Parent and child parking spaces

[WeightyMama]

I’m aware I might get thrashed for this but here goes.

At what age child do you think you should stop using parent and child spaces? I went to the supermarket yesterday and there were no spaces left. I had to park quite far away with my baby so that I had somewhere with enough space to get everything sorted. On my way back to the spaces I noticed a woman getting back in the car with one child of about 12/23 years old. Child opened the back door, got in (no car seat), no issues.

AIBU to say that at that stage you should park in a normal spot and let others have the parking? I would understand if the child was heavy handed and might bash the door into a neighbouring car or something, but this child was far from that.

The big mystery to me is people go to see there friends ,take kids to school, go to activities and shop in town yet when they go to a supermarket unless they can park in the foyer they can't cope

I never used them really not worth the hassle .

[quote WeightyMama]@Fembot123 so basically I should be grateful that I have to be in agony whilst I lug my heavy baby and car seat across a large car park? Cool.[/quote]
Is there a reason you take the car seat out? Most people I know- and what I did- just carry the baby to a trolley and put them in trolley seat.

Pre-school.

@AMillionMilesAway as I said earlier they don’t have these at my supermarket

@Fembot123 so good to know that you sympathise with people who have issues. I have pelvic issues which I’ve had from birth and carrying heavy things can make it burn in my lower back like fire.

Sorry that’s not a good enough reason to illicit any sympathy from you. I hope you don’t ever have to experience back pain, it’s extremely debilitating.

I think they should only be used while your child is still in a car seat. That's the whole purpose - you need the extra space to get them in and out.

I would have hoped that a child with disabilities would have a blue badge for parents car? But if all accessible spaces were taken, that would be the alternative. Obviously no way of knowing.

At my local Tesco, anybody parks in them, kids or not.

[quote WeightyMama]@FTEngineerM yes. It I won’t have to carry the car seat as the trolly is taking its weight? My back is bad because of carrying, nothing to do with steps?[/quote]
But you go and get the trolley, wheel it back to the car and then lift the car seat out, surely?

@Fembot123 you really haven’t read the thread, you’re just a nasty person behind a screen. As I have said multiple times they don’t have those bloody trollies at my supermarket.

Have a nice life trolling.

It’s just so bloody irrelevant, park somewhere else and think yourself lucky you can.

This kind of comment suggests someone who isn't used to considering others.

When I had had a c-section and then and had two dc in car seats to handle, parking elsewhere was fine.

It was just the getting everyone out and walking across the car park that was problematic.

A large space so I could open both rear doors, near the twin trolley that I needed wasn't irrelevant it was a needed part of shopping in those days.

I am able to understand that older infirm people may sometimes need to share P&C spaces. It would be nice if that consideration went both ways. Although in real life I found it did.

Blue badges are available for children with hidden disabilities. The wide spaces should be used only by pregnant women and children who need help to get in to car seats.

@HaveringWavering I’m not going to leave my baby in a car without any kind of supervision? Maybe that’s wrong of me but I wouldnt do that.

For me a lot depends on the car park layout, at my nearest Tesco I will use them with my 6/4 year old as there are no walkways at all around the car park so it can be a bit of a precarious walk to the shop. In my local Sainsburys, which has loads of P&C spaces I am not so bothered as there are better/safer routes to the store not through the cars.

I would use them up till my youngest is about 8 I reckon.

Although I rarely took the car seat out of the car and used slings or the buggy, but then I rarely went 'proper' shopping as did it mostly online. My car seat and babies were too heavy together! Discovered all the spaces in the car parks with bonus extra space, in our Tesco the ones next to the trolleys bays have extra space, and lots of end of row parking. Also perfected the art of doing seatbelts from the boot, and have been known to drive out of the space and then sort belts out.

I found the sling helped my back problems loads, I had neck and pelvic issues, which were sorted with pilates and physio.

As a PP said, don't waste time and energy debating those you see using them, it will just wind you up.

@lakesidelife

It’s just so bloody irrelevant, park somewhere else and think yourself lucky you can.

This kind of comment suggests someone who isn't used to considering others.

When I had had a c-section and then and had two dc in car seats to handle, parking elsewhere was fine.

It was just the getting everyone out and walking across the car park that was problematic.

A large space so I could open both rear doors, near the twin trolley that I needed wasn't irrelevant it was a needed part of shopping in those days.

I am able to understand that older infirm people may sometimes need to share P&C spaces. It would be nice if that consideration went both ways. Although in real life I found it did.

But that’s my whole point, I don’t park in those spaces and didn’t when my dc were small as I don’t need them thus I personally wouldn’t judge or question those who are using them, childless, child too old, whatever.

At what age child do you think you should stop using parent and child spaces

When they can get themselves in and out of the car and walk safely. Pre-school age anyway. Not once they have started school.

[quote WeightyMama]@Fembot123 And I think you’re a nasty little person who clearly has zero understanding for anyone else. Have a nice life.[/quote]
Ok 😁 better that than a milk sop.

@veganveal You do realise that alot of the people bashing your doors are probably people with small children, trying to squeeze a car seat through a marginally opened door, who have had to park in a regular bay because all the PC spaces are taken?

Also it never even occurred to me that I could park there while I was pregnant 🤦‍♀️ would've made life a lot easier towards the end, took me ages trying to squeeze back into my car 😂

Places like ASDA have a central walkway that covers parent and children parking and ordinary parking. Easy to park in ordinary parking further away and still use the walkway.

@Fembot123 oh I see, so people with serious pain issues are just weak are they? Lovely.

I am able to understand that older infirm people may sometimes need to share P&C spaces. It would be nice if that consideration went both ways. Although in real life I found it did

It's not about consideration. Blue badge spaces are a legal requirement and are for blue badge holders.

P&C spaces are provided as a courtesy by supermarkets and can therefore be used by those with small or disabled children, or blue badge holders if there are no disabled bays left.

I often think there needs to be another category where you can get a pass for a few months, eg if you've badly broken your leg and need the extra space to get and out of a car.

Blue badges are NOT readily given to children with hidden disabilities - you'd know if you read the thread and the posts by parents of not NT children.

OP you seem really angry but you are missing the point - no one has said you aren't entitled to a P+C space - just that you are not more entitled to the people already parked there.

You asked AIBU - you can't spit the dummy out if some people think you are - that's daft!