my soapbox

jarnee

Registered User
Mar 18, 2006
181
0
leicestershire
Hi All :D

I'm back from my hols ( Corfu....quiet, but v nice) and............dad was absolutely FINE (This is where EVERYONE says, "I told you so"):eek:

Anyway, that's not why I'm posting....it is to vent a little grumble on my soapbox. I know I am in danger of LOTS of people disagreeing with me (They did at work) but here I go......

"Parent & Child" car parking spaces......what's THAT all about ????????!!!!!!!!
OK, OK I understand a little more door-opening room is good for getting a baby/ toddler out of a car; (Er hang on, don't I need that to help my dad out?!),
I also can just about wear it that the spaces need to be nearer the supermarket door (Actually, NO i can't , I think it's daft !!!....I know there's a risk that a child may run out, but for heaven's sake, hold the child's hand !!) and is it not just a difficult for my dad to walk across a busy car park?

In fact a perfectly healthy 9 year old is a CHILD, so why is it more important for him/her to have a bigger parking space and be nearer the shop than my dad ( or your loved ones?)

I DON'T GET IT ???!!

hey ho !

It's nice to be back
Jarnee
xxxxxxxxx
 

dmc

Registered User
Mar 13, 2006
1,157
0
hi jarnee

welcome back,
hadnt really thought of that one before, does the disabled parking spaces cater for wheelchairs and door opening:confused:
but i suppose that only works if you have a disabled badge.
i know i used to take mum shopping but we didnt have a disabled badge so i used to drop her off at the shop doorway with dad so she didnt have to walk far.
interesting point im sure you'll get more replies:D
 

Áine

Registered User
Feb 22, 2006
994
0
sort of north east ish
hi jarnee, glad you had a good holiday. since i don't have children, i'd never really thought about the parent and child spaces at supermarkets. never occured to me that it still applied at 9 years old - sort of assumed, probably supported by the parent and pushchair symbol, that it was just about babies and toddlers.

are the parents and child spots nearer the supermarket than the blue badge spots? or do you mean that you can't get blue badge for your dad? i got one for mine, but we only got one trip with it, so i didn't quite suss out where we might have been able to use it.

your post reminds me of my desire months ago to produce a "demented parent on board" sticker to match the "baby on board" "small person on board" notices for cars. having never had a baby on board i can't be sure, but i bet they can't cause quite as much chaos in a car as a demented daddy could. he'd spend the journey reeling out yards of seat belt, then try to put it over his head and climb through so that he could undo his trousers and shred his inco pad. then he'd grab for the hand brake and door handle alternately. he certainly kept me on my toes whilst we were whizzing along the M1 at 70mph :) certainly a handful ....... but i'm going to miss him like hell :eek:
 

Nutty Nan

Registered User
Nov 2, 2003
801
0
Buckinghamshire
Struggling with babies/children/trolley/shopping can be quite a tall order, and the dedicated parking spaces are a help. What I object to is the people who (mis-)use them just to sprint into the supermarket for their newspaper or ciggies....

A disabled badge would seem the solution for you, and is certainly worth applying for. Sadly, we had to wait for ours for several months, and never had the chance to use it, as my husband is altogether unable to get into the car now ......... :(
 

Helena

Registered User
May 24, 2006
715
0
They are actually Parent and toddler spaces but yes I know your frustation

With 6 month old twins on board one day I was beaten to a Mother and Child space by a couple with 2 TEENAGE sons ..........when i pointed out she was denying me a legal space the retort was

"these are my children"

Same problem with Disabled parking spaces .......my daughter was in a wheelchair for 2 years complete with blue badge but there were never any disabled spaces because all the spaces were filled with able bodied without blue badges who "were just popping in "

The whole problem continues unabated in this country because theres nothing legally supermarkets etc can do

They cant enforce the regulations on private property

In the USA though if you park anywhere in a disable bay without a permit you are slapped with a huge fine
 

jarnee

Registered User
Mar 18, 2006
181
0
leicestershire
Yes, Helena...I think that's exactly my gripe. Babies I can understand. So, why not issue badges to new mums for, say, the first 12 - 18 months. This would stop those with healthy older children abusing the scheme


The cynical side of me says its the supermarkets trying to get your business. I think if one supermarket offered spaces by the door for parents and the other didn't so you had to walk from the other side of the car park, most parents of young children would go to the first supermarket, hence they've got your business !!!

Jarnee
XXXXXX
 

rummy

Registered User
Jul 15, 2005
700
0
Oklahoma,USA
Yes, we don't dare park in a handicap space or we get a $100 ticket. It is the only way to enforce it! The parent/child space is a new one to me though. I figure I had to drag my little kid through the parking lot and they should have to also! There is nothing quite like having a full cart and a screaming child b the hand to make you appreciate you own mother:D
Debbie

ps, I rather like the idea of a bumper sticker with "dimented parent on board" They might mistake it for the driver though!
 

Helena

Registered User
May 24, 2006
715
0
Rummy

You are right I had forgotten the supermarkets do not have Mother and Child spaces in the USA

Mind you generally the actual spaces are wider in the USA so its not so difficult to get kids in and out of the car

The fine for parking in disabled bays varies by state though because I have seen it much higher than $100
 

Tender Face

Account Closed
Mar 14, 2006
5,379
0
NW England
Nice one, Jarnee!!

Glad you had a good hol and that dad was fine!

