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Original poster

rant about parent spaces

62 replies

Fran1 · 10/10/2004 21:05

After a recent discussion here about parent parking spaces being misused, i've become more aware of whose using them (never used to take much notice, but you know what its like once you start thinking about something.)

three times in as many weeks i have witnessed them being used by childless people at mylocal supermarket and it has really wound me up now!

The first occasion, as i was walking back to my car, after putting my trolley away neatly in the trolley bay with dd in arms, i noticed a lady just walking away after dumping her trolley directly behind my car so i could not get out of space, and then got in her childless car and drove off!!! i was so fuming if i hadn't of had dd struggling to get out of my arms i would have gone and said something to her.

The following week, a man loaded his car in a parent/child space whilst i loaded mine next to him. I asked him where his children were, he arrogantly replied, i've got four at home.

And again this week, a young childless couple came speeding into the carpark, music blaring, dumped their care in a parent child space and got out.

I wouldn't mind if the car park was full and they were the only available spaces, but each time i have made a point of looking, and have been able to count at least a handful of empty spaces.

So sorry to rant, just had to get it off my chest! phew.

OP posts:
jampot · 10/10/2004 21:07

Fair enough |Fran but here's a question for everyone - if you visited supermarket at night say after 9pm and had no kids with you would you park in child spaces?

Original poster
Fran1 · 10/10/2004 21:09

i know what you're saying here, but after 9pm it'd probably be so quiet you wouldn't need to anyway.

OP posts:
EvesMama · 10/10/2004 21:10

we've all done it, but its diferent when the boot is on the other foot isnt it?p**s me off when we have to walk in the rain with dd when all the little sporty two seaters are taking up parent and toddler spaces!!!!!!!1111

jampot · 10/10/2004 21:12

I would park in a parent/child space if there was the likelihood of them not being used but I wouldn't park in the ones closest to the entrance

CleanKittyCat · 11/10/2004 07:56

I have stopped shopping in our local tesco's because it just becomes too hard to park in a parent with child space. They are all taken up by white transit vans, escort vans elderly and disabled people. The disabled have no excuse as they have 3x as many spaces as the parent/child. I now shop at Sainsbury , even though it is only 1 mile further down the road the spaces are only used by the people with kids in.

SoupDragon · 11/10/2004 09:18

I've never parked in a P&C parking space without children. I wouldn't dream of it!

Clayhead · 11/10/2004 09:21

EvesMama, we haven't all done it! I would consider it on a par with parking in a space meant for someone disabled when I'm not. Just would never do it.

Angeliz · 11/10/2004 09:23

I've never done it either!

(am off to have a cuppa and polish me halo! )

If possible i park somewhere else close to avoid my fury if i see childless people there. When i have thos baby next year though and have two to get out, man do i see my blood pressure rising!!!

lou33 · 11/10/2004 09:25

I wouldn't do it either.

edam · 11/10/2004 09:25

We rarely bother with P&T parking spaces anyway, but that could be because there's always the two of us because I don't drive. Maybe you really need them if shopping on your own?:

acnebride · 11/10/2004 09:28

Would never do it , no. Am complete rule-follower and fooder for dictatorships, if i saw a car-parking space marked with 'extra-terrestrials only' i wouldn't question or use it.

lou33 · 11/10/2004 09:29

lol Ab [grinl]

childmindersam · 11/10/2004 09:33

This annoys me too. My local asda has started to announce car reg's over tannoy of people in disabled spaces without badges, y dont they do it for people without kids in parent spaces?
Have parked in disabled space once when i had 3 kids under 3 with me and no parent spaces left, went to help desk and explained y i had parked there. They couldnt tell me why they had 15 disabled spaces and only 5 parent spaces!!!!! Think this issue needs addressing, r there more disabled people than parents?

TraceyP · 11/10/2004 09:37

No, we haven't all done it at all - even at 9pm when there's no-one in the P&C or diabled spaces I still wouldn't do it. Evesmama, you say it p**s you off when others do it so I'd be interested to know why you would do it yourself. I'm not being judgemental, just curious to know why some people think this way!

soapbox · 11/10/2004 09:54

No don't do it. And am still annoyed when I see people using them without children - even although we no longer use them.

Strangely enought my DH was still parking in parents places until very recently, when I pointed out to him that the children are now 4 and 6 and more than capable of walking

It simply hadn't occured to him that he didn;t need to park there anymore. (I hasten to add he would only park there if he had the children with him)!

I now just need to stop the children flinging the car doors open and catching the cars next to us - the spaces are often so tight!

Does anyone know if there is a product which cushions the doors at all!

TraceyP · 11/10/2004 09:56

Soapbox - put the child locks on so they can't open the doors!

soapbox · 11/10/2004 09:57

TracyP - sorry - should have explained! Its when we get back to the car and they are rushing to get back into the car, with whatever sweet or crisps that they have persuaded out of me

TraceyP · 11/10/2004 09:59

Ah! Now I understand

soapbox · 11/10/2004 10:00

TraceyP - no it was a good suggestion!

teadrinker · 11/10/2004 10:18

Its the inherent laziness in society. When I complained about the P&C space misuse at local Tescos I was told by member of staff that some people would drive into shop if they could because they are that lazy.

I had to walk from end of car park once at Asda when 8 1/2 months pregnant and when got to 'Expectant Mum' space near door saw young man getting into his car. Sarcastically asked him when it was due!

ponygirl · 11/10/2004 10:28

This gets me too. In fact MN was my inspiration to challenge someone in a multi-story which has P&T spaces the other week. I'd followed this woman in a Mercedes convertible and watched her fail to park in three spaces and then put it in a P&T space which is wider. I was furious and challenged her about it (very politely) and she claimed her car was too wide for the ordinary spaces. I pointed out that my spacewagon was just as big, if not bigger (wider) than her estate and I could do it. She just couldn't park. She was completely unrepentant though, and didn't move the car. I am incredibly non-confrontational generally and this was completely out of character for me, but I just thought of MN and did it. The icing on the cake was when a woman with a pushchair a few cars up from me said to the evil-car-parking-woman "I'd just like to say I agree with everything that woman just said to you!" I even went and found the attendant and asked what they could do about it, and he just said, "Oh, it's a difficult one, not much we can do." Great. Oh well, I felt thoroughly empowered and am now a crusader against the abuse of P&T spaces!

yoyo · 11/10/2004 10:57

I complained about this at Sains and was told it was nothing to do with them as the car pak was run by a private firm!
The ones that really get me are those where an adult stays in the car with the children whilst the other adult goes in the shop.
Had too many arguments with people and now don't bother as they never move their cars and it upsets my children.

EvesMama · 11/10/2004 20:17

clayhead, i meant we all do it hyperthetically...i dont even have a licence yet!so i DONT/HAVENT done it. i was trying to say sometimes we dont realize how much inconvenience we put others too when we dont think about it from thier point of view. everyone feels differently

EvesMama · 11/10/2004 20:20

and that was to answer tarceyp too

PicadillyCircus · 11/10/2004 20:21

Can I just share what happened to DH when using the car at the weekend?

He parked in a parent and child space with 10 month DS. Then a woman on her own parked and DH decided to let her know she shouldn't.

"F off you C" she said to him.

Haven't read the rest of the thread but have been waiting for an occasion to tell my tale of parking spaces

Luckily DH found it quite amusing

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