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!

But how do you go to the toilet and change a tampon, towel, mooncup when holding a baby, or maybe 2 babies. It’s not that easy.

You get anxiety over a parking space when it's not impossible, just less easy to use regular spaces or park further away where there's always more space.

I and thousands of other disabled people get anxiety over parking spaces because through no choice of our own we are in wheelchairs or need less distance to travel.

I'd do so much more than just judge you for doing this. I don't know where your shop is, but I often have to go home because I can't get a disabled space.

@Itisbetter I think you misunderstood my point. I said not having a blue badge doesn't mean you don't have a disability. My friends mum certainly should have got one & with the GPs outrage/help they reapplied but unfortunately she died during that process. I'm not sure why you have inferred that do mean people with blue badges don't have severe difficulties?

Yes you’re absolutely right. I’ll take my newborn baby out of the pushchair, lie him on the dirty floor of the toilets whilst I use the toilet. I didn’t think of that. I’m not trying to steal disabled toilets. Just pointing out how difficult it can be, I’ve not said it’s harder for parents Vs disabled.

Absolutely ableist. I'd report you as well.

Surely you plan your trip around your TEMPORARY situation? Meanwhile, the permanently disabled people have to manage their days around the entitlement of the able bodied.

@safeplanet what I was saying was if you don’t quite meet the criteria with that level of difficulty then imagine how bad it is if you do.

I do think there’s a perception that it’s easy to hit those levels and it really isn’t, the people who have got badge’s really are living with challenges most of us will never appreciate, and there are many more who nearly hit those levels who struggle on without.

So it's okay for you to park in a parent and child space? That isn't right either... pretty hypocritical.

I guess it depends on the car park. I use a multi one that they just didn't design for well, cars
Each two spaces are separated by a concrete pillar, mostly covered in paint marks

I drive a polo so not a big car and it's sweat inducing parking in there. Getting out.. I have to turn sideways and put my hand on the edge of my door so it doesn't catch the car next to me
You've no chance getting a child out of a polo let alone a family car in one of their normal spaces

"So it's okay for you to park in a parent and child space? That isn't right either... pretty hypocritical."

It would only be considered hypocritical by those who think having a child is equivalent to having a disability.

@Itisbetter I know people who are severely disabled & do qualify. One of my parents was an advocate for a charity so I don't need to imagine....

and there are many more who nearly hit those levels who struggle on without.

So we agree then.

To the (entitled and precious) yummy mummies on here thinking it's OK to use a disabled space, because 'you have a baybeeee,' you do realise do you not, that most places have more bloody parent and child spaces than disabled spaces?! And if they don't, then park in a normal space, without using a disabled space, and WALK with your baby in the pushchair, like normal people!!! You do NOT get to use disabled spaces. (Unless you or your child have a blue badge obvs!) Using them because you CBA to walk from a normal space is despicable.

Also, you are not entitled to use the accessible loo/disabled persons loo... You MUST know that most places have a parent and baby room/parent and baby toilet. Using the facilities for disabled people is disgusting. You are not 'entitled' to do that because you have a baby/small child and CBA to seek out the parent and baby facilities.

Most women on here have had babies/small children at some time in their lives, and we managed to go to a public loo and change our tampon/sanitary towel, and have a pee, WITHOUT putting the baby on the floor. FFS, there is some utter rot on this thread...

Because they could get run over
Obviously

If it's multi-story, are they all always full? I'd park on the top level; those spaces as usually pretty empty.

@safeplanet I didn’t realise you thought we were disagreeing?

No, of course you can't park in a disabled spot when nobody in the car has a disability. Your anxiety is your responsibility to manage.

I don’t really see how you can plan a trip around it, if there’s no toilet in the baby change room, what can you do?

A couple of months ago a mum asked me to watch her very young baby whilst she went to the toilet as there was no toilet in the baby change and she couldn’t fit the pushchair in the toilet with her. She didn’t know me but had no choice but to leave her baby with me and was very tearful. I’m allowed to feel for a new mum in that situation as well as have empathy with disabled people that are struggling.

There needs to be more disabled toilets, and more baby change with toilets and parking to accommodate everyone.

@cravingmilkshake what a selfish, entitled person you are. Such a poor example of parenting as well.

Parent and child spaces are not a legal right. Whereas Blue badge disability bays are.

As someone else pointed out P&C are just a marketing idea. There is no legal basis for them. Anyone can park in them.

It's no different if supermarkets decided to allocate spaces for "The Over 60s" or "Fiat Puntos Only". They don't mean anything.
If someone decides to park in a P&C space, then they can.

Whilst well meaning, whoever came up with P&C spaces idea needs a proper bollocking. It really has caused some people to think they are a legal right.

And if they don't, then park in a normal space, without using a disabled space, and WALK with your baby in the pushchair, like normal people!!!

Its not the distance that’s the issue with using a standard space for most parents, it’s that you can’t get a car set out if the door won’t open wide enough.

It's fine for someone with a disability to park in a P&C space.

I just don't get the fuss about P+C spaces. They were not even in existence I don't think until a few years ago and everyone managed themselves okay. They are just a convenience nothing to get in a twist about and yes, you would be unreasonable to park in a disabled space to avoiding walking a bit with healthy young children.

Frustrating OP. It's hard with two little ones and annoying spaces aren't split more amongst demand. Even if there are loads of spaces in disabled section, it's a no. It's not forever and soon they'll be able to wriggle it through tight spaces and do themselves up.

We had this RecordsTurning
Shopping centre allowed m&c to use the disabled toilets, which were huge.
I could get the double buggy in which was great, esp after all the problems after birth.
Shopping centre actually changed the signage

Guess what?!
I have two under 5's and sometimes I don't even park in a baby parking bay! Just grab the first space I come across