I stood proud and shouted the odds about parents & toddler parking

[twiglett]

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Paula

You go girl!!!

I live a town which is heavily populated by elderly people most of whom I am sure are fantastic and considerate people but a sizeable minority are rude inconsiderate and overly imbued with there own rights and importance.It is common in our small town to be pushed out of the queue in the newsagents/library by OAPs,in fact the other day one elderly gentleman entered the childrens section of the library to tell me that my reading to my 26month old was disturbing and could I please leave!My 10 year old asked me the other day why so many elderly people were so rude after he was pushed out of the queue to get a ticket in the car park,this after he had just helped another elderly lady to push the buttons to get her ticket and received not even a word of thanks.The standard of driving is also apalling with so many taking no notice of pedestrians and driving wrong side of road etc.

As for parking in P and T spaces in tescos well they object to them even being there most of the time,only yesterday 2 older people but appearing very fit in their Mercedes parked in the spaces with no child in tow (sometimes obviously grandparents need to use the spaces)and then when I pointed very politely (I hate confrontation)that the spaces were reserved for parent and toddler,they said that they parked there because then there was less chance of someone scratching the paintwork of their car!Incidently I rarely use them now because ds3 is a good walker and we can manage.At our local Tesco adn Sainsburys I would say that on an average visit at least 50% of the spaces will not have parents with children in them,obviously if someone is imfirm that is a different matter but most just believe thta they have aright to space close to the door.

Don't get me wrong most elderly people are great but living here where incidentely most are very affluent has opened my eyes,I do Meals on wheels with the WRVS once a month as well and frankly most of the time you are lucky to get a thankyou
I have tried to teach my children manners and to respect the older generation but really they need to do their bit too.

I was listening to Radio 5 live's Breakfast show this morning when they were discussing parent and toddler parking. Various emails were read out and the predominantly male emailers said:

"They (mums with babies / toddlers) shouldn't have children if they can't be bothered to walk across the car park"

and

"I use the P&T spaces when talking my elderly mum shopping - it doesn't specify an age limit"

plus
"If you are challenged about using a parent and toddler space just look vacant and say 'Oh no, I knew I had forgotten something' - that usually shuts them up"

The last email got quite a laugh from the radio presenters too.

I despair.....!

Grrr hmc I am glad I didn't hear that. I get so mad at people whinging on about P&C parking spaces.

On the news there was a bit about disabled parking and the people involved had these stickers that said "Gee Thanks for taking my parking space, would you like my disability too?"

Fantastic!

I am going to get on to having ones made that end "...would you like to take my kiddies shopping too?"

Would that work or would the ignoramuses ignore that too? I wonder if it would be too long to add that in the future my bubs will be paying their pensions?

Hey I like the stickers idea - I reckon its a goer!

I went shopping yesterday morning - unusual time for me - could not believe the number of people with early teen or aged around 9 or ten who parked there... I then saw one poor mums truggle in a non p + t parking space to get toddler and baby from car. But the ultimate p'take was a woman who got out with a teenager ( late teens) and both walked quite ably and quickly into the store.

Only just seen this thread. I always pull people up on it.

If I'm in my car I will pull up behind there car, wind down my passenger window, lean over dd, shout excuse me... wait for them to come over and then ask them if they know they've just parked in a M&T space.

This subject really gets to me. I go out of my way to point out to people that they shouldn't be parking there, if I'm in an ok mood I might just glare at them for a loooooong time and make a point og 'struggling' to get dd out of car.

The worst culprits are groups of 3 or 4 women who have gone to Tesco on their lunch (or something) - pure laziness!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGHHH

My teeth are aching now. I can't even talk about it without my blood boiling

NO I htink its old people (sorry am never allowed to criticise old people on Mn just men )

I have so very nearly lost my rag with so many people who just laugh in my face... middle age people too - they should know better.

I've often wondered if writing in letters of complaint about this to both my local tesco and HO Tesco would have any effect ....

Has anyone done this??

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The only time I tackled someone about this (he was sitting in his car reading the paper with his teenage son - in a baby space, I had dd1, 3 and dd2 -tiny baby), he got out, pushed me up against the car next to him and screamed and shouted abuse at me. I walked calmly back to my car, then as I got in I called him 'an ignorant *** (something I don't wish to repeat!) - luckily I thought to lock my car doors as this incensed him so much that he came over, literally snarling with rage, and tried to pull open my drivers door. When he couldnt open it he thumped on the windscreen calling me a stuck-up bitch and that if he ever saw me alone he would kill me.

