Parent and child space - disabled driver

Buttonmoons

Doesn't matter if there are people worse off than you, that's going to apply to anything if you think about it hard enough, it's about consideration, and this woman clearly had none.

kingfisherblue

Stephb1986 wrote: »

My future father in law is a blue badge holder, he once went to his local Sainsburys where there was no empty disabled spaces so he parked in a parent and child space as his disability is severe in him being unable to walk very far. Then some woman shouted at him for parking in a parent and child space because she wanted it he explained that he had a blue badge and there was no spaces left she carried on ranting at him like a mad woman.

What gets me is why is it because you've dropped a kid from between your legs you think its a god given right that you have a specific parking space for you and your darlings and don't care whether people who do have a real problem walking have somewhere to park aslong as they don't park in your precious parent and child spaces.

I think you need to see the real world, there are people worse off than you and your kids not being able to park in a parent and child space.

Written a bit more harshly than I would have, but nonetheless very true. I have a disabled child and he cannot walk far without his wheelchair - getting round a supermarket is way too far for him! It really annoys me that parent and child spaces are sometimes nearer to the supermarket than disabled spaces (Tesco in Prescot being a prime example - and yes, I have complained several times). Toddlers can usually walk quite well, whereas people with disabilities often cannot.

You were not left with nowhere to park, unless every other space in the car park was taken. You could have parked in an ordinary space. If you need additional room to open the car door, just park much further away and you almost always find that there are available spaces next to you. I know, because this is what I do when I can't get a space for my son. I also need to open the car door wide. If necessary, I park further away and use his wheelchair. Ok, so you might have got wet, but that's what you expect in winter.

If you have a child with special needs, you may find that you will need a blue badge one day. Perhaps then you will be a little more understanding.

Stephb1986_2

There was no such thing as parent and child spaces 30 years ago how the hell did people cope then with getting kids out of the car??

I will never know!

Buttonmoons

The OP has a special needs child, suppose it doesn't matter though because she doesn't have a blue badge!

corbyboy

I have a child and have never felt the need to use a parent and child space. What is the point of them.? I just park at the bottom of the carpark where there is loads of space.

adouglasmhor

OP you could have parked in the disabled spaces and it would have been safer and closer, you can park in any space in a supermarket car park, I choose not to park in disabled or parent and child because I don't need to - not because I am breaking any laws.

Cherry_Bomb

I don't look at the mother and child spaces as having anything to do with the walking distance to the shop. I look at them as a larger space required to get the door fully open. OK not so relevant with a toddler but a baby definitely.

Why should parents be made to feel bad about that? We don't all enjoy smacking our kids heads off the door on the way up and out of a car seat!

adouglasmhor

Buttonmoons wrote: »

The OP has a special needs child, suppose it doesn't matter though because she doesn't have a blue badge!

You don't need a blue badge to park in a disabled space in a supermarket car park. If they say you do they are guilty of discrimination against disabled people.

universalady_2

Stephb1986 wrote: »

My future father in law is a blue badge holder, he once went to his local Sainsburys where there was no empty disabled spaces so he parked in a parent and child space as his disability is severe in him being unable to walk very far. Then some woman shouted at him for parking in a parent and child space because she wanted it he explained that he had a blue badge and there was no spaces left she carried on ranting at him like a mad woman.

What gets me is why is it because you've dropped a kid from between your legs you think its a god given right that you have a specific parking space for you and your darlings and don't care whether people who do have a real problem walking have somewhere to park aslong as they don't park in your precious parent and child spaces.

I think you need to see the real world, there are people worse off than you and your kids not being able to park in a parent and child space.

I agree entirely

At times, I feel these 'parent & child' spaces borders on the supermarkets discriminating against people who don't/can't have kids

At the other end of the scale. I sometimes wonder if the supermarket actually provide enough disabled bays

pinkladyof66

Stephb1986 wrote: »

My future father in law is a blue badge holder, he once went to his local Sainsburys where there was no empty disabled spaces so he parked in a parent and child space as his disability is severe in him being unable to walk very far. Then some woman shouted at him for parking in a parent and child space because she wanted it he explained that he had a blue badge and there was no spaces left she carried on ranting at him like a mad woman.

What gets me is why is it because you've dropped a kid from between your legs you think its a god given right that you have a specific parking space for you and your darlings and don't care whether people who do have a real problem walking have somewhere to park aslong as they don't park in your precious parent and child spaces.

I think you need to see the real world, there are people worse off than you and your kids not being able to park in a parent and child space.

The whole point is you need the extra space to be able to get a child out of a car seat (hence the wider space width) there is no way i could get my child out of my car and get him straight into a pushchair from a normal space seeing as he is heavy.