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.

This is interesting. I have a disability. I was born with half of a foot. I had extensive surgery and so can walk reasonably well over short distances and cover it with my shoe. So, to others, I have no visible disability but it has affected my gait, my hip, etc. I applied for a blue badge years ago but they said a change in policy meant I had to do a "demonstration walk" in front of a panel to see if I qualified for a badge. I was so mortified that I didn't show up. I never once thought about using a parent/child space. I still won't because I just know that I would get grief because my disability isn't visible to everyone, and someone would call me out and cause drama, but I just thought this perspective was interesting.

I’ve seen a bloke in a Lamborghini park in one in a shopping centre. No kids with him. It was purely so his lambo didn’t get scratched.

A lot of people just don’t give a fuck and have no consideration for others. I believe we’re a very selfish society in the UK.

I have the same issue with disabled bays. Call them out on it. We were about the leave the supermarket the other week when a boy racer whizzed into the disabled space opposite, he started getting out of his car having not displayed a blue badge, my husband got out and told him if he doesn't have a blue badge he is not allowed to park there, these spaces are for disabled people only. The guy got back on his car and drove away. My husband also spoke to the in-store security about the amount of cars parked in disabled spaces without badges. My husband has become very militant since I got my blue badge.

Same for me but all cars are generally wider now and they are still using the same size parking spaces.

Why dont people just get shopping delivered if available

It’s my absolute pet hate!! I’ll happily question people over it , Young chap parked his van next to me the other day I asked him where his children were & he said where am I supposed to park my van I suggested he get a smaller van if he couldn’t park! He did move in the end.

I have a blue badge and I'll occaisonally use a p&c space if the car park is busy and there are no disabled spaces which has happened.

It’s a marketing tactic to get families to spend.
They are not so interested in supporting an 85 year old who spend £50 a week.

Not usually but DP has recently had a knee replacement so we did a couple of times when he was on crutches. We don’t need to now. I never took up the last space though. There were always a few left.

I don't think it is a marketing tactic.

I think these are included as a sop to planners, perhaps in some places a requirement. In largely out of town supermarkets that have contributed to the decline of the high street.

Nor when mine were small, but cars were smaller then and there was enough room to get the children out.

It is annoying I suppose. When my two were small though, I hardly ever got a parent and child space and I managed ok. A lot of the time I just parked really far away from the entrance, where most people are too lazy to park and usually had half a car park to myself! My youngest got Crohn’s Disease when he was 10 and I would have parked in a parent and child space if necessary because he could barely walk the length of himself for several months while he awaited investigations. I suppose I was judged by the parking space police, but I don’t give a toss.

I nearly did today, because we stopped at a motorway services and all the blue badge spaces were taken. Adult DD has a blue badge.

There's a local councillor here who is getting stick for parking his Lamborghini in a disabled space.

I was going to say I never do. I’m willing and able to walk.
I am sure I’ve done so once or twice at 9.50pm just before the shop closes and I’m in a Fuck It mood.
The chances of me preventing someone using the store are so tiny I’m not losing any sleep over it.

The supermarkets I go to have signs to say the P & C spaces are reserved for customers accompanied by children up to the age of 12.
I can’t really understand why it’s as old as 12, but that is their policy.
A person using a P & C space for a 9 YO is not being unreasonable to use a concession that they are entitled to use.
If you want the age changed to coincide with your view of who should be allowed to use them you need to take this up with the organisation responsible for the car park, rather than berate others for doing something they are allowed to do.

I use them sometimes. I’ve got some health stuff going on which means that I have to occasionally use a wheelchair, but I don’t qualify for a Blue Badge. I don’t like doing it, but I need the space to get in and out of the car and, fortunately, the wheelchair tends to stop anyone saying anything negative. If I’m staying in the car, DH uses a regular space.

I (or DH, who is the driver) would never park in a Blue Badge space.

I have a blue badge I do park in them if all the disabled are taken. I also use them for my son who’s 12 and disabled .
maybe the people you saw were arseholes or maybe they have a good reason

I did when I broke my foot. It was late at night though, so there were plenty of spaces.

Yeah, it happens and it's a real struggle.

I agree with this. Move some bays further away and have one of those trolley shelters there for toddlers (and make sure the trolley chap keeps it full!)

Just because something is allowed doesn’t make it ok

This is the crux of it. I once knew a supermarket manager and he said really by the time the customers children have left home they are losing interest in them. He put it a more politely.

I never park in them, I like to park as far away as possible, to get my steps in.
when I had little ones there were no parent and baby parking spaces, we just didn’t know any different.

I don’t think it’s being entitled at all, I think it’s being able to get my child in and out of the car safely, when you park at the other end of the car park where it’s quiet and then return to your car with two big SUV’s that just about fit in their space at either side and one behind blocking your boot. Even more difficult when using a pram, most normal spaces have cars either side and behind them a road on the front, to put the pram up in front of my car on a road where cars drive up and down whilst getting my child out of a tight space, let alone trying to get it all back in again when someone parks so close to your car I can barely even get in myself