To think people without kids who use parent and baby spaces are just lazy and selfish!

[Mummer123]

local Tesco and nearly every single week I have a run in with someone over this. I am 7 months pregnant and have a 1.5 year old. For me it’s not even about the walking, it’s the extra space at the sides so that i can get the baby in the trolly/pram at the side of the car rather than at the boot where there’s traffic.

i don’t mind if there’s older people who clearly are struggling with mobility but fit, healthy people who park there and not a child in sight. A car actually cut the one way system a few days ago to park in the last mother and baby spot. Was a man on his own, plenty of other spaces in the car park. I wouldn’t even park in them if I don’t have my baby with me. I just think it’s so lazy and selfish.

Our Tesco has the disabled bays by walkway in middle of carpark with zebra crossing to front door and the P&C bays right at front of store..
I always thought that was illogical, it's the walkway and space that helps with flight risk toddlers and prams..
Whereas disability need space and close proximity.

Many things are not illegal and more of a courtesy..I still wouldn't slam a door in someone's face..and I still say please and thank you. I don't need a legal framework in place to not be a dick.

No, I think someone who has run ins every week should probably take a bit of a step back for their own sanity if nothing else. But I sympathise with her annoyance at the abuse of a courtesy offered. For some people, these spaces really do help.

Being disabled doesn’t always entitle someone to a blue badge. I had to fight tooth and nail for one of my children, and he is severely mentally impaired. I’ve given up trying to fight DLA over that matter but at least a blue badge is there on the rare occasions it’s needed. I will park in a p and c spot first though if I think it’s more appropriate. Same for many elderly people who might still be able to get around but need the extra space more than people who have small babies for a couple of years. These threads always descend into parents vs the disabled/impaired like it’s comparable, but honestly ‘I had a baby and getting around is temporarily more difficult’ is not close to the same level of daily inconveniences.

My kids (baby and preschooler) love the supermarket. I don't, but its 2 birds with 1 stone: get the shopping done and an 1h+ activity with them at (almost) no extra cost 😅 I teach my baby words and colours and they look at the people and the items and everything; I teach my preschooler maths, reading, and important lessons on not getting everything you ask for 🤣

It's not remotely an analogy though.

I don't think you'd be operating within most reasonable people's framework of morality, so I won't sue.

Hypothetically, though, if you completely recovered and parked there purely for convenience sakes, or because you'd bought a car that was greater than your ability to park, or because you felt your beautiful car deserves greater protection than the hoi polloi's Qashqai's, Astra's and Fiesta's, I'd still not sue you, because I have better things to do and bigger fish to fry, but I'd definitely judge you as an inconsiderate arse. And if I had a tantruming 2 year old doing is salmon writhing act after another hassle filled day at work, and you'd taken the last P&C space I'd probably tell you what sort of a human being I thought you were, and pray that your next shit was a hedgehog.

@Mummer123 I wouldn’t even park in them if I don’t have my baby with me. well you shouldn’t park in them unless you have your child with you or a bluebadge, why do you think you are being particularly “good” for just following the rules?

I’d add these threads are always started by people who only have children under the age of 2, who genuinely believe that once their children are school aged they wouldn’t be so ‘selfish’ as to still use the spaces. Thats until they go one Saturday to a busy car park, little Harry and Olivia are in the back completely full of beans, already whinging and asking for things before you’ve set foot in the shop, all you want to do is get in and out so you can run them off in the park, suddenly you find yourself back in that space closest to the entrance…

Well yes it is. You argue P&C spaces are fair game for all because they were never about previously, and they are not essential. I point out that mobile phones were never about previously and are not essential. But yet P&C spaces both can make our lives that little bit easier at times.

Sorry, my first sentence is wrong. You would be operating within reasonable people's moral framework using a P&C when freshly graduating from a zimmer to two sticks. I hope you keep improving.

Firstly, I haven't argued that P and C spaces are 'fair game'.
Secondly, it's still not an analogy.

What are you arguing then? I'm not sure I understand. Try metaphor then. Address the subject not the grammar/terminology.

