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 😒

Same here!

If only everyone could just show a little consideration for other people

@ThisIsACoolUserName

I've heard it all now!

What do you mean? The doors are longer!

Oh see there are plenty of car parks around here where there aren't walkways other than around the outside of the carpark.
I'll see if I can find a photo of what I mean.

The larger supermarkets though do have a path running down the centre of the P&C spaces which is brilliant.

Same! I’ve said many a time they should put them further away as you don’t need to be close just more room to get small children out. So annoying.

Ours has a walkway in between the blue badge spots

These threads annoy me. I have no skin in the game, as a disabled parent of small people, I could park in either. I wouldn’t park in a P&C space without my DC unless it’s like it’s at the stupid shopping place near me where they put the P&C spaces closer to the GP surgery and pharmacy than the disabled ones!!
I get annoyed because people on here act like it’s a need, it’s not. It’s extremely helpful, of course, and I don’t think it’s very kind to go out of your way to use a space when you don’t need it. But people manage fine when it suits them - at child based places like the zoo or soft play. If people were honest and said it’s so much easier, rather than acting like they have some god given right for their need, these threads would be much less antagonistic.

This thread is insane.

I have twins and no I don't carry 2 infant car seats.
My car is, however, slightly bigger than average to accommodate the double buggy and two bassinets my twins currently use.
I physically cannot get my two babies out of the car if there are two cars parked either side of me at my local supermarket (which, as I live in a small town, is the car park for most of the town), even just taking the babies out and not the car seats.
There is no empty corner of the car park, if the p&c spaces are full I have to leave without going in.
I usually walk into town with the buggy and stuff what I can in the buggy basket. I only drive when picking up their meds that have to be refrigerated and the walk is too long for it, but it is a bloody pain and I absolutely agree with the OP that people who park in them without needing to are just inconsiderate twats.

All those saying they manage fine without the spaces, great, don't park in them then and leave them for those that need them 😂

Yes! And people that park in them with teenage children.

If you have a young child you need the extra space around the car to get the child into the car seat and I don’t think people realise how difficult it is with an inch of space. I’d also prefer not to walk across a car park holding a baby or toddler so the space being nearer to the shop is alot safer too.

I agree it’s extremely selfish and I’ve never done it before having a child.

I know, strange isn't it? They obviously manage to control their children in other spaces, but suddenly in a supermarket car park it's impossible. 😂
I'm old enough to remember my mum clicking the two youngest on to their 'reins' when she was wrangling three of us on and off of buses, walking to my school and other adventures. Very efficient and kept them safe.

@Aliceinwonderland5 If you don't have room to get a baby in and out, how do you get in and out yourself?

I use a parent and child space 🤣

No in all seriousness, I can usually get one twin out one side but not enough space on the other side to get the other twin out and I cant get past the car seat to get the other twin out from the same door.

I dont know why you think I'd lie about it.

I dont know why you think I'd lie about it.
Just struggling to understand how an adult could get out if you couldn't get a baby out. Most people can park so that themselves and an adult passenger can get out of both sides of the car.

Your local supermarket obviously has much bigger spaces than mine.

Your experience doesn't have to be the same as everyone else's

If you have young twins/ young children and manage to get them both out in a normal space then hats off to you, don't use a p&c space and leave them for those who can't.

It’s very frustrating OP and I remember being as outraged as you when DC was tiny. But honestly, you get used to it. I think of getting those spaces as a win now! It becomes less of an issue as DC gets bigger and you can take them out the car without the car seat having to come out too. Putting them in the trolley does make life easier when they’re big enough! A quick Milton sterilising wipe or a blanket in the bottom and away you go.
I don’t think you’re being difficult, just another thing to navigate as a new mum.

You need to get over it. They’re a courtesy, nothing else. Just park further away from the shop so you can have a space on your baby’s side.

Parking like a prick yourself only undermines you, I won’t cheerlead you for that.

Parked down the middle of 2 spaces???? who’s the real … fill in the blank!

Look, I bet that you have a PFB but the world isn’t going to bend to make your life easier because you’ve procreated.
For many, many, many years parents have managed to take children in cars and park without child/parent bays. You’ll survive.

Why can’t you walk across the car park? Baby being carried or in a sling and the toddler on reins. Much safer parking in the quieter areas than where the majority of cars are by the entrance.

I wish they would make P&C spaces far away from the store to deter people. I generally never have a problem finding an end or corner spot. So I just ensure I park with my DS’s seat on the outer side meaning I can get him in easily. Other times I have parked really close to the drivers side and scooted across the passenger seat to get myself out and this allows me more room to get him in (although this did reward me with a rather large groin bruise from the handbrake 🤣). It’s a pain but parking across 2 spots may prevent another person in the same boat as you not being able to park at all which isn’t fair!

From having done it, I personally feel safer when carrying a baby to be closer to the shop than to walk across the carpark at shops like my local lidl where there is no footpath, you just have to walk directly across a busy carpark. I presume others with this experience feel the same way and that is why the spaces are usually found near to the entrance of the shop.

Oh and there isn’t a quiet area of that car park, I’d have to walk across the busy car park (past the p&c spaces)

I think to expect to have a p/c parking space because you have a baby is entitled. To park over two spaces which stops someone else who may need to park is just ignorant. We all need wider spaces. Cars are bigger or spaces just seem smaller. Not all elderly people without blue badges are agile enough to open a door slightly and squeeze through the tiny gap, that said what about pregnant mums or larger adults? My partner is waiting on a hip replacement and can barely walk, he has to manage.Everyone has an equal right to be able to access their vehicle safely. That said, it does annoy me in an empty car park to see an able bodied person park in a disabled space or a p/c space just because of laziness. As others have said, either all the spaces need to be bigger or the p/c spaces need to be at the back of the carpark with a safe walkway to the shop,

It's really car park design which is at fault. A Tesco car park near me is absolutely hideous for pedestrians and drivers - people all over the place, there are no safe walking routes other than from the P&C and the disabled spaces - the P&C are further away, its the safe walking route that made a difference for me when DDs were small.

In Sainsbury's however (where I could have legitimately parked in P&C with a 12 year old) there was not such a pressing need to use them as it was designed with pedestrian footways accessed by many of the regular spaces.

Car parks in general are quite dangerous for everyone - drivers who don't look properly and pedestrians who continue walking behind a car with reverse lights on, drivers who drive impatiently and too fast down the rows. Particularly dangerous for small children smaller than a car bonnet as they can't always be seen. There was a fatal accident with small child in a car park near me. It took a death for the car park to be redesigned.

It really really annoys me, I have a 3 month old and a 3 year old so it’s always a struggle to get them both out of a normal space.

What frustrates me even more is people with older kids or people with kids that don’t even get out of the car. They’ve at some point had children in car seats and should know better!

Tbf I went to Sainsburys last week and was obviously on autopilot (used to having two kids attached to me), realised when I walked out of the shop I’d parked in P&C…thankfully it was 8pm so lots of spaces left

@DVL

What frustrates me even more is people with older kids or people with kids that don’t even get out of the car. They’ve at some point had children in car seats and should know better!

I used a P&C space with DD until she was around 12. She won't go out now so it's a non issue but I definitely needed to get that door open to assist her getting g out of the car and hold on to her once she was out. It was quite a juggle actually and the P&C spaces were perfect for the job, I can't get a BB for her because I have no one to fill out the form 'someone who knows your child but isn't the GP' so the council don't want to know.

I'm sorry you think I should know better - I was just doing what I could for DD