Designated Parking Spaces

LolaDub

Following on from a thread in After Hours i thought i'd post here to get a different perspective. Would you ever take a handicapped or parent parking space? And if you are one of the above how annoying is it when people who aren't take these spaces?

I was surprised in AH people seemed to think there was nothing wrong with taking these spaces claiming parents weren't entitled to them.

MagicMarker

Actually, most people were saying there wasn't a problem with the spaces, there's just no need to have them next to the entrance. Very few, if any, said they would take the space.

axel rose

agree with magic marker on this one, as a parent I cant see any special reason as to why we need to be parked beside the entrance, as far as I am aware I still have the power of my legs.
I have no problem with other people using these spaces, in fact I have only ever had the opportunity to use them once.
A bigger problem is the fact that in a lot of car parks the parking spaces to to damn narrow! :mad:
parent and child parking is just too pc for my book

LolaDub

I think they'd be better placed close to a path or in a quiet section of the car park. I think what most people find useful in them is the space as it can be so hard to get buggy and baby out when you're squeezed into a normal space

Ludo

I agree about the space width being the main issue but being near the doors is handy also for the simple reason that a lot of car parks don't have paths so you are forced to bring a buggy along the car park roads where there are morons racing around. I have had plenty of close calls from people coming the wrong way around a one way system car park (another thing I HATE...and led to an incident yesterday when I refused to move aside for an a-hole going the wrong way) and going way too fast nearly running into us while we walked to the doors.

Quality

I do use them, if they are available, but only when I have my children with me.

I find shopping stressful enough with a 2 year old:eek:, sometimes its nice to not have to walk a mile to the car space, and generally the trolley bays are close to the parent parking as well.

It wouldnt really annoy me if someone who didnt have children parked in one...
But people who use the handicapped parking spaces without a permit piss me off big time!!!

iPlop

Quality wrote: »

I do use them, if they are available, but only when I have my children with me.

I find shopping stressful enough with a 2 year old:eek:, sometimes its nice to not have to walk a mile to the car space, and generally the trolley bays are close to the parent parking as well.

It wouldnt really annoy me if someone who didnt have children parked in one...
But people who use the handicapped parking spaces without a permit piss me off big time!!!

I agree.I have 2 kids 1 is nearly 4 but every time I go into lidl and park into a parent and child space the security guy writes a note in marker and puts it under my wiper NO PARKING dunno wat dats about

LolaDub

Are your car seats in the car? I've seen people coming back to cars with those stickers when they have one of those buggies where the car seat clips onto the frame. One of the cars that my 2 year old regularly travels in is a mazda rx8-a sports car. Several times when we're getting out people have started giving out to me to get out because i don't have a kid, no apology when they see i do though! I think its a bit petty to take the space if you don't have a child but thats only my opinion, nothing more. If they were moved to a quieter area of a car park i think there would be much less fuss about them

lostinnappies

no i wouldnt take the space but to be honest i do see why some would need to be next to the enterance. Most disabled people who drive would have some mobility but it would be restricted. Could you imagine someone with phsyical restriction not only trying to get out of their car normally but then having to ramble their way through a car park full of frustrated and ignorant drivers who would sooner honk their horn at a slow walker. Then to bring back their shopping through the same busy carpark and all in the peeing rain. The location of the disabled parking spots are not only for the benefit of the disabled person but also the other car park users.

What id like to see is the parent and child spaces also to be placed close (not right next to it) to the front door. The ones in our area are all in the middle of the car park. Dont know how many kids ive seen running like mad feckers to the front door right through the car park while the parents are desperatly trying to cling onto a few others while shouting at them to come back.

WindSock

I'd rather see a heavily pregnant mother or parent with babies and/or toddlers use the space than a person with kids that are well able to walk and disembark from a car unaided. I have used the spaces myself at night when the carpark is near empty and I would expect young kids to be in bed.

Oryx

I have kids so I presume Im allowed to use the parent and child spaces. I tend not to much, though. One, because theyre usually all taken, and two because my kids arent so hard to manage now. But when I had a toddler and a baby, they were easier if you could get into one. Wider, closer to the shop door so my giddy son was not running in front of cars while I try to unhook the baby carrier from the car. And it meant I wasnt at risk of bashing other cars with my buggy/trolley when I do my 'mammy-octopus' impression getting everyone and all the shopping back in the car.

The only handicap space I ever use is outside my local shop, where the council in their wisdom, put a bus stop, h-c space and double yellow lines... but no regular spaces to park. So its either block the bus, get fined, or take the handicap space. Otherwise in a car park, Id never use those spaces, and I think those that do are lazy idiots. I mean, youve got legs. The regular space is only 10 paces further away... WALK!!

