At what age child should you morally stop using parent and child spaces

Towser

Thats what makes a parent and child space to me, direct access to a safe walkway that leads to the store.

This is why I still use them as my child is autistic but 8. We don't qualify for a disabled badge so don't park there. He can walk but is unpredictable and often bangs the car next door so need the extra wide space.

I notice a lot of old people also use them too. Especially in the Aldi car park.

notanewuser

bazster wrote: »

"Need"? Where does the necessity come into it? Supermarkets with car parks existed for decades before someone (quite recently) hit upon this gimmick. No-one seemed to "need" them previously.

People also existed for many more decades without supermarkets.

kathrynha

3

I stopped using them when my daughter could get herself in to her own car seat, with me just needing to fasten it. With a 3 door car it was the positioning yourself to lift a child into a car seat, or to get a baby carrier onto the seat that required the door to be opened wide.
I think it was when she was about 2½ish

One of our local supermarkets has 3 sets of p+c spaces and I always preferred the ones at the backof the car park, round the corner as they weren't abused, and I could generally get one even at the busiest times. There was a pavement all the way to the store entrance, no roads to cross so perfectly safe as long as you kept your child close to you.
Only downside was walking a toddler speed if it was raining meant you got wet as the pavement wasn't covered, but as we aren't related to the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz, we don't disolve in water, and I have the common sense to wear a waterproof when it rains.

Unless there are additional issues (ie. autism, broken legs, etc) then I think age 2-3 is the right age to stop using them.
Also definitely should be further from the entrance, but with a safe walkway.

Genuine_Essex_Lad

Don't agree with these spaces

Umkomaas wrote: »

...use your full entitlement and dump your car in the nearest disabled bay to the store as possible.

Hang those with greatest need!

In my home town the local supermarket moved the disabled bays from being the closest to the store and replaced them with P&C bays while the disabled bays are now located after the P&C bays.

When I visit my mum, who's nearly 90 and disabled and unable to walk very far, I park in the P&C bay nearest the shop for her convenience.

Ironically, the town council try to promote their "friendliness to disabled" people policy wherever they can.

bazster

Don't agree with these spaces

I imagine that the supermarket's reasoning is that Yummy Mummys in Chelsea Tractors spend more than little old ladies.

Half_way

Don't agree with these spaces

scotsman4th wrote: »

Who uses P&C with no kids? I notice it's usually people that think they've a nice car, mainly over 50, probably retired early (the car was what the pension payout or redundancy was spent on).

As ive previously mentioned I have a strong dislike for P&C bays as they are nothing but a gimmick, detract from the value of disabled bays, and give people a false sense of entitlement to park in disabled bays without the need to do so.
There have been plenty of threads on here where someone has deliberatly parked in a disabled bay because they couldnt find a P&C bay and have had the belief that it was/is their right to park in a special bay.

For that reason I would even go as far as to say park in the sodding Parent and child bays, child or no child, they are a gimmick and an extremely bad one at that.

trisontana

Another point, If P&C bays are that good, why are there none of these in council car parks?

Kim_kim

bazster wrote: »

"Need"? Where does the necessity come into it? Supermarkets with car parks existed for decades before someone (quite recently) hit upon this gimmick. No-one seemed to "need" them previously.

Cars have got bigger though & spaces have got smaller.
If the spaces are skinny & the cars either side of me not tiny then I can't get my car door open wide enough to get my granddaughter in.
Not a big problem when my daughter is with me, I just pull out & pull over to the side.
But if I was alone Id be in a pickle if I returned to the car & I couldn't get the car seat in, I'd have to leave her on the car park floor in her seat or in the trolly in her seat (& they do drift), & move the car out!!!

Umkomaas

I'd have to leave her on the car park floor in her seat or in the trolly in her seat (& they do drift), & move the car out!!!

Or ..... park well away from the supermarket doors, where there are almost always (other than perhaps at Christmas) plenty of free spaces in most large supermarkets to park up, with no need to consider your offspring dinging (or your doors being dinged by) any car next door.

Anyone yet been able to work out why Private Parking Companies in his country are being given licence to fleece the Great British public of significant slices of their hard earned income, in order provide them (the PPC) with the funding to support £0.75 million salaries, mansions, private jets, yachts, hi-spec motors, ponies for little daughters, and holiday homes in the Caribbean?

Umkomaas

Does anyone with a child on board feel they have a right to take up a disabled bay if all P&C spaces are occupied?

There surely must be a number of you, given the number of 'Please help, I've got a PCN for parking in a disabled bay - after all, I had a child in my car, and it was raining' cases we get most weeks!