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

[seize]

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.

If supermarkets put these at the back of the car park it would solve all the issues.

Genuine question @seize - do you think walking across a carpark with a baby is more unsafe than walking across a carpark with a 6 year old?

Our Sainsbury's did this, they moved the P&C spaces far away from the door but there was a safe walkway, it made a massive difference. So no need to use once the kids could get out of their chairs themselves.

The criteria to get a blue badge, especially for a child, is very restrictive. Often down to each council to decide upon and many people who need one aren’t given one.

I do sometimes use them with my older dd who has sen if I don't have the blue badge with me. You are right in one way but it really isn't worth getting worked up about. There is always space further away from the store. You also can't tell from looking at someone whether they have needs or not. It is v difficult to get a blue badge. Many older kids with sen won't be eligible and their behaviour in a car parks can be risky. Their need might be greater than yours. Trying to keep hold of a strong older child with no sense if danger and who doesn't respond to instructions is no mean feat!

Pregnant WOMEN

My DD is 7 & I park in them.

Having paid out £680 in 3 years due to my car getting bashed & all the supermarkets involved saying no CCTV, I’m clinging to the wide spaces for as long as poss.

That's just it though. These spaces make life a little bit easier/more convenient but they're just a nice to have, yet people treat them as if they're essential. I have often seen comparisons made to disabled spaces, which are totally different.

Most parents don't really need these spaces but they feel entitled to them simply because they're offered. And then they get all indignant and outraged if someone they perceive as undeserving dares to occupy a space that they feel is rightfully theirs. How is that actually making their lives better?

Do you know what hoops you have to jump through for a blue badge? My child is severely autistic. He does not qualify. He does need extra space, proximity to the entrance and a bit of fucking understanding from arseholes who don’t understand the challenges other people face.

Nope. Any more questions?

I would actually laugh at this if it wasn’t my life.

It really is not that difficult to get a blue badge. Not being able to walk across a car park safely will you get one.

@Youdontevengohere I have no idea why your DC would not be eligible. The form even asks about questions relevant to severe autism.

In my ideal system there would be double the amount of disabled spaces (at least) with everyone who is entitled to any mobility element of DLA/ PIP automatically entitled and a clear system for those who don’t get either to apply.

I would then make all the rest of the spaces in the car park a bit wider to give everyone more door room.

Happens every day at my gym. I park in a normal space and every p&c space is taken by some big beef head in a big beefy car!!

I am not willing to give a stranger the ins and outs of my child’s medical history. He is not eligible. He does need more space than your average 7 year old, and is a danger around traffic.

Ok so it's for who needs them most. Mother with six year old triplets by your logic has less rights than couple with one four year old. But what if there's seven empty spaces? Can she use it?

So there's seven empty spaces and she uses it. Then the other spaces fill up. Does she have to come out and move the car for you? Does she need to state her kids are less worthy of the space than yours?

What if every space is taken up by a parent t of a child aged 5 and under? Do you put a call out to any parent of a four or five year old using a space so they can move for you?

Of course in general you're not unreasonable to assume people would only use them with their children of they feel there's a genuine safety issue but with adults using them with their adult, no additional needs kids or people using them without any kids with them, I don't think other parents are who is being pillorying in this instance

@QuarkBlisterbum parents of a 6 year old don't need to access the baby trolleys which most supermarkets only have a handful of. I don't want to go all the way across a car park to go back and forth to where these trolleys are with a baby because you want to park next to them with a 6 year old.

We've never really used them. There never seem to be any free spaces and it's no real hassle parking in a normal space.

@Youdontevengohere I was not asking for any medical details. I was simply saying eligibility includes children not able to walk across car park safely due to conditions like autism. Blue Badge criteria was expanded so it was no longer only about how far you can physically walk.

I always parked in spaces furthest away from the store. No one else wants those ones and I could park in a space with no cars on either side of me, leaving even more room to get little ones in and out. Parent and child spaces should just be located away from store tbh. No one else would take them then.

I’d either do away with them and convert them all to accessibility spaces for people with disabilities or I’d move them to the back of the car park next to a covered walkway.

More trouble than they’re worth as they just create entitlement. Meanwhile, the people who really need help aren’t catered for enough.