Bob1970

they get taken but how often is it non parents that takes them?i see loads people pulling into them without kids imo opinion thats just wrong.if a space is marked then its not a public space

Carrigart Exile

LolaDub wrote: »

Following on from a thread in After Hours i thought i'd post here to get a different perspective. Would you ever take a handicapped or parent parking space? And if you are one of the above how annoying is it when people who aren't take these spaces?

I was surprised in AH people seemed to think there was nothing wrong with taking these spaces claiming parents weren't entitled to them.

I find myself despising people who take these spaces. Several supermarkets in teh Uk now slap £60 fines on you for abuse of teh spaces.

BostonB

Useful if you've a struggling toddler an you are trying to get them in/out of a seat.

killwill

MagicMarker wrote: »

Actually, most people were saying there wasn't a problem with the spaces, there's just no need to have them next to the entrance. Very few, if any, said they would take the space.

I believe the reason the spaces are so near the entrance is so that children and babies don't have to be exposed to rain, sleet or snow.

metrovelvet

killwill wrote: »

I believe the reason the spaces are so near the entrance is so that children and babies don't have to be exposed to rain, sleet or snow.

This would make sense. But what I have noticed in newer car parks is that they are not always closer to the entrance. There are more of them, but they run perpendicular to the entrance, so some are close but others are at the other end of the lot, but all have extra space on either side of them.

MrsA

WindSock wrote: »

I'd rather see a heavily pregnant mother or parent with babies and/or toddlers use the space than a person with kids that are well able to walk and disembark from a car unaided. I have used the spaces myself at night when the carpark is near empty and I would expect young kids to be in bed.

Do you have children?

I find your remark about "expecting young kids to be in bed" a little naive to be honest. A lot of very young babies have no concept of night and day and yes I have done grocery shopping with my 4 week old baby at midnight

M

High&Low

killwill wrote: »

I believe the reason the spaces are so near the entrance is so that children and babies don't have to be exposed to rain, sleet or snow.

I think its more to do with the fact that you don't have to carry/keep control of toddlers as you walk through a carpark with cars driving around

WindSock

MrsA wrote: »

Do you have children?

I find your remark about "expecting young kids to be in bed" a little naive to be honest. A lot of very young babies have no concept of night and day and yes I have done grocery shopping with my 4 week old baby at midnight

M

I'm talking about toddlers mostly. I can't imagine these spaces make much of a difference at midnight when there are less people around.

lostinnappies

WindSock wrote: »

I'd rather see a heavily pregnant mother or parent with babies and/or toddlers use the space than a person with kids that are well able to walk and disembark from a car unaided. I have used the spaces myself at night when the carpark is near empty and I would expect young kids to be in bed.

well, this is what i ment. Too often the spaces that are available are taken up by people with expensive cars (the ones ive seen) because they dont want them scratched.

Zulu

killwill wrote: »

I believe the reason the spaces are so near the entrance is so that children and babies don't have to be exposed to rain, sleet or snow.

...and here was I thinking that's what clothes, jackets & rain coats were for!

Victor

The idea is to make things easier for people whose lives are a bit more complicated and efficient use of parking space.

As vehicles with children in them are likely to have a higher occupancy ratio than those with adults only (often a lone adult). It make sense to put the parking for higher occupancy vehicles nearer the point of interest (shop, train station, etc.)

Zulu wrote: »

...and here was I thinking that's what clothes, jackets & rain coats were for!

This is Ireland - they weather is changeable.

Zulu

Victor wrote: »

This is Ireland - they weather is changeable.

No it's not - where have you been for the last two years?

It rains here, thats about it. We have rainy season that lasts from March to March.

Bally8

I never use those spaces but then again my daughter is 9. However they did have a discussion about this on Ray Darcy not so long ago and I think I remember them saying that pregnant women cannot legally park in them but parents with children up to the age of 18 can!

BostonB

Bally8 wrote: »

...pregnant women cannot legally park in them but parents with children up to the age of 18 can!

That would make no sense.

Orion

Last Christmas I went to Liffey Valley - the retail park section not the main SC. Car park was jammed and then I saw a P&C spot near Maplin so I jumped in to it. As I was getting out of the car I got a vicious glare from a woman walking down the path. I just blankly stared her in the eye as I opened the rear door to let my 4 year old twins out. Her glare didn't get any less vicious and I felt like telling here that men are parents too - they're not mother&child spots. I restrained myself ... just.

To me - these spaces are not about the parents - they are close to the paths/shops for the children's safety and comfort. And when I have the kids in the car I have no hesitation taking one.

