expectnant mothers parking

Ickle Magoo · 06-03-2007 11:49PM

Stekelly wrote:

At what point are pregnant women incapacitated enough to not be able to walk

I was diagnosed with chronic SPD on both my pregnancies & could only walk - very painfully - with the aid of crutches...there are many, many, many other obstetric complaints that can make walking very difficult indeed. :rolleyes:

Not everyone has a PC, not everyone lives within a delivery area, not everyone has a partner A) to drive them or

to to do the shopping.

The spaces are there as a courtesy to women who may have more difficulty walking/pushing a trolly/carrying shopping than other able bodies shoppers - is that really such a crime?! :rolleyes::mad:

Ickle Magoo · 06-03-2007 11:56PM

saml1 wrote:

as for it not being technically illegal to park in a expectant mother spot, what kind of arsehole would you have to be to park there if you weren't expecting..?!

You'd be amazed at the amount of people who think nothing of parking in expectant mothers spots while not pregnant, using the mother & baby spots with no kids & using the wheelchair accessible spots with no disability...some perfectly able bodies people are just really, really, lazy & can't be bothered walking the length of themselves even if it means causing extra pain & aggrivation for the people the spaces were actually designed for....it really bugs me...as you can prob tell!

brianthebard · 06-03-2007 11:57PM

RuggieBear wrote:

my mother hates those expectant mother parking spots. Her reckoning is that carrying a baby is not a "Fucking disability and back in my day....."

My girlfriend's view:

If you are fit and well enough to get in a car (fit in it!), drive to the shops, and then walk around a supermarket (as opposed to getting around the store in a wheelchair etc.), then you are perfectly capable of walking the extra distance from the car to the shop!

Are the spaces not bigger, like disabled spots, to allow the pregnant women to get in and out of the car easier and not going bumping their bump on the door and stuff like they would in a normal space? I'm pretty sure that's the point of them....

iguana · 07-03-2007 12:02AM

Should mother and baby spots not be parent and baby spots? Is it any easier for a father to manouvere a toddler than it is for a woman?

brianthebard · 07-03-2007 12:09AM

Fathers don't have equal rights in this country....

Victor · 07-03-2007 12:18AM

saml1 wrote:

as for it not being technically illegal to park in a expectant mother spot

It counts as trespass.

Guy:Incognito · 07-03-2007 01:51AM

Ickle Magoo wrote:

I was diagnosed with chronic SPD on both my pregnancies & could only walk - very painfully - with the aid of crutches...there are many, many, many other obstetric complaints that can make walking very difficult indeed. :rolleyes::

So its an extra "preganant women diagnosed with certain illnesses" parking spot we need. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: <- I can do them too.

looksee wrote:

Parking near the door isn't so much about walking as getting the shopping back to the car. Trollies are hard enough to steer at the best of times, with a baby sticking out in front its almost impossible - a pregnant woman pushing a full trolly, possibly with a toddler sitting in it too needs all the help she can get. At six months and especially with someone else to do the trolly pushing she shouldn't need a special space.

So pregnant women can manage to go around a shp doing the shopping, pay and walk to the door, but unless the caris right there in front of it, it's suddenly beyond them? People have managed for 50 odd year snow, and it's suddenly a porblem. If it's that much of an issue, online shopping means they won t even have to leave the house.

tk123 wrote:

Was the guy driving? :eek:

Yes, that was the point.

Having a baby is not a "disability" . Lose your legs and your disabled.

Should an 9 months preganant woman be able to demand that a 5 months preganant woman get out of the psace becaus eshe has it harder? Should women with difficult pregnancies carry doctors reports to prove they need the space?

What about If i twist my knee playing in the next boards match, should I not be provided with a "temporary sports injury" parking spot near the door if walking causes me a lot of discomfort?

InFront · 07-03-2007 02:04AM

saml1 wrote:

i don't know why some people resent these gestures for mums-to-be, god it must be hard enough without making them feel bad. we were all babies once and had mothers, put yourself in their shoes for a moment!

Quoted for truth.

My brother and his wife had a baby a while ago, I really think some people don't understand how tough pregnant women have it. They should be on some sort of holiday for those few months before the birth, not perpetually carrying around a weight like a sack of potatoes!

I love being a man tbh...

Lisapeep · 07-03-2007 02:07AM

Stekelly wrote:

So pregnant women can manage to go around a shp doing the shopping, pay and walk to the door, but unless the caris right there in front of it, it's suddenly beyond them? People have managed for 50 odd year snow, and it's suddenly a porblem.

