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

I imagine he’s also capable of deciding for himself where he goes and why. He’s disabled, not dead.

Slightly amused at all the people seeing parent and child parking as parking for the recently injured, overweight so can’t fit out their doors, can’t be bothered to walk a bit further.

Honestly so grim that a little thing intended to make life a little easier for parents and safer for children is overrun by selfish entitled pig people.

Actually 10 meters extra mid chemo did make a difference, but I took it slowly! Parked as close as I could, even in P&C places!

no one wants to stay at home 24/7.

Wow!

pig people?

Yabu. Parent and child spaces are nice thing the shop does. It's not a legal requirement and you no idea of someone's physical strength. Someone in their 70s probably needs the space more than you. Disabled spaces are a legal requirement and if full use a parent a child space. I have a child and the baby stage is the easiest stage in a car park. The hardest stage is 3-4 or 7-9 for different reasons. A baby is portable and contained. They need to do parent and child spaces at the far end of a supermarket car park. Stop policing the parking and just deal with your own business.

I genuinely don’t understand why people go out of their way to defend these entitled people. There’s absolutely nothing in their behaviour to suggest they were frail or disabled. Isn’t it a little ageist to assume they were somehow incapable of using a regular space simply because of their age? They seemed to think themselves perfectly capable of physically blocking a car, after all.

And if they had a genuine reason for using the space, why not just say so? A simple, sweet “I’m so sorry, but my wife sprained her ankle this morning and I have long Covid” or whatever would surely have been enough. It might even have made the OP feel like a bit of a twat for challenging them.

The more likely explanation is that they’re just your garden variety selfish arseholes.

Deliveries free women from supermarket drudgery and free up time

I don’t think there’s anything fair or considerate about taking an elderly couple to task about using a P&C space if they needed to. As has been said here many times, there are various reasons why they may have had to use it. OP didn’t consider any of that, and instead made an assumption based on what she saw.

Not really.

Your point remains irrelevant.

I expect there is no law against eating with your mouth open or urinating into the wind … it doesn’t mean you should do it.

Do you find jurisprudence typically helpful with AIBU ?

You started the drama then shocked when you got drama back! Get a grip!

And the supermarket couldn't issue a " fine"

It may be all he feels up to, or all he's capable of, or it may even be what he most wants to do.

Who on earth do people think they are, querying why other couples may wish to visit Aldi together!

Again, there’s nothing in their behaviour that suggests they were disabled or needed to use the space. You are making an assumption based on nothing but their age.

Those spaces are there so parents, mainly women, are able to go out and about with small children. It’s often impossible to park in a regular space with more than one child in the car. I have nothing against people who genuinely need them using them too. But, in this case, there’s nothing to suggest that.

Where has anyone mentioned any of this ? We’re talking about two elderly people using a P&C space - likely because they needed to for any number of reasons. And the reason car doors were mentioned wasn’t because people are overweight, but because they have a disability that necessitates the extra space a P&C space affords to allow the car door to be opened wider.

@User3353821614 · Today 14:35

A relative has FM - can walk perfectly well, in fact goes on many walking holidays a year.

She has a blue badge 🤷‍♀️

Even if this is true, so what?

YABVU
You had a space, and you are not a parking attendant.

You’re posting as though you were there. I may be making assumptions but so are you.

Worse than that - the assumption that because he’s disabled he can’t decide for himself !!

I would possibly challenge a young person who parked there but not an older person. They could have any number of health difficulties going on that gives them trouble walking and I know I certainly don't. My children would either hold my hand/carried or were in the buggy.
Is there no respect shown to older people these days?

Being in your 70s is not elderly these days, my mum would be horrified to be given such a description!!

Anyway I don’t know why a parenting site is so against parents being able to park in these spaces but I would have said something too. Maybe next time they will have second thoughts!

In your opinion.
Some women enjoy it.

Isnt the point that we should have the choice? And be supported to do that?

People who are “entitled pigs”

Really? You think that?

And someone with an injury is an entitled pig?

Parent and child (unlike disabled parking) are a courtesy and not a legal requirement

“…you're supposed to reverse into spaces so you can drive forward out, it does say this in the highway code, and some insurers will not cover you if there is an accident whilst you are reversing out of a space.”

Sorry, off topic but I don’t think this is true, @ReadingSoManyThreads ? I can’t find it in the HC. Plus they now test forward and reverse bay parking during the driving test.