I would never take one when I have no kids with me - even with the booster seats in the back. That said - I have no strong feeling about people who do - I just consider them inconsiderate ****tards

People who park in handicapped spots should be made eligible for them tho imo.

stovelid

I would never use the wheelchair space full stop. I've never actually used the parent/child one. When I have my boy with me, I never think to use it as I've never really had any hassle getting the buggy/baby out in the normal spaces.

noby

Bally8 wrote: »

pregnant women cannot legally park in them but parents with children up to the age of 18 can!

I'm open to correction here, but I'm pretty sure there's no legal basis for these parking spots - it's just something that the companies/shops do. Saying it is illegal for pregnant women to park there just isn't right, as it's just a company policy.


I have used the spaces, with kids in tow, and used the trolleys with baby seats, glad of the fact I don't need to go rummaging for a euro for the trolley. Yes, I would manage without these perks, but it does give you a little bit of comfort on a potentially stressful outing.
Plus, the shops lay on these facilities safe in the knowledge you're about to spend half your wage packet on baby products.

Ludo

Bally8 wrote: »

I never use those spaces but then again my daughter is 9. However they did have a discussion about this on Ray Darcy not so long ago and I think I remember them saying that pregnant women cannot legally park in them but parents with children up to the age of 18 can!

Do P+C parking spots actually have a standing in law? I didn't think so. I assumed thay were a courtesy provided on private property by the shopping centre. I seriously doubt you can get a ticket for parking in a P+C spot if you don't have a child.

Sleepy

I don't feel any entitlement to parent and baby parking but I do take advantage of it when it's there. All round wider spaces would be a much better solution though - especially looking at the Irish propensity to ferry themselves and their children around in tanks rather than cars...

We used them a few times with no child when my partner was pregnant justifying it with the technicality that there was a child inside her but otherwise I wouldn't use them as they're not provided for me unless the little ones are in the car with me.

Bally8

You know ye are probably right, it was just something I heard on the radio that caught my interest - should have checked out the facts before posting

LolaDub

Don't worry about it bally, if everyone checked out facts on boards before posting AH wouldn't exist!

Personally i think its right to have them next to a path, some people drive like they're an F1 driver in car parks so i'd much prefer my child to be able to get out of the car, into the buggy ad straight onto the path without having to walk through the car park at all.

Although tbh i usually walk to the shops so rarely take a space, but it can be frustrating when you see non parents parking in those spaces and you've to park in a smaller space where getting buggy and baby out is next to impossible.

SerialComplaint

Ludo wrote: »

I seriously doubt you can get a ticket for parking in a P+C spot if you don't have a child.

I know some UK and NI supermarkets (e.g. Asda) are fining people for parking in disabled parking spots.

Ludo

SerialComplaint wrote: »

I know some UK and NI supermarkets (e.g. Asda) are fining people for parking in disabled parking spots.

Yeah I read about that a while ago. Although disabled parking spots do have some standing in law (regardless of being on private property or not?). Did these fines apply to P+C spots also?

Either way...people who park in disabled spots or P+C spots when they don't have kids in the car are just arrogant and ignorant. They can make all the excuses they want about having kids is a choice etc, etc, but it is pure selfishness and ignorance on their part.

It would never have even crossed my mind to park in P+C or pregnant woman spots (our local tesco has these) before I had kids myself.

lostinnappies

Ludo wrote: »

Yeah I read about that a while ago. Although disabled parking spots do have some standing in law (regardless of being on private property or not?). Did these fines apply to P+C spots also?

.

When i lived in UK, Tescos had the best idea ever. They had P&C parking spaces right beside the trollies and door, but you had to have a disc to park in them. You obtained a disc by going to customers services in the shop... it cost nothing. There were warnings all over the spaces that if you did not have a disc for parking in these spots you would be fined. Not a bad idea.

Boskowski

Septic Leper wrote: »

I agree.I have 2 kids 1 is nearly 4 but every time I go into lidl and park into a parent and child space the security guy writes a note in marker and puts it under my wiper NO PARKING dunno wat dats about

I guess you should actually bring the kids along...:D

CJhaughey

I have only used one of the P+C spaces very occassionally, but what gets me is people parking so close that you can't open the door fully to put the kids in.
It is hard enough to try and manage 2 small kids in a busy carpark without being restricted to 18" of door opening space.
The last time that happened I had to squeeze between the two cars and ended up taking a big gouge of paint out of the offending car when my pocket clip caught as I tried to squeeze back out.
Sorry 'bout that but next time don't park so close to me....:mad:
TBH it is pretty typical of the Me fein attitude that people would park in disabled and P+C spaces without giving it a second thought.

oh well , okay

People parking too close annoys me as well but taking a large gouge of paint out of the offending cars paintwork and feeling they deserved it is a bit of an over-reaction wouldn't you say ? Doing it in front of your children and ignoring the damage is a lovely lesson to be teaching them too . Then you cap it all off by giving out about peoples selfish attitude , pot and kettle springs to mind .