Altercation in carpark

[Icecreamsundaz]

I was in a supermarket carpark, I had put my baby in her carseat and had just loaded my groceries in the boot. A car parked in the parent and child space next to me and an older couple got out, early 70s I would guess, able bodied, no kids with them
I said "sorry do you realise thats s parent and child space" and I pointed to the markings.
Well his response was very rude in tone "I came here to do my shopping, not to dance around" ?? "It should be first come first served " and they stormed off. I was a bit taken aback, I said loudly but they were a bit away at this point so not sure if they heard me "god id hate to be so ignorant". I took a picture of their car. Not really sure what I was going to do with it, thinking I would think about it and perhaps report to management. I got into my car
The next he was at my window "you took a photo, its illeageal to take photos of other people's property, delete it." I ensured my doors were locked, he stood behind my car so I couldn't reverse out, she was at my windscreen taking photos of me. Eventually they moved and I got out.
Maybe I shouldn't have said anything but there were loads of other places they could have parked but the parent and child spaces are limited. Its very frustrating when I've all my kids and can't find a free parent and child space because people like this who dont need them take them and they don't give a shit

How unpleasant you sound, OP. It’s none of your business. P&C spaces are merely a courtesy. Nothing ‘illeageal’ [sic] about it.

Damned if I’m going to explain myself to anyone, though. We are not all of the same temperament.

I like the hat on this roll

It causes some people distress though.

We parked in a P&C bay in an unfamiliar supermarket once because the Blue Badge bays were full.

A woman, flanked by her partner, told us aggressively we were out of order for parking in a parent’s bay. I told her that we have a blue badge displayed so there was no need for her aggression and her partner had to tell her to pack it in.

It is distressing to be confronted by a stranger like that when you’re not expecting it. And we’ve never forgotten it.

They didn’t need a justification. They could have parked there for any number of reasons. They didn’t owe anyone an explanation because they weren’t doing anything wrong - P&C spaces are a concession. No legal backing.

And no. Trust me, if you were disabled you wouldn’t take great delight in going into details about your disability to win the argument. It happens depressingly often, it’s rude and it’s tedious. Ask me how I know.

That's what I said. That couple owed the OP nothing!

I'm on your side, OP. It can be impossible to get a car seat into a car without the door being fully open and p&c spaces are very often misused. People round here often speak to the store about inappropriate parking, and I believe some car parks do issue tickets. Maybe that's what you could do next time.

I’ve used a p&c one before with no child. Post spinal surgery, able to drive but had to open the door fully to get out. No end spaces. Needed a prescription

I will say I don’t think spaces are wide enough. I have a small car but if there is 2 big ones either side I struggle to get out sometimes. Cars are bigger and bigger and spaces aren’t

Are you joking? Of course it was. They were cheeky scumbags! I'd have 'not seen you standing there' and seen how fast they could move.

You started the confrontation and from what you said and did, definitely came across very victor meldrew like.
Your posts are continuing similar.

I don't know how many times I'm going to need to write this but here goes.

I can walk 4 miles easily and jog 2 miles in 20 minutes. My husband can walk 3 miles and is 7 weeks on from a hip replacement.

We both have difficulty getting out of a car without the door fully open.

It's difficulty getting out of a partly open door that's the problem, not difficulty walking. There are millions of people in this country that would apply to who could not or would not call themselves disabled.

Yip.

Do you often find yourself missing the mark in social settings @Icecreamsundaz ? Saying things that make others look at you quizzically or concealing a grin?

You did want a row. You wanted to tell them off and then report them and get yourself a nice little self righteous glow of satisfaction.

Get a hobby.

I think there should be more dedicated spaces so that you have to really, really need that spot to endure the embarrassment of taking it.

Here are some ideas:
-Knocked up and unsure of the father
-Just fired for theft
-Super hungover

Ideas?

Misuse would include using them when you have only nimble and mobile older children with you though, wouldn't it? That happens all the time.

Those lacking in flexibility have far more moral entitlement to the space than those parents, surely?

So many arsey responses on here. For a site called Mumsnet so many PPs seem to despise children and parents. Supermarkets do provide parent and child spaces - the name suggests they are for parents and children. Don’t park there if you don’t have young children and act like a dickhead when you’re pulled up.

I get where you're coming from but they hadn't stopped you from parking so I think a bit foolish to escalate the encounter by taking photos - so many unhinged nutcases about these days, even older looking folk could have turned out to be nasty types. Not worth the risk these days unless someone is really at risk or in harms way.

I'd have kept my hand on the horn if anyone wouldn't let me out of my space though, to draw lots of attention.

Scumbags for parking in a spot that OP didn’t need without disclosing their reasons to OP? Give over.

Back in the eighties a new shopping centre was being constructed in Watford. Some of the parents put forward a motion to create parent and child spaces. Just big enough so that a buggy wasn’t placed at the back of the car. The first of these type of spaces appeared in Watford.
Nobody thought it would come to this perpetual problem, often brought about by entitlement. Some of us may regret having voted for them!
And yes I use them when no BB spaces
Because some cunt has parked there without a badge. I have been known to park behind some of them!

Sounds like they were part of the wave of the first Gen E (ages 70 to death, who were young in the 60s)

The second wave are the 27 to 35 year olds

Generation Entitled

Love this.
How about - on day release from the funny farm

So cute! Dang, now I can’t eat rolls!

Hopefully it's stopped you from parking in spaces not designated for you, then. If I parked in one of the gazillion disabled bays I'm sure someone would think I was being a twat and give me some shit for it. It's not illegal for me, a none disabled person, to park in a disabled bay... but I think it's cuntish to go about acting like I'm more important than anyone else and that I should be the exception to the rule. You were right to get told off.

Crop dust farter?