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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To park in one of hundred of disabled spaces where there isn’t a single P&C space?

388 replies

MickeyMouseShithouse · 26/01/2023 21:21

I have two children in car seats and I struggling getting them out in one particular multi storey car park local to me. The thing is, this multi story has hundreds.. hundreds(!) of disabled spaces that the majority of are always empty, but not a single parent and child space for a shopping centre?!

Its started to effect my anxiety and puts me off going there but it’s really the only half-decent place I can get anything locally.

WIBU to park in a disabled spot? Not even one close to the entrance, just any of them!

or who do I contact to question why there aren’t any p&c spaces?

it’s so frustrating, I can’t imagine there are a couple hundred disabled people going shopping to the same shopping centre in the same day.. but I can imagine there are are least 1 family with a car seat/pushchair!

OP posts:
Mummyoflittledragon · 27/01/2023 01:13

MrsMikeDrop · 27/01/2023 00:46

I think it's more people need to stop buying ridiculously huge cars that they can't park and even struggle to drive in. I look around now and about 80% are huge SUVs. I drive a normal car and it's never an issue for me. It's only an issue when I'm in the middle of two big cars.

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I am disabled and need the huge car for the door height / swing as I can’t crumple repeatedly in and out of the car without injuring myself.

EmmatheStageRat · 27/01/2023 01:14

EmmatheStageRat · 27/01/2023 01:07

I’ve looked this up and there are 70 designated Blue Badge spaces out of a possible 890 spaces. So, you know, less than 10 per cent, but those annoying disabled people will keep on asserting their rights under the Equality Act 2010. The fuckers should just stay home and leave the car parks and the shops to the alpha able-bodied, a bit like the car parking Hunger Games.

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I correct myself, there are 896 non-Blue Badge parking spaces and ONLY 35 Blue Badge parking spaces. How can you possibly think that this is too many?

LadyJ2023 · 27/01/2023 01:16

Hundreds really...every multi storey I've ever been in has the usual amount and the rest are normal parking

Mummyoflittledragon · 27/01/2023 01:17

NaatQ968 · 27/01/2023 00:56

I don't but there is disabled spaces, and separate parent and child ones for a reason... I'd never park in a disabled space, so it should be respected both ways no?

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I don’t think you understand how this works. I as a blue badge holder can legally park in a p&c space. These are a courtesy for parents with young children. Blue badge spaces are a legal requirement. P&C spaces are not.

Emerald237 · 27/01/2023 01:22

@MrsMikeDrop

Cars are bigger in general now than they ever were. I really can't abide comments like this. It reeks of distain for anyone who has the audacity to buy a car deemed 'too big'. Generally anyone with 3 kids in car seats or more than 3 kids require a larger vehicle.

A car parking bay in the UK by regulation size is 2.4m wide, the average car in the UK is 1.82m wide. This means if you park dead in the centre you have less than 30cm to manoeuvre out if the car while ensuring not to hit the next car. Not so easy when you're pregnant, taking children out if car seats etc.

youshouldnthaveasked · 27/01/2023 01:22

I completely get the car parking anxiety.

Strange that there are no parent and child spaces. I’d either go first or last thing to try get an end space. Have you considered a baby sling or would that be too much with the toddler too?

MrsMikeDrop · 27/01/2023 01:28

Emerald237 · 27/01/2023 01:22

@MrsMikeDrop

Cars are bigger in general now than they ever were. I really can't abide comments like this. It reeks of distain for anyone who has the audacity to buy a car deemed 'too big'. Generally anyone with 3 kids in car seats or more than 3 kids require a larger vehicle.

A car parking bay in the UK by regulation size is 2.4m wide, the average car in the UK is 1.82m wide. This means if you park dead in the centre you have less than 30cm to manoeuvre out if the car while ensuring not to hit the next car. Not so easy when you're pregnant, taking children out if car seats etc.

I totally think it's fine to have a big car if you need it. Just most people I know have huge car that don't need them and can't even park or drive them properly. My aunt came over last week in what can only be described as a truck, it was ridiculous. Also fine even if you don't need it, but then don't complain that you can't park in a disabled spot or can't find a P&C spot. Either park further and walk or don't xomppaon about your choices 🤷‍♀️

Mummyoflittledragon · 27/01/2023 01:30

EmmatheStageRat · 27/01/2023 01:14

I correct myself, there are 896 non-Blue Badge parking spaces and ONLY 35 Blue Badge parking spaces. How can you possibly think that this is too many?

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The city shopping centre closest to me has 2000 spaces, 109 bb spaces and 56 p&c spaces. So just over 5% provision for bb. Before I got my bb and when dd was little it was hard to get a p&c space. There were always empty bb spaces in the week but not at the weekend. Not sure if would have qualified for one but I was far from able bodied. Luckily the car park is modern and the normal spaces wider than elsewhere. I can understand why parents get miffed there’s few p&c spaces. I did simply because of needing the width for my disability.

EmmatheStageRat · 27/01/2023 01:39

Mummyoflittledragon · 27/01/2023 01:30

The city shopping centre closest to me has 2000 spaces, 109 bb spaces and 56 p&c spaces. So just over 5% provision for bb. Before I got my bb and when dd was little it was hard to get a p&c space. There were always empty bb spaces in the week but not at the weekend. Not sure if would have qualified for one but I was far from able bodied. Luckily the car park is modern and the normal spaces wider than elsewhere. I can understand why parents get miffed there’s few p&c spaces. I did simply because of needing the width for my disability.