Do you never park in car parks that have no P&C spaces? 95+% of carparks round our way have no P&C, loads of residential parking bays are standard size...

I fail to believe your child is trapped in the car.

It's just a bit tight or awkward.

I had to get a baby into a rear facing car seat in a 3 door car, and could do this in any parking space. Was it a pain? Yes, but it's perfectly feasible.

The exaggeration and faux helplessness irritate me on these threads. I completely appreciate how many people benefit from P&C parking. If it makes life easier, of course, use it. I have! We could all do with a bit of kindness and life is hard so why not benefit from something that makes it a tiny bit easier?! Therefore, I think it’s a bit crappy to purposefully use the spaces knowing they’re helpful for parents of small DC when it makes no real difference to you. (Obviously disabilities or short term or temporary illnesses and injuries are different because they would benefit from the space too.)
But the spaces in soft play, the farm and swimming pool etc are as small as supermarkets. People manage it just fine.
If someone said “it really annoys me because a bigger space makes life easier” then I respect that but it’s when they exaggerate and act like they can’t access anywhere without the P&C parking.

I have a small car and can’t believe how small some of the spaces are. They really need to modernise car parks and base the spaces on the sizes of the average modern car.

I don't care to be honest. Am fed up of entitled mothers thinking them and their child are entitled to everything. They're not.

I absolutely agree. I'm 73628 months pregnant and still walk across the car park when I don't have my kids with me. I can't physically open the car doors in normal spaces to get my son out of his car seat so seeing two perfectly abled men waltz out of cars the other day sent me into a rage.
Plenty of disabled spots so it wasn't that they needed a space.

You’re talking to the wrong person. I am disabled, I don’t qualify for a blue badge. So please don’t tell me it’s a temporary inconvenience.

I need the space to get my daughter out. I can’t park in a blue badge space because the blue badge scheme is notoriously difficult to qualify for. And you can qualify one year, nothing change and the twats take it away from you the next. But regardless, I need a bigger space to get my daughter out the car - disability or not. I need to be closer because of my disability, but that’s not what this thread is about.

I always used to park at the back of the supermarket. There were often only a few cars there and had more space to open the doors to get the kids out. Even more space than P&C spaces.
I would never challenge anyone using a P&C space. While it's annoying you don't know why they're using the space and you don't have to have kids to use the space. It's not like a BB space.
Although I have had muttered comments using a BB space. My two youngest have blue badges but certainly with DD 2 you might not think she does (DS is a bit more obvious). So you can't win.

Oh, ffs. We'll park in the next county shall we?
What a daft idea

No I don’t, thanks for asking. Where I live I use the car parks that have those spaces. I genuinely don’t go anywhere that doesn’t - I have no need to.

I’m going to assume you also don’t have a disability and therefore are a better woman than me being able get your child out of a 3 door car rear facing. Because I cannot get a bag out the back of a 3 door. Hence why I had to get rid of my beloved mini.

ETA - actually we did go to Longleat in December and we did have this issue, I had to pull forward out of the space so DH could get little one out, then I pulled back in. Feasible with someone else there, not possible without someone else lol. I’m not going to leave my 10mo in a car park. Genuinely if I’m on my own, I drive until I can find one or I go somewhere else. It’s not possible for me.

I am in the midst of a horribly painful episode of lower back pain following an injury. I literally cannot get out of my car unless I can open the door fully and rotate and put both my feet on the floor and then stand up.

I have used online shopping etc as much as possible but twice in the last month I have had to go to a supermarket and both times there haven’t been any spaces with empty spaces next to them, I’m obviously not entitled to a blue badge so the only way I can get out of the car is to park in a parent and child space. I have been as quick as possible and have hated having to do it (I have children so I get why they’re necessary) but it’s the only way I can get out the car.

I agree. I call them out on it every time.

I wish they would put parent and child bays furthest point away from the shop. I don't need a short distance I need space to get two young children out of car seats safely

Can you order online and get it delivered?

What?? Is it that much of an ask for you, to leave spaces close to the entrance of the store free for those who need it more? That small amount of consideration for others?

I don’t know why shops don’t put them further away from the doors. That would stop people using them purely because they’re close.