwomble · 25/01/2019 21:54

If they don't have a blue badge they can't park in a disabled space.

PurpleDaisies · 25/01/2019 21:57

But if there were 5 disabled spaces free surely they could use them? What am I missing?
It’s very hard to get a blue badge. Plenty of people with significant mobility issues or other disabilities can’t get one.

Drogosnextwife · 25/01/2019 22:03

I take an elderly lady to the supermarket who is too proud to get a blue badge so yes, I use it as I need to help her in and out, I've also parked in the space at Aldi as they don't have many spaces at all,

Too proud to get a bb but will happily use a space that's exactly the same as a bb space Hmm

babydreamer1 · 25/01/2019 22:04

YANBU OP. If DH is staying in the car with DS while I run in we don't ever take a P&C space.

People should read the signs in car parks, it clearly states that they should only be used by people with/exiting the car with children. I'm not really sure why MN call them courtesy spaces, in a private car park, both P&C and disabled spaces are a courtesy to shoppers, neither is legally enforceable and rely on people being decent. More car parks should be like co-op and fine people misusing them.

Obviously blue badge holders can use P&C bays, no parent would mind at all, but should only do so if all the disabled spaces are taken. That being said, blue badges aren't enforceable in private car parks but in my view if you don't qualify for one you shouldn't park in a disabled bay, just as you couldn't on council owned land, nor in a P&C space as they are just that.

PurpleDaisies · 25/01/2019 22:05

Too proud to get a bb but will happily use a space that's exactly the same as a bb space

P and c spaces are in no way the same as bb spaces.

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 25/01/2019 22:12

and disabled spaces are a courtesy to shoppers, neither is legally enforceable and rely on people being decent.

Disabled spaces have to be provided by law. Not a courtesy.

Too proud to get a bb but will happily use a space that's exactly the same as a bb space

The two are not the same!

Obviously blue badge holders can use P&C bays, no parent would mind at all

Yet they do. See my pp and many other posts on threads on here.

Drogosnextwife · 25/01/2019 22:17

That being said, blue badges aren't enforceable in private car parks

I didn't know that!

Samcro · 25/01/2019 22:17

wow another day, another P&C Thread.
I like what the local ASDA has done, they removed all the P&C bays from the front of the shop and made all those bays BB.
they put the P&C bays just across the "road" where they have 2 lines of them. (I noticed they also put the twin and baby trollys in nearest trolly bit) there is a crossing so quite safe.
i imagine its a lot easier to "police" BB bays as you have to have a badge. where as P&C bays they have no way of "policing" seems to work well.
these are groundhog day threads. there is always a Gf who merails them with a pretty much ant Bb people using a P&C bay,

Drogosnextwife · 25/01/2019 22:19

P and c spaces are in no way the same as bb spaces.

I terms of size they are exactly the same in every car park I've ever been in. So why refuse a bb that entitles you to a bigger space legally, and use a bigger space that someone else can use.

Drogosnextwife · 25/01/2019 22:20

Disabled spaces have to be provided by law. Not a courtesy.

Provided by law but not legally enforceable in private car parks.

Drogosnextwife · 25/01/2019 22:21

Meaning someone who does not need the space can be asked to leave it, but they can not be fined and no one else can touch their car to remove it.

SleepingStandingUp · 25/01/2019 22:32

@SlowOx chill

Can't say I'd get het up about someone parking in them with kids in the back of the car
But you get get het up about someone posting a summary of what will ensue over the next 20 pages because it's always the same. It's like SAHP / WOHP discussions or the putting of buggies on the buses.

FWIW i agree with you, they're there to make people's lives easier. Never really understand why people get so het up about other people's lives being made easier just because it desn't make theirs easier.

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 25/01/2019 22:34

Provided by law but not legally enforceable in private car parks.

It depends. You can get a ticket just like you can get any private ticket which do now go to court and do win.

bit daft repeating sonething that two posts up you admitted you didn't know

tillytrotter1 · 25/01/2019 22:37

I was once parked in the first 'normal' parking space after the p and c spaces, as I got out one yummy yelled at me to 'f move, I have a baby and I need to park there'. I congratulated her on her fecundity with a round of applause. Love it, they wind up so easily, bless their entitled little socks!
I was once harangued as a loaded the boot about being in a p and c space, oh this harradin really went for it,she kicked my wheel, in sandals, it was hilarious, she probably still has the bruises. Sadly, my daughter and her baby who'd been having a nappy change joined us.

EatShitBoswell · 25/01/2019 22:38

"If they didn't put them right next to the doors and in the back corner of the carpark. I bet 90% of parents who currently use them wouldn't."

You'd also have kids of all ages having to walk across car parks.

Drogosnextwife · 25/01/2019 22:44

It depends. You can get a ticket just like you can get any private ticket which do now go to court and do win.

bit daft repeating sonething that two posts up you admitted you didn't know*

I looked it up. No they don't take you to court, they can't, trust me I've had a few. Not for parking in bb spaces just going over the ticket by a couple of minutes. Have one from about 6 years ago, nothing has ever happened because it wouldn't be worth their time and money to take people to court.

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 25/01/2019 22:51

No they don't take you to court, they can't

Yes they can. There was a test case in 2015 which changed things.

They might not do and you may get lucky, but more are.

Drogosnextwife · 25/01/2019 23:16

In a local councilcar park, it is normally an offence topark in a disabledpersons'parking baywithout displaying a valid Blue Badge. ... If a non-disabledmotoristparks in a disabled space in a private car parkthey can be asked to leave. But it can't be legally insisted.

From google

hazeyjane · 25/01/2019 23:22

What is being said here and clearly is that people who have no need to use them should not use them!!!

How anyone knows whether someone had the 'need' or not is beyond me. I just wish people wouldn't act as the car park police.

Sockwomble · 25/01/2019 23:23

"if you don't qualify for one you shouldn't park in a disabled bay, just as you couldn't on council owned land, nor in a P&C space as they are just that."

I hope you have written this not realising how severely disabled some people without blue badges are.