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

[MickeyMouseShithouse]

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!

I genuinely have never seen hundreds of disabled spaces. I suppose it's possible but I have never seen it.

Same here. This is the second thread in a few days to talk about "hundreds" of disabled spaces that are always empty.
I might need to move to whatever town this is because disabled spaces are very few and always occupied round here.

The massive massive Tesco car park about 25 miles away has 40 disabled spaces out of 487 spaces (I googled)
That's what? 8% ish?

Government guidelines recommend 6%.

Let's be generous and say generally speaking 10% of spaces are disabled spaces in car parks (like fuck they are). You'd need 1000 spaces for 100 of them to be disabled spaces.

Hundreds plural?

Some big car parks out there!

Why not park at the emptier end of the car park?

I didn't know the actual amount. I know its a lot and my comment was more about the fact there are some places that have a lot as a PP suggested this would not be the case and I have no issue whatsoever with there being that many spaces set aside for those with disabilities.

But surely the pram is right up against the car, either fully or mostly within the space ? Obviously she's not just going to leave the pram in the middle of the car park!

I think it is 35 on each of 2 floors Emma so 70 total.

You are being a massive twat if you park I'm one. You are slightly In convienienced by smaller spaces. You are literally preventing someone for going about their daily lives

Well quite, how many times has a baby in a pram been run over in a car park?

This is an anxiety issue.

People manage this king of thing every day.

This always makes me laugh when people deem there is too many disabled despite there being a lot more normal spaces than there ever is disabled spaces - all because a few of then may be empty.
when you go shopping they maybe empty at other times they may not you have no way of knowing that at times they are not Full. You should never use one or complain that there happens to be to many.

Yeah, we own a small car and have struggled with opening car doors wide enough to get our child out easily. Definitely no Chelsea tractor here!

Also, I don't know what it is like normally to be a BB holder, and I have no doubt it must be difficult to find spaces at times, but in all the supermarket car parks I have ever been to (generally in the outer London suburbs), on every occasion I've been, the number of BB spaces provided far, far exceed number of cars actually using those spaces. I don't think it is ableist to notice the discrepancy and to wonder whether the proportions of BB to non-BB spaces have been allocated correctly.

For the avoidance of doubt, I would never park in a BB space without a badge.

Oh, whoever suggested going to the supermarket by public transport is bonkers. You try doing a weekly shop for four people with a baby in a pushchair and a toddler and then getting everything and everyone home on the bus. I think the OP would rather drive!

In my nearest big town multi storey there’s a few rows of spaces for people in ‘bigger cars’. Wide spaces. Always full of small hatchbacks. I suppose they tried.

A car with sliding back doors can be a game changer when you have small children.

Our city centre multi-storey has an entire floor of disabled bays, right on the shop level so people don't have to use lifts/stairs to get there. It's bloody awesome for those who need that easy access. Even then, over the whole car park they only have 75 disabled bays. 56 are P&C.

Unfortunately as parents, we chose that option. So the solution is to park further away where access to your own vehicle is easier. With a baby and toddler you can then utilise the empty space next to you to put up the pushchair and get baby in before getting toddler out of the car. You don't need to access both sides once they're old enough to climb out of the seat themselves.

Dependent on age, mine very quickly had to learn 'hand on the car, don't move!' when I was getting 4 children in and out - including twins. So I get the anxiety. But parking in a BB space is no way a reasonable solution.

Also, I don't know what it is like normally to be a BB holder, and I have no doubt it must be difficult to find spaces at times, but in all the supermarket car parks I have ever been to (generally in the outer London suburbs), on every occasion I've been, the number of BB spaces provided far, far exceed number of cars actually using those spaces. I don't think it is ableist to notice the discrepancy and to wonder whether the proportions of BB to non-BB spaces have been allocated correctly.

So is the answer to "allocating spaces correctly" to take away disabled spaces so that when a disabled person wants to park in one there are none left?

How often do you actually go to the supermarket and there are absolutely no parking spaces at all left and you have to turn around and go home?

Because I don’t buy that there hundreds of empty disabled spaces. But if there are, there be must be thousands of standard bays and most of them will be empty too, so your scenario doesn’t computer.

YABU. I have 4 children, 3 in car seats. I am not entitled to use a disabled bay because we are not disabled. Good grief.

Even though the topic is taking up a disabled space, and I say that you shouldn't, I feel the real issue is another. It could have been employees car spaces it wouldn't make a difference.
In my opinion you have probably become overwhelmed by anxiety and therefore aren't thinking rationally about things. Are you preventing yourself from using the space physically or mentally by

1. Driving a very big car that would prevent an average size adult to exit through the doors.
2. Thinking that you need to remove car seat, rather than just remove child and put into different pushchair.
3. Overestimating the chance that a baby strapped into a braked pushchair is going to be harmed in some way when left for a minute in a safe place.

When you mention your anxiety it sounds like you feel that a wonderful BB space would solve all your problems, it won't, believe me. If you really do suffer, then another insurmountable difficulty will quickly take its place. You would latch onto a different issue in no time. In today's society we are bombarded with information, and for a person prone to anxiety, already struggling with young children, you start feeling that you need all sorts of things to function safely. A car park becomes a mine field and crossing it safely is a panic inducing task, rather than rationally acknowledging the fact that yes, obviously a car park isn't a place to mess around, but I can keep my children under my control for the time it takes to cross it safely. One of the reasons that some children have BBs is because their NDiversity prevents families from doing this safety and will have grown past an age where they would necessarily be in a pushchair. As a parent I know this is a tricky time, but don't live life feeling that your kids are going to be harmed every where you turn.

I expect more women were SAHMs and were able to visit the supermarket during the week when it was quieter, rather than at weekends.

Also, cars used to be smaller (they've become larger over time due to safety requirements - compare the Mini of the 90s with the Mini of today, for example). Therefore in the past there was more room between cars to get children out easily.

So, I imagine people used to manage quite well because there was a greater choice of parking spaces and more room generally.

Presumably P&C spaces began to be introduced as parents began to find shopping more difficult.

Personally I don’t think parent and child spaces should be used by people who think they deserve a disabled badge for whatever reason. That’s just as bad as someone using the disabled space that shouldn’t. If you think you deserve the disabled badge apply for one. Don’t take someone else’s spot. The people who say you chose to have kids make me laugh!!

Never used P&C places. I always parked as far away as possible from the entrance so that I had the space and time to deal with kids and car seats. By time I mean no one waiting for the space making me feel stressed to get everyone in plus shopping.
Drivers who park in places for the disabled when they do not have the right should have their driving license taken away.

OP parking far away from the shop entrances will have less cars and more space. The top
Levels of car parks are always emptier. Get some reins for the toddler so you can have them close whilst getting the baby out?

I am legally entitled to a reasonable adjustment on the grounds of my disability.

Therefore I can use the P&C Spaces.

Your attitude is ableist

@olivehater not everyone who is disabled is entitled to a BB.

I was just as disabled before I got my BB.

I thought that.

Why have you posted this on a thread about parking?

An error perhaps? 🙄