Should pregnant women be given temporary disabled permits?

Neyite · 03-03-2014 02:22PM

I had an easy pregnancy, even in the late weeks so even if I was offered a permit, I dont think I'd bother using it.

Having said that, if I was carrying twins, or was having a pregnancy with SPD or other painful side effects, or difficulties, it would be nice to have.

Will never happen though. You cant get men to give up the seats in the waiting room of the ante-natal clinic to let a pregnant woman sit down or someone offer their bus seat.

Ray Palmer · 03-03-2014 02:25PM

I had my appendix taken out and they let you out of hospital 2 days afterwards. I was on a bus still in a fair amount of discomfort but I had to go somewhere. Anyway a man got stroppy because I didn't offer my seat up to a woman he said was pregnant. I told him why I didn't offer my seat and he stayed stroppy.

shruikan2553 · 03-03-2014 02:26PM

kneemos wrote: »

Never seen a pregnant woman running a marathon or digging a hole?

There is a list of people that can also never be seen doing those things. Pregnancy isnt easy but its not a disability. Try telling someone in a wheelchair or with an actual disability that you have an equal entitlement to a parking space because you had sex and gained weight.

gw80 · 03-03-2014 02:31PM

what about heart burn, can we get special parking rights if you have heart burn,
just leave a packet of rennie,s up on your dash like a parking ticket,

Cherrycola · 03-03-2014 02:32PM

As someone who suffered with severe spd during pregnancy that has never been fully resolved meaning I still suffer with hip and back pain similar to constant sciatica I would have to say yes, walking any distance during the latter stages of my pregnancy was agony, but it had to be done as my husband was working abroad so I needed to carry on as best I could.
It was awful to see all the mother and baby spaces full, some with husbands sitting in the car with the children while the wife had run in to do the shopping( the reason for these spaces is so mums and dads have more room for taking kids in and out of the car when they take them with them to do the shopping!)
And then to pass the disabled spaces, of which there were many, empty, and so close to the store, I could have cried. But I had to park as far away as possible, also in the hope no other driver would park beside the driver door, or I might not be able to get back in, spd pain aside, it's really hard to suck in a pregnant belly to slide into your car.

I know AH has a reputation for jokey threads and banter, so it saddens me to see a thread like this here, that makes little of the pain a lot of women suffer in pregnancy, unless you have suffered yourself, or watched a partner, wife, girlfriend cry with the pain of just trying to turn over in bed at night, you really cannot contemplate how debilitating it can be.

Yes it may be a temporary condition, but it's a painful one for some women and not something to be made fun of just because you or yours have been lucky enough to sail through it. I sailed through my first pregnancy too, without and ache or pain, second time not so lucky, and any little gesture to make it easier would have been welcome.

Suucee · 03-03-2014 02:34PM

I had an easy enough first pregnancy so the thought never entered my mind. I could easily run across a car park in the rain in the later stages of my pregnancy.
But second time was a different story. I had bad spd and had to use a crutch on bad days. I found getting in and out of the car hard enough due to the limited space between me and the car beside me. This wasnt in the later stages either. It was bang smack in the middle so the 6+ months wouldnt help.
I think if someone needs it it would be a good idea but not everyone and not for the whole pregnancy.
It used to annoy me struggling to get in and out of the car. Then hobbling across the car park to then see someone hop out of their car in the disabled spot and take off like not a thing wrong with them.

eviltwin · 03-03-2014 02:38PM

I know a woman whose SPD was so bad she was confined to a wheelchair for the last few months of her pregnancy. I think that its unfortunate that a lot of people don't understand the condition - or have never even heard of it - so don't appreciate that is can be so serious. That can lead to the assumption that they are precious or looking to be treated with kid gloves. Pregnancy is a normal condition so its easy to think women's bodies are always going to cope with the demands but sometimes its not the case.

c68zapdsm5i1ru · 03-03-2014 02:41PM

Cherrycola wrote: »

As someone who suffered with severe spd during pregnancy that has never been fully resolved meaning I still suffer with hip and back pain similar to constant sciatica I would have to say yes, walking any distance during the latter stages of my pregnancy was agony, but it had to be done as my husband was working abroad so I needed to carry on as best I could.
It was awful to see all the mother and baby spaces full, some with husbands sitting in the car with the children while the wife had run in to do the shopping( the reason for these spaces is so mums and dads have more room for taking kids in and out of the car when they take them with them to do the shopping!)
And then to pass the disabled spaces, of which there were many, empty, and so close to the store, I could have cried. But I had to park as far away as possible, also in the hope no other driver would park beside the driver door, or I might not be able to get back in, spd pain aside, it's really hard to suck in a pregnant belly to slide into your car.