Do you realise how ridiculous you're sounding?! What's it to you if there are a few "expectant mother" parking spaces near the door to the shopping centre? Why are you so against it? For goodness sake!

Girls, do you notice how it's only men who are complaining about this (and probably ones who have never had an expectant partner). Do they not have more important things to be worrying about?! :rolleyes:

Guy:Incognito · 07-03-2007 02:12AM

Lisapeep wrote:

Do you realise how ridiculous you're sounding?! What's it to you if there are a few "expectant mother" parking spaces near the door to the shopping centre? Why are you so against it? For goodness sake!

Girls, do you notice how it's only men who are complaining about this (and probably ones who have never had an expectant partner). Do they not have more important things to be worrying about?! :rolleyes:

Firstly, I have a 2 year old. I regualary take him to various shopping centres and my girlfriend managed just fine with having to use "common" car spaces all through pregnancy and beyond.

Why is it ridiculous? There are disabled spaces for disabled people. This was then stretched to parent and chold spaces. How far do we push this out? Is it going to get to the stage that men, because we are generally stronger should not be allowe dto park within 500 metres of the door of a shopping centre?

PeakOutput · 07-03-2007 02:35AM

i dont mind it in shopping centers and things coz lets face it women are the main customers and its not something thats worth getting in an argument over but it really is getting a bit over the top pregnant women have survived and thrived during much worse than walking from the car to the door os the shops..........even when its raining. im not saying its a bad thing im just saying its unnecessary.

imo alot fo pregnant women would also resent being considered disabled but hey im young and dumb so feel free to disregard my opinion.

WindSock · 07-03-2007 02:40AM

Wehhh! Stoopid women! only gettin demselves knocked up for de benefit and de good parkin spaces.

antSionnach · 07-03-2007 02:54AM

Stekelly wrote:

Firstly, I have a 2 year old. I regualary take him to various shopping centres and my girlfriend managed just fine with having to use "common" car spaces all through pregnancy and beyond.

Of course they manage, just the same as they don't 'need' doors held open for them or don't 'need' you to do the shopping for them... it's just that giving them this little kindness of a parking space (a) makes shopping easier, (b) might make them feel special, (c) makes the shopping centre look nice and concerned (d) small spaces might pose (legal) problems for an injured woman with a large bump, as someone else already said.

So don't begrudge them their space!

(adapts female impersonator's voice)
"Chivalry is dead!"

Mitch Connor · 07-03-2007 09:27AM

antSionnach wrote:

Of course they manage, just the same as they don't 'need' doors held open for them or don't 'need' you to do the shopping for them... it's just that giving them this little kindness of a parking space (a) makes shopping easier, (b) might make them feel special, (c) makes the shopping centre look nice and concerned (d) small spaces might pose (legal) problems for an injured woman with a large bump, as someone else already said.

So don't begrudge them their space!

(adapts female impersonator's voice)
"Chivalry is dead!"

make them feel special....is having a kid not the most special feeling on its own? :angelhalosmilie:

Red Alert · 07-03-2007 09:49AM

why don't we just set aside a number of 'priority spaces' to stop this assault of different 'special' spaces.

why don't the shopping centres want me to feel special too - i'm giving them their bread and butter?

tba · 07-03-2007 09:54AM

On a lighter note, women are sexier when pregnant.

Drax · 07-03-2007 10:27AM

zaph wrote:

Where I work spaces in the underground car park are at a premium and available only to fairly senior staff. However, once a woman goes past about 5 or 6 months of her pregnancy she's automatically offered a parking space for the rest of her term. None of the guys in the office complain about the inequity of this, we generally think it's a good idea as it's just a little gesture that makes things more comfortable for the mother-to-be.

Man thats nearly worth getting pregnant for!

Fair play.

MarkR · 07-03-2007 10:49AM

I know my wife has difficulties getting around, so she might be fine for ten minutes while shopping, then I'll have to half carry her back to the car. I haven't seen one good reason why these women shouldn't have access to these spaces, bar subjective "My baby's mommy seem to get on all right"

I'm sure these would be the first in line bitching if they were disabled and looking for a spot, or was with a heavily pregnant women shopping. Taking a toddler to a shopping centre regularly doesn't equate to trying to get a cumbersome pregnant lady out of the car.

Stekelly - Were you actually with your baby's mother during shopping trips while she was pregnant? Was her pregnancy difficult? More importantly, have you asked her what she thinks about expectant mother spaces? I think you'll find her views differ radically from yours.

Ask her and let us know how you get on.

I don't see what the big deal is here. Would you let a heavily pregnant woman stand on the bus? Would you stand there laughing if she dropped her keys and couldn't get them?

