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 used to love telling other people off in public before I had kids, it’s not worth it now.

Glad you have got better things to do now 🤷‍♀️

You aren't the car park police. You had a space. Him parking there makes no difference to you.

If someone is in danger or being hurt/bullied help and intervene (aka irs serious and will have lasting consequence). If someone is doing something less than perfect an internal eye roll is all thats needed.
They were elderly and its not thar deep. Its a car park space. Taking photos of his car is over the top. Saying something to him is over the top. You dont know if they are in the middle of the worst day of their ife.

FFS! Maybe the poor guy wants to get out of the house for a change of scene 🤷‍♀️

I don't really get this. There are usually more disabled spots than family spots if they're disabled and needed more space. The family spots are so you can get young children and babies into their seats without hitting the car next to you with the door and with enough space to do it all safely - often they are nearer so you're not having very young children walking far across a carpark. It's in everyone's interest to let young families have those spaces and I only use them as needed. I'd be really embarrassed to park in them otherwise. Some carparks do actually police it and threaten fines to those who don't comply.

And yet generations of parents before you managed it without a second thought

My local Tesco Extra supermarket has started issuing fines to people parking in the wrong parking bays. Parking in a disabled bay with no blue badge and parking in Parent and child when you have no child. If all supermarkets enforced the rules then people wouldn’t act like cunts

They could have some sort of disability and may also need a closer space with more space

Not very safe to have to get young kids across a car park to the other side while trying to push a trolley with dodgy wheels. I think older people would be more road safety conscious than little kids

It’s just about not being selfish and thinking of other people and how these spaces make their lives a little bit easier

I disagree.

It's not ignorant to estimate the more advanced average age of people on this site.

Also not ignorant to assume bias in a large proportion of these people.

I can walk but still have a blue badge as my disability limits how far I can walk? I think you need to re-apply!

Oh, how much are the fines I wonder? 🤔

They should not have parked there but honestly op, get a life.

You were being a busybody - and facetious to boot.

ETA and now you are also starting a thread about it! I think you need to think hard about what is really feeding this anger.

YANBU. Sadly, too many people in this country think it’s no longer necessary to follow the rules- even when they’re not obligatory. There was a time, not so long ago, when the majority followed guidance out of a sense of civic responsibility.
There are usually accessible spaces for children and separate ones for disabled people. People should stop behaving in such an entitled way and use the spaces according to the clearly marked need. To put it bluntly, they sound like CFs.

That time was when there were not so many rules.

It won’t be a fine. It will be a penalty notice.

Nothing to do with you, you should have been focused on getting your own children into the car and driving off so that your space was free rather than blocking it to argue with strangers.

I find it annoying when entitled and selfish people without small children park in those spaces, but there’s no point getting in a row with arseholes. Also even if you did report them for parking there to the manager, no-one is going to care. These two people exhibited aggressive behavior at your comment - always best not to get into a row in these sort of situations for this reason, there’s so many unpleasant arseholes about.

@nomas i wouldn’t waste a penny on those stickers you mention. People will laugh if they come back to that on their car.

”generations” may be overstating it, since child car seats have only been mandatory since 2006.

To be fair I’m a child of the eighties and I was in a car seat!

It’s been explained multiple times on this thread already but car parking spaces have largely kept the same dimensions since the 70s and vehicles have increased significantly in size. I’m 7 months pregnant with 2 kids under 4 and have found myself having to drive away from supermarkets with smaller car parks if there are no P&C spaces left as I physically can’t get my kids out of the back if the
only spaces left are standard size with large cars parked close to the lines either side.

Why does being 70 trump a parent? Thats a ageist thing to assume that all 70 year olds are frail and can barely walk across a car park..

I would honestly think that somehow you’d escaped from a secure hospital @SickandTiredofEverything