To have said something?!

[Briony22]

At the supermarket earlier, and parked in a parent and child space with DH and 10 month old DS.

As I was getting DS out of the car a car pulled into the parent and child space next to us, and a woman got out and started walking towards the supermarket without any kids.

I called after her and said "You know you've parked in a P&C space, yeah?" and she started huffing and puffing that she had her son with her, who was in the car. I pointed out that the spaces are for parents with children who need the extra room to get them out of the car, and then she said that her son was disabled and that she had a disabled badge. I then said that the disabled spaces were in another area of the car park, at which point she started getting her son out of the car and telling him that he had to come into the shop "because that mental lady was kicking off".

I'm just so sick of entitled fuckers using these spaces without any need to when I've often struggled trying to get DS out of his car seat without sufficient space.

DH was mortified and said I should have just left it.

WIBU?

You don't buy her 'story?!' I'm sorry, we're you there??????

Unless I'm mistaken, the bays are only for if your actually taking the child to the supermarket, and based on the ops, original post the driver was going by herself, rather than taking the child in the store, ?

@ForTheLoveOfSleep At least I didn't call someone a "total cunt". Pathetic.

Oh bore off, 😴 entirely pointless comment when the OP is clearly talking about the disabled person not even getting out of the car thus not using it for its intended use (whether that be parent & child or disabled)

As a disabled mother with a young (& differently disabled) child who gets challenged every single day - I actually get where you're coming from! Nobody would be giving you grief if you were defending a disabled space. Fact is, she didn't actually need the space as she was leaving the child in the car - which isn't the best parenting if child was young?

Don't let the keyboard warriors upset you. I've been on the receiving end of a pile on before and it's awful. It's bullying and MNHQ need to pull their finger out.

I agree with you op. And like you, wished they’d put the child spaces further away so lazy arseholes didn’t abuse them.

Thankfully I’m passed that stage now but when I had small children I was so sick of getting worked up about this sort of thing that I decided to make my own mother and baby spaces by deliberately parking in the middle of two spaces near to the shop. If they provide them but don’t police them, I would take the law into my own hands! 😂

Op you are the entitled fucker in this case.

Whenever I hear a parent on MN smugly posting about how having children makes a person selfless in ways us childless people will never understand, I think of threads like this (and ones involving wheelchair spaces on buses). The way parents aggressively patrol the use of spaces provided as a courtesy and with no legal designation, including verbally attacking people with disabilities, is absolutely abhorrent. I’d go so far as to suggest that P&C spaces should be removed, as they’ve led to outrageous levels of entitlement and parents believing they’re of equal legal status to those with disabilities.

Right. Well. That doesn’t answer my question. Probably because you don’t have an answer because I’m not refusing to admit anything. You have made a snap judgement about me and are clearly going to stick to it despite the fact that my main point was concern for the disabled child. But according to you I don’t give a shit about him. I’m not going to argue with you any more.

Oh and before I get the abuse directed at me - yes I do have a Blue Badge! My child would be entitled to one also if we applied, due to her type of disability.

Anyone can use a parent and child space. They aren't legal. Unlike disabled spaces

You have no idea why that parent needed her disabled child close by. Maybe he needed to be able to see the entrance of the store to see his mum go in and then come out.

It is not for you or OP to judge.

@ThePumpkinPatch You are the voice of reason!

No, she didn’t, she carried in haranguing her. Said she should only use the space if her child got out.
And then CONTINUED once the woman said her child was disabled, and then wrongly harangued her about her entitlement to use a P&C space for a disabled child.

OP. Your behaviour was beyond disgraceful. Shameful.

You and OP both refused to admit that she told the woman that BB holders have to park elsewhere.

You can’t argue because you’re wrong.

Well said, rainbow.

OP, I'm entirely with you. Everyone has seemed to jump on some weird bandwagon of "DISABLED SPACES ARE PROTECTED BY LAW PARENT AND CHILD SPACES ARENT. Yes but is it not common courtesy to not use these spaces unless you need to? Imagine getting called entitled for wanting to use a space for its intended purpose. I mean, I don't have kids but I hope when I do I dent the side of your car when I'm trying to get my baby out because some twat couldn't be bothered to walk a bit further.

Admittedly, you probably shouldn't have told them to find the disabled bays but, I understand your frustration. What's ironic is all these people having a pop at you for making someone's life harder momentarily whilst simultaneously bullying you being their sad little screens

Omg yes it fucks me off too. Love the child bays, much more room! If I was taking my DS7 out shopping I wouldn't be so bothered, but I definitely sigh of relief when I see an empty child bay and I have my 8 month old.

So many people being wilfully ignorant why a disabled child may want to be as close to the entrance of the store as possible.

Just as OP has refused to justify why she needed to take her car seat into the store (as is her right), so it is the right of this woman to have her disabled child in a bay as close as possible to the store. Without having to justify herself to OP.

I dunno. When someone says shit about my severely mentally disabled daughter I would generally say they were a cunt. If this word offends you maybe grow a backbone?

Or is it "being brave" to call out everyone who parks in the precious P&C spaces that you assume are there purely for the PFB parents of babies with stupidly expensive and massive carseats.

For you it may allow you to have your giant SUV and your freaking tank of a travel system. But for my family the spaces allow me enough room the grab my daughter if she bolts. It gives me immediate access to a safe pavement. It allows me the slight feel of comfort that drivers may be a bit more alert in that area of the carpark. I know if she starts smacking herself in the face and pulling out her own hair in the shop the car is right by the entrance in a large enough space to SAFELY get her in.

So yeah. People who look at me like I park there with my daughter because I'm lazy and that I'm denying a carseat it's rightful space (because, shock horror, babies can come out of them) are, to me, total judgey cunts.

Ah ok. Well she didn’t directly but I can see why you think that was implied. And now I really am going to stop arguing with you because you’re upset and I’m tired and I can’t see us getting anywhere. I’m not the horrible person you think I am but ultimately it doesn’t really matter because we are strangers on an anonymous forum. Take care.

It’s not about the use of the space. It’s about how OP handled it.

Shouting after and causing a scene to a TOTAL STRANGER just going about her day (who actually has every right to use that P&C space) is completely unreasonable and rude.

@ThePumpkinPatch Thanks so much for your kindness, it really means a lot!

@UWhatNow I tried that once and ended up with an £80 parking fine!

@SuperCamp I'm afraid you've misunderstood. At no point did I tell the woman she could only use the space if her child got out.

@Relevanceiskey @MalloryMae Thank you!

@ForTheLoveOfSleep I didn't say anything about your daughter? You clearly have some issues which you're projecting onto me. I can assure you I don't have an SUV nor a "stupidly expensive" car seat!

The P&C threads are always ridiculous. OP you were totally out of order, people know where they are parking and don't need you roaring after them. Some people have reasons, some are just assholes. I've 3 kids, twins and a singleton and in 8 years I've parked in P&C spaces a handful of times if that. I've managed to get all seats and kids out without hitting cars or bashing kids. Getting a baby out is not a massive feat that needs an acre of room.