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 long do you think a store would last for refusing to serve customers for parking where there is no legal reason not to ? Store policies need to comply with the law and not be discriminatory. I can almost see the lawyers rubbing their hands in glee in this scenario. Very few stores own the land around them serving as car parks so thy have no control over what happens in them. It’s not a difficult concept to grasp.

In which case it’s advisory and anyone can park there. If there is a charge there has to be a sign advising it.

So you're admitting that it comes down to moral cowardice of store managers over potentially losing customers? I do grasp the fact that some car parks are out of sight and control of the manager, but I'm talking about supermarkets within sight of their own carpark, whether self managed or externally managed. You don't seem to grasp that a store manager can withdraw permission for entry for any reason. In the absence of a legal basis to penalise P&C abusers, banning them from the shop would provide some legal mechanism to enforce them in many instances.

More likely I’d edge away slowly

Oh you misinterpreted me @BlueSherbet

i don’t think I’m making a point at all

no paces aside from P&C… absolutely I park there without hesitation and not give it a nano second further thought

Only disabled spaces? I’d leave the car park as would never park there

You must go around with a permanent frown on your face @BlueSherbet

There aren’t 300 in ours. There are a dozen because it’s only a small store. The numbers provided are decided using a mix of government guidelines, local planning and taking into consideration the size of the building and what it’s used for. The provision is calculated as a percentage of the overall number of spaces.
Employers Premises usually designate at least 5% for staff and visitors while shopping/leisure areas are at least 6% of total capacity, due to higher turnover.

We had them too, but my mum was seen as a kind of safety conscious freak for doing so!

OK then whatever you say. Can’t be arsed arguing with you. There is a reason these spaces are not backed by law. They are provided as a concession. That does not preclude people without children using them if they need to and OP hasn’t made a clear case here that this couple didn’t need to use the space. End of.

Mine wasn’t

I'm surprised she didn't get an online shop with those struggles, the silly sod.

I have said it to young men before.
You know, i wonder if it was my husband who said it to this man, would he have squared up to him like this man did to me, spoke to him aggressively and block him from leaving the carpark? Probably not. But a woman with a baby? Of course. Because when a woman speaks up to a man she gets shut down. That's the way society is these days

Not everyone had them.

I also had a funny foam seat thing with a back that you sat on then put the seatbelt over when I was a bit bigger. I guess it was a early design of booster seat but it was quite conspicuous. I felt rather self-conscious and longed to just sit on the actual seat like lots of other dc.

I'm sure this has been said upthread but it is absolutely not "illegal" to take photographs of other people's property. Even in a supermarket car park, which is technically private land, the supermarket could ask you to not take photographs but that doesn't make it illegal.

Did i say or imply they did?

Have you told anyone in RL about this tizzy you had @Icecreamsundaz ?

Because when a woman speaks up to a man she gets shut down. That's the way society is these days

I am a woman
I have spoken up to men and women
I don’t feel like I have been shut down

Well, yes, I thought you did a bit, by saying your mother wasn't seen as particularly careful.

I wouldn't start an argument with someone when I had a baby with me and taking photos of people is bound to wind people up. Best just getting on with your day.

You know what hacks me off, as a blue badge holder? Parent & child spaces being nearer to the supermarket entrance than disabled bays. It shows you who the supermarkets think is more important.

P&C bays are a courtesy; they are not statutory in the way disabled spaces are. If I can’t get a disabled bay, I will park in the P&C area. You were a bit daft to get all uppity with them. You might think they looked able-bodied. I look able-bodied at first glance, but I’m not. You’re not a human x-ray machine. Just keep the thoughts in your head next time. Was it really worth all this?

She wasn’t
doesn’t mean I think anything more than I wasn’t aware of my mother being seen as unusual for having kids in car seats

Oh come on.. the difference is usually a meter or two if that. They are usually immediately adjacent to each other

Around this area a few of my friends have been ticketed for parking in parent and child- without a disabled badge, or without a child of under 12...... They were 2 x 30ish year olds who parked in them.... The parking company ticketed them for parking contrary to the terms and conditions of the car park....

What evidence do they have that this person doesn’t have a child under 12?

Excellent! I would love to see more of that.