to expect people shopping at the supermarket without children to NOT park in the mother and baby spaces

[alicet]

Went to Asda this afternoon. As I was parking a lady was also parking next to me in the only other free mother and baby space. She then got out of her car, clearly had no child and walked into the store.

On my way out 2 young lads in a van pulled into the space I had just vacated.

This really p*sses me off. The car park is enormous - its not as though there are not enough spaces and indeed its very rare to have to walk very far anyway. These spaces are here for a reason.

Am I being unreasonable?

This is a pet hate of mine. But the best one I saw was when someone parked in the extra space between 2 p&t spaces. Some people make me laugh

Wow...you guys have a baby and mother space
you are so lucky....I wish they had that here.

I actually challenged somebody who parked in a M and T space. I said - "these spaces are meant to be for with parents with children" - she said "I know, I have a child" and walked off. The child wasn;t with her BTW.

Hi Alice
Amazing! Where do all these topic facists come from, have they got nothing better to do. I thought mn was sposed to be an open, supportive forum for discussion about anything new or old. Surely as adults they're capable of ignoring thread topics they've seen before! Pathetic really.

Anyway I agree with you totally! But then I've come to the conclusion that we're now a society of largely nasty, inconsiderate, rude selfish people and its just not worth getting wound up by them. I complained to my local supermarket about it and they had one of the trolley collectors act as a 'warden' for a bit but everyone ignored them too and now its back to normal. O well, we just park further away where there's more space and walk a bit further

kaisahy - pmsl about drivers of 'trucks'. 90% of em can't drive em let alone park. and there's the whole environmental issue...

Handlemecarefully - I'd challenge you to a parking competetion just for fun to see lol - i have to do challenge manouveres just to park outside my house.

I live in a victorian mid-terrace and have a car length driveway and a road thats a single car width, i have to drive passed my house and reverse my car in, avoiding the metal fence the otherside of the road and the two cars parked either side of mine - i've seen a nurse with a Nissan Micra struggle to do it because its so awkward, while Dh and I manage to park a Mondeo in the space.

I dont mind 4x4 being in P&T spaces if they've got kids, i was on about the ones that dont have kids and only park there because they can't park for toffee in the normal spaces.

LOL Pheebe.

I still have to say it again...you guys are so lucky. I have four kids and I have to lug them like a mile because the only "reserved" parking is for handicap. I am totally jealous.

I still have to say it again...you guys are so lucky. I have four kids and I have to lug them like a mile because the only "reserved" parking is for handicap. I am totally jealous.

groundhog day

I presume you chose to have 4 kids? you dont exactly chose to have a disability

handicap is terribly outdated dear

"topic fascists" now there's a new one...

I see we're onto M+T vs disabled now....there's a surprise

" mn was sposed to be an open, supportive forum for discussion about anything new or old".....doesn't say anything like that in the MN philosophy

i dont think anyone was trying to be rude tho, i only suggested a reason some people were commenting a little less ..... constructively ...... and others just warned how these things normally go. i also said i agreed with the OP!

What word to you use for handicap? It is still the word used here. And yes I did chose to have four kids, I am not complaining about that. I just think you are fortunate to have a mother and baby space. I would never suggest that handicap parking should not be available.

Fio maybe terminology is different in America? Although I do agree with your sentiments re choice.

I have 6 and 3yos and they can walk perfectly well (exercise good for them) and squeeze into the car when it is open a tiny bit so I have no issues with parking wherever. Although actually I do sometimes use the single P&T space at the local baths when it is DD's swimming lesson. Can't think of another time that I use one.

Oh I love these threads.

It comes up every couple of weeks this one and nothing changes.

Sweaty builders in white vans park in M&B spaces, hoity toity business men and women park there in their convertables and so do other "normal" everyday shoppers that dont give two hoots or stop to think for a second that getting a baby out of a car seat is a bit awkward.

The supermarkets wont do anything about it. They havent done with disabled spaces (which IMO are more important) so why would they for M&B.

Plus it doesnt matter where the spaces are. Disabled spaces should be at the front of the car park. The only advantage with M&B spaces is having the extra room so that you dont smash your car door into the poor person whos parked next to you.

one of my pet hates

I think generally parking spaces are too small. There was something on BBC breakfast news a few weeks ago about the average parking space being several inches shorter than most modern cars particularly people carriers. The spaces haven't evolved with car design and car parks cram them in so they are narrow. If they just made all the spaces slightly wider then we would be able to get our car doors open far enough to get babies (specially those in the car seats you have to take out) and toddlers out in any space without your car door touching the next car when its open. Realistically that is a problem whether you have a child or not. I guess its something everyone would like to be able to do which is why they do get abused.
Around here there are very few car parks with specially marked spaces and I do make a beeline for the end space so I can get my daughter out without having to protect the next door car's paint work with my hand.

at our local sainsburys the parent and toddler spaces are not near the store but scattered around the outside. Disabled spaces have preference at the front.

I honestly 'some' people whinge and moan about everything. I have a people carrier and manage fine getting both of my children, one of whom has a moderate degree of physical disability and severe learning disability, out of the car ina normal space. The only advantage for disabled spaces (or p&T but tbh i havent used them for years unless disabled not available) is that they are closer to the store so safer for my little girl.

I missed out 'think'

I am not skinny either and i am 7 months pregnant....

Leati, I misunderstood your post sorry. hanicap isnt a veryu nice word to use in the UK, fair enough though if its fine in the US - did not realise

I think supermarkets should get rid of m&b parking, having a child does not mean you need a space right in front of the door. I agree that all spaces should be bigger.

Tissy

Perhaps you should read the mn philosophy a little more closely

The idea of Mumsnet is that by pooling knowledge and experience, parents make each other's lives easier. Please bear in mind that issues to do with raising children can be very sensitive and that everyone has the right to make their own choices when it comes to bringing up their kids. This is a discussion forum and we ask you to respect other people's right to their opinions, even if you disagree with them. Our policy is to keep intervention to a minimum and let the conversation flow. Having said that, we will remove postings that are obscene, contain personal attacks or break the law.

This does come up again and again, and a lot of people miss the point - it's the extra width of them, not necessarily the position.

It's very useful to have a space to put the pushchair beside the car, so that you don't have to park it in front of/behind the car thus endangering the child.

So yes, I am in favour of P&T spaces and think most supermarkets don't have enough.

I dont care if they're by the door or the otherside of the carpark.

Without them it means leaving my child in danger by being in the line of traffic flow. I'm all for P&T spaces, i just wish people were a bit more considerate in regards to them.

When your child is as yet unable to walk but is a ton weight (despite being tiny) and you have a bad back that is not bad enough for a disabled badge, the P&T spaces near to the store are a godsend. It infuriates me when perfectly able-bodied, childless people park there (I have no issue with disabled people parking there, but this rarely happens).

However, all the staff at our local Sainsburys use the P&T spaces as their own personal carpark, so it's a bit of a catch 22 complaining to them about people without children parking there....

My friend's DH had the best one - he got into an argument with a man in Asda for taking the last P&T space when he was struggling with 2 children and the git was alone in an open-topped porsche - apparently he 'needed' the space far more than someone on their own with 2 kids, as he was incapable of parking his car without the extra widths on either side!

And to whoever it was who self-righteously suggested we all walk to the shops - some of us don't have the luxury of local shops, and have to do dull things like work for a living instead of spending every day trekking several hours to the shops only buying what you're able to physically carry with a toddler in tow....

Walk or go on the bus. Solves all sorts of problems.

I find the easiest thing to do at a swoopermarket is to park near to a trolley bay. You can get your child straight into a trolley and its easy to get rid of it at the end.