Parent and child spaces should be for those with children 5 and under

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Parent-child parking spaces at supermarkets should be reserved primarily for those with children aged 5 and under, aside from older children with special needs (although a blue badge might be more appropriate where they meet the criteria, in these cases).

I was alone with my 4 month old today, the trolleys with the baby seats are kept next to these spaces. The spaces which have the easiest access to the trolleys had all been taken with the last taken by someone just before me, I reversed into a space around the corner and the driver was shaking their head at me, presumedly because their space only had extra room on one side and my space came up to them (see picture). I was surprised to then see them get out with a child of about 13. I saw multiple other people using these spaces with children looking like teenagers. I was able to get a space which still had fairly easy access to the trolleys, albeit by needing to walk on the road and inbetween the other cars, multiple people had parked in the spaces with the easiest access with much older children. I was lucky to get a space at all, had I not I would have had to walk across the busy carpark holding my baby.

YANBU- Just because someone has a child under 16 doesn’t mean they should take up these spaces, they should save them for people who need them the most.

YABU- first come first served, who cares if someone with a baby is having to traipse across a busy car park holding a baby to get to the baby trolleys.

I don't mind if it makes you feel better to characterise people who are criticising you as lazy CFs. You'd be wrong, but I get that some people find it hard to reflect on their behaviour and admit when they have been in the wrong.

You absolutely were in the wrong for challenging the woman without having any idea why she was parked there. She might have been a lazy CF or she might have had very valid reasons for taking that space. You didn't know and you shouldn't have made assumptions.

Her reaction tells you nothing, but carry on telling yourself that it's evidence of her guilt if it makes you feel better.

Me too. I use them for the space. If they were further away ot would be much better.

They should use the disabled spaces.

Or you could just not be a twat at all?

I absolutely was not in the wrong, will continue to challenge people, and not feel bad about it at all 👍🏻

Wow. I’m shocked by all the negative posts.
There are obvious saftey concerns getting a small child across car park which is why they bother to provide these spaces

That's exactly what a lot of the posts are saying - that 4 month year olds tend to go where they are carried so are not so much of a bother, but most slightly older children need careful supervision around cars, and many even older children with disabilities will also struggle.

I don't think calling people out is being a twat, but maybe snowflakes will

Meh

They can climb out easily. And mostv10 year old I know are certainly not in a car seat.

You can't use a disabled space without a blue badge, and there are many people who are disabled "enough" to need to park near the shop, that don't meet the bar for one.
I think a lot of people don't realise quite how difficult it is to get a blue badge.

Yeah, I know. We all know people like you.

This.

The criteria for getting a blue badge is much stricter than you think.

Plus, even NT children over the age of 5 can be impulsive and lack common sense at times.

And we all know people like you 🙄

Unless you are a parking warden you have no right to challenge people.

just stop and think the distress your actions can cause to those already struggling to get out the house. Someone’s disability, or life in general, is nothing to do with you

You sound lovely. That seems a bit over the top to someone asking "do you realise these spaces are for parents and children." You might need to work on your anger management

I've only recently changed to a car with 5 doors, before that it was a tiny 3 door Fiat 500. Getting dd in and out and safely buckled/unbuckled involved leaning right in and over the front seat which, even with such a tiny car, was near impossible to do in some of the smaller parking spaces around.

Dd is now 6 and definitely can't do up and tighten her own 5 point harness seat belt, so I do still find them very helpful in order to open the doors enough to do so properly. My car isn't very big so it must be really hard for those with larger vehicles otherwise.

I think generally the parent and child spaces work pretty well, people just enjoy having a moan if they can't get one, but that's just the way things are sometimes.

They should apply for a blue badge if it's so debilitating to their life.
You can defend this all you want but a vast majority of people that park in those spaces are lazy and do not require it. And likely would not do it if the spaces were at the other end of the car park.

Lucky you!

Yeah lucky for me I steer clear 😂

I have zero anger issues you are reading that as screaming. I am calm, I really don't get angry over much at all in life.

But I do take every opportunity to metaphorically kick someone like that.

I'm not phased by idiots. I've worked in customer services. I was the person people transfered the screaming bat shit crazies to because I could let it go for hours.

But I want them to think next time they challenge someone.

You can try to defend it all you like but it’s sweet FA to do with you.

if a space is free park in it, if not park elsewhere. If your that fussy about peoples parking get a job as a parking warden!

The only times I have really needed a larger parking space (not necessarily and p&c space, but obviously they tend to be larger) was when I was 8+ months pregnant and literally couldn't get out of the car in a normal sized space. There was also the time I came back from shopping with newborn ds to find someone had parked so close to me on both sides I couldn't get ds's car seat back in the car. DS was brand new at that point and I'd lost any capacity for rational thought, so just had a massive flap in the car park until a nice older lady offered to hold him for me while I backed the car out. Now I'd probably just stick him in the boot in his car seat and back out, but I was v. pfb at that stage 😂

They are a nice to have until they could unbuckle their own seat belts. Agree that they don't need to be near the entrance as well. Off in a quiet corner is much better.

Put these spaces as far as possible from the shop, I bet those complaining about others using them will be quite happy with a ‘normal’ space then if it saves them traipsing the length of the Tesco car park.

I honestly don’t think I ever used one.

You sound unhinged