I know AH has a reputation for jokey threads and banter, so it saddens me to see a thread like this here, that makes little of the pain a lot of women suffer in pregnancy, unless you have suffered yourself, or watched a partner, wife, girlfriend cry with the pain of just trying to turn over in bed at night, you really cannot contemplate how debilitating it can be.

Yes it may be a temporary condition, but it's a painful one for some women and not something to be made fun of just because you or yours have been lucky enough to sail through it. I sailed through my first pregnancy too, without and ache or pain, second time not so lucky, and any little gesture to make it easier would have been welcome.

That sounds awful, but the OP was asking if pregnancy should automatically entitle someone to a disabled space which is a ridiculous proposition. TBH, the reason I don't agree with P&C spaces being beside the door is for the very reason you outline. There are other people who could do with being close to the door and whose need is greater than a parent with children, but in some shopping centres all of these spaces are assigned to parents and children which I think is ridiculous.

waraf · 03-03-2014 02:43PM

ok as a disabled person I suppose I'd better put my two cents in.

The main benefit of the disabled car parking spot is the extra width. This allows me to open my car door fully and assemble my wheelchair. This just isn't possible in a normal car parking spot where all of the cars are bunched together. Proximity to the entrance isn't an issue for me but it can be with other disabilities.

The idea of having parking spots nearer the entrance for pregnant mothers isn't a bad one but how would you police it? Any woman at all could say they were pregnant (not showing yet if skinny or heavily preggers if particularly the other way) so then the pregnant car parking spots just become parking for pregnant women and any other woman who likes to abuse an honour based system.

It's hard enough to get people to police disabled parking spots and that's simply a case of whether the driver has a permit displayed or not. Do you think a security guard will approach a large-ish woman and try to somehow determine if she was preggers or just big boned??

So basically, not a bad idea OP but unworkable in reality.

Yeah_Right · 03-03-2014 02:44PM

MaxFlower wrote: »

There's already a solution out there in most. Shopping Center car parks - parent and child designated spaces. I would see no issue with pregnant women using these. A bigger problem are the selfish gits without kids who use them because they are closer to the door.

Sorry but I completely disagree with the parent with children spaces. I simply do not see why a someone deserves a special parking space because they are bringing their kids with them.
This is a recent thing so I am wondering how my parents managed before they were invented.

seamus · 03-03-2014 02:45PM

I like the spirit of the idea, but as said above there are a lot more pregnant women than there are disabled people and by and large most pregnant women will have better mobility than those who require disabled badges.

The end result is that you'd have most disabled spots taken up by people for whom they're a convenience rather than a necessity.

You'll also get the outliers; fat women who claim they're pregnant or "as good as" and use the spots, or people who say, "Ah yeah, I'm only 3 months gone, but I'm pregnant amn't I?"

c68zapdsm5i1ru · 03-03-2014 02:47PM

waraf wrote: »

ok as a disabled person I suppose I'd better put my two cents in.

The main benefit of the disabled car parking spot is the extra width. This allows me to open my car door fully and assemble my wheelchair. This just isn't possible in a normal car parking spot where all of the cars are bunched together. Proximity to the entrance isn't an issue for me but it can be with other disabilities.

The idea of having parking spots nearer the entrance for pregnant mothers isn't a bad one but how would you police it? Any woman at all could say they were pregnant (not showing yet if skinny or heavily preggers if particularly the other way) so then the pregnant car parking spots just become parking for pregnant women and any other woman who likes to abuse an honour based system.

It's hard enough to get people to police disabled parking spots and that's simply a case of whether the driver has a permit displayed or not. Do you think a security guard will approach a large-ish woman and try to somehow determine if she was preggers or just big boned??

So basically, not a bad idea OP but unworkable in reality.

It depends on the nature of the disability though. For my late father proximity to the door of the shop was necessary as he had serious lung problems and just couldn't walk very far without getting out of breath. He was also very unsteady on his feet and would not have been able to move quickly out of the way of a reversing car in a car park.

eviltwin · 03-03-2014 02:49PM

Yeah_Right wrote: »

Sorry but I completely disagree with the parent with children spaces. I simply do not see why a someone deserves a special parking space because they are bringing their kids with them.
This is a recent thing so I am wondering how my parents managed before they were invented.

I've nothing wrong with them in theory, I have had my car bashed so many times by kids who don't understand how to open a car door gently or a parent trying to fit a car seat in. The bit of extra space benefits us all.

What I don't understand is why they always have to be up the front? Can they not be in different areas around the car park.

seamus · 03-03-2014 02:49PM

Yeah_Right wrote: »

Sorry but I completely disagree with the parent with children spaces. I simply do not see why a someone deserves a special parking space because they are bringing their kids with them.
This is a recent thing so I am wondering how my parents managed before they were invented.

P&C spaces are nothing to do with "deserving" or PCness or anything like that. Shopping centres provide P&C spaces to encourage people to come and use their shopping centre. P&C spaces are typically wider than normal spots and closer to the doors, both things which are very appreciated when you're trying to get a child out of a car seat and you might have two or three kids hanging out of you.

