Parent and parking bay - outrage

[SpideyWoman1]

Just to stir up a hot topic.

My local gym has a few parent and child bays. I rarely get to use one and the regular bays are pretty small so they’re handy, although I obviously manage. It’s an expensive gym so you expect the perks that go with it.

I followed someone out of the gym this morning whilst leaving with my two year old and there was a lady parked in a P&C bay - given she had just played tennis I think it’s fair to say she wasn’t disabled (or atleast physically impaired to the extent she needed a smaller bay) like so many people said on another thread. Not only that she was driving a bloody Fiat 500 - ie one of the smallest possible cars.

I was just a bit outraged at the bare faced cheek!

I can see you’re talking generally - but the disabled spaces at the gym are opposite the entrance and I have never seen them full.

It's pretty obvious why P&C places are often close to the doors isn't it?

It's no fun lugging car seats and/or keeping hold of small children in a busy environment. I had 2 under 2 so they were incredibly useful.

But you'll always find those that resent small adaptations that benefit others. Or just can't park properly.

My kids are teenagers now so I've no skin in the game.

The thing is aswell, the membership is an arm and a leg and a family membership is bloody expensive. Being able to use the spaces is a definite advantage and adds to justifying the cost - ie the experience of visiting the gym is overall more important pleasurable. Those are privileges you’re actually paying for in this instance.

Carparks are dangerous for small children.

YANBU OP. In general, it doesn't bother me (or didn't, my kids are big now) - I would just park further away where there was more space.

But I had twins, and in very busy places it would be almost impossible to get them out alone, into the double buggy, then I'd have to go round to the other side to get the other child out and into the buggy. I'd always worry some lunatic would screech round a corner and into the buggy that already had a child in because if no P&C space was available, I'd have to put the buggy behind the car.

IMO though I agree with other posters - P&C spaces should be further away from the door; those closest should all be disabled spaces.

Well she's your parent and your her child so technically you're not doing anything wrong 😉

@Bubblesgun "Inclusivity is important to me, that's why I think that blue badge holders should really have the P&C spaces. I'm so outraged by this fact that I park in them myself as an able bodied person with older children to make the point that they would be more important for disabled people to use. That will show them!"

"outrage" - really? yes she shouldn't use it but it's not a crime

I know. That was my reasoning too!

I agree people who don't need them shouldn't use them but she could've needed to park there so it's probably best just to assume the best of her and move on.

We're early 50s, regularly look after gc (under 1)and often get looks or beeps by other parents when we park in these bays, until they see the baby in the back come out(privacy glass).

People should just mind their own damn business.

For your scenario to be applicable here the lady I spoke about would have had to have left her child in the car whilst she was in the gym. It’s not the same situation.

It is a total dick move to use a family parking space if you do not have any children with you. I would speak to the manager and say you've noticed this and ask if they can enforce it in any way. If it's private parking they may be able to.

So you're not disabled but inclusiveness is important to you, so you'll hog the space adapted specifically for families with small children. Are you incredibly lazy or just an idiot?

Sorry, I should have added that of course it’s not ideal for someone who hasn’t got children to park in a space for p+c, I am in agreement that she shouldn’t have done it. What I meant though was that it wouldn’t have bothered me as much with a toddler as it would have tackling getting a car seat out of the car.

And of course car parks are dangerous, but that is the case whether it is a parent and child parking space or not?! You get your child out of the car and hold their hand 🤷🏼‍♀️

They are parent and child spaces not parent and baby. I will use them with my 3 year old if my back is really bad (not bad enough for a blue badge) as it's easier to get him out and requires less chasing and walking.
I won't use them once he's 4, although he might be entitled to a blue badge by then. While he's still at nursery and also has SEN I won't feel guilty.
And yes it annoys me beyond belief when people with no children and no disability park there.

It is wrong, but given that 25% of those who hold a licence are unfit to drive and the standards of some of the others, I can understand why you would want to leave as much space from the next car as possible.

Planners should switch this - P&C spaces could go along the side or back of a carpark, then they are less appealing for those who don't need the space around the doors. A couple of zebra crossings on a path down to the door for walking too and from.

You do understand that not all disabilities are visible don’t you?

personally I think it’s time to ban p&c spaces or put them at the far end where no one else will use them

What possible reason could she have had for a P&C bay having just played tennis?!

given that 25% of those who hold a licence are unfit to drive

Where does this “statistic” come from?

While I understand why you want to rant, what you need to do is approach David Lloyd and ask them to tell you why they are not monitoring use of the spaces and enforcing the policy. After all, as you said here, it’s what you pay for.

Personally I’d also have gone up to her and said passive aggressively- “just letting you know this is for p&C only, as you probably didn’t realise”.

I don't think Parent and Child bays have any legal weight so YABU. In any case most people are probably either a parent or someone's child so are qualified to use the space.

Legal weight is completely irrelevant on private land.

Well she’s just a lazy inconsiderate person who believes her needs/wants are more important than anyone else.

They are bigger so parents can safely get young children into car seats.