To think this woman was taking the piss?

[AngeloMysterioso]

In a supermarket car park with two DS’s, 2yrs and 11 months. It’s pretty busy (half term round here) and the car in front of me takes the last parent and baby space, leaving me to park in a regular space opposite and squeeze baby and toddler out of the car and into the trolley which outs had to put in the road.

Fair enough I guess, first come first served and all that, until I see the woman getting out of the car with a girl who looks about ready to sit her GCSE’s, who both saunter into the shop.

As it happened, we were both getting back to our cars at the same time, and I asked her if she was aware that she had parked in a parent and baby space. She said she was, but her car is too big for a regular space and she didn’t want it to get scratched. The car in question was a shiny black Jaguar 4x4.

AIBU to think this woman was entitlement personified?

There’s a chance I reminded her that the space is for parents with children, not parents with children and people with big cars, and if she’s so concerned about scratches she needs to learn to park her ridiculous car properly or get something smaller.

Why are people so entitled these days? Simply no thought for others. P&C spaces are exactly that, for parents WITH (small) children. The fact that they are not legally enforceable does not make it OK to park in them. It is common decency to leave this spaces for parents with small children. The last 20 years has seen such a decline in thinking of other before oneself, its all me, me, me. My rights and stuff anyone else. The lady in question who took the space has just taught her teenage child to not care either by her very actions.
We need to go back to respecting each other and actually caring about others and this begins in the home. Leave that space for a parent who actually needs it. When mine were little it used to drive me insane when blue badge holders felt they could use the P&C spaces. I am now a BB holder and would still not dream of using them, even when the disabled spaces are full, I am happy to just wait my turn.
Also, believe it or not there are actually places in the UK that still do not have online food deliveries so this is not always possible.
OP I believe you were totally right and congratulations for speaking up!
Let's us all 'be kind' and treat other people (parents) how we would like to be treated. Old fashioned values, I know, but we did used to have respect!

.....tough room....

Is your child unable to walk? Do they have disabilities?

If they're fine you're in the wrong (morally and logically)

Do you get given a blue badge after a surgery?

@CarmellaH

My youngest is between 5-10.

Call me a busybody, but I really feel you ought to have a more accurate idea than that about how old your own child is.

I mean, were you not paying attention around the time of the birth?

I've not read the whole thread so someone may have already said this...

Firstly, parent & child spaces do not specify the age of children, so technically, a 16yr old still c ounts as a child.

Secondly, if there are no disabled spaces available but there are p&c spaces, disabled drivers get priority and are permitted to use the p&c spaces.

I have 3 autistic children. One is still a toddler and the other 2 are 12 and 15. I will still use p a c spaces even when my toddler isn't with me, as my 15 year old also has dcd and I'm worried about her opening the car door into another one and damaging both. Also they have no road sense. So older children can be there for various reasons. My 12 year old son is the height of me too.
Both children have full time classroom assistants at school, so easy to judge just on size of children when no idea what the parents reasons are.
My sister on the other hand bought a car seat just so she could use them...no child to put in there just an empty seat to make it look like she has one.

It’s not just the idiots taking up all the parent and child spaces. It’s the complete morons who park as close to your space as actually possible on the side where there’s clearly a baby seat that get on my tits. I mean you’re going to go mental if I clip your car but how do you expect me to wrestle a boisterous toddler into his car seat with literally no wiggle room at all, you can’t win sometimes but you also can’t do anything about it unfortunately

People like that are so ignorant! I don't want my car scratched or damaged as I'm sure most people don't. Does not mean I can park where ever I fancy!

You're right and she was wrong, and ridiculous.

Yes she was very unreasonable, glad you told
her.

This thread reminded me of this post my friend sent me, and we joked we should get a load printed to keep in the car! 😂

Whilst I do understand how entitled and annoying that must be… I also understand that people are twats and don’t give a shit about others property

Firstly, as I have already said, there are signs in this particular car park stating very clearly that the spaces are for the use of people with children under 5.

Secondly, neither this woman nor her teenaged daughter looked to have any kind of physical impediment whatsoever. They certainly had no trouble springing out of their enormous car.

Chuckling at the idea that it's fine to park in a P&C space if you have a big car BECAUSE you have children even if they're not actually with you!!

Bloody hell!!

As an old person I think you are all entitled.
I managed to get two children out of a car before p and c spaces existed; just drive to the far end of the car park.
We didn't have big cars; parents couldn’t afford them and our children got whichever cake was available; they didn’t expect a particular one.

But then I am one of those wicked boomer who have everything easy.

Tbf it was prob easier when the kids weren’t even belted in. Car seats are big and are now a legal requirement.

It’s not to say wicked boomer, but a simple acknowledgment that requirements have moved on and a nod to the next generation so they don’t NEED to struggle with small parking spaces is generally a tolerant and good thing right? Why wouldn’t you want that? We get an MMR vaccine now too, or should we do away with those because….well….back in my day? Suck it up kiddo.

Did you see the bit about driving to the far side of the car park where there is more space to open your car doors?
It’s not about ‘requirements’ moving on more about ‘demands’ moving on.

Really struggling to understand the point of your story and your justification that she may have more kids at home.

Yep I ignored that bit as a lot of P&C spaces are not right up close to the doors anyway. Is it just a wish to make the parents life only slightly easier? Is their limit on how much easier (based on your own personal frustrations and perceptions) of how the supermarkets should choose to operate their carpark layout?

Out of interest do you feel selfishly the same about older disabled people or just small young ones that don’t have the use of their legs yet? Also, if something generally is benefitting a different subset of society, is there a reason you can’t accept that? Diversity isn’t about treating everyone the same, it’s about acknowledging we all need different things at different times of our lives and trying to make other peoples lives better and easier.

My NDN didn't go near a supermarket with her DD who is now 3yo. Not once. Her DH did. She didn't take her out even though she has access to a car. Her DH did all the shopping. She doesn't touch wheelie bins either 🤣

I actually like our local Waitrose for this (not that I am there frequently 😂) - they have the P&C spaces tucked around a strange corner with a decent walk way to get to the store.

it definitely stops people parking in them because they are closer to the shop.

wouldn’t stop someone like your CF though who just doesn’t want a scratched car

But you don’t know that?? I have a blue badge and to look at me you wouldn’t think I needed it: I’ve had people challenge me quite rudely as to why I’m in a blue badge space and it’s damn rude to just assume. Maybe she didn’t want to go into details of why she had to park there if her daughter did have any extra needs as to not embarrass her in front of a stranger. Also why even confront someone with your two young kids in tow??? Most people I know actually usually park further away where there are plenty of empty spaces so there is room.

I also drive a 7-seater because we have a big family (3 children + often take friends). Whenever possible I park in a wider parking space (p+c) eventhough my kids are teenagers now. The car doesn't shrink in size just because the kids are older now. Even when I go shopping all by myself, I sometimes park in a p+c space since we only own such a big family car because we do have children.

@AngeloMysterioso she is the CF, parent and child spaces don't include teenagers, when my kids were that age, some supermarkets were for the under12s which is nuts. 5 and under makes more sense. They are not for entitled people who don't want to scratch their cars. She needs to park in a quiet part of the carpark.