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.

Selfish twats everywhere now OP.

I agree. There is a woman with a top of the range Range Rover who always parks in the family spaces at my local supermarket. I go to the shops most days after the gym and see her - she gets a coffee then sits in her car making phone calls for ages. I can be in the shop 10/15 mins and she’s still there when I get out.

I’m not particularly nosey actually I think I am but it’s so noticeable as her car is pretty flash - white evoke convertible with private reg. And I am probably BU but she just seems so entitled, it just seems like such shit behaviour. I’m embarrassed for her but she clearly doesn’t give a flying fig.

You can get a fine for parking in a parent and child space without kids too. Some supermarkets have said they will fine people if they’re misused. Its their land so they can issue fines. I suppose if you think they’re being misused, report to customer services and let them handle it.

Having a child is a choice, and I say that as someone who's chosen to have two.

Having a disability is not a choice and it's pretty entitled to equate the two.

It’s massively inconsiderate. I took a woman to task over her decision to sail into the last parking spot recently - no kids in sight. She said she could do as she pleased. Bloody boomers.

These parking spaces would be better served at the far end of the car park because then they are less likely to be used by people wanting to park at the front of the shop. It’s bizarre to me, I’ve got children but I’m still capable of walking

This.

Park further away and I can guarantee you'll have a whole parking place each side of your car to manoeuvre in.

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

"Hey I think you've left your baby in the car" wasn't funny or original when my DS was a baby and he's 24 now .

Only equalled by "Well I'm taking my 90 yo mother because she's the parent and I'm her child " .

Well, we’re just outside of London so car parks are smaller and busier. So there’s no guarantees it will give you any additional space.

Plus, even when you’ve parked in the boondocks, you’ll come back to someone parked next to you. UK drivers seem to have a bizarre homing chip installed with their provisional licence where they MUST, in an otherwise empty car park, park directly beside the only other parked car.

It’s even happened at bloody Heathrow on a quiet afternoon when I’ve parked on the least convenient, and totally empty, parking deck. In a place where surely everyone wants a bit of space to get in/out the car, I came back to my car, and another car side by side - the only cars on the entire deck.

Only equalled by "Well I'm taking my 90 yo mother because she's the parent and I'm her child "

I never needed to say that because she was standing right beside me and her age and poor mobility were self evident. Nobody was ever enough of an arsehole to challenge me.

Poppa- seems like standard behaviour for a top of the range, Range rover driver

"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 drive modified cars, i don't want to park in the busy thick of a carpark where inconsiderate people may ding a door. i always drive to the back of the car park and without fail, it's always over half empty - plenty of space!

Not sure I'd be taking a 90 year old with mobility issues to the supermarket when there's a perfectly good delivery service

Because she wanted to go. She was old, not dead.

Good point and idea. When my partner has a badly broken leg, she wasn't entitled to disabled spots but did need the extra room.

It is infuriating. Not at all the same as misusing a disabled space as many others have said.

It is rude and inconsiderate 100%. Our local Tesco has it right in that they are about halfway into the car park so not super close, and aligned to a covered walkway. Even then half of the spaces are often taken up by people who don’t have young children with them. Yes, there are absolutely fine reasons for some people to use them but it is seriously aggravating when you have to try and squeeze your small children out of a car or expect them to crawl across from the other side. I once had to put my DD in her brother’s car seat on the other side of the car because someone had parked so closely and I was on my own so couldn’t pull out halfway to get her in. Not safe as he is much older.

9 times out of 10 the people I see using them without children are apparently able bodied white lone men in their 20s-40s. Obviously some could have a non visible disability but unlikely as there are always available disabled spaces which are much closer to the shop.

However, it’s one of many things where people are just arseholes. Same as people who don’t put their trolleys back (again,
the occasional reasonable excuse but largely just inconsiderate and selfish) and go in the wrong lane, block up roundabouts, and do any number of generally unnecessary and selfish things.

Annoying but some people are just twats.

I know.

I park in the family parking at the co op always have because the time I go they are empty. I went a little later recently didn’t really think anything of it but they were now with hindsight obvs more busy. Got shouted at for using them by a mum . The ironic thing is she was parking in them and wasn’t even using the co op. Yep she got a snide comment right back at her.

At what age should a person not leave the house any more, in your opinion?

Landrover Defender

Normal spot and someone parks next to us, cannot open the door let alone get into it

Live in the Scottish highlands - Rural so defender not exactly excessive

In your first post you mention being closer to the entrance before having more room. I suspect you and many others wouldn’t be interested in these spots if they were at the back of the car park. I generally park at the back by choice, if you just went straight there instead of driving around with two screaming kids in the car, you would find all the space you want anyway.

I'm genuinly shocked at peoples lack of reading comprehension.

Surely if disabled spots remain as they are with all the legislation and P/C spots get some some legislations in place then everyone is happy? And its a win win for those with disabilities and those parent/children...No? Or am I so wrong in what am I suggesting?

For those who are able to park elsewhere, then go for it. I simply used DISABLED PARKING SPOTS (NOT PEOPLE) as an example / comparison becsuse its the only thing I know which has legislation attached to it.

Where have I said, disabled spots are less important? Where have I said we need MORE p/c spaces that should replace disabled spots? My point is that p/c spots should be governed... regardless of who uses them. There are signs on disabled spots which talk about fines, my suggestion is a similar thing for p/c child spots?

How is it taking away from disabled people and their spots, as most of you are assuming I'm applying?

If you as a reader dont think p/c spots should have any legislation attached to them, then say that and keep it moving but not reading my posts properly and taking my simple point out of context to suit your point about disabilities/ disabled spots etc is absolutely ridiculous.

Disabled people and people with kids are not the same, people dont chose their disabilities and some choose to have kids - i agree with it all but I really do ask that people take some time to read and understand my post properly. Thanks.

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

People with blue badges are permitted to use parent and child spots if disabled spots are all taken

This truly is an 'only on MN' argument. Everyone else thinks it's twattish to use child spaces if you don't need them.

When I was on Mat leave my absolute nemesis locally was a woman who drove a new Defender. She would park up relentlessly in P&C spaces as a solo driver and even once beeped at me when I had the temerity to take too long to leave my space after I had to change my daughter’s nappy on the boot as she pooped just as we left.

Obviously Defenders are ideal and necessary in the Highlands but we’re in the London commuter belt 😅