Snapped in the parent and child parking

[seize]

Juggling my 3 month old from their baby carrier trying to get them into the car seat, a car pulls in and asks me to close my door, while I’m halfway into getting my baby in their seat.

Out hops a child in school uniform about 10 years old, not help needing any help to get out, my face must have had an expression of surprise. Someone in need of this space being asked to stop what they’re doing to allow someone not in need of the space to use it. The adult said “ignorant” loudly at me. So I snapped back, “these spaces are for people with babies and children that need help getting in and out, they aren’t for older children” she snaps something back at me about not knowing how old their child is (the one that is in school uniform, fairly tall, that needed no help getting out and is now safely stood in a car park without the adult needing to have them in their line of sight) and the bratty child screams “yeah!”.

I’ve had it with these spaces, they aren’t a convenience for people that happen to have a person under the age of 16 with them. They’re for people who genuinely need the help getting them in and out and need the extra space.

Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a BB?

i have one - for myself - and before I got it I parked in the parent child spaces as a reasonable adjustment (and told the customer services in Tesco - they noted my reg in exemption book) so I could get out of the car.

Why is it a sordid attitude to use a space with a child who is within the age limit of the space?

As in snapped and farted? If you know you know 😂

Yes, I do. My disabled daughter has one.

So then you’ll understand that it’s not just as easy as apply for one.

There’s nothing to say the grandparent wasn’t doing what I used to and parking in the spaces as a reasonable adjustment?

I have a 2 year old and 8 months pregnant with my 2nd. I get very frustrated when I can’t get a parent and child space and see people get in and out them with no sign of any child or not elderly or someone looking like they might have mobility issues and need the extra space. I’d never say anything but I do get annoyed. If someone had older children it doesn’t bother me much as children are in car seats still and so might need the extra space too.

Nobody should be snapping at anybody and they should have just waited for you to close the door. But anyone with a child can use those spaces. It's not for you to judge who should or shouldn't.
They're not essential for anyone, plenty of car parks don't even have them. How do you manage then?

unless my bum is on fire there really is no excuse for trying to stop me putting my baby in the car, so no it isn’t ignorant to focus on the task at hand. Keeping your most precious asset safe, rather than appease an impatient person who shouldn’t even be using the space in the first place s.

How do you know she shouldn’t have been using the space?

Children 12 (and under) but there is a height criteria too still legally need car seats so they may still need assistance to get out of them.

I went back to work and then off again, because, as I’m mentioned several times on the thread, I have a toddler and a baby.

It's really not a rational thing to get so upset about. Twice.
How on earth do you cope in car parks that don't have parent and child spaces?

To be clear. I looked like a normal person. I didn’t have a child with me. I didn’t have a blue badge because I wasn’t yet diagnosed or under consultants who could complete the evidence for me or it hadn’t come back yet. I went in on crutches and then got a wheelchair and Tescos told me to use them until I got my BB.

Who are you to decide I shouldn’t have been using them?

My youngest is 11. Non verbal, autistic and severe intellectual disability. He doesn't "qualify" for a disabled badge as he can physically walk - our council is a joke. So I'll be using parent and child for as long as I can, whenever I can. Even if that means he is 16 years of age, as he will still only have 2-3 years of mental capability.

I couldn't get him in the back seat the other week due to tight bays. I couldn't instruct him to climb over as he doesn't understand. I have to place him in, strap him in etc. I certainly couldn't leave him to just stand there whilst I get in the car and pull forward. Terrifying.

So, although I no doubt "add" to this problem, I actually agree with you. Very conflicting, I appreciate!

Of course, but there’s nothing to say that she actually did. If she did, she could at least show a bit of compassion instead of being so bloody rude to a struggling mum with a baby.

Agree

you dont need this space once the kid can do their own seatbelt which is around 4/5

That’s absolutely fine, in this case the child hopped out with no issue and wasn’t being watched at all and waited while the adult argued with me. I expect you wouldn’t try to rush someone in my situation or tell “ignorant” at them.

How do you know the adults wasn’t the person with the disability?

More like someone wanting to queue jump the trolleys when they could just queue up in the basket-only queue.

There’s no actual LAW! 🙄🙄🙄

Why weren’t they in a disabled parking pace then?

Honestly, the stretching on this thread is hilarious.

Not everything is about you, I would have just gone about my business if I wasn’t barked at to stop safely strapping my child in for their convenience and then yelled at to be told I’m
ignorant. So maybe if you did those things I’d have the same altercation as I had with this person. If you aren’t abusing mums with babies using the parent and baby spaces, then you’re safe from me.

Because it’s very hard to get a bb in my council and the time when I used the parent child spaces (as I was told to by Tesco) I couldn’t get a BB (I have one now -bonus 🙄).