Parking wars

[Solonelywastheballard]

Time and time again we have threads on here about blue badge Vs parent and child spaces.

Many people feel that there are people that have a greater need for parent and child spaces than parents with children.This is always explained as those with mobility issues that can't get a blue badge.

I'm of the opinion that the p&c spaces were put there for parents with children (that require help getting in and out of the car and crossing the car park, not a NT, healthy, unimpaired 13 year old) and so unless you have a blue badge you should not use them.

But that does leave the "what about xyz".

So aibu to think that supermarkets should have a third priority space for elderly, ill, pregnant and/or infirm. These would be courtesy spaces not backed by law to be used by people who may need wider spaces and/or spaces closer to the shop but don't have a blue badge.

We could then end this p&c space war and see piece on mumsnet and in the car parks.

As long as there's a safe walkway then I'd be happy to park further away from supermarket. In my opinion P&C don't need to be closer, just wider and with a safe walkway.

Also p&c are like gold dust in most places so I doubt those that need them for accessibility reasons that don't have bb ever really get to use them.

In my local Sainsbury's there are more P&C spaces than BB and they are closer to the door. They are across the car park spine road from the shop, so do not represent a significant safety gain. They could be positioned further away adjacent to a footpath that leads all the way to the shop doors. This would also stop lazy people who just want to park as close as possible. They could be specifically signed for parents and the special child seat trolleys kept nearby. That would be sensible, helpful to parents, safer for children and not offensive to others who have need of a wide space but no BB or children. There could then be some accessible spaces for anyone in need but without a BB.

In my town shopping centre multi storey it's a similar situation. Only on the ground floor are the spaces near the door disabled spaces. The other floors they're all P&C. I think it's got out of hand and bred this idea that somehow being in possession of a child equates to a disability.

It's great to have a bit more room, but I could do with it too, and if I can't find a space where I can open the door wide and where no one can block my access, I have to leave. I don't park in them, I don't want a row from a fit and healthy 30 odd year old who thinks the world owes them something for procreating, but I have gone home before, or struggled with walking, or had to wait a long time to be able to get back into my car. I know what it's like having small children or being pregnant, I have 3. It's nothing like this.

The biggest problem with threads like this, are the people who feel like they could be “missing out” on a “prime” spot - therefore they rubbish the offering that supermarkets give to parents who have bulky car seats, and claim that everyone or no one should have access to them.

It’s like those who automatically claim for whiplash, or who take everything that isn’t nailed down at a hotel, or who believe they have a right to park outside the school gate at 14:00 to run their engine and get their prime spot... it’s that fear of missing out on something that someone else could easily swoop in and take anyway, so then why not me?

P&C spaces are a great idea in a world where cars are wider, longer and car seats are mandatory.

Sadly because of their location to storefronts, they have been (deliberately) mislabelled in some people’s minds, to become almost “premium parking”.. therefore there is great bitterness at times towards those who politely ask why others with no children regularly use them.

I am pregnant (only 23 weeks) and have so far managed to avoid needing to use P&C spaces. However I have been suffering from PGP for 13 weeks and it's getting worse. I am not entitled to a blue badge due to the condition lasting less than 12 months. It will get to a point where the only way I can get round a shop is in a wheelchair. I'm doing what I can with online shopping but being able to but reduced things makes our budget go much further. If this means I eventually need to park in P&C space then I will. People can call me whatever they want.

I suspect most physically disabled drivers with a BB do what I used to do when I had a car and BB. I would park in a disabled space or a P&C space if there were no free disabled space or if a P&C space was closer to the entrance. I really don't see the need for a third category.

Exactly right smartcarnotsosmartdriver Like everyone else you do what is best for you.

P&C spaces are courtesy places as it is. If there was yet a third lot of spaces there’d be very little for the rest of us to use. As someone already said, keep disabled spaces, scrap P&C spaces and just make all spaces wide enough. P&C spaces didn’t exist when my children were young and I managed just fine.

As someone already said, keep disabled spaces, scrap P&C spaces and just make all spaces wide enough.

Unless a planning expert MNetter can disagree, I have a feeling that part of a developments plannning permission is based around provision for parking spaces. Bigger spaces=fewer spaces=smaller developments permitted.

There's also the fact that "more spaces=more money" when you are charging for parking ...

There private car parks so they can ticket you for parking in. P&c spaces unless you have a child or a blue badge. It's on the signs in most supermarket car parks.

I don't think they should be moved to the back. I have a seven year old with a genetic condition, he can bolt from me without notice, but doesn't qualify for a blue badge. He probably will at some point, but doesn't yet. The p&c spaces being close to the shop are a godsend for us. I think that they should either make accessible spaces or just make all the spaces in the car park a little wider. Our local Sainsbury's has increased the size of all their spaces, the p&c and blue badges are still bigger, but the rest of the spaces being larger means that there is no longer a fight for them. The staff have said that it hasn't reduced the number of customers at all, if anything more people use it now.

I agree further away but near child trolleys solves the issue of lazy people parking in them. Blue badge holders are free to use them anyway if disabled bays full as per the signs in most places

@ginghambox has it (put parent and child spaces at the far end of the car park) - and this in fact is what I always did as a fully able parent with a neurotypical child - went to the far end of the car park, unloaded easily etc. And there is actually evidence to show that doing this gets you in the store faster than patrolling for spaces near the store.

They are courtesy spaces. Unfortunately, there are more rude, entitled people than spaces. If you made them 'A' spaces, they would always be full. Unless they were at the far end of the carpark - good idea. Except for the child safety angle, and the fact that the rude, entitled people would then park in the blue badge spaces.

Bianca,adding to your excellent post,usually disabled people's problems worsen with time whereas children's mobility usually gets better with age

not joking here but i cant get out of a normal parking space if there is a car parked next to us as my boobs are to big to squeeze through the door gap

im not in the obese category weight wise (6ft and 13st7) just have massive boobs(all real and im a 44J or K cup,depending on brand)

its a good thing both my boys have a blue badge each as we can use the disabled bays,we dont use parenting parking though as boys are 9 and 14 and we have never not gotten a disabled bay so its never been needed

my partner have only been driving 2 and half years and roughly the same time we got the badges

before this if i was in a taxi or getting lifts(usually the fil)he used to have to park where there was 2 parking spaces as i need to push the door open to its full width,taxis drop you off in different places

public toilets are the same as i cant go in and close the door behind me as there isnt enough space as either its a small space or the toilet roll holder is there ,so i use disabled the same time as the kids as we have a special key

people say oh i would love big boobs but they do have draw back that most people just dont realize

When my DCs were young there was no such thing as P&C spaces.

Somehow we all managed to get our children in and out of our cars without dropping them or shutting them in the car doors.

How do those people who feel that they can't cope without P&C spaces manage when they go to places that don't have them?

As pp said parents only need them for a short period of time, they're really not essential.

People who use disabled bays tend to use them long term, it's far more important we have more of those.

Get rid of the P&C spaces altogether. All they do is lead to entitled people like the OP thinking they deserve the same special treatment as disabled people.

When my DCs were young there was no such thing as P&C spaces.

Somehow we all managed to get our children in and out of our cars without dropping them or shutting them in the car doors

Agree in part but when my DC were little (they are 19 and 17 now) there were fewer huge cars (the only people I knew with 4x4 pulled horseboxes ) and people weren't so bloody selfish as to think they could have half of my parking space too

Now look at the number of 4x4 and people carriers , spaces are generous in some cars parks , not in others .

There’s a Waitrose in a town near to me, the town has a large population of Americans and Chelsea footballers. The car spaces are huge! I love it.