I know IABU - just lost it over a parent and child space

[General90]

I feel awful because of my eldest child and it was so out of character for me.

we were going to our local supermarket which is always full of people parking in the child bays without children. Anyway, a car had followed us on the motorway and a roads and had driven like a lunatic, tailgating me and cutting people up. She was in front of me when she pulled into the car park and took the last child space and got out and walked into the shop. My DH was driving so I got out and went in where I proceeded to ask her to move her car and she was aggressive to me so I just lost it and we had an argument in the shop.

my DS didn’t witness me shouting at her but I’d tried to get her attention when she’d parked and so he knew there was an issue.

all the way home he was saying he was worried and asked if the police would arrest her. I feel horrendous that it’s by behaviour that influenced this. I know I should have just left her and found another space.

I am pregnant and hormonal, but didn’t excuse my behaviour.

He didn't do my shopping I still did it. He just offered because I was upset and he could tell I was having a bad day. I didn't take him up on the offer. It was just nice a stranger offers help when someone might need it

I don’t blame you - I don’t have young children any more but still feel murderous when I see people abusing the spaces. Especially arrogant selfish young blokes in big cars - perfectly capable of parking elsewhere but don’t give a shit about anyone but themselves.

The main problem is the supermarkets put them close to the front of the shop so everyone wants to use them. Put them a little further away - still lots of room for pushchairs and car seats but less appealing for the lazy and cuntish.

Don't worry about it. Your response was a bit extreme (understandable, you're hormonal) but she sounds like a twat. Maybe next time she'll feel a bit of embarrassment taking up a space that's not for her. Your kid will be fine, just downplay it, it's not a big deal.

There have been some really nutty answers here, suggesting she could have had a knife or you could have been arrested 🙄🙄🙄 Ludicrous. Just chalk it up to hormones and move on.

Agreed, guarantee parents wouldn’t be arsey over other people parking in them if they weren’t right in front of the entrance though!

I think people are so selfish though about this

She was probably not worth it though OP but I totally understand where you were coming from

I once had a random stranger follow me by train to where I worked (involved changing trains) with her DD in tow, her DD had been rude and aggressive to me so I’d spoken to the mother about it and the mother had been rude back to me.

However, just near where I worked was a small Boots where I was going anyway, so this stupid woman followed me in there with her DD but there were security guards/customer service staff plus CCTV so any further aggressive behaviour would’ve been flagged by all this.

She ended up leaving as I stayed in Boots, getting what I needed. She seemed the nutty one, following me involving a train journey. I don’t think her DD went to school where I worked or the town I got off at so good luck to her explaining why her DD was late to school and herself to her work if she was going to work.

I've had to before when there wasn't wide enough parking spaces at a hospital. Get my twins out of the car (before parking) and put them in a pram and ask an passing stranger if she could stand with my twins in the pram, whilst I park. I have to have a large car with 3 children under 3. I had tried multiple times to manoeuvre the car in order to open both back doors wide enough to get the car seats out and it was impossible.

Parking spaces aren’t big enough because the current standard car park dimensions were set in 1976.

Cars are primarily bigger because of crumple zones. Quite rightly, no one is keen to see their car fold to the size of a matchbox in a collision. It’s not a matter of people just choosing bigger cars, it’s also a mandated safety feature. A current model VW Golf (2020) is almost 20cm wider than the first version (1974).

Golfs are not causing a problem though are they?

How to spectacularly miss the point.

Funny how many people actively seem to want their cars to be donked by clumsy children and rushing parents 😂

OP you regret it, just express that to your family and work on modelling calmer behaviour.

You need a plan just in case the P&C spaces are taken up in the future.

I just used to park the furthest away I could, never had any issues.

So you were not on your own, you could easily have been dropped off with said child, but decided because you were pregnant and special you were going to start an argument? Classy.

Better buckle up. There's going to be a tonne of times you won't get a space. I don't know the age gap between your kids, but I had twins and did the shop on my own. Never lost my rag. Just parked further away and walked. I might add I still park in them and they're 10- one of mine is disabled. I honestly don't give a shit if someone pregnant with another kid thinks they're more entited to it.

Get a grip. You have no idea why people might park in those spaces. If you can't cope with shopping with a child, don't take them! You could have gone on your own!!

Not great but you realise that.

I parked in the last P and C space with my 20yo ds.

As we walked away a lady started screaming at me that they aren't for anyone with a child and my ds doesn't qualify as a child.

I ignored her but she continued screaming.

I suggested we had a quiet private conversation especially as I'm sure her kids didn't want to witness her behaving like that.

Oh yeah - she didn't have kids with her 🤔

My ds however has a BB and there were none of the 5 spaces left so we used a p and C space as he needs the wide space to get in and out of the car.

But I didn't bother to point this out to the her.
I did however burst out laughing (unintentionally) when she said she didn't have kids with her 🤦🏼‍♀️😂

I've said this for years too. Actually typed similar on another thread recently.

I agree about parking spaces being outdated in size. That does not justify having an SUV one bit, which 99% of owners do not need and at least 25% cannot drive to an adequate standard.

Oh how lovely. Let's praise the driver who parked a car unlawfully and blame the person who has a courage to challenge the unsocial behaviour.

Child locks should be on and parents should take care. That’s not a reason to damage cars.

I think you spectacularly missed the point. All cars are bigger, but some cars are too big for UK domestic roads and parking spaces. Those are the cars Im talking about obviously.

It’s not unlawful and it’s not antisocial as has already been pointed out on this thread. I’m astonished at how angry some people get over a non event, being that angry must be exhausting.

It’s not illegal to park in a P and C space. They are a marketing ploy curtesy not legally enforceable.

But morally wrong and selfish as far as I'm concerned

I’m honestly surprised supermarkets haven’t monetised luxury extra wide spaces by the door with pop up bollards - premium spaces for customers who don’t mind paying for added security and convenience.

But this is a misrepresentation of the situation

The driver didnt park unlawfully. There is no law about that space, so the driver has not done anything 'wrong' in that way

However being verbally abused and harrassed can constitute assault and the person could have been within her rights to call the police.

I dont know where you think people have praise the other driver.

Why are you so convinced that you're wrong OP? You confronted a cheeky fucker and she was aggressive, to which you responded.

I've confronted people over child and parent spaces multiple times when I've been sat waiting and they saunter out with their shopping childless. Almost always men with big cars that they can't/don't want to park in normal spaces. They have all been sheepish and apologetic but if they told me to fuck off you can bet they'd be getting an earful back!

I like to hope they'll think twice about doing it again but with some people I have little hope.