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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

lal123 · 08/09/2009 20:10

at 8 months pregnant can I park in P&C space?

It does annoy me when folk without kids park in P&C spaces - but then the world is full of inconsiderate gits and in the grand scheme of things its not really worth getting knickers in a twist over

Glitterknickaz · 08/09/2009 20:13

£70 fine at my local Asda for P&C, £150 for the disabled space abusers.

Which has led to some people landing in them, everyone getting out except the driver who sits there furtively looking round for any attendant. For an hour or so. On the ready to drive away should an attendant approach.

Is it really worth it?

roundwindow · 08/09/2009 20:14

Message on a nappy! utterly fantastic!

ElectricElephant · 08/09/2009 20:20

lal123 I don't think anybody with kids would really have a go at you for parking in a P&T space when heavily pregnant. My argument with this was I still had to get the baby out of the door.. didn't matter if it was inside me or not

What seems to be happening more and more is that Dad will sit in the parent and child space, with the kids in the back, asleep in the car with the kids looking bored. I see this every time I go to Sainsbury's.

BethNoire · 08/09/2009 20:22

I was threatenbed with a fine in Sainsbo for arking in a disability space, I've been back several times since and still can't work out how the sign is facing another direction as they claimed.

The irony being that not only did I have a baby (and thought I was in a P&B space), I had 2 autistic children in there as well.

And no longer use Sainsbo!
(I wouldnt ever park there intentionally btw)

groundhogs · 09/09/2009 23:11

I did actually see someone getting a ticket for parking in a sainsbury's P&C space without having a child or a child seat in the car... It's a new thing they are introducing, but it is being implemented...

DoingTheBestICan · 10/09/2009 11:32

All i will say is home shopping!! Takes all the aggro out of getting your weekly food shop.

mosschops30 · 10/09/2009 11:38

I love the fact that supermarkets have started giving out fines for this sort of shit (although unsure how enforceable they are?)

At my sainsbury the P&T spaces are always used by:

old people who are not disabled but think being old allows you to park there
fat middle aged women in sports cars who could clearly do with the extra exercise of walking a little further
men with small penises who drive big flash cars

IMHO you should never park in one of these spaces unless you have your toddler or baby with you (ours says children under 12), are pregnant or disabled.

Thunderduck · 10/09/2009 12:08

They aren't enforceable at all Mosschops.Unless they're willing to take you to court,highly unlikely,then you don't have to pay them.

Satsuma1 · 10/09/2009 13:38

What annoys me the most is when parents think they can park in a P&C space when they don't have the child(ren) with them or if their kids are going to stay in the car with their partner.

The number of times I've seen someone use one of these spaces and think that having an empty car seat entitles them to use it! Other parents should know the purpose and importance of these spaces even more than people without children.

Anyway, life is way to short to get annoyed about such things. I just inwardly think 'what a prat' and move on!

heartmoonshadow · 10/09/2009 15:46

Hi,

YANBU I agree if you have no child you should not use the space - unless - you are heavily pregnant and like me had to kick the door open to get your lardy fat bum lovely pregnant bump out.

Our local supermarket has solved the problem though - they have put all the P&T spaces along the back wall furthest away from the shop - after all when we have children we only need the space to open the doors wide it is no necessary to be right next to the door. As a result all the lazy people park closer in normal bays.

Wigglesworth · 10/09/2009 16:40

YANBU, pisses me off too but about 90% of Mumsnet don't seem arsed about it and you may get flamed for starting a thread about this (trust me I speak from experience).

NeedCoffee · 10/09/2009 16:52

I once argued with a man who had parked in one, he pulled out and reversed again, closer to one of the other cars so I could squeeze in I waited for another space as I had 4 kids in the car with me and didn't want to end up scratching the car, when coming out of the shop, I saw 2 women pull in to one, they actually got a child seat out the boot and put it in the car Why Bother?! I love going shopping on my own, so much easier.