There is a benefit to other shoppers too - you don't get your car dinged by a parent who's had to squeeze in beside you, and you don't have to dodge children running all over the car park.

But mostly it's down to the marketing, making facilities child-friendly to encourage parents to come and spend money.

Don't forget that your parents also drove narrower cars and didn't spend a whole lot of time in massive multi-storey carparks where you could have a five-minute walk to the door. Cars have definitely gotten wider (even in the last 15 years) but standard spaces haven't.

Cherrycola · 03-03-2014 02:52PM

I agree on p&c spaces not necessarily needing to be near the door alright, the spaces just need to be bigger, to allow the car door to open wide to lift babies and car seats in and out.
I know some countries also have expectant mother spaces, I've never seen them in ireland though.
And of course disability permits shouldnt be handed out as a matter of course, just because of pregnancy, that's madness, but to have the option of a temporary permit, if a pregnancy is particularly difficult and causing even temporary disability would be wonderful, because this pain is disabling, as stated above, some women end up on crutches or in wheelchairs as a result, and with very little pain relief options available to them.

kneemos · 03-03-2014 02:52PM

shruikan2553 wrote: »

There is a list of people that can also never be seen doing those things. Pregnancy isnt easy but its not a disability. Try telling someone in a wheelchair or with an actual disability that you have an equal entitlement to a parking space because you had sex and gained weight.

Nobody said it was a disability.I may have said it was disabling,which of course it is.

ash23 · 03-03-2014 02:54PM

It's very difficult to actually get a disabled badge so no, I don't think that pregnant women should be automatically entitled to one seeing as those with disabilities aren't automatically entitled to one.

The actual severity and symptoms are the reason a badge would be given and if a woman is pregnant and has associated health issues, then she should be able to apply for a badge. Having a disability doesn't automatically entitle you to a badge, so to automatically provide one for every pregnant person wouldn't be right.

Cherrycola · 03-03-2014 02:56PM

waraf wrote: »

ok as a disabled person I suppose I'd better put my two cents in.

The main benefit of the disabled car parking spot is the extra width. This allows me to open my car door fully and assemble my wheelchair. This just isn't possible in a normal car parking spot where all of the cars are bunched together. Proximity to the entrance isn't an issue for me but it can be with other disabilities.

The idea of having parking spots nearer the entrance for pregnant mothers isn't a bad one but how would you police it? Any woman at all could say they were pregnant (not showing yet if skinny or heavily preggers if particularly the other way) so then the pregnant car parking spots just become parking for pregnant women and any other woman who likes to abuse an honour based system.

It's hard enough to get people to police disabled parking spots and that's simply a case of whether the driver has a permit displayed or not. Do you think a security guard will approach a large-ish woman and try to somehow determine if she was preggers or just big boned??

So basically, not a bad idea OP but unworkable in reality.

As far as I'm aware parent and child spaces/expectant mother spaces are not a legal requirement, nor can you be fined if you use them when either without kids or not expecting, they are only a courtesy, and rely on the common courtesy of other drivers that they are used correctly, which we all know doesn't happen.

Disabled spaces are complexly different and should only be used by those with a permit, which is absolutely correct. I've never once parked in a disabled spot, I would be mortified to do it and see someone who needs it to without! I can't get my head around people who do use them, it's disgraceful.

bee06 · 03-03-2014 02:58PM

I think for heavily pregnant women it could be a good idea but using the parent and child spots would be a good compromise.

I have a friend who while heavily pregnant returned to her car to find that someone had parked too close to her car and she didn't have enough room to get into the car. She had to call the security guard out and ask him to back the car out for her. In this case a bigger space would have saved her a lot of hassle and embarrassment.

Yeah_Right · 03-03-2014 03:01PM

seamus wrote: »

Don't forget that your parents also drove narrower cars and didn't spend a whole lot of time in massive multi-storey carparks where you could have a five-minute walk to the door. Cars have definitely gotten wider (even in the last 15 years) but standard spaces haven't.

Actually the cars they drove were a lot wider than ones I see in Ireland. I'm not from Ireland and i consider the cars here are to be small. And there were lots of multi-storey carparks. Ok, have wider spaces for people bringing kids but why do they have to be near the door? Also what happens when they are full? Do the parents turned around and go home? Or do they just park in regular space? So I don't see how that prevents my car from getting dinged or stops kids from running around a carpark.

Cherrycola · 03-03-2014 03:02PM

Yeah_Right wrote: »

Sorry but I completely disagree with the parent with children spaces. I simply do not see why a someone deserves a special parking space because they are bringing their kids with them.
This is a recent thing so I am wondering how my parents managed before they were invented.