For one reason or another I have clocked up 12 years of being 'entitled' (as the driver :eek: ) to 'Blue Badge' parking..... (sure it was Orange when I started out???;) .... (never took much advantage of parent and child - boot was too full of associated paraphernalia to attempt a shopping trip anyway!!!!).

As everyone else, I'm sure,what is most upsetting is that perfectly 'able' people 'abuse' what the supermarkets (and many other places) are setting out to do for the more vulnerable...

One supermarket I used to visit years some time back had 'sensors' on the Disabled Car Parking Spaces' and as you drove into the space a huge voice boomed out 'This is a..... blah blah.....' - it felt like having Jiminy Cricket singing 'Always let your conscience be you guide' .... - then people who abuse such facilities probably don't have a Jiminy Cricket on their shoulder anyway???

Would make a good 'poll' to register 'disabled/dementia' friendly outlets.... (over to someone technical!!!:eek: )

Could start our very own 'Supermarket War'?:D

Love, Karen (TF), x
 

Libby

Registered User
May 20, 2006
625
0
66
North East
I can't remember 'Parent & Toddler' places when my kids were young and I'm only talking about 16 - 20 years ago, and I managed perfectly well.

But then it's like the school run - parants taking their kids to school in the car when they only live 5-10 mins away - WHATS THAT ALL ABOUT???

Libs:rolleyes:
 

Lila13

Registered User
Feb 24, 2006
1,342
0
There weren't any supermarkets when I was a child. And mothers and children didn't spend so much time in cars then anyway, cars were mainly for fathers going to work.
 

mumof3

Registered User
Feb 6, 2006
82
0
As a mum to three young children and a MIL with rheumatoid arthritis as well as dementia I think there is scope for both types of special parking and different reasons for both. As always there will be selfish and plain lazy people who abuse the system (and those who dare to point out the error of their ways!)

Obviously the use of baby and toddler parking spaces is cheeky if there is a hulking 9 year old in tow, but then again think of how those bigger children unthinkingly swing open car doors and the wider spaces may just save a few insurance claims!
 

Kayla

Registered User
May 14, 2006
621
0
Kent
When I was able to take my Mum out shopping, there was a general problem of finding somewhere for an elderly person to sit down for a short break. The chairs and benches in shopping malls tend to be too low. If the supermarket wasn't too busy, Mum would sit on a chair in the cafeteria section, but this is rather cheeky if they are busy. She'd sometimes have a drink. but needed someone to carry it over to a table for her. I think large supermarkets can be rather dangerous places for vague, elderly, disabled people and there is nowhere to sit down if they feel tired half way round.
Also, why is it that disabled parking spaces always seem to be positioned where it's difficult to have a good view for reversing out? At our local shop, the cash dispenser is by the disabled spaces, tempting people to pull up for their money.
I did find that on the whole, supermarkets were reasonably helpful with disabled people. Once the checkout lady suggested that Mum waited for me to finish paying at the till, before being helped to the car with her shopping, in case she got cold sitting in the car. I thought that was very thoughtful as it hadn't occured to me that the weather was rather chilly for Mum.
It is quite worrying when children run around or push toy cars about in supermarket aisles, as once or twice Mum nearly got knocked over by them. It would also be a good idea if it was possible to have the proper food, all together in one place, and the junk food at the opposite end of the store, so we don't have to waste time walking past it!
Kayla
 

Whocares

Registered User
Mar 18, 2006
27
0
I said more or less the same a few weeks ago, It gets worse Im sure the supermarkets will be thinking of another reason to push us ordinary shoppers even further back in the carpark.
I was in a carpark (multi storey) in the baking heat last month in Horsham and thought I might be able to keep car cooler by parking undercover. First Layer private, second layer disabled, no problem so far, third layer parent and child!!!!! and yep you guessed it suckers on the top in the heat with no shade, so seems we can be nearer to the shops, but only if its preferable not to be!!!!! Ive said before I used to take my old mum shopping before she died and we had to park waaaayyyy down the carpark and she could hardly walk. When we go in the shop there was a fair chance I got whacked on the back of the legs by someones little darlin with one on those damn child sized shopping trolleys!!!!

Thats another story.

Bit annoyed as yesterday got run in to by little old man in disabled car thing, no apology or nothing, further round same little old man asked me to get him something down that he couldnt reach, I really wanted to say "only if u apologise for running into me earlier" But instead said "sure" Am I pathetic? please dont answer that lol
 

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
I can only add, as I do not drive its Taxi! for me I stop taking mum when one day I lost her found her with her bag full of food items sitting down on chair opposite the tills with the security :eek: man hovering around :)
 

Lila13

Registered User
Feb 24, 2006
1,342
0
I don't know how long we'd have managed without being able to order groceries on the Internet.
 

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
Just like to share this

My mum :rolleyes:


My mum is a roman catholic as we all know Roman Catholic priest do not marry. They do now why ? because my mum says so.

A lovely good-looking young Spanish priest is learning English has come to are local parish for 2 weeks age 26 then of to Rome to study came around to our flat to give mum holly communion and to talk to her in Spanish. I thought it would be a good pick you up for mum. It was because mum wanted to know if he had a girlfriend. What would he do if he found a woman that he loved? The priest took it all in humour as I keep adding in conversation the word Allzheimer's hoping he get the hint. She got him to tell her his life story, as I look on in amazement

I thought mum was losing her conversation will her words . But they just flow out of mum tong in Spanish
 
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