to be disgusted by the total moron parents who left a note on the car windscreen of my disabled parents' car

[TheDullWitch]

My parents, in their mid-80s, both who walk with sticks (my dad who just had a stroke) went to the supermarket. Since all the disabled spaces were filled and they struggle to walk more than a few yards, they parked in a parent and child space and left their disabled badge in the window.

When they returned to their car the following was written on a note on their windscreen. "This space is for parents, you stupid old bastards." This total and utter XXXX must have seen them struggle to walk and still thought that their own right to walk able-bodied with their toddler into a store was more important.

My mum and dad, who are gentle, kind people are so upset. I am so disgusted and upset.

SHAME ON YOU WHOEVER YOU ARE! SHAME ON YOU!

i thought it was sloppy because it extrapolated a whole load of stuff based on the vile behaviour of some heinous person to your parents. to go from that to: we live in a culture of family supremacy is inaccurate in the extreme imo. and until having children means choosing between f&cking your career or employing someone to look after them for you (just as one example) no one will persuade me otherwise. least of all an article proclaiming that motherhood in western nuclear-family based society is a doddle. have you looked at post natal depression rates recently?

very sloppy journalism imo. no need to change your name though. and i'm sure you write other fandabulous things. just thought this article's tone was toxic.

god that made no sense did it! talk about a sloppy post....clearly the grammar was appalling and i meant 'until having children stops meaning'

Great article in my opinion! Please don't stop posting under your real name. Journalist have as much right as anyone to post here.

I definitely think there is a subset of parents though who do have the 'I am so important because I have a child' attitude. Whether it's lack of consideration in a restaurant, where they allow their child to run around where there are hot dishes, and people carrying food, or allowing them to scream through a performance 'Ah, they're just enjoying it.....' there are definitely parents who say 'if you have a problem with this, then it is YOUR problem, and you should deal with it.'. I've heard it with my own ears, when elderly people are upset by this type of thing.

We're all part of one society, and as such should all be tolerant of each other, and helpful where possible.

TheDullWitch I liked your article. Especially this bit:

"...media mummies penning tear-stained farewells to careers that they can?t combine with caring for one small baby, we never stop hearing how near impossible it is to raise a child..."

your poor parents. They don't deserve such aggression from such inconsiderate people. P and T spaces incur such wrath, they should be banned or moved far far away from the store.

totally shocked at all these things Riven the 4 pads a day rule ... why?

Lady on tv last week managed to get her 'allowance' bumped up from 3 to 6 for her 12yo ds with cp. I've no idea how she did it, except going on tv .

No need to change your name on my account DW, I have the attention span of a gnat and won't remember who you are tomorrow.

Am jolly glad that my work is not up for scrutiny on MN though, it wouldn't stand to scrutiny at all well!

No need to namechange imo
I don't know what SomeGuy thinks he has uncovered, apart from the fact that your are a journalist.
It's mot a poisonous article at all, just an insight into how parents feel

I thought the article was inaccurate in that everybody on this thread backed your parents: clearly they are not part of this "culture of entitlement".

I think you would have been on firmer ground if you had just said Some People Really Are Twats, Aren't They?

But don't change your name- I will look out for you in future

just read this post how terrible shame on them who left the note

lol mrsruffallo..... a journo on MN

not exactly scoop of the century is it...

Thanks Dullwitch, read your article about an hour ago and wished I'd been able to respond - and now I can!!!

My DH is a wheelchair user, and SO often I see parents with children parking in the blue badge spaces, or people with no disability or child, just using them because there is nowhere else to park. I have challenged a friend and my sister who i have seen parking in disabled spaces as to why they did it. My sister said "Well we're only going to be a couple of minutes", to which I responded by shouting at her that, being SIL to my DH she should know better. Friend responded that no-one else needed it. He received some education too. I know I am personally involved and therefore biased, but I find it unbelievable that people can be so selfish.

Thanks again for writing what you did. Maybe it's time for a high-profile media campaign. I'll join! I'm pregnant with DC1 and what you wrote forced me to pre-think what my attitude needs to be once I have a buggy.

I thought it was a good article, not too original in content but good points made - until I read your Voucher comments then I get cross with you

Lol at the hysteria about a real life journalist quoting a real life story that happened to her on Mumsnet and in the papers. Who the f does SomeGuy think he is?

This is totally different to

1. random journos planting provocative posts as research for their own ends

1. random journos trawling mumsnet for stories because they have run out of ideas

or

1. Mumsnetter journos lifting entire threads from Mumsnet for effort-free copy

No need to worry on my account Dullwitch.

mn is public access site,anyone can post inc journalist.this giddiness about a journalist posting is verging on hysterical and as for the triumphant "i know who she is na-nah"...oh do grow you bawbag.what did you thing would happen get a mob,hold dem glistening torches high,mosey down to dullwitch house

Really good article and I read it before I knew the mumsnet connection!

Agree with a lot of what riven says above about preciousness around children/child-rearing these days.

I agreed with a few good points the OP made in her article, mainly about children not being taught manners and 'rightism' around parenting etc, but for me the article was ruined by hateful tone and wild generalisations, so I wasn't impressed. Sure it was vile of those people to leave a nasty note on her parent's car, but she then just poured a load of similar vitriol over parents in general. All because her little family was attacked. It's still focussing from within the little box of tribal family values, not inspiring any broader societal values.

But... but... everyone on this thread said she was NOT being unreasonable and was shocked that someone would leave such a note.

So, that's lots of probably, middle-class mums who think that of course, disabled/older people have priority over children - completely opposite to what she then wrote?

Yes, some parents probably are selfish. Some people are too. Don't try and make-up a story that we are all like this. Would I be right in thinking it is the style that editors request, to be more controversial and therefore gain more readership, and comments?

thedullwitch tell your mum to burn the letter, as she will just torture herself. If needs be, show her these posts on here, to reassure her that neanderthal (sp) behaviour is few and far between.

I mean the culprit couldn't have had that much clout about them, if they didn't even confront your parents about it, which leads me to believe it was done out of spite.

For what it's worth, a few years ago when I had just passed by test, I parked in the P&C space with my 3 children, for which some bright spark left me a note saying 'parking space for children, not mongrels' (my kids are mixed race). You know what, I ripped up the letter and forgot about it, for my sanity!