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!

My son is ASD, and I'm recovering from cancer treatment. He's not entitled to a blue badge; I am, as it happens, but I don't want to get one because I hope and believe I'll recover in the next six months, and I don't feel right about taking a space from someone who could be worse off.

You bet your life I park in the parent and child right now.

You do not know someone else's situation. All you can do is assume good things, rather than bad.

And parent and child parking is a moneyspinner for supermarkets, not an adaptation for a needy group. That's why only supermarkets and commercial shopping centres have them, whereas everywhere has disabled spaces. It was a gimmick one supermarket thought of, to encourage mothers to use them, and then all the rest had to as well or risk losing that demographic. At the time, they all offered free nappies in their loos as well - that stopped because people were grabbing handfuls to take home! But the spaces remained.

You sound like a busybody and probably need to get a life.

Fuck sake....
This is the third or fourth thread about this in the space of a week
No she didn’t have a baby with her, but neither did you. You didn’t need the space any more than she did So I’d say you just made yourself look like a bit of a knob head by calling her out when it really was none of your business.

I wouldn’t have even noticed that someone without a child parked in that spot!
I am convinced these spaces were invented by supermarkets to entice parents to shop there and make them feel like all their needs are catered for.
And am I the only parent on the planet who never actually bothered with parent and child parking spaces with young DC? It’s perfectly easy to use a normal parking space with any size car and get baby seat out of the car (even out of a 3 door car) or unbuckle a toddler and help them out then do it all in reverse. Without damaging my car, nearest car, getting bruises, hurting my back or anything else. I did it, DH did it and never thought twice about it.

@Venger

Thank you for your post. I couldn't find the words to respond to that PP as I was so angry. You did it far better than I could have. Thank you.

Christ on a bike not again

isn't about how far you need to walk.

If you said that to me when I was in an MS relapse and couldn't walk far you'd get a mouthful.

What a twatty and first and only post OP

I said I was feeling bad about it

I do agree people have been really harsh to you. It sounds, to be honest, as if you're struggling a bit with the early months of being a mum - is that right? Stress and sleep deprivation can make small things loom to huge proportions in your mind, and is it possible that this was just something that got to you, when you already feel low?

There's a great organisation called Home Start that offer a bit of support for mums finding things tough. Forgive me if I'm reading too much into this. I just remember finding the first year of being a mum very hard myself, and I could have done with a Home Start contact myself, at the time.

@NZMummy15 I think you are being unreasonable as you don't know the difference between a car parking space or bay and a car park.

You clearly have too much time on your hands.

I have parked in a P&C space occasionally when all other spaces were full and I wanted to do my shopping. I don't see the logic if having them nr the door, only having a slightly bigger space to open the doors but even that's a joke now as everyone seems to drive Chelsea Tractors and they straddle the lines on bays anyway.

I feel I an owed a few of these for all the years I struggled with babies and buggies when P& spaces did not exist.

The problem is there nothing to gain by saying anything.

The person who does it will either have good reasons to park there that can't be seen to the eye, or they will just be lazy and park there with a sense of entitlement but if challenged, will make up a story that will make you look like you are the one being disrespectful.

Better to ignore and tell yourself that it has nothing to do with yourself.

@ZapADi - missed the 1st and only. Blah.

Our local Asda got rid of them, shame it did not also get rid of all the unruly children that go into the store on their scooters and suchlike.

Agreed shearwater I was lazy, but in the great scheme of things that bit of everyday laziness didn't really matter did it, or wouldn't matter to anyone with an ounce of common sense, given the context...

It might be only a bit of laziness, but it spreads. I can't be arsed parking properly. I can't be arsed to obey the speed limit. I can't be arsed to drive carefully. I prefer to model courtesy, kindness, consideration and making a bit of an effort, and try and make the world a nicer place.

@NZMummy15

You are incredibly entitled and bossy and nosey. I would hate to have you as a neighbour or a work colleague. I would be walking a mile out of my way to avoid you!

If you (or any of the other rude entitled unpleasant individuals on this thread ; I'm looking at YOU @shearwater;) had chased me around the store and had a go at me - you wouldn't have known what hit you. You'd have heard a barrage of verbal diarrhoea like you've never heard before. You would not have bothered anyone again - ever.

As many posters have said, the sense of entitlement from some parents on here - (thinking they have a RIGHT to the P & C spaces and anyone else who uses them is a cunt -) is utterly breathtaking.

All this said, I am fucked off with these bloody threads. They always go the same bloody way. With massive rants on both sides. They are pathetic. Do people start them just to liven up the board for a few hours or something?

If she's alonr and driving, surely her disability can't be that bad

Christ on a bike....
@Mrsmiddle maybe deploy some critical thinking faculties here....

Mind your own business @NZMummy15
Seriously are you that sad and bored you would go out of the way to go speak to her?

If she's alonr and driving, surely her disability can't be that bad

You're allowed on the internet unsupervised, surely your stupidity can't be that bad?

^Sometimes Mums struggle mentally and emotionally and getting a parking space where they can get out of their car easily and safely is a big deal
Give me strength!!!! hmm get a grip woman!^

A lot of parents of young children suffer from mental and physical health problems, it's incredibly common, have children with hidden disabilities and they also might have temporary mobility issues, for example, caused by or during pregnancy or child birth, but don't qualify for blue badges, plus having a tiny person with them who can't be seen by cars or need to have a wider space to get a child out.

But hey, let's let the man in a Range Rover picking his nose, with not-very-hidden condition of being a twat take precedence, be good little girls and never question anything.

@Mrsmiddle, your understanding of what constitutes a significant disability is less developed than my class of 6 year olds.

If she’s alone and driving, surely her disability can’t be that bad

There are people with no legs who drive adapted cars. How bad does it have to get? Christ, people are stupid.

Campaign to move the spaces.

And @Mrsmiddle wins the most brainless post of 2019 award.
Un. Be.Lieveable.

I regularly park in p&c spaces at my local waitrose because I always go of an evening when there are only around 3 cars in the car park. If someone came up and started have a go I’d probably laugh in their face! First world problems and all that..