Parent child car parking - so angry!

I used to go and visit my parents in Switzerland- travelling by train to London with a toddler and a baby- changing station by tube- go to Dover by train- off the train and walk to ferry and up, off ferry and to station in Calais- on to Paris and change station with 2 tube changes, and on to train to Switzerland- with a toddler and a baby in a carrier and a suitcase (no wheels in those days, and lots of terry nappies, etc)- my daughters think I was barmy- but just could not afford very expensive flights in those days !!! Always found lovely people who helped me al along the way- the best for a wild looking punk boy with a huge mohican and studs- who was just amazing. Happy days (sort of).

I've often wondered why ours are so narrow, grannyknot. I am sure they were designed for small cars. My husband used to say rubbish they were the standards for the average car. In which case cars have definitely got wider.

Grannyknot, just thinking of the economics, which would be the priority of the employer, not the personal happiness of the shopper!

(In an ideal world...sigh)

Of course things have moved on since my own children were small and it is always good when things are made easier and safer. However my daughter was amazed when I told her that I used to get on a bus which had three steps with a toddler, a baby, several bags of shopping and a folding buggy.

If the parking says you can go there with children up to 12, then why shouldn't you?
Have you noticed that the disabled and child spaces are also the ones with footpaths. Why can't they have footpaths beteew every pair of rows? Then I would not have to worry about my 12 year old grandson getting run over or standing stock still.

Ana, it also has to do with available space I guess. When we were in the US on holiday, that was one of the first things we noticed - how wide the parking bays were, lots of room.

How about I would keep my job because all the customers are happy?

Must say I have been known for giving a piece of my mind to young fit people who think it is ok to park in disabled spaces- having been disabled in the past after a severe car crash, it makes my blood boil.

Agree that mums with older childre are taking the mick!

On this occasion, a shame she shouted at you, and didn't take your explanation on face value. Shrug it off.

personaly I would have gone back out and moved my car.

I didn't have a car until my DDs were teens!!!

They never had P&C spaces in car parks when mine were small and we just had to manage, though I would have been very grateful for that facility.

Lots of carparks say mother and child and some have an age up to 12, so it's okay to park in one if you have a lumbering 12 year old. I could park in one with my grandson because he has ASD, he would not run across the car park in front of cars. If I had to go from the back of the carpark with him it would take for ever as he will not cross if a car can be seen to be moving. Have to reassure him all the way to the door.

You wouldn't last long in that job then, Grannyknot! The more car parking spaces, the more customers...

This is another "first world problem", we expect everything to be made easy. Toddlers can walk. Babies can be carried. I don't think I've seen parent and child parking spaces anywhere else, other than here. Or am I wrong? If I was designing supermarket car spaces, I'd make sure they were all nice and wide.

Ginny they are closer to the entrance so a small child has less distance to walk through a car park where dotty drivers reverse out crazily and drive the wrong way round one way car parks...well they do at my local supermarket!

Also reduces the dilemma of whether to strap the kids in the car then return the trolley or take the kids to the trolley place and then walk them back to the car!

Mother and baby spaces are constantly misused in our supermarket and if you ask where their baby is all you get back is furious abuse. I too feel you may have moved your car.

It annoys me when I see a lumbering great 12 or 14 year old exiting a car parked in a mother and child space. I think that is taking the mickey. I rarely get a space when I have the small gc's with me and it is sooo difficult extricating them from their seats while trying not to bang the door into the next car.
Lam I think It might have been expedient to park in an ordinary space until meeting up with your DD. I can understand the other mum's frustration.

I might of condemned you too without knowing the reason why. It really is annoying when people use these and disabled bays when they don't have a child or aren't displaying a blue badge so I can see why she got mad , she should of listened but maybe she was in too much of a hurry. Having a child seat etc really means nothing if you don't actually have a child with you.

Ditto above. I can see the point of Parent and child spaces (room to get in and out etc ) but I don't understand why they need to be right near the entrance doors.

She was probably just frustrated by what she saw as an abuse of the alloted parking spaces system. Yes, she should have listened to your explanation, but the fact remains that you didn't have a child with you and so yes, I do think you're being unreasonable. Sorry!

I think that perhaps you should have moved your car to a 'normal' place then the lady would not have been so angry. I must admit that my DD and I do get annoyed with people who park in mother and child places and have no child with them, although we have never shouted at anyone.

It is really frustrating when you have a little one and cannot get a place and means you must either carry little one to the trolley park or go and seek a trolley and bring it to the car.

Would have been fun to hear the mouthful that the baby gave you, ga ga goo goo ? lol