Waitrose Mum & Baby carpark - parking without child!

[NZMummy15]

So today I parked at Waitrose (in a normal car park as didn't have the kids) and noticed a middle aged woman had parked in the mum and baby carpark (with no kids).

I went up to her in Waitrose and said you've just parked in a m&b carpark but you don't have any children with you. To which she replied I have a baby it's just not with me and I'm in a hurry, anyway who are you the police? Long story short I said she shouldn't be there and also mentioned this to the customer service desk who didn't care.

When I was putting my groceries in to the car she came over to me and said I shouldn't judge without knowing the full story and she actually has medical problems. I said she should be parking in the disabled car park then if that's the case, but of course did feel a little bit bad about whether I handled it right and if she was telling the truth as she didn't mention any of that earlier?

What would you have done it that situation? It's making me feel really awful now, but on the flip side I know how awful it is when you can't get a car park and you have a small baby/child so it always gets my back up!

It was pouring with rain and I pulled into one of many empty spaces- realizing when I was walking away that it was a parent and child space . I had a baby seat as well as my dog in the car but no grandchild .
As it was a quiet time I risked it - shot in and bought two items and back within five minutes but I did feel uncomfortable. If someone had challenged me I would have had to agree they were right .
Never ever would park in a disabled spot . Or a parent and child space apart from my one mistake . It's selfish and lazy . I know when I have our grandson how awkward and tight for space it is manœuvring between tightly parked cars .

@Marriedwithchildren5

Actually, as naff as princess on board is, these signs on cars are brilliant. Emergency services will see these in an accident and realise there could be a child in the car. So bit harsh to judge them.

Surely no one still believes this!

@Rubicon80 seen it work perfectly. So hush with your patronising tone

YWBU to say something to her to be honest

@TrendyNorthLondonTeen. 😂😂😂

YABU OP. Mostly for following someone round the supermarket to tell them off. Mumsnet is full of do gooders walking up to strangers and telling them off (then getting upset if stranger answers back). I only ever see it on mumsnet, never in real life.

OP get a life and chill out.

@Marriedwithchildren5 so you are actually claiming that emergency services will search a vehicle for a child, or not, based on whether or not there is a 'baby on board' sign in the vehicle?

Just to be totally clear, that's what you're saying is the case?

@Rubicon80 is that what you think I'm saying?

In all honesty you're more invested in this than me. If you read back, someone pointed out to me it's not at all realistic and I agreed and took my comment back.

Next time read through the thread. Save getting yourself all upset and weird about something I said.

Jesus Christ
Coukd you not have commented on one of the 4,569,987 other p&c parking threads instead of starting a new one.
Or is the fact that you shop.at Waitrose particularly relevant
Get a grip

So hush with your patronising tone

Who on earth thinks telling another adult to "hush" is acceptable? What an amazingly rude way to talk to someone (not least someone who was merely trying to correct the misinformation you were spreading).

Marriedwithchildren5 seen it work perfectly.

What, you saw a child left in a burning car because the firemen said "No Princess sticker so there's no point checking the back seats" and went off whistling?

@AnAC12UCOinanOCG that's just silly. It was obviously another scenario. Honestly if you just read above I retracted my comment I saw it once. Thought that's clever. End of story. Jeez are people just looking for an argument now the OPs gone?

On second thought dont answer that!

@Marriedwithchildren5 @Rubicon80 seen it work perfectly. So hush with your patronising tone grin

OK, so when you said this ^^, if you didn't mean that you'd seen emergency services deciding whether or not to search a vehicle for a child, based on whether or not there is a 'baby on board' sign in the vehicle... what did you mean?

Thanks @Cohle!

I'm going to regret this. I saw it either on an a and e documentary or something similar. Thought ah I wondered why people put them up in cars. That makes sense. That was it.

Again. Read back. I already agreed with someone it wasn't as good an idea as I originally thought. They, however made a good point. You didn't.

I will now go back to not understanding why people put them on cars.

I didn't need to repeat their point as it is (a) obvious and, (b) more importantly, had already been made (on this thread, and also hundreds of times on other similar threads).

I was surprised that having already admitted it didn't make sense, you then said you'd 'seen it work perfectly'.

As to why people put them in cars - why do people put those ridiculous eyelashes on their headlights, or put bumper stickers advertising their football team or political beliefs, or stick 'go faster stripes' on the side?

All equally pointless, but presumably people are under the illusion that others want to know the detailed family set-ups and sporting and political allegiances of a random person in a car next to them.

@Marriedwithchildren5 I think you've been watching to many episodes of casualty, it's not real life you know!

Actually, as naff as princess on board is, these signs on cars are brilliant. Emergency services will see these in an accident and realise there could be a child in the car. So bit harsh to judge them.

Oh please. Do:you really think front line professionals would rely on a ridiculous sign?

I thought about this thread today as I had to park in a P&C space and displayed my blue badge. Some busybody took a photograph of me. I was on my way back from the chemo unit and felt crap, but I had to stop at the pharmacy and all the disabled bays were taken. I’m nearly at the end of (hopefully successful) treatment but the chemo has affected my feet and made them really tender, so I can’t walk far and have had to switch my beloved Docs for very soft shoes or slipper boots. My blue badge is only temporary but I have the right amount of ‘points’ to qualify at the moment. To look at me you’d never know, I have a fabulous wig.

Yes I do it takes a second to scroll up to know I believe it 110% I will continue to believe it to the day I die thanks to this thread.

No amount of posts will change my mind. I like it. It makes sense. I'm happy with my choice.

Waitrose actually prefers disabled people without permits / pregnant women use the P&C spaces and have been known to request parents with children to move during busy times when required. So I am not surprised they didn’t give a shit about your complaint. Also what does her being middle aged have anything to do with anything?

@SymphonyofShadows I bloody hope you let rip at the nasty busybody? Good luck with the rest of your treatment and hope the docs are back soon!

Thanks spangly they did it from their car. I am not normally one to back down but I felt a bit wobbly, hence the space, so I didn’t want to make myself feel worse. I usually park in a regular space, I only use the badge if I feel a bit fragile. If my pic turns up in a local fb group or something I will unleash hell.

Yes I do grin it takes a second to scroll up to know I believe it 110% I will continue to believe it to the day I die thanks to this thread. No amount of posts will change my mind. I like it. It makes sense. I'm happy with my choice.

Well as long as the emergency services don’t believe it then I suppose you doing so isn’t relevant.

Not British, but police in Australia confirmed the baby on board signs are not intended for, and are not used for, the benefit of the emergency services responding to a crash. They were originally intended to make reckless drivers think about driving more safely as they are reminded that they share the roads with children, presumably in an attempt to tug at heartstrings but I doubt twat drivers really care, its no great secret that people drive with kids in the car and seeing a sign stating such wouldn't lead to a great revelation. There's no definitive proof they are effective, there's no way to tell. But sure if it makes you feel better to drive with one in the car, knock yourself out.

FWIW anything other than the bright yellow baby on board signs would be near impossible to spot in most crashes anyway, the pink princess on board and blue "dude on board" etc. Signs would not be at all eye catching in an emergency situation.