Parent and child spaces or parent and carseat spaces??!!

[margobambino]

I am getting really angry with people who park on the designated parent and child spaces just because they have a kid's car seat in their car. I strongly believe that I am not being unreasonable but wanted to ask your opinion anyway.
A couple of weeks ago I was looking for a parent and baby park in a retail park and saw one next to boots. I have a very active toddler and it is very difficult to keep him on the route so it would have been wonderful to park next to boots but a woman, who did not have a baby or child with her but had a car seat fitted in her car, drove faster and parked there. If I had time I was going to have a word with her and even take this to the shop managers etc. This happens quite often unfortunately. Next time I am planning to express my anger and concerns.

[GirlsAreLoud]

"By all means if you can't find a space then park in the middle of 2 spaces"

That's selfish too though, if there aren't many spaces. I saw a coach parked across five spaces when I was trying to find one the other day, was very annoying.

[GirlsAreLoud]

I do thing disabled people should be able to park in them (P and C spaces) and take priority though.

[MadEyeballsMoody]

I've never understood the way this topic is discussed here. It always turns into a competitive need thread. Of course people needing disabled spaces take priority, that is a given. And of course our parents managed. And of course it's not the end of the world. But surely it should be possible to have a moan about misuse of the spaces if you want? The fact is, the spaces do exist and surely it's not too much to ask for them to be left free for those they were intended for. And to be able to have a whinge about that on an Internet forum without having to take into account everyone else who doesn't have a car or drives a huge car but no kids or needs the disabled bays. It's not about that. It's about these spaces being for p&t so bloody well leave them for their intended users and if you don't have a toddler with you then leave them alone.

So there! Rant over

[AmazingBouncingFerret]

Ok I normally stay away from these threads, because, yes, they have been done to death.
However the comments about not being able to go anywhere else other than a supermarket when you have small children has really made my day.
Yes it is unbelievably hard coping with young children AND a car....
I think you are being a tad melodramatic with that post.

[littleducks]

if disabled badge holders can park on yellow lines, you seriously believe they shouldnt have the right to park in pand c places, they should display the badge as in another space but park there

[MadEyeballsMoody]

See ferret, that's exactly my point. No one can discuss this without making it a poor me. It's so childish. If you don't have a car then why read this thread? You (those without cars) have nothing to contribute to the discussion (in the nicest possible way).

Should people who don't have kids with them park in the p&t spaces? Discuss.

[JackBauer]

I do understand how annoying it is, and YANBU to be annoyed and irritated byt this.

I think YABVU to say that disabled people have no right over P&T and that is what my comments were aimed at.

[spookycharlotte121]

agree with JackBauer.... and others. you cant expect someone with a disabled badge not to park in them if all the disabled spaces are taken.

[Thunderduck]

I cannot believe that people think that people with disabilties should not be able to park in P&C spaces.

Why is better to possibly inconvenience two people by taking up two bays than it is to use a P&C space and inconvenience one?

People with disabilities often require a space near the shopping centre due to various health issues. It isn't always a wide space that they need so parking in a normal bay would be of little use to many.

[Phoenix4725]

same as JackBauer what my response was to ,

[MidwifeMumof5]

Real disabled people (in my opinion) should have a right to park in child parking spaces because they are disabled....simple. Although the amount of people who misuse disabled badges is ridiculous, but I wont get started on that one! Sorry but having kids DOES NOT make it difficult to walk a few more seconds into a shop ??? , I have five kids from 1 upwards and one is severely disabled, to be brutally honest if you cant handle getting kids out of cars then shop on line! Easy, problem solved

[SoupDragon]

"I cannot believe that people think that people with disabilities should not be able to park in P&C spaces."

I don't think they should park there unless all the disabled spaces are taken. I don't have a problem with it in the same way as I do with ignorant twats out shopping - especially those who do have children but either not with them or older ones. It is difficult to get a child out/back into of a car in a normal space.

