To think that people who use parent and child spaces without children are selfish *****

[hotcheeto]

Fill in the starred swear word as applicable.

I've only started truly noticing how many idiots do this since I had my baby 4 months ago. I can't believe how many people I've seen do it. And yes I always call them out and have had some pretty disturbing abuse thrown back.

I have also always reported to the shop staff to be told it isn't illegal and there's nothing they can do bar having a parking attendant out constantly which isn't possible (I know this isn't the shop staff's fault).

No disabled spaces? Fair enough, crack on. But this isn't the case 99% of the time. People use them because they are close to the entrance. I would rather the spaces be far away from the entrance with a small trolley park nearby with car seat/child seat trolleys.

Yesterday I purposefully parked straight down the middle of two normal spaces because I didn't want to risk having to reverse out just to get my baby's car seat back in. As I was walking in I witnessed 3 separate very able bodied people walk back to their cars without children.

Just really pees me off 😒

Fair enough but I use Ocado and for £8.99 a month I can get shopping delivered any time I want and substitutions are very rare and the produce is generally really good quality. I think they do a great range of dietary alternatives as well, there’s certainly a lot of choice.

I’m sure a child would survive not doing the weekly shop in person, it’s not like they will have never used a shop by the time they reach adulthood, I think that reasoning is a bit of a stretch to be honest!

I agree, it’s incredibly annoying. But so is parking across two bays.

When mine were newborns I just took them out of their car seats (youngest is 7 months so not long ago). I’d either put them in a sling, pram, or trolley with a baby attachment (if available). Keeping babies in car seats outside of car journeys isn’t recommended anyway (especially newborns who shouldn’t be in a car seat for more than 20 minutes if you can help it).

If the Parent and Child spaces were moved to the far side of the car parks, that would solve the problem wouldn’t it? If you feel strongly about it then you could lobby for this to happen.

I have a baby who does nothing but scream a very high percentage of the time in the house. Sometimes getting out to a supermarket is my only respite in my current shituation. If I was expected to just sit in the house even more and get my shopping brought to me, I think I’d be even more demented than I am.

I wouldn’t call people out on it because you can’t guarantee how they will react but I don’t think you’re being unreasonable to class it as an annoyance. Some people park really close or at ridiculous angles in normal
spaces, no matter where you park, they will find you (!) and it’s very hard to get a baby out. I don’t mind a walk to the shop from the car but it is about the space.

The worst for me is people who think because they have a child in the car, it means they can park there. Then proceed to leave the child(ren) in the car with someone else whilst only one adult gets out.

To be honest it sounds like you don't know much about children or child development.

I used them when I had an injury, I checked with the places I was using them and they always said it was fine.

To be honest, I’m closely related to someone who specialises in child development so I’m afraid you’re wrong. How about engaging in an adult conversation instead of resorting to silly insults.

You seemed to state you were going to bash them regardless.

I don't really care what you do just don't go damaging other peoples cars.

Why you taking the car seat out all the time anyhow.

Stop being a prat park properly don't damage anyone's car it's not hard is it, if you can't do that, you shouldnt drive.

It's not silly insults. It's an observation. I note you ignored the whole section of my post on imitation play. Huge part of child development. If your relative doesn't realise this they're not very good. Luckily, I don't think you being related to someone who may or may not work in childcare qualifies your opinion as informed.

You may think you are insulting people who take kids to the supermarket but all you are demonstrating is your own inability to recognise anything past the end of your own nose.

Embarrassing really.

P &c spaces give you an extra 2 5 feet or so either side. Obviously if you can't get one you manage but parking to one side doesn't help as then someone thinks your a dick and parks next to you so you can't get in the driver's side and have to climb through the car. Small cars don't fit multiple kids and prams.
People use p & c spaces to keep their paint work nice

@YaWeeFurryBastard why not direct that at people who have disabilities? Should they all stay home and not be allowed to go to a shop?

Or is it only okay to say it to those caring for babies and young children?

Are you one of those people that takes the whole family time the supermarket and geta in everyone's way?

This morning I nipped to our local petting zoo with DS when it opened. As we were leaving it was getting busier as you would expect - strangely all the parents/grandparents were perfectly able to get their babies and toddlers out of the car without a single P and C space. Magic!

on the way back we quickly went into Lidl as I am trying to teach him (at 13) to be able to do some basic shopping. He has a blue badge but at this Lidl the P and C spaces are right outside the shop, the disabled are across the road. P and C are more convient for his needs so too right I parked there

I shop in the middle of the day. It's fairly quiet. Two children in a trolley does not impact anyone else in any way shape or form.
But even if i were Maria Von trapp, I have as much right to do a supermarket shop as anyone else.

This. Provision of disabled spaces (in car parks and on buses) is a legal requirement. Provision of P&C spaces is a courtesy. The latter could be done away with tomorrow and there is nothing anyone could do about it.

Disabled people campaigned for provisions which have legal effect. That's why we get so annoyed when they're co-opted by people who aren't disabled. Courtesy spaces are a different kettle of fish. No, ideally they shouldn't be used by people who don't require that courtesy, but disabled people using them is not the same as parents nicking provisions for disabled people.

Don't think you should have been using a P&C space for your 13 year old unless he was incapable of walking from a normal parking space.

He is a blue badge holder. That was the most convenient space for his needs.

This is absolutely fine, I don’t think Twiglets1 read your post properly. Bonkers that the disabled spaces are somethings further away than the P&C! Especially across a road 😮

That isn't fair.
Children have as much right to take up space as any other person does, surely. What about single parents who have no choice?

Because when you've got a tiny sleeping baby and you're just doing a quick trip, it's much easier to click the car seat on and off the pram frame rather than wake the baby by fishing them out and putting them in the bassinet pram.

My baby used to cry constantly during the first 4 months and she hated the bassinet pram, she was much more comfortable and would go off to sleep in the car seat, so if it was a quick trip I'd always leave her in it.

Some people don't have easy babies and you need every bit of help you can get 🙈

I use them after a certain time in the evening when children should be in bed 😇

You do realise you can get fined for taking up two spaces, don’t you?

Because they don't have a blue badge.

I used to use parent and child spaces when my Mum was in a wheelchair but not entitled to a blue badge. She has one now so it isn't an issue.

Blue badges aren't easy to get and lots of people can't get a blue badge but are much more in need of a wide space near the entrance than most parents with young children. There was a case reported in our local paper of a double amputee being refused a blue badge at renewal. You also can't get a blue badge for a temporary disability so you might be completely non-weight bearing and using a wheelchair but if expected to recover you can't use disabled spaces.

And the really frustrating thing is the shops only opened 18 months ago. My and others complained to the developer when it opened but were all ignored.