Logically speaking, they have a harder time shopping then an able bodied person, and if their time can be made a small bit easier who are you to begrudge it?

Marksie · 07-03-2007 10:57AM

Stekelly wrote:

What about If i twist my knee playing in the next boards match, should I not be provided with a "temporary sports injury" parking spot near the door if walking causes me a lot of discomfort?

We could see about getting a single, male, not pregnant, tosser spot while we are at it.

But on a slightly different note, i read a few years ago that in the states they pulled over a woman for driving in the "car sharing" lane. She claimed that her unborn child counted as another passenger. So they did her for driving with two people behind the wheel... true i Sh*t you not.

Mossy Monk · 07-03-2007 01:02PM

Lisapeep wrote:

Girls, do you notice how it's only men who are complaining about this

those bastard men. why i have never heard a woman complain about anything before

MarkR · 07-03-2007 01:59PM

marksuttonie wrote:

We could see about getting a single, male, not pregnant, tosser spot while we are at it.

But on a slightly different note, i read a few years ago that in the states they pulled over a woman for driving in the "car sharing" lane. She claimed that her unborn child counted as another passenger. So they did her for driving with two people behind the wheel... true i Sh*t you not.

I thought he was joking. Link & link.

In fairness those lanes are there to reduce the amount of cars on the road. It's not like the fetus was going to hop into their own SUV and drive off down to daycare! :rolleyes:

Jocksy · 07-03-2007 02:13PM

Look, to be honest the idea of those spaces is just taking things a bit too far.

Dead right.
She needs to be closer to the door for what reason? She's about to spend 30 minutes walking around the shop.

MarkR · 07-03-2007 03:17PM

Jocksy wrote:

Dead right.
She needs to be closer to the door for what reason? She's about to spend 30 minutes walking around the shop.

Have you been pregnant before? (I will also accept carting a two stone watermelon about your midsection for a few months as a substitute) I only ask as you seem to think you know what you're talking about.

Why do you need to be closer? If you're begruding them that spot I can only assume you want it yourself. Sell it to me. Why do you need to be closer?

event · 07-03-2007 03:27PM

how pregnant do you have to be to get the spot?

Jocksy · 07-03-2007 03:30PM

Have you been pregnant before?

Yes. For my average weekly shop I would spend about 40 minutes walking around or at least standing. The extra one minute it would take to walk to a further parking space is negligble. We all would rather park closer to the front door but the benefits of doing so are minimal.

aidan_walsh · 07-03-2007 03:30PM

event wrote:

how pregnant do you have to be to get the spot?

Presumably quite a bit more than "just pissed on the stick".

GeorgeBailey · 07-03-2007 03:48PM

Lisapeep wrote:

Girls, do you notice how it's only men who are complaining

Boys, do you notice all women are thick?

Ah the fun to be had in a no-brain-opposite-sex-bashing quip.

event · 07-03-2007 03:48PM

aidan_walsh wrote:

Presumably quite a bit more than "just pissed on the stick".

but how much, thats what im wondering?

like if there is one spot and two pregnant women, who gets it?

is it determined by the size of the bump, or how long you are pregnant?

brown*eyed*girl · 07-03-2007 03:57PM

event wrote:

but how much, thats what im wondering?

like if there is one spot and two pregnant women, who gets it?

is it determined by the size of the bump, or how long you are pregnant?

Well if it was me & another woman I would say the one who's most heavily pregnant should get it. I was very lucky on both my pregnancies and was "neat" with no major swelling but I know friends/family who were very uncomfortable the last trimester of their pregnancy i.e. swollen ankles, massive bump, pressure etc. so they would really need the parking space. I think a lot of it is down to common sense and respect towards people.

littlebitdull · 07-03-2007 04:15PM

antSionnach wrote:

,

(c) makes the shopping centre look nice and concerned

"

There is the very reason these spaces are provided.

Its to make you feel that this place cares for you more than that rival supermarket down the road who dont have pregnant women spaces.

There is no legal obligation on the car park providers to make spaces available specificly for "pregnant women".. "parents & child" ... "parent and baby" ... its a tactic on their behalf to make them seem more kind and caring and to make you spend your money.

There is a legal obligation to provide spaces for disabled drivers.

To get back to the OP's original rant... the answer was to simply smile, tell him you were just leaving and if he would like you to stay there till his wife drove around you would keep the space for her. Then he is confronted by your niceness and has to back off.

Then you get back in your car, you and your sister laught at him for the rest of the day. And perhaps get a few drinks bought for you for sharing the story of the stupid man at dunnes....

expectnant mothers parking

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