I think it's more to do with providing a bigger space to make it easier to get babies/car seats in and out of cars, most doors need to be opened right out which is hard in a normal space.
Also i think it's to facilitate the trolley too, if you have a baby in the trolley seat, so you can fit it beside your car while you take the baby out.

I suppose it's like everything, times change and things move on and they invent new things to make life easier for people.
My parents never had car seats for us, so I suppose it was easier to get us in and out of the cars back then! Not a system I recommend going back to though!

Legs.Eleven · 03-03-2014 03:05PM

Gatling wrote: »

Serious imagine the thousand of thousands of single mammy applying for there permits , then watch 100's of people with real disabilities be stopped from using parking spots due to some pregnant women and the sense of entitlement

What in the love of fcuking JESUS do single mothers have to do with this??

c68zapdsm5i1ru · 03-03-2014 03:06PM

Cherrycola wrote: »

I agree on p&c spaces not necessarily needing to be near the door alright, the spaces just need to be bigger, to allow the car door to open wide to lift babies and car seats in and out.
I know some countries also have expectant mother spaces, I've never seen them in ireland though.
And of course disability permits shouldnt be handed out as a matter of course, just because of pregnancy, that's madness, but to have the option of a temporary permit, if a pregnancy is particularly difficult and causing even temporary disability would be wonderful, because this pain is disabling, as stated above, some women end up on crutches or in wheelchairs as a result, and with very little pain relief options available to them.

Maybe the solution would be to have a temporary disabled card available for a range of conditions eg recovering from surgery, SPD - and to increase the number of disabled spaces available as a result. However, it would probably become very difficult to administer and you would have people hanging onto permits after they were no longer needed.

Cherrycola · 03-03-2014 03:10PM

It would be a great idea, but it's never going to happen unfortunately, not in ireland anyway!
I suppose the temporary permits could be dated only until the due date, what's a few days here and there if you went over, wouldn't be an issue at that late stage to want to stay away from car parks anyway!
But sure by the time any department here would get around to sanctioning the feckin thing you'd probably have had the baby anyway!

A lovely thought, but alas I think pie in the sky.

vitani · 03-03-2014 03:21PM

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

What in the love of fcuking JESUS do single mothers have to do with this??

Ah, you know what single mothers are like. Hands out for anything we can get.

:rolleyes:

I had SPD in my pregnancy and found walking very tough from about 24 weeks on. For the last month, I had to be driven to and from the train station, as walking half a mile to it took too much out of me. That was also during the big snow of 2010, so I spent a few weeks living in fear that I was going to slip and fall at any point, and injure myself or my baby. So, yes, for some people, it would be nice to have some kind of system where they get a temporary permit - much like the 'baby on board' stickers that women get on the Tube in London. I'd say it would be absolutely impossible to administer though.

Potatoeman · 03-03-2014 03:40PM

Ray Palmer wrote: »

I had my appendix taken out and they let you out of hospital 2 days afterwards. I was on a bus still in a fair amount of discomfort but I had to go somewhere. Anyway a man got stroppy because I didn't offer my seat up to a woman he said was pregnant. I told him why I didn't offer my seat and he stayed stroppy.

I dont offer in case shes not pregnant. I made that mistake once, never again.

anncoates · 03-03-2014 03:58PM

The parent and child spaces have no legal basis - just put there as a courtesy. I use them if I have the kids as it's easier to get kids out in the wider spaces, especially given the fact a lot of idiots in Ireland are incapable of parking between the lines. Just leave them if I'm alone.

No problem about heavily pregnant women getting priority parking. Generally, I've more to concern me in life than fuming constantly about what utterly nominal micro-privileges somebody might be enjoying that I don't.

c68zapdsm5i1ru · 03-03-2014 04:00PM

anncoates wrote: »

The parent and child spaces have no legal basis - just put there as a courtesy. I use them if I have the kids as it's easier to get kids out in the wider spaces, especially given the fact a lot of idiots in Ireland are incapable of parking between the lines. Just leave them if I'm alone.

No problem about heavily pregnant women getting priority parking. Generally, I've more to concern me in life than fuming constantly about what utterly nominal micro-privilege somebody might be enjoying that I don't.

If it's at the expense of disabled people, as there'd be less spaces to go around, then it's not a nominal issue - as you'd know if you'd ever had to depend on these spaces or see someone close to you need them.

anncoates · 03-03-2014 04:04PM

Noe Yummy Tablet wrote: »

If it's at the expense of disabled people, as there'd be less spaces to go around, then it's not a nominal issue.

Why should it be unless they actively reduce the amount of disabled spaces as a result?

Arbiter of Good Taste · 03-03-2014 04:12PM

anncoates wrote: »

Why should it be unless they actively reduce the amount of disabled spaces as a result?

Because more people are using the same amount of spaces, so there's less to go around presumably

Should pregnant women be given temporary disabled permits?

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