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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

parent and baby parking

73 replies

Nesssa · 08/09/2009 17:10

am i being unreasonable to expect people who do not have children with them to park in the parent and baby spaces at our local supermarket?

we had an altercation with some harridan in a blue peugot on sunday in the beckton branch of sainsbury's. dh politely mentioned to her that she was parked in a p&b space and so risked being fined. she then, with a completely straight face, explained to me that she was ok to park in that particular space because only the spaces in front of the signs saying that it is reserved for parents etc count, meaning all the others in the row that just have the pram sign painted on them are open to anyone.

it seemed to me she was talking bs and i told her so; she told me to f* off and then ranted at us until we walked out of earshot about what kind of parents we thought we were and so on.

i admit it was rude of me to say what i did, and im also worried that maybe she was right. can anyone clarify?

OP posts:
onetiredmummy · 08/09/2009 17:12

You're brave putting this on here!

EyeballsintheSky · 08/09/2009 17:15

She is wrong about the painted sign, of course but tbh it's not really worth sweating over because people are always going to park where they shouldn't. If you get stressed about it all you'll explode!

And I'm having a little private bet with myself about when something related will be mentioned on this thread...

sweetnitanitro · 08/09/2009 17:16

Ooh, another one. I would do a search Nesssa, there are 5 billion threads about this subject. Some people might get irate about that.

Original poster
Nesssa · 08/09/2009 17:16

why brave? she didnt look the mumsnet type

OP posts:
GypsyMoth · 08/09/2009 17:16

fgs.....another dull,meaningless thread about not alot!!

yabu...there you go,a response!

GypsyMoth · 08/09/2009 17:17

whats the mumsnet 'type' pray tell!!??

HecatesTwopenceworth · 08/09/2009 17:18

they mean because this subject has been done to death and always ends up in a bunfight

Don't let that put you off, it's the first time you have posted about it and why the hell shouldn't you?!

I am sure every conversation it is possible to be had has been done by someone, somewhere. If we went on like that, the whole world would be mute from now on!

bumpsoon · 08/09/2009 17:20

YANBU ,but youve got to give her credit for an amazing excuse
I got verbally abused in my local supermarket at the weekend ,because someone thought id parked in a disabled place ,infact i had stopped my trolley next to the car to answer my mobile ! I let him get his rant off his chest and then calmly explained that my car was infact parked at the far side of the car park. He said i was lying ,and said he was going to stand there until he was proved wrong ,so i pootled off ,got into my car and did a quick lap of honour round the disabled area to prove him wrong. Part of me felt i should have left him standing there ,but it was raining and he was quite old and i despise people who wrongly use disabled places .

HecatesTwopenceworth · 08/09/2009 17:20

ilovetiffany - that describes about 85% of all MN threads. Meaningless chat is what keeps mn going.

And there's nothing wrong with that.

KembleTwins · 08/09/2009 17:20

YANBU. It's really really annoying. BUT it's one of those things that people will always do, and it's not worth getting into a fight about UNLESS you are going to go away feeling much better afterwards. I have to admit, I had a really good argument with an arrogant middle aged man when my DTs were tiny. He ended up shoving his trolley at me, at which point two of the carpark attendants came over to intervene on my behalf and told the man in question that he was totally in the wrong and so on and so on. So it became three against one and I left feeling totally vindicated and, frankly a bit smug. If it's just going to piss you off for the rest of the day, don't bother.

eyeballs I know what you're on about. I'm waiting too...

Fruitbeard · 08/09/2009 17:21

Nesssa, YABTotallyU - you were shopping in Beckton Sainsbos, fer chrissake! What did you expect???

Seriously, the woman was talking cobblers - if there's that weirdy armless person/half-pushchair thing painted in a space then it's a P&B space.

IloveTiffany - no-one's asking you to read or comment on a 'dull' thread, are they? Some people just go looking for a fight on AIBU...

EyeballsintheSky · 08/09/2009 17:22

Tiffany don't be such a cranky old hag. There's no law stopping someone from posting about this even if it has been done before and especially if they are new then how would they know? Searching the archives doesn't give you much in the way of debate. You didn't have to click y'know....

Original poster
Nesssa · 08/09/2009 17:22

well, i just wanted one person to clarify about the painted signs to know that the world hasnt gone mad. thank you - ill get back to work?

OP posts:
etchasketch · 08/09/2009 17:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EyeballsintheSky · 08/09/2009 17:23

LOL Kemble

Jimmychasesducks · 08/09/2009 17:23

bumpsoon, oh I owuld have loved to have seen his face.

HecatesTwopenceworth · 08/09/2009 17:24

oh, eyeballs, can I do it...at least you're not disabled like me, P&T spaces are a privilege etc etc

(nb, before anyone has a pop at me, I actually am and I have a blue badge!)

sillyoldfatcatpuss · 08/09/2009 17:24

bumpsoon...that's brilliant Loving the lap of honour

nesssa YANBU. Well done to you for having a go

Jimmychasesducks · 08/09/2009 17:24

EyeballsintheSky i reckon in 10 mins

EyeballsintheSky · 08/09/2009 17:25

Damn Hecate, I thought it'd be another 6 posts at least

GypsyMoth · 08/09/2009 17:25

i don't understand why she risked being fined? (trying to get extra mileage out of a 'dull' thread)

do sainsburys ever fine anyone? will have to have a look at the signs in ours...

memoo · 08/09/2009 17:25

I was visiting my local tesco the other day and as we were going in I saw a parking attendant putting a fine on the windscreen of a car that had parked in the disabled bay but they didn't have a disabled badge in the car.

It made my day!

Rindercella · 08/09/2009 17:27

Am loving Bumpsoon's lap of honour too Must've been very gratifying.

EyeballsintheSky · 08/09/2009 17:28

LOL @ extra mileage

I don't know if they would fine you but I remember coming out of Sainsburys to find a leaflet under the wiper telling me off for parking there and threatening me with a fine. It was when dd was tiny and I had taken the car seat in with me. A Sainsburys chap came running over to the car and swiped the leaflet from me before I could rant, apologising as there had been no seat in the car. Don't know if it ever goes further than that.

Rindercella · 08/09/2009 17:29

ILove, our Sainsbury's clearly states that anyone parking in a P&T space who does not have an under 12 year old child with them will be fined £50, with (I think) half of that money going to charity. Whether or not that is enforcable is another matter.