Witnesses offered to come into the store and help me complain but to be honest at the time I just wanted to get my shopping and go home.

I couldn't be bothered to report it as he was so obviously mad.

But I don't bother tackling people now, I just let it go. It still really annoys me though.

Have to agree with Coddy that it's the old people who are the worst offenders. Actually I find them to be the worst offenders, generally. obviously not referring to elderly, doddery, walking stick bound etc. rather the fit healthy 60 somethings who think that we owe them just because they managed to live through the war (as kids!). Honestly i've had this sort of person let doors slam in my face, not say thank you for general good manners (e.g. if i've held the door open for them) the list is endless. The teenagers that they love to put down tend to be charming e.g. a group of about 6 scally looking kids were messing around in the swimming pool on Sunday when I took DD. They were very careful not to get in our way and reminded each other to "mind the baby" all the time. Really sweet. Unlike the 60 year old woman who had chosen to use the one "family size" cubicle available in the changing rooms despite the fact that the place was dead and loads of ordiary cubicles were free.

I haven't had any bad encounters with older people, but its heartwarming to hear the good experience that you had with the group of teens at the swimming pool. I do tend to - unfairly - expect the worse of teenagers (old fart that I am!)

Why do people get so upset about this?

I have a 2 year old and a 4 yr old and I can't remember the last time I used the parent and toddler parking. I just park in any convenient space - I don't even bother to check the P&T.

I don't have a particularly small car - VW Passat Estate and I don't find it a problem - 99% of the time when you go out there isn't special parking, so why bother at Tescos?

Surely there's lots more important things to get het up about e.g. dog mess in parks and on the street.

I like using P&T spaces as they are much safer than threading through the car park with an unruly 4 year old and a bolshy 16 month old.

Also they are one of the only 'perks' I bloody get!

Well Iota perhaps you are blessed with a 2 year old with road sense.

I could allow my 19 month old to walk a fair distance across a busy supermarket carpark - so long as I don't mind her getting run over (since she runs off as soon as liberated from her car seat)...but since I don't want to see her on life support with major internal injuries, I tend to carry all circa 30 lbs of her over to the entrance. And since I am 7 months pregnant with anaemia don't want to be carrying her for more than a few yards.

OK?

hmc why don't you put her in a trolley? i usually get the trolly before unleashing the kids

Iota, I think that it depends on how easy your children are to manage in a car park. Mine are now fine, but when ds was 2 he was a complete liability and would run off given a split second.

Also they are now on booster seats, easy for me to belt them in. This wasn't the case when they were smaller.

I don't use these spaces either, but I recognise that some people do need them. The reason I get fed up with other people using them is the basic selfishness that it shows. They are saying, in effect, that their needs come first, regardless of anyone else. That is just plain bad manners in my book. And even worse these people will also take blue badge spots....indefensibile.

It isn't the probelms that these people cause that gets my goat, it is what their behaviour says about them, and our society.

And I couldn't get the trolly first as he would let himself out of his car seat, climb into the front and 'drive' the car as soon as I feft the car.....not safe as I am sure you will agree. The only way around it would be to carry him to the trollys, across a car park, while hanging onto my dd who was 4 at the time.

Damn! - I can't think of a good answer to that one. Quick, help me somebody!!

Ohhh - Hmb, I think I'll nick your one (it doesn't have to be true in my case does it?)

bleieve me ladies I do know the joys of the 2 year old who likes to bolt -I do the school run each morning with 2 and 4 yr old, book bags water bottles lunch boxes etc and not enough hands. I am adept at dragging ds2 along by the shoulder of his coat - and this is on the side of a busy main road.

I don't want to start a fight - it's just that I think it's just not worth getting stressed about the ignoramuses who misuse the P&T - usually the only person you are upestting is yourself because they don't give a stuff what you think or say or they wouldn't do it.

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This morning is a very good day for shopping at my local Tesco - I parked in the main car park with ds1 (4) and as I walked past the P&T there were 2 empty spaces and nobody waiting.....

SHOP AT TESCO MIlTON KEYNES