Nancy10 · 10/09/2009 17:04

It pees me right off too! Both with p&b and disabled parking spaces. I also don't agree with parents who have flippin teenagers and still think they qualify. Traffic wardens spend too much time fineing people who are 1 minute late for their car and not enough time fineing lazy gits who are too bone idle to park in a normal bay! I think the disability one annoys me slightly more as eventually children grow up so you forget about it and you don't always have to take children with you! What also p**ses me right off is quite often its actually the staff of the store who park there. This happens in our Tesco. We live in a small community so I've recognised cars belonging to staff parked in the wrong bays!

chickbean · 10/09/2009 19:21

I am completely with the poster, but have to admit that I have almost parked in a P&T space without my children - I actually got into it before I realised that they were at home in bed (DH was there looking after them, I must add) - had to reverse out and find another one. It's like taking the lift even when you don't have a pushchair with you or rocking the shopping trolley when it's empty

WhereYouLeftIt · 10/09/2009 20:00

mosschops30 [grin} at "- fat middle aged women in sports cars who could clearly do with the extra exercise of walking a little further"

mosschops30 · 11/09/2009 13:30

its so true though, and just this morning I saw a burly man driving a van (and clearly small penis ) parking in M&B space - wanker!

Stephief · 14/09/2009 11:47

Hi,
My sainsburys DO fine people for parking in baby spaces with no kids! I know because I got a fine (though it was quashed as I had three kids with me!) Must have seen dp nipping back the car to get something and assumed we were childless! I only had one 'made me chuffed' experience of getting one over on some lazy sod parking in one of these bays. I politely asked him to move, he refused saying he can 'f'ing park where he likes' so I agreed, and parked right behind him blocking him in. I had the most glorious long shopping trip that day, including lunch with the kids in the cafe, and he was not too happy when he was STILL in his car waiting for me to move two hours later

EyeballsintheSky · 14/09/2009 11:51

Seriously? That is fab! Well done. You must have had a great time He must have been seriously pissed off. Did he give you any grief when you turned up?

jeee · 14/09/2009 11:52

My DH got very huffy with someone who told him off for parking in P&T. He was halfway round Tescos before he realised he didn't have any children with him.

LovingtheSilverFox · 14/09/2009 12:08

Had this very conversation with DH yesterday! At Sainsbury's in Newbury Park, Essex, was actually out manouvered of a p&b space by a woman in a purple fiesta, no kids in the car. DH was backing in, and she pulled in forwards, nearly crushing her car between us, and the car we were parking beside. DH just sat there with his mouth on the floor. Then continuing to drive round, passed by several people, sitting in cars in p&b spaces.

In the end we had to park as far away from the shop as possible as we have DD1 (3yo) and DTs. This means we have to be able to fully open car doors on both sides, and open the boot fully, in order to remove all children and buggy from the car.

I have a good mind to stop next time, and knock on the window of the peugot 807 which had the man sitting in the drivers seat(you know who you are) and ask him if he wouldn't mind moving so we can use the space as it was intended. Not to save his family from a shorter walk to the store. And I understand that they may have been disabled, but there were disabled spaces available, so it is doubtful.

Rant over. Sorry.

LovelyTinOfSpam · 14/09/2009 12:12

needcoffee at getting carseat out of boot. Are people really that lazy - surely it's just as much effort to get the seat out and attach it than to walk a bit further.

People are very strange.

Although I just remembered that my boss gave me a lift somewhere once when I was pre-kids, she had her child's seat in and parked in a P&T. I was a bit and said "are you supposed to park here" and she just laughed in a manner she obviously thought was "tinkling" and assured me it was fine.

As she was my boss I didn't argue any further... I think everyone must do it. Except me, obv. I don't drive that often and always forget they exist

Stephief · 14/09/2009 12:26

Eyeballs,
Yes he was a bit cranky lol! Was yapping on about being late for some meeting and calling the police (who obviously didnt turn up!) but I just smiled sweetly as I do

I just hope it made him think twice about parking there again, though guessing the type of person he appeared to be, he would be back again a week later!

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