To think it wasn’t wrong of me to use a parent & child parking space?

[AngeloMysterioso]

At a supermarket today- I didn’t have my DC with me, however I am 6 1/2 months pregnant with DC3 and suffering with what I have come to refer to as “arse daggers” - very painful shooting pains in my glutes that leave me hobbling in a most inelegant manner by the end of the day.
The parking spaces in the car park are very narrow, to the point where I struggle to fit myself and my bump out of the door and it was all getting a bit ridiculous, so today I decided to park in one of the P&C spaces (of which there are many, and I didn’t take the last empty one) so that I wouldn’t have to squeeze out of the door and would have less distance to painfully shuffle into the shop.
Afterwards I was putting my shopping in my car when I was accosted by some absolute cowbag who berated me for taking a P&C space even though I didn’t have a child with me. I pointed out the obvious, bump, mobility problems, plenty of spaces to go round, and she said I still had no right to park there and potentially deprive someone with a child of a space. At this point I decided not to bother engaging and just got in my car and left.

Was I BU?

@Sirzy

Your still wrong because the nature of the spaces is very different

I use P&C spaces when I have DH and DS with me.
DS is 7 and can certainly manage in a normal space, but DH is waiting on a hip replacement and cannot slide in and out of the car. He needs the door open as wide as possible. If I can't find an edge bay where the doors open onto a path or patch of grass, I use P&C spaces. I'm not sorry about it at all.

@Sirzy I agree the nature of the spaces is different. Her condition is health related but that wouldn't make her eligible for a disabled space as it doesn't for many many people who live in significant discomfort/pain but for whatever reasons are not eligible for a blue badge.

I wasn't saying the two spaces are equal. I was saying she is entitled to neither inspite of her discomfort.

I see what you are saying though by putting the two examples along side each other I am implying they are equal that was not my intention. They are not the same.

pheonix

The p and c spaces are wider. Not just to be close.

They could easily put them wider at the back for space and a walkway to the shops.

So many shops near me have p and c wide spaces nearer than the BB spaces.

Why does a wheelchair dependent disabled person have less risk than a child being out in a pram?

They are courtesy spaces but they are becoming more of an expectation and people are acting entitled over them.

If they don't need to be wider then have BB spaces right outside. Normal sized spaces in the next row reserved for parents so they are closer.

Then normal spaces.

I often use p and c spaces with ds and his BB because they are closer. Tbh I don't care if the inconvenience of him not being able to walk inconveniences someone putting a baby in a pram. The same way I couldn't care less if a pregnant woman in pain inconveniences someone using a pram.

But that maybe because I raised ds in a country where p and c spaces weren't a thing and we survived!

You did have a child with you, in a sense - you are 'with child'.

You may be okay with people using the BB spaces in that way, but plenty of other people would not be. The rules are there for a reason, and being flexible about them is a slippery slope imo.

Would I have used one while pregnant? No, but then I didn't need to. Except the one time some dick parked so close to my drivers side I couldn't have got in my car if I hadn't have been pregnant, climbing in through the passenger side at 7 months was great fun.
Would I bat an eye if I saw someone else use one when pregnant? Also no. You're (I assume) clearly pregnant so if you need the space then use it.

Keep your opinion and I shall keep mine. There's a reason why the court of law is presided by a panel of people and not just a machine to spit out sentences. Not everything and every rule is clear cut. Let's not forget these rules are put in by people to help people, hardly the 10 commandments!

This is a public forum. Maybe you missed that bit, people are allowed to express their opinions within reason. Good day.

The rules of blue badge use are very clear cut.

I think you were completely fine and it's about common sense. Your (albeit unborn) child was affecting your size and mobility. If you find walking difficult it really is about the safety of your child.

And often abused.

People are ludicrously precious about P&C spaces. OP you were fine to use it.

exactly. They may be lacking in a lot of areas but they are clear and as frustrating as it is if you don’t meet the criteria that doesn’t mean you can park there, otherwise it just becomes a free for all.

When it comes to using BB spaces it is not about deciding to be flexible with the rules. There is a reason for that, otherwise you would have all, and sundry parking in them, in some cases causing a person needing one to have to turn around, and go home.

This!

Couldnt have said it better

technically you shouldn't have parked there as you didn't have a child under 12 years old with you, and Sainsbury have been known to dish out £50 fines for the misuse of those spaces, (Google Sainsbury Child and Parent parking and you'll find the articles about it)... however would I have accosted you? Of course not.

So you’d rather, even though plenty of the unenforceable courtesy P&C spaces were available, a pregnant and struggling woman park in a smaller space and squeezed out, or in a more distant space and struggled to walk in, because you seem to see only in black and white?

There's so many stupid responses on this thread. Some people clearly really struggle to see nuance and think critically. And to those of you who enjoy policing others, especially when it comes to a courtesy such as a wider more convenient parking space, you really, really need to take a look at yourselves.

I get really irritated when people without children use these spaces!

They're the entitled ones, not parents with young children expecting to use the bays put there for them.

However, in your case, you are a parent and child and I would have no pr9blwm with you using it at all.

These p&c spaces threads never go well though.

To me if you are visually obviously pregnant then you've got a child with you :)

I don't care if she uses the space personally. It does not impact on me in any way shape or form. She asked if she was right to use it the answer is no she is not entitled to use the space. I also said in a earlier post I disagree with someone (other than a staff member) confronting her.

I wouldn’t have an issue with this

I know some women on pregnancy really do struggle and if this makes their life easier well I support them

Why does a wheelchair dependent disabled person have less risk than a child being out in a pram?

Wherever did I say that??

I’m thinking more of grocery stores and how that is silly to have such spaces farthest away on the parking lot. I rarely see a child in a pram at those unless someone walked there or took a bus so they didn’t drive. Parents with smaller children usually have to get a trolley first or take their baby/child out and then get a trolley, and would have to walk through a busy parking lot to get to the store and then trek it all the way back.

I have no issue with where BBS are nor said I did. My issue was with the thought of putting P&C spaces in the back of a parking lot. I have a disabled child myself and have to go through the blue badge process again unfortunately because it wasn’t processed correctly after waiting over six months for an answer.

But why is it silly to have the spaces furthest away?

If they are for closeness they don't need to be extra wide.

If they're for width they don't need to be closest.

And why does a perfectly able parent need a space right by the door if they're using a pram.

Why does a perfectly able to walk child need to be right outside?

And why do these people need wide spaces closest to the shop and yet they don't have the same courtesy spaces for elderly people who would struggle much more with distance and getting in and out.

It's because they are a gimmick. Not a necessity.

And so we have situations like this where someone not entitled to a disabled space yet suffering temporary disability due to SPD being abused for using a space that benefits her far more than a parent with an 11yo perfectly able to walk who probably walks themself to school daily!

Then we have people with temporary injury or broken bones etc? Who's providing somewhere for them to have an easier trip or more comfort?

The issue is when you chose a homogeneous group of people to target and provide them something for ease and comfort you then have all the other groups of people who would also benefit from the same being treated differently and not equally.

Hence why an area of wider spaces at the back of a car park for those needing wider spaces is inclusive and they won't be abused by people wanting an easier life in a space right outside the door.