Parent and child spaces, just for parents?

[Mads123]

Another parking one...

MIL had my LB and took him to the shops, she parked in a parent and child space.

Older man (with no children with him) told her that she wasn't allowed to park there, as she was obviously not the child's parent.

Ignoring the fact that he didn't know if she was his parent (could of been an older mum, adopted or whatever), is this actually a thing? Does it have to be a parent?

YANBU - it is having a child getting out of the car that allows use.

YABU - You have to be the parent of the child to use those spaces.

Of course it's about the child. In the same way an abled bodied person can park in a disabled parking space if they have a disabled person with them.

It's obviously anyone with a young child.

I use them when I have my grandson with me so YANBU.

next time tell her to point out that she’s the parent of the parent of the child she’s with!!

It’s for anyone with a young child with them. How did he know she wasn’t a parent ? Unbelievable.

Yep, the child is key. The question to me is what age does the child stop counting? Maybe when they stop using a car seat, their legs are longer and they have some road sense? Or is that too late?

It’s not a reward for making a child, it’s to make the logistics of child/ trolley / car seats easier.

He’s an over opinionated idiot.

This didn’t happen, what we have here is a thought experiment, and of course the spaces are for anyone with a young child in the car, otherwise I could be parking there with my 19yo.

He’s an idiot, it’s anyone with a small child.

@notdaddycool I’d say it stops when they stop being a small child you have to wrestle into a car seat, and becomes a bigger child who can get themselves in and buckle themselves

What an utter tool. His comprehension levels must be close to zero if he thinks the relationship between the adult and child is the thing governing the use of the space. I would have laughed in his face.

Most of the time I’ve never even seen them called parent and child spaces, I’ve only ever seen the picture. But anyway parent parking is obviously just catchier then ‘parents/caters/guardians/anyone visiting with a young child in a car seat’.

I still use them with my 9yr old as she has a habit of
flinging the door open and I don’t want to scratch other peoples cars

This makes my blood boil. I've seen people with no children use parent and child parking bays and I've had to park in a regular spot and then try to get 3 children out and Into the car. Whilst almost guaranteeing that someone will come and park next to you so having no space to strap them in. It's about having a child with you and being able to comfortably and safely be able to get them into their seat.

This is what I thought, and what she thought.

She just said that this is her grandson and walked off, only told me about it in passing a week later.

I don't know where he got this idea, or even the nerve to try to enforce it!

I would have corrected him and said, actually it's 'carer and child space', pretty sure I have never seen them called 'parent and child spaces'.

@notdaddycool I am sure, I have seen or read about the age being upto 12.

They are for people who are getting their child OUT of the car. See so many cars where one parent sits in the car with the kids while the other parent nips in...