Can disabled people park in parent and child spaces?

Becles

My parents went shopping at a Sainsburys store but all the disabled spaces were full. They did wait a few minutes but nobody came back, so they parked in a parent and child space.

As my Mam got out of the car, another car pulled into the space next to her. The lady got out and abruptly asked my Mam where her child was. My Mam pointed to all the full disabled spaces and said she had to park here as they need the extra room. The lady then became abusive and screamed obscenities at my Mam for parking there without a child leaving my Mam very shaken up and my Dad upset as he was still in the car and felt helpless.

Just wondering for future reference, can they park in parent and child spaces if all the disabled ones are full?

Quentin

If the parking is inadequate for disabled people they should complain to sainsburys.


If they have a blue badge then that only allows parking concessions on the road and private car parks don't have any official blue badge concessions.


I suppose (some) disabled people would give a mouthful to any parent taking up a disabled space, so if she is really upset then best not get into confrontation if she can't just ignore the abuse!

HappyMJ

Becles wrote: »

My parents went shopping at a Sainsburys store but all the disabled spaces were full. They did wait a few minutes but nobody came back, so they parked in a parent and child space.

As my Mam got out of the car, another car pulled into the space next to her. The lady got out and abruptly asked my Mam where her child was. My Mam pointed to all the full disabled spaces and said she had to park here as they need the extra room. The lady then became abusive and screamed obscenities at my Mam for parking there without a child leaving my Mam very shaken up and my Dad upset as he was still in the car and felt helpless.

Just wondering for future reference, can they park in parent and child spaces if all the disabled ones are full?

Perfectly fit able bodied people can park in disabled spaces in supermarket car parks. It's not a crime. It's just morally wrong.

Next time tell your Mam to ignore the abuse.

pogofish

P&C spaces have no meaning whatsoever beyond marketing-hype.

Its not even morally wrong either - the American psychological construct of "Mom-Time" that spawned P&C spaces gives far more qualms about the morality of the sort of "parent" who feels the need to use them.

Disabled spaces are not a lot better but in some ways they do satisfy some part of the store's legal duties, so they are worth respecting.

Its the Equality Act 2010 that applies in private car parks, where you find the vast majority of P&C spaces - and that applies to all disabled persons, regardless of their having a badge.

So if a suitably disabled person under the Act needs an accessible space, then there is nothing at all to stop them using a P&C space if that suits their particular "reasonable adjustment" best.

Informing the store that you need the space fully discharges the drivers responsibilities under the Act but its not essential - they can do it retrospectively.

arcon5

The woman sounds like a silly !!!!!, forget about it and move on

thescouselander

I'm just gobsmacked the disabled spaces were all full, round here there's usually a large excess of them and even the P&C spaces end up being miles away.

N9eav

My Daughter has a badge and when she is with us we tend to use the disability parking as it helps her negotiate less obstacles and cars. But to be honest there are so many people with blue badges there are hardly ever any spaces. We just use a normal space and work with it.
Having seen a mum with a trolley of shopping and 3 kids, one of which is falling on the floor as it did not get the toy in ASDA, they need all the help they can get too

facade

The P&C spaces are there so that parents with no control over their offspring don't have to ignore the dents in the adjacent cars caused when all 4 doors are flung fully open.

WellKnownSid

When the P&C spaces first came in, I often used them when I drove my Father to the local Tesco. If you look closely, at no point is there any stipulation as to the age of the child - just a logo with a person and a pram which could mean anything.

Sadly this is a normal day on the High Street for most disabled people. My Mother was verbally abused on several occasions - usually for "not looking where she was f***ing going" - at no point did the abuser ever explain their concern to her guide dog, who was actually doing the looking.

If the OP took reg numbers I would be reporting to the police and also speaking to the store, as much for the abuser's own benefit as anything else.

DUTR

WellKnownSid wrote: »

When the P&C spaces first came in, I often used them when I drove my Father to the local Tesco. If you look closely, at no point is there any stipulation as to the age of the child - just a logo with a person and a pram which could mean anything.

I think now they say a child seat should be in the car

Sadly this is a normal day on the High Street for most disabled people. My Mother was verbally abused on several occasions - usually for "not looking where she was f***ing going" - at no point did the abuser ever explain their concern to her guide dog, who was actually doing the looking.

If the OP took reg numbers I would be reporting to the police and also speaking to the store, as much for the abuser's own benefit as anything else.

The police thing is a bit dramatical, in the past P&C spaces were just that but no enforcement , only one parent and child seat to be in use, the local supermarket here now have got the enforcement gang in, I hear from staff that people have been 'fined' for over staying or misuse of the spaces, blue badge holders not exempt in an equal society.

loskie

P&C spaces in my mind should not be there. Just teaches the little brats to be selfish and self centred thinking that they have a right.


Why?