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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:
ImBlueDab · 27/01/2023 07:32

Yabvu

You either need more practice parking, park further away, buy a smaller car or find somewhere else to shop.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 27/01/2023 07:33

olivehater · 27/01/2023 07:18

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!!

Well thankfully your personal feelings aren't taken into account. And it is nowhere near as bad as someone without a BB parking in a BB bay

londonrach · 27/01/2023 07:36

Yabu. I can't believe you think you can. Disabled spaces have to be given by law...by law!!! Parents spaces are a nice thing to be given by the shop. You will get a ticket if you park in a disabled space and rightly so!

Grumpybutfunny · 27/01/2023 07:37

IncompleteSenten · 27/01/2023 06:07

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!

Think it depends on the shopping centre tho our out of town shopping centre has over 10,000 spaces (because they have crammed them in) if around 10% is disabled that a 1000 spaces. I think it's more. It has no parent and child yet attracts families and those with big cars so you can park miles away or on the roof and still get someone parked so close when you come back you have to trust the kids to stand at the side whilst you reverse out or squeeze past the car next to you. Mines old enough to stand where I can see him, but I'm sick of getting my car scratched by people trying to squeeze in, so agree something needs to be done to accommodate those that need more space for other reasons like parents.

Colourfulrainbows · 27/01/2023 07:42

My son is disabled. We went to the hospital the other day to pick up medication. I waited for a car to leave not knowing was a disabled space and once they left saw it was. Did I park in it? No. As he don't have a BB. So went up to the 2nd floor and ended up using stairs as loads of pushchairs waiting for the lift.

No my son is not in a wheelchair, but he is disabled (requires another adult 24/7).

That was an inconvenience but hey had to get on with it. Rule is basically no BB can not park in disabled bay as it should be.

Nicetomeetyou25 · 27/01/2023 07:45

Something else that always bugs me about these posts is that the “ annoyance “ or want did change is always aimed at the disabled parking. Instead of removing disabled parking spaces / using them etc why not be complaining about making the normal spaces bigger which in contrast may lower the amount of those ???

erehj · 27/01/2023 07:47

MickeyMouseShithouse · 26/01/2023 21:47

Well this attracted more attention than I thought it might 😂

Lets start with this: I’m not Steve, sorry.

I’m only asking out of interest, I don’t think I would actually bring myself to park in a disabled space.. even if there are an obscene amount of them..

Yes, I’m a long term sufferer of general anxiety anyway.. I sweat at the thought of taking both kids anywhere by myself, in fact I sweat over most things. So I probably wouldn’t actually use a disabled space out of fear of being judged anyway.

I can’t get the older out first because she’s prime ‘dart out into infront of cars’ age; I definitely need to get the baby out first, then the toddler. But it means leaving the pushchair at the back of the car with the baby in too out of sight while I’m grabbing the toddler. So it’s quite a frustrating situation.

This is what most parents of more than 1 DC will do. Not ideal, but, no you can't park in a disabled space. I would park further away where there is a free space next to you.

fairysimples · 27/01/2023 07:51

If your child is too young to stand reliably by the car, why don't you get a double buggy. One child out, strap in, 2nd out, strap in.

You can set the buggy to the side of the car near the boot.

I had 2 under 2 back in the day and that's what I had to do.

Or lobby and campaign for wider spaces or more P&C spaces. Why is the solution always taking away or using BB spaces for those who need them.

Princesspollyyy · 27/01/2023 07:58

Yes, YABU. You can't do that. If there aren't any P&C spaces left then that's just unfortunate.

How would you feel if there were no disabled spaces left, and disabled drivers were taking up the P&C spaces?

I've been there, I had 2 under 2 and was regularly in multi storey car parks trying to park and get the kids out.

Ask yourself how people managed years ago when we didn't have P&C spaces? My parents must have got me and my brother out of the car ok? No spaces like this then.

DreamingofGinoclock · 27/01/2023 08:10

When my two were little!if there was no P&C spaces I just parked right at back of car parks/ top floor of multi storey (generally less busy/ more likely to be a little emptier) or on the end of a row when there was generally more room.

If it was too busy I just had to get on with there being less space

IncompleteSenten · 27/01/2023 08:13

Grumpybutfunny · 27/01/2023 07:37

Think it depends on the shopping centre tho our out of town shopping centre has over 10,000 spaces (because they have crammed them in) if around 10% is disabled that a 1000 spaces. I think it's more. It has no parent and child yet attracts families and those with big cars so you can park miles away or on the roof and still get someone parked so close when you come back you have to trust the kids to stand at the side whilst you reverse out or squeeze past the car next to you. Mines old enough to stand where I can see him, but I'm sick of getting my car scratched by people trying to squeeze in, so agree something needs to be done to accommodate those that need more space for other reasons like parents.