I don't think many really think the spaces are to make sure they only have a short walk. The vast majority would be happy to have the wide spaces further away which would prevent abuse of the system.

[Thunderduck]

I wouldn't say that's true, judging by the people I know who,legitimately, have blue badges.
Not all people who require a blue badge are in wheelchairs, some have pain issues that make it difficult to walk which means they will need a space nearby.
My grandmother has a blue badge because she has Emphysema and a heart condition and has to stop every 2 minutes when out as she becomes so breathless. She most certainly needs the spaces to be near the store.

[AmazingBouncingFerret]

Disabled people can park in disabled spaces.
Disabled people can park in P&T spaces.
Parents can park in P&T spaces AND every other space (except disabled) in the carpark.
Anyone else. Use the regular spaces.
There.
The only time I get pissed off is when im out with my Dad and non-disabled people use the disabled bays and even then I dont say anything because they may have just forgotten/misplaced their badge.
Anything else is not worth it.

[SilentBob]

This is hilarious! Not being able to manage with children and a car? Not being able to control a toddler for a 3 minute journey across a supermarket car park? Disabled people should not park in P & C spaces? Get a grip, chaps.

P & C spaces are there for one reason and one reason only- to get parents in through the supermarket doors and spending their hard earned. They are not a right, they are not covered by any legalities and if they were at the bottom end of the car park I bet most people would use regular spaces so as not to have to walk. (I refuse to get into the "this could be the case" or "that could be the case" scenarios here)

[2shoes]

what a suprise a p&T space thread and some thick shit comes on and gets jealous of blue badge holders....whats new.

[tryingtobemarypoppins]

Slightly.....ok....very off thread but just wondering, if you have a toddler and a new born why don't they have supermarket trollies with a car seat base and a toddler seat????? I never get where you put the new born???? Reason for not going I guess!!

[bigpantspam]

This issue could quite easily be resolved when new supermarkets are built by putting P&C parking spaces at the far end of the car park and then only those who really wanted to use them for the extra width would park there.

I'd bet that they would remain empty while everyone continued the crush of trying to park as close a physically possible to the store entrance

[squatchette]

A few months ago i went shopping with my 3 dds aged 6 4 and 7 months (then). Dd1 is also disabled and has a blue badge.I always try and park in the child spaces as she doesn't need a wheel chair but has a few heavy machines to be carried.
I was just about to pull in when another car sped in even though I was signalling and there first.Was going to say something about that when I saw a couple in their 40s without children get out.
I nicely pointed out that the spaces were for parents with kids and the man said my wife's got a bad leg.I was so bloody angry i said yes and my daughters got a bad airway lungs bowel bla bla bla and i also have 2 other children including a baby we also have a blue badge but all the bays are full probably due to selfish people like you taking up spaces your not entitled to.
They just shrugged and walked off and I parked about 3 miles away as it was a massive retail outlet carpark.
What i'm trying to say is it doesn't matter how entitled you are some people just don''t give a shit.

[squatchette]

BTW she didn't even have the decency to limp .

[paisleyleaf]

They should put the P&T spaces the furthest away from the store, way over the other side of the car park.
That might solve it, and put others off using them.

[frasersmummy]

why cant they just make all parking spaces wider? Yes I know it means less spaces but lets face it except maybe at xmas does your local supermarket completly run out of spaces??

Then everyone no matter what their circumstances could park in any space.. even disabled.

There would of course need to be spaces close to the store for those with limited mobility who dont have a wheelchair eg walks with a stick

[FranSanDisco]

I am past caring about p&c spaces - could never get one when I needed them anyway. I do agree people classed as disabled take priority. However, having a disabled badge isn't always a sign of the diabled person being present. So many people display these badges which belong to relatives not with them at the shops. Two parents at dc's school do this regularly. One of them said her FIL prefers taking the bus so she uses it for shopping . It seems everyone abuses the system!