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.

The blue badge is for the person, surely, so you should be able to display their blue badge in your car if they are a passenger and they’re getting out of the vehicle. That’s what we all
do when we take my grandmother somewhere. Unless you mean that they don’t have a blue badge but they would be entitled to one?

You using them while heavily pregnant and your husband using them with a broken leg are obviously perfectly reasonable situations for someone without small children to be using them. They are accessible to all in that I don’t think people can be fined etc for parking in them if they don’t have the need, they should just have the courtesy to avoid them.

I have told DP off on several occasions for parking in them when I am staying in the car with DD or DSCs and pointed out to him that he’s just being lazy!

Family parking spaces are a courtesy. Disabled bays are enforceable.😗

Little bit of information, if you park in a disabled space you should actually display your blue badge in your car by law and you can be fined for using them if you don't have a blue badge. Parent and child have no such rule so in fact can be used by anyone.

They should make car parks with all wider spaces like Costco. The current spaces are far too small for modern wide vehicles

It was an unfortunate comparison using disabled parking
but OP was meaning there covered by legislation that’s all and P and C should be enforceable by having legislation
she wasn’t comparing being disabled to having a child

I think they should move them to the far end of the car park to solve this

@Asher09 - do you know why your kids are crying when you're driving them round? Maybe we could help you with that?

Your “two teens in a Range Rover” says it all. Clearly you are more aggrieved about the make of a car than your actual parking situation.

"Little bit of information, if you park in a disabled space you should actually display your blue badge in your car by law and you can be fined for using them if you don't have a blue badge. Parent and child have no such rule so in fact can be used by anyone. "

Unless the sign states otherwise and you will get fined like I did !

It's great you can look at someone and know they don't have mobility issues.

Priority seats are for those of us with invisible disabilities too.

"If I was their regular chauffeur I’d have a blue badge for them, but I don’t because I only take them out occasionally." @Lumiodes

If you're taking your elderly relatives out, you can display their blue badge on your car. My dad is disabled and carries his blue badge in his 'man bag' so I use it when I take him shopping. They're meant to be used by the individual, whatever car they are in.

What is it with the posters that start a thread about p&c parking spaces every couple of months.

Thank you! Exactly this.
In NO WAY is being diabled and having a child the same thing - I'm not saying that all.

My point is being taken out of content and railroaded. I don't know what else I was supposed to compare it to when its only disabled spots that are covered by legislation. I understand that people who shouldn't park there, do, but at my local car parks theres signs clearly saying they will get fined and sometimes do!

Are you new to the world, I bet this is the most common discussion across all forums since the internet was invented 😃

It's the same old answers every time, there can't be anything that hasn't been said a million times already, no one ever changes their view, it's just one of those features of live with children and cars

Car spaces are so tiny now, no modern cars fit comfortably in the spots, its always a juggle and squeeze. Plus the carpark seems so much busier now.

P&C parking would be great at back, just impossible getting car seats and buggy out. Some food shops the spaces are so bad we have to unload the baby and buggy before parking up, which is a bit of a hold up. But else the door wont open wide enough. I would actually prefer parking at the back, as it would be quieter.

Although a lot are saying its courtesy, i kinda feel there is do much red tape the markets dont want a lawsuit from someone knocking a child over or a buggy in a car park. I mean when its been busy and there is only a normal space, i tried to get a spot far away and i obviously wasnt getting the baby out quick enough so the guy preceded to continue parking in a tiny spot next to me and bump my arse with his car whilst i was getting the baby out 😂😂

You can't compare p&c spot to disabled spots.

If you don't like it park at the back of the carpark as far away from the shop as you can, there's usually lots of empty spaces with room around them.

Yeah, any sympathy I had is gone. Not remotely on the same level.

I think all carpark owners need to wake up to the fact that average cars are so much bigger than they used to be. All spaces should be bigger, not just a few.

I carry my badge too for this reason. I need the disabled space no matter who's driving.

Our Sainsbury's has the P &C in a row from the entrance all the way to the back of the car park with a walk way in between leading to a crossing to the shop.

The safe walk way is important for when it's children rather than babies imo. And also wide so kids don't smack their doors into the next car. Which is why I prefer it going up to 12 in these spaces. Keeps other cars less damaged 😂

Works well.

I agree with you OP, but a post about parent and child spaces will bring out the dickheads. 'Eeeeee back in the day we had to carry two toddlers and 10 shopping bags for 14 miles in the snow'. I find it odd that on mumsnet there are so many people who seem to hate mothers.

Oh yes of course! She is almost a mother and will need care from this moment on...
Perhaps she should move to Portugal...
🤣🤣

Maybe we could have single people spots, maybe bigger spaces for the nicer cars (so they don't get damaged by buggies or people with children), plus they are in and out quickly, picking up their ready meal for one and a bottle of Chablis. Shall we give these legal standings as well?

Or people should buy smaller cars

I have to agree with this I'm afraid 🙈

Having children is a choice. Being disabled is not a choice. Incomparable.