Parent And Child Spaces

[RedRoss]

What age of children do you guys consider it acceptable for parents to use the 'parent and child' spaces at supermarkets?

Went to sainsbury's today with my infant child only to find that there were no parent and child spaces. Not a huge problem, as i just found a decent space elsehwhere in the car park, and walked the 100 metres or so.

However, as i passed the 'parent and child' spaces, their was a mother, father and child of about 10 jumping into their car. He wasnt disabled and he certainly didnt need any kind of children seat, so it took all the restraint in the world not to have a go at these *******.

I was under the impression that these spaces were specifically for people whose kids are in child seats and who have buggies etc - 1. so there is room to get out of your car, and 2. so you arent walking alond what is essentially a road whilst pushing a buggy?

What age do you guys think is acceptable? Next time, im gonna lose the rag, as this is happening far to regular.

Oh, just remembered. Yesterday, a woman parked in one of these spaces with no kids!! When another bloke said something to her, she took the huff and said something about picking her kids up. Yeah right.

[Bos]

To be honest with you I don't think they are needed. When we had children ( all those years ago ) they did not exist, yet we managed to get by.

I think we are to PC these days.

[RedRoss]

To be honest with you I don't think they are needed. When we had children ( all those years ago ) they did not exist, yet we managed to get by.

I think we are to PC these days.

I kind of agree, but seeing as they do exist, whats you opinion on the age thing?

On another note, there are a mighty 10 parent/child spaces at my local sainsburys and a whopping 35 disabled ones (yes, ive counted them). The parent/child spaces are always full, and you are lucky if a fraction of the disabled ones are even being used. What is that all about? Surely there is more chance of chidren being in a supermarket than disabled people(by that i mean so disabled they need to be next to the door as opposed to people with minor disablities)!?

[Jan&tone]

Redross, very contentious point you have raised.

I agree that people need more space if they have child seats, so they can have room to get the kids out of the car seats etd. But there again when the kids are old enough to get themselves out of the car, they still need space so they dont smash their doors on my car!!

They do not need to be near the store entrance! Most kids are bordering on obese these days, they should walk more, so have these spaces as far away as possible from the entrance.

So perhaps the rule shoud be twofold. First, if the child no longer needs a car seat, then the parent no longer needs the special space

Or

When the kids are old enough to respect other peoples property, ie the car next to them.

Oh sorry, scrub the second one, their parents don't respect other peoples cars next to them either.... Doh.

[RedRoss]

Redross, very contentious point you have raised.

I agree that people need more space if they have child seats, so they can have room to get the kids out of the car seats etd. But there again when the kids are old enough to get themselves out of the car, they still need space so they dont smash their doors on my car!!

They do not need to be near the store entrance! Most kids are bordering on obese these days, they should walk more, so have these spaces as far away as possible from the entrance.

So perhaps the rule shoud be twofold. First, if the child no longer needs a car seat, then the parent no longer needs the special space

Or

When the kids are old enough to respect other peoples property, ie the car next to them.

Oh sorry, scrub the second one, their parents don't respect other peoples cars next to them either.... Doh.

It is my understanding that parent/child spaces (which are next to the the main entrance) serve two purposes;

1. So there is more room and it is easier to get kids / buggies etc out of the car

2. So as to prevent parents having to walk down what is essentially a road whilst pushing a buggy

It isnt just kids that open doors into the car parked next to them. Adults are just as bad.

I agree with your rule 1 - as soon as the child no longer needs a child seat, go and park elsewhere.

[Red Yaris 54]

I feel that you are getting rather wound up by this!

Maybe you need to ease back a little with your stereotypeing of parents with children and also moderate your language on this family friendly forum!

I note that your first post has been picked up by the rather critical TOC swearfilter

Maybe you should chill out just a bit ;)

[Norfolk n Chance]

I use them whenever i go with my mum..................

[Red Yaris 54]

I use them whenever i go with my mum..................

Fair comment ............You big Kid!! ;) :shutit:

[Uber_Luke]

This will annoy you even more... I always park across two parking bays

[Uber_Luke]

This will annoy you even more... I always park across two parking bays

[Red Yaris 54]

This will annoy you even more... I always park across two parking bays

And post the same post twice! ;)

[RedRoss]

Stereotyping? Where?

People who park over two spaces get what they deserve where I come from. Enough said....

