Do you use parent & child spaces when you don’t have a child?

[incognito1991]

I’ve just got back from my local retail park, which is where my nearest supermarket is and getting increasingly wound up. My 2 year old DD was asleep so I sat in the car for 10 minutes until she woke and we could go to the shop. Within those 10 minutes I saw 3 different cars parking in a parent and child bay and it was only them, no child, not pregnant, just selfish. No matter where I go I struggle to get a parent and child space because they’re all taken up by idiots with no children, I even see people with older children use these spaces, I think they should specify it’s for babies and toddlers not your 10 year old. I really struggle getting my DD in and out of the car in a normal bay as I can’t open the door wide enough, can barely squeeze her in aswell as leaning in to strap her in. If you park in one of these spaces I’d love to hear your reasons please.

No. But have seen children fully able getting out of one aged about 15 or so.
I don’t think the intention was for able bodied teenagers to be using the spaces.
I think the intention was for parents with small children to use them.
Or children who are older and need parental help in some way.

P&C spaces are a courtesy. Blue Badge spaces are a legal requirement. As a parent with a child in the car, it is highly likely you can get a baby or toddler into a car without using a P&C space unless you have a car with ridiculously large doors. On the odd occasion there has been a dickhead parking too close, you go into the store and ask for a tannoy asking a person to move. Or you wait. Inconvenient but not anywhere near the inconvenience of not being able to get a wheelchair between cars, or having to leave because you can’t park. So yes, try being disabled. It’s for life and not just a couple of years.

I have used them when I was more mobility impaired than I am currently, hobbling short distances on two sticks (zimmer frame at home) but able to drive myself to the supermarket. Where, incidentally, my pharmacy is based. I wasn’t badly enough impaired for long enough to be allowed a blue badge, but I was physically incapable of getting there from the further away spaces. And as for why using the supermarket, have you any idea how stir crazy you get as a housebound single person?

I cannot understand why people get so worked up about parent and child spaces. They are a nice to have luxury not a necessity. I used them occasionally when my children were young but didn’t really see the need. I used to park further away from the shop where there was usually more space. I had 2 children in car seats and I have a condition causing reduced mobility making strapping them into car seats difficult. I still didn’t really see what the issue was with parent and child spaces, I managed fine hardly ever using them.

I wouldn’t park in one now as I don’t have young children but I can’t get worked up about people without children parking in them. Disabled people should definitely be able to use them over parents. I think parent and child spaces should be at the end of car parks, as far away as possible from the shop. Then the option is there if parents really feel they need a bigger space, but if people wouldn’t use them just because they want to park close to the shop. Why does having children mean you need special parking??

Yep. No qualms in it but only when it’s really quiet times of day and there are loads of free spaces for those who need them and I pick those furthest away. I quite enjoy the stares I get from the disgruntled parents (not those looking for a space because there are lots, but those looking to pick a fight!)

I was one of the disgruntled parents way back, when my eldest was baby- trying to get a maxi cosi into the back of a 3 door car, you need to be able to open doors fully. There were only about 5 spaces in those days 😀

Do you use parent & child spaces when you don’t have a child?
No

But I also didn't care much if they weren't available when DC were really young (now 10 and 8) and wasn't bothered if anyone was using one who appeared not to need it. Not worth getting het up about.

Never took car seats out of the car.

Not everywhere has them so if you can’t get your toddler in/out of the car in a standard space then you need to rethink your choice of car and/or car seat.

That said, I wouldn’t use one without kids and the only time I ever use them is when I take my 5YO swimming, and even then only when there are no regular spaces free, if there are I’d leave for people with younger kids.

I have two car seats in the back and when they’re not with me I don’t dare. It’s the parent code of practice 😂

Occasionally, but under specific conditions:

#1: if it's very early in the morning or very late in the evening, and most of the P&C spaces are free and I cannot see any benefit to me parking further away from the supermarket when those spaces are not going to get filled up

or

#2: if it's heaving and every other space is taken and it's a case of nip into the one P&C spot that just got vacated with nobody waiting for it or wait an indefinite amount of time for another space to become free and hope nobody else beats me to it. I'm usually going in for one or two things so I am fast in and out, and when the car park is rammed I just think it becomes a case of take your chances and do what you need to do to get the job done.

I'm sure people will object to both of these, but there we are. I never park in disabled spaces. I also don't park in P&C spaces if other spaces are available when the car park is busy but not full with people queueing.

not at all. I still need to have the door wide enough to get my 2 year old in and clip her in the car seat, not to mention the fact I’m pregnant too. I didn’t say I was using it for a nap I said I sat in the car for 10 minutes BEFORE I went into the shops.

YABU for using it for your 9 year old! The spaces aren’t for ease of access to the shops they’re for ease of access to get a child in and out safely

This is exactly how it should be, someone above questioned why I’m using them instead of leaving them for babies with car seats. I would never use one if I didn’t need to, a normal parking space would be much easier to find, I don’t care about how far away from a shop it is, it’s more making sure I can actually get my child in and out of the car

YABU

Just me in the car no. If ds or dh is in the car then yes if there are no blue badge spaces. Also used them before dh got his badge ( during cancer treatment which left him disabled).

I don't think ANYONE should use them unless they have a child under 5 in the car. However given

1. it's actually ILLEAGAL to park in them without a blue badge, even if you have a disability
2. for many disabled people, it would be impossible to get to where they are going without a wide space, whereas most parents/childcarers can manage

and we don't appear to be able to actually stop people parking in disabled spaces without badges, the probability of being able to stop people using P&C spaces without the need is not existant!

If you challenge these arrogant shits parking there in their ludicrously large cars they'll tell you there isn't room to park them anywhere else. They could easily park further away where hardly anybody is parked, but they can't be arsed to walk to the supermarket door from the far end of the car park.

The problem is they have put those spaces nearer the entrance.

disable people need to be near the entrance. Parents and children do not need to.
i respect those spaces but equally parents and child spaces shouldnt be at the front so more people would respect those spaces.

parents need space not proximity. My children survived having to walk through a carpark, they had to hold my hand or the trolley / pushchair.

I agree Op. Unless the person is disabled but not quite qualifying for a blue badge, adults without young kids shouldn’t be in them.

And no way is 12 the generally accepted limit!

My youngest is 12 and I wouldn’t haves dreamt of using them for several years. The generally accepted limit is about 5/6.

At IKEA, yes because the whole ground floor covered parking is these spots, there’s easily 100 of them and I’m paying them good money, I don’t want my stuff to get wet while loading it in the car. I also usually need the extra space to get my often bulky purchases into the car too.

Everywhere else, no.

I do think parents of really little children are helped by being by the entrance tbh. It can be hard wrangling toddlers across a car park, and tbh why not make parents lives a bit easier?

NB - as above, mine are 17 and 12 so many years from young enough to use these spaces so not wanting something for myself.

I’ve seen some people clearly need the extra room to open the car doors as they are seriously obese. They wouldn’t be entitled to a blue badge as obesity isn’t a disability. I do think it’s ok for them to park there as it’s obvious they’re not taking the piss.

Dd is 7 but has autism

We use the spaces

In our tesco the p&c spaces are closer to the entrance for some reason - if i had a blue bagde and was alone, id use the p&c as its closer 🤔

Equally the parent could also do this.

Parent and child spaces weren’t really a thing when my kids were little, we all managed fine. I think they have created a slightly entitled generation of parents as they’re not even legally enforceable. That said, I wouldn’t use one.

I wouldn't but that's because I'm not a lazy fucker and actually like walking.