What is with childless people parking in family spots!!!

[Asher09]

I have a toddler and a baby - so thats 2 car seats and a double pram. I genuinly need a fair bit of space when parking and recently I've seen so many people without children parking in the family spots - its so frustrating!

Surely family spots are there for a reason - they're closer to entrances and allow more space to get in and out. Its so helpful to a parent!
When inconsiderate people park there without thinking it leaves me driving around with a screaming toddler and a crying baby trying to find a decent spot where I have some room - some car parks have such narrow spots its impossible to get my kids in and out without hitting a car.

I've caught some people in the act, and have confonted them 'Hey I think you've left your kids in the car' but no one thinks they sre doing anything wrong or should move.

I think family spots should have the same rules as disabled spots. Just don't know how that would be implimented.

YANBU.

Ideally all car park spaces would be a bit wider, blue badges would be easier to obtain for people who need them and finally people would all be a bit less selfish. None of this is going to happen anytime soon unfortunately.

I weirdly don't like parent and child spaces. It's always busy around them with cars and I don't like trying to get the pram out etc with loads of cars driving behind me.

I have a preschooler and a baby and I park at the back of the car park, and walk round the edge to get to the front door vs walking across the car park. I think it's safer.

How big is your car? I have no problem getting my child seat out of a standard hatchback.

This is an unfair and ageist comment. My mum is a 'bloody boomer' and wouldn't dream of doing this. In fact, despite her having a blue badge she won't even park in a disabled space if she's feeling OK to walk a bit further on a particular day as she'd rather leave it for someone who needs it more.

I often have to park in a normal space when visiting the local shopping centre. It’s usually ok unless someone parks near to my car. The pushchair won’t fit in the boot and I have to open the door pretty wide to get it in the car. It’s a struggle.

I wouldn’t have the guts to say something to someone parking in a spot without children but it would annoy me. It even annoys me when parents with children older than around 6 use the spaces as by that age they should be able to get themselves in and out efficiently enough.

I’d happily use these spaces and walk from the far end of the car park for the extra room.

Fuck me these threads just won’t die.

It is quite random. I’ve had multiple tickets when I’ve parked my (clearly adapted for a wheelchair user) van in disabled bays and not had my badge (because it’s been stolen, or I’ve left it in the other car, or the kids have eaten it or whatever)- each appeal on the basis that I do have a valid blue badge has failed.

Sorry how is that offensive?

How does giving families/parents rights take away from disabled people? How does it make anyone more or less important? Please explain.

ITS NOT MUTUALY EXCLUSIVE! Nowhere have I said that we have to take away disabled badges and give badges to those with kids, nowhere have I said that we need more p/c spots which should come at a cost to disabled people - My god, what is wrong with people?

If you read my post properly you would see that I used disabled spots and how they are managed, as an example.

F*ck me - for a platform dedicated to parents, seems like we sure do hate them!

Koolaid, i'm all for taking older people out to cafes and restaurants, but that's not what we were talking about, so thanks for jumping down my throat. I feel the same way about young kids. Delivery is much less stress.

For who? Not for the persons desperate to see a bit of normal life outside their own four walls, to choose their own groceries, who likes taking advantage of reduced offers and buying little things they didn’t know they wanted until they saw them.

i park in a BB bay. I am not disabled.......but my dd is and in a wheelchair.(obviously only when she is with me)
so your controversial part makes no sense

Not for my nan it's not. She likes to do her own shopping.

Shed never let someone do an online shop for her. She likes to pick her own as she has done for over 80 years

I am also not disabled but always parked in a disabled bay and displayed my Mum's blue badge when I took her out anywhere. Obviously I never used it if I was in the car without her.

I get where you're coming from OP. How would legislation actually work in reality though? At what age does the child stop qualifying for a space? Do you use to prove your child's are to the parking police? Do you need a badge in the window? Who is going to enforce this?

Tbh when my kids were growing up there were very few parent/kid parking spaces but we managed ok. I think the disabled spaces are a bigger issue.

Some kind of industry wide voluntary scheme may work. At Meadowhall, you need to get a permit to use the P&C spaces and it’s only for children up to the age of 5. You can’t get a permit without fronting up with said child! They’re quite strict about it.

just use a normal parking space like millions of parents did in years gone by. It’s not hard

Thank you for that insightful comment. Cars are bigger (doesn’t have to be yours - you can get wedged in by someone else’s car if they park selfishly) as are infant car seats, so no it’s not the same as “years gone by”.

"Porridgeislife · Today 15:03

DGPP · Today 15:01

just use a normal parking space like millions of parents did in years gone by. It’s not hard
Thank you for that insightful comment. Cars are bigger (doesn’t have to be yours - you can get wedged in by someone else’s car if they park selfishly) as are infant car seats, so no it’s not the same as “years gone by”.

Exactly. Tell me you haven't read anyone else's opinion on the thread without telling me 🙄

Yes I will do that and you should hope that someone like me doesn't park next to you because it'll be your car getting dented or scratched if there's no room for me to take my toddler or baby out.

FFS - surely its beneficial to all to have wider spaces or spaces designated to specific peoples needs!

I'm going to hedge a bet that a large proportion of the people who resent p and c spaces being available for families to make their lives easier also resent those parents getting funded pre school hours or a young child sitting down on a bus. There is such animosity to parents of young kids in this country and of kids themselves. Constantly reading nonsense like "children are a lifestyle choice" and other shit. Why? Who do you think is going to be paying your pensions/ looking after you in a care etc one day?

And for the record we have an aging population. We need people to be having more kids, not putting them off by being twats.

I suggest you take the bus instead of driving. You’ll avoid causing criminal damage that way.

Giving p&c spaces the same legal standing as disabled space would give the false impression that the two are equally important. They are not.

I used to use the P&C spaces when they were available but it really wasn't a big deal if they were not. If you're really struggling on a regular basis, perhaps you need to get a smaller car so that you can manage in the standard spaces?

It doesn’t have to be you driving the large car. If someone with a huge car parks selfishly beside you (eg to maximise their space on the driver’s side) you’re still stuck. I have had this happen not infrequently in a Golf, as our local Sainsbury’s has tiny car parking spaces - how much smaller you think parents should go?