Mother and Child parking spaces. Do you hate them too?

Question

I know I'm going to get flamed for this, but I just cant help parking in the M&C supermarket parking spaces. Does anyone else see them as blatant pandering to a pressure group ('mothers with kids') that is putting everyone else out?

Supermarkets are required by law to provide disabled parking, yet even that is being sited further and further away from the main entrance, so that mummy and her big 4*4 can park badly in a lorry sized area.

I wouldn't care a hoot if the M&C spaces were at the back of the car park, because I can see that there is a need for them to prevent kids opening doors on neighboring cars. They're not at the back though, are they? They're right at the front like royalty.

Its happening more and more in the UK - jobsworths looking for excuses to give some poor disadvantaged group preferential treatment. Yeah right. I've never ever parked in a disabled spot, and agree with the need for them 100%. What fool decided to give M&C the same privileges though?

Answer 1

"Kinder Parking" is not something I have run into in Texas.  The idea is laudable if a disproportionate number of spaces are not given over to this use.  In some shopping malls here, for example, there seem to be many more spaces allocated for the physically challenged than are actually used.  

My frail 82-year-old mother needs to park near entrances, so I have a detachable handicap sticker.  I never use it just for myself, or if I drop her off and go park, because it really irritates me when I see the able bodied using these spaces.

Since the UK's population is declining, maybe you could look on these parking spaces as a perk to entice couples to have children.

Answer 2

You must not have any children... and all the others who answered negatively to this question. Imagine going to the grocery with three children! One is hard enough.

Parking in the 'M&S' parking spot is only a curtousy not a law.

Plus, wouldn't you rather have a mother be close to her car if you child/ren had an accident or was crying and cranky.

Yeah, I thought so.

Answer 3

I agree. What's next, Low IQ Parking?

Answer 4

Why does it bother you so much?  A kindness toward a Mom with little kids, is all it is.

If you're not disabled, and not a Mom with small kids, it doesn't  hurt you to walk a few extra spaces to get to the entrance, does it?  Exercise is good for you.

Answer 5

I am from the US, but this sounds like a ridiculous idea.  We already have extremely fat people conning their doctors into giving them handicapped parking stickers, and they ride around the store in those little cars.  GET UP!  Walk!  You need the exercise!  

Why don't they just take away the parking places for normal people and make us walk from home?

After reading the pro answers I have to add - do you think you are the only people with problems?  If you are pregnant, get a temporary handicapped sticker based on your health.  You chose to have children.  Handicapped people didn't chose to be handicapped.  To make a comparison is self-centered and myopic.

Answer 6

I saw a couple places that put them in here in Minnesota, but they didn't last long. As a father, I think I would have used them anyway when my kids were small. They seemed really pointless to me. There was a restaurant chain her that had reserved parking for able-bodied seniors for a while, too, but that is gone as well. And I don't know about the UK, but it seems like the requirement for the number of handicapped spots is far in excess of the need here.

Happy New Year!

Answer 7

you sound terribly angry and bitter about this issue.  Were you unable to have children?  Was there some terrible hardship in your life?  did you lose a child?  If so , I am sorry for you.  Otherwise why is this a problem for you?  I think it is a good thing for the stores to do.

Answer 8

I live in the US and when I was pregnant and a new mother, I was so grateful for those spaces. I drive a sub-compact car, not an SUV, so it wasn't me who filled up the truck-sized space or went over the lines. Those close-in spaces were a blessing to me because I was so physically tired (hardly any sleep and gave birth naturally so needed time to regain full energy) and my baby was always so wide awake that she could start crying at any moment. If that happened, I needed to be able to get out of the store and go home quickly to nurse. If I started nursing in the store, then other people would be annoyed by that too!

Rather than disliking the group these spaces are designed to help, please try to empathize. You were a baby once and your mother would surely have been grateful for the chance to park close and later leave a little easier, especially if she got dirty looks from other people once you started to cry.

Answer 9

in my area they do not have that, yes that is irritating. the only thing i can see the point to that would be, maybe they don't want the kids darting out in front of cars, since a lot of parents really don't keep a close eye on their kids. sad isn't it.

Answer 10

When my children were very young, I would have appreciated the Mother and Child parking spaces.  But I do wonder why you posted your question in Royalty.

Answer 11

I don't use them because my kids are older now but I honestly think they are a good idea. So many little ones dart out in front of traffic and the way people drive take the chance of getting hit. It is not to give some POOR DISADVANTAGED GROUP SPECIAL TREATMENT it is called showing compassion for another human being which seems to have left so many peoples lives in today's society. People have no respect, compassion or concern for others in today's world.