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I think the posters here have indicated that there’s likely to be a crossover between Blue Badge and parent and child spaces. It’s a myth that Blue Badge spaces are for the elderly; children can be disabled too. Also, there is a legal requirement to provide parking spaces for disabled people, not so for parent and child spaces; they’re a nice to have, not a necessity.

Busybutbored · 27/01/2023 01:48

NaatQ968 · 27/01/2023 00:56

I don't but there is disabled spaces, and separate parent and child ones for a reason... I'd never park in a disabled space, so it should be respected both ways no?

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No. Never.

Being stupid isn't a disability 😁

EasterIsland · 27/01/2023 02:04

Totally unreasonable. Park somewhere else. You are presumably able-bodied. You have choices - people with disabilities don’t. For god’s sake just bloody practice getting your DC in and out of your car.

DrMarciaFieldstone · 27/01/2023 02:19

There aren’t P&C spaces everywhere, you’ll have to learn to cope. Anxiety is no excuse.

OutForBreakfast · 27/01/2023 02:23

I do think you have to buy a car suitable for where you live. If you live in a City or will spend significant amount of time in a City you need a car suitable for this. You do not need a massive car to fit three children in. If you have more it does get trickier. But anyone with 3 or less children can choose to drive a smaller car that is easier to park or a massive one that is harder to park. Or you only go to car parks where it is easier for you to park your massive car. And some cars really are massive now.

OutForBreakfast · 27/01/2023 02:26

Disabled people park in parent and child spaces because all the disabled spaces are full, or because in some places they are closer to shops than the disabled ones. People who are disabled but not entitled to a blue badge also park in parent and toddler spaces.

The criteria for a blue badge varies locally and in some places it is very tough to get one. If people have a blue badge often it means they can not go anywhere if they can not use a disabled parking space.

KimberleyClark · 27/01/2023 02:47

Multi storey car parks don’t usually have P&C spaces do they? Only disabled ones.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 27/01/2023 02:57

NaatQ968 · 27/01/2023 00:56

I don't but there is disabled spaces, and separate parent and child ones for a reason... I'd never park in a disabled space, so it should be respected both ways no?

Show quote history

If there was a badge for the stupidest question... You'd win

Snugglemonkey · 27/01/2023 03:16

movintothecountry · 26/01/2023 22:12

No of course you should never park in disabled bays, that's a given.

However, when my two were little I found it hard as so many places had such tight parking. There just isnt the space to get a baby and toddler out of an average sized car in a normal spot when the car park is busy. If no p&c parking available I often just had to turn around and go home. Not great when you're just trying to get a food shop in or pick up a prescription for a poorly toddler.

I also find so much thinly veiled misogyny in these threads - gleeful implications that women obviously can't drive/park properly etc and crowing of 'its a choice, procreating doesnt make you special'.

Well no of course not, but why wouldn't we want to make life easier for parents as well as disabled people? Let's try and push for all public amenities to be more accessible and help each other out, rather than being an arse on the internet to struggling mothers who might just need a bit of support?

👏👏👏

namnamnam22 · 27/01/2023 03:56

Do you happen to be in Glasgow? There’s one in the city centre which sounds like what you’ve described but as much as it’s a pain I couldn’t morally park in a disabled space whether there’s hundreds or not

Whatifthegrassisblue · 27/01/2023 04:47

XenoBitch · 26/01/2023 21:59

Why are empty disabled spaces a problem? If there are empty ones, then someone with a BB has a 100% chance of being able to park and get on with their day. For some, a space being available can be the difference between them doing what they wanted, and giving up and going back home.
Do you want them to be all filled all of the time?

This. Wtaf is wrong with people. If you can't cope with children how do you think you'd cope with a disability 🤦‍♀️
Embarrassed for some of you 😳

fairysimples · 27/01/2023 05:38

@NaatQ968 no it's not hypocritical because bb spaces require you to have a bb to use them and are a legal right that disabled people fought long and hard for and P&C spaces are just a marketing ploy.

And as a disabled person who didn't then have a bb I was entitled to use the P&C space as a reasonable adjustment for my disability. This is a right I am given in law.

Zebedee55 · 27/01/2023 05:40

Having children is a lifestyle choice. Being disabled isn't. Leave those spaces for those who need them.🙁

fairysimples · 27/01/2023 05:40

FancyFanny · 26/01/2023 23:51

There are always more disabled spaces than necessary- that's why they're nearly always empty when the rest of the car park is full!

So there should be so few disabled spaces so that they're always full and those damn disabled people have to go home?

Aprilx · 27/01/2023 05:44

XenoBitch · 26/01/2023 21:30

I am also calling bullshit on a car park having "hundreds" of disabled spaces.

that was my first thought too. I had only ever seen a handful.

IncompleteSenten · 27/01/2023 05:54

Hundreds of spaces?
Hundreds?
How many hundreds?
What's the total capacity of the car park?

CheeseDreamsTonight · 27/01/2023 05:59

If there really are tons of disabled spaces and no parent and child, this has to be an error on the part of the car park.