[Norfolk n Chance]

Best thing i've ever seen is a car over two spaces and somebody took the time to leave a note under their wiper.... it simply said

Don't park over two spaces you knob!

[Jan&tone]

I said it was contentious

To go back to your original question, I think that when there is no longer any need for a child car seat, then the requirement for a designated space ceases.

What is really needed though is the realisation by car park designers that cars generally are wider and longer than they used to be, we need more room to open our doors!

[Red Yaris 54]

Best thing i've ever seen is a car over two spaces and somebody took the time to leave a note under their wiper.... it simply said

Don't park over two spaces you knob!

Don't get MAD!..........Get Even!! ;)

[vrScarlet]

The OP's points also wind me up, but I'll go along with others idea that no need for a car seat = no need to use the space.

Just something that came to me the other day while at the local Asda, would you think it acceptable for a heavily pregnant woman to use a parent and child space, to reduce the potential for pushing a heavy trolley longer distances? I would have no objection to that.

[Jan&tone]

The OP's points also wind me up, but I'll go along with others idea that no need for a car seat = no need to use the space.

Just something that came to me the other day while at the local Asda, would you think it acceptable for a heavily pregnant woman to use a parent and child space, to reduce the potential for pushing a heavy trolley longer distances? I would have no objection to that.

Tea pickers in India work in the fields till they give birth, and then carry on afterwards!

Pregnancy is not an illness, it's a physical state that you personally were not responsible for!!

A little story, when I used to work in London, I had the misfortune to have to use the tube. One particularly hot and stuffy evening, I offered my seat to a heavily pregnant woman. She gave me an ear bashing to the effect that she was not ill, nor fat, she was pregnant, as such she was happy to stand! I was made to feel about 2 inches tall? From then on, if a woman is pregnant that is between her and the father, not my problem, she can get on with it!

I still open doors to women, pregnant or not, and I would defer to a woman as I was taught many years ago, but it seems that many women now want to be equal and give you such a funny look when you do. Where has old fashioned chivalry gone? Stifled by political correctness I fear

[Parts-King]

Tea pickers in India work in the fields till they give birth, and then carry on afterwards!

Typical stereotypical tea pickin topics topple Tone

I think the sign at the store gives everyone a clue.........Parent and Child parking

Does it matter how old the child is? Not to me it doesnt. Most children have little or no fear of traffic, and if that means their parents get to park closer to the store then fine. Surely parking in wider bays is best for everyone, some :censor: walloped the door on my Verso a while back, even though I parked it a long way from the store entrance I have no idea who it was but if you only had normal sized bays I'm sure there would be more dinged doors than ever with kids allowing the door to hit other cars

Give them space I say, no matter how old they are

Kingo

[Jan&tone]

.......only had normal sized bays I'm sure there would be more dinged doors than ever with kids allowing the door to hit other cars

Give them space I say, no matter how old they are

Kingo

too right - double width parking spaces for everyone! then you would only get scratches from the trolleys that went down the gaps!!!

[dangermooser]

How about rather than having different classifications of parking why don't they just make each car parking space a little wider? ( I do know the answer to this one as it would reduce the number of overall space) My point though is that unless you drive a tiny car and stick thin some of these spaces are very tight.

To answer the question though OP I would agree once a child is out of the child seat stage then they shouldn't use the P&C space

[Karma Supra]

I always park in two spaces, admittedly this is usually a the furthest point away in the corner of the car park... if there are plenty of spaces I cannot see any reasonable grounds to object to this.

Why?

Because last time I spent lots of money on a car, I parked "normally" and it got covered with door dings. - As Joe public clearly cannot be trusted to respect anyone else’s properly I now two space.

In a multi storey, if I could, I'd happily pay for two tickets to two spaces if it guaranteed door ding amenity.

[hertsnminds]

When we had children ( all those years ago ) they did not exist, yet we managed to get by.

Was it long enough ago that there was no child seat legislation or even further back when there was no seatbelt legislation? The reason for asking is these are two of the reasons for needing a wider space, so the doors can be fully opened to make sure the child is in the seat and the belt done up correctly.

As others have said if the child needs a booster seat then you need the wider space. I also agree that ALL spaces should be wide enough to fully open the car doors on both sides without touching another vehicle.

A further bug-bear (whilst we are moaning about supermarket car parks) are the lazy so and so's who abandon their trolleys allowing them to roll or be blown about the car park bashing into cars or blocking parking spaces.