Show quote history

That is massive! Where is that? Is it a multi storey? The op was talking about a multi storey car park with hundreds of disabled spaces. I've been googling biggest multi storey car park in the UK and can't find anything close to that.

IncompleteSenten · 27/01/2023 08:14

Which isn't to say there isn't one btw. Google isn't perfect 😁. I'm just curious

Princesspollyyy · 27/01/2023 08:25

People have got used to P&C spaces, and then there's that sense of entitlement that goes with it.

I used to get worked up about it but then realised it wasn't worth the stress. If there's no P&C spaces just park in a regular one.

How on earth did people manage before P&C spaces????

FangedFrisbee · 27/01/2023 08:43

@IncompleteSenten the trafford centre has about that many spaces. The disabled ones are downstairs in the basement of the multi story by selfridges, im not sure there are any p&c spaces

WeWereInParis · 27/01/2023 09:02

I don't know why people are sceptical about there being that many disabled spaces. In the large multi storey at the shopping centre near me there are disabled spaces on four floors, and I'd say about 50-60 spaces per floor. (In this car park there are also lots of P&C spaces)

I also think it's unfair to criticise OP on her anxiety - plenty of people have anxiety about lots of things that may seem silly to others, that doesn't mean it's not real.

Neither of those things make it ok for to park in a disabled space though.

Itisbetter · 27/01/2023 09:19

Looking at the disabled parking and wanting to use it is a bit like seeing a rank of mobility scooters and asking if why you can’t just use one because your feet get tired sometimes. Of course you can’t because you don’t need one, haven’t paid for one and the provision is not for someone able bodied. How can you possibly think that is “unfair”?

Roundabout78 · 27/01/2023 09:21

MickeyMouseShithouse · 26/01/2023 21:56

@AllThingsServeTheBeam absolutely not in this particular car park, I’ve never once seen the disabled spaces there at even 50% capacity. You can go there at peak time on a Saturday and you’re just driving by space after space of empty disabled bays 😅

so I would have zero worries about ‘taking’ a space from someone who needs a disabled bay as they could just pick one of the many, many more 😂

I’ll have to come back to this thread the next time I go so I can photo how many disabled spaces there are!

But if EVERYBODY did what you suggest, there wouldn’t be hundreds of empty spaces, would there?
having kids is not a disability. You’re not the only person with children. YABU.

Underhisi · 27/01/2023 09:34

"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."

The law says different so your personal opinion doesn't matter. And no, having a baby isn't the same as having a disability. Legal entitlement to reasonable adjustment only applies to disability.

Underhisi · 27/01/2023 09:39

All the laughing in her comments shows the OP is being an arse and not that troubled by anxiety.

Soubriquet · 27/01/2023 09:43

You know, in a city close to me, there’s a multi story car park with an entire floor dedicated to blue badge holders.

There are still blue badge holder spaces on each floor but there’s one floor (level 11) that is blue badge holder only..

Yet, ironically enough, I’ve been there to see the floor is closed. Like barriers across the entrance and a sign saying closed closed.

That always baffles me

dawnc27 · 27/01/2023 09:58

@DeirdreRashid ok chose to have kid(s) 1, 2, 4 or 27million, makes no difference. not one single person would choose to be disabled
i also have 4 kids myself, am a carer for a person with a blue badge and am myself disabled but not enough to get a blue badge so i have seen it from all angles and still think its wrong to park on one just because theres no p&c spaces

dawnc27 · 27/01/2023 10:03

@DeirdreRashid op has clarified toddler and baby so not twins btw

Throwncrumbs · 27/01/2023 10:05

I’ve never been any where there is hundreds of disabled bays. When my kids were small there wasn’t any such thing as P&C spaces and I managed. The worlds gone mad, giving people who procreate a special parking space 🙄No you can’t park in a disabled bay as you don’t have a blue badge, you will be on camera and get a fine if you do so carry on!

Throwncrumbs · 27/01/2023 10:06

i get really bad anxiety reading crap like this!

ReneBumsWombats · 27/01/2023 10:09

They're disabled spaces, not anxiety spaces.

If your anxiety is so bad that you can't use a car park, you'll have to find an alternative way to shop or get around.