Parent and Child Parking

[Raj]

Is it actually illegal to park in a Parent and Child spot in a car park if you don't have a child with you, in the same way as it is illegal to park in a Disabled spot if you don't have a proper disabled sticker on your car? Can you actually get fined for using a Parent and Child space if you don't have a child with you?

[boro1986]

I dont believe its illegal to be parked in either as long as u mean supermarkets and not roads it is annoying when me with my child has to park miles away whilst a 2 seater sports car is in the parents and child

[THAIBUS]

No I Don't think you would be fined maybe banned from the supermarket and you could claim an ASBO

[Buenchico]

I've never seen a 'parent & child' space on a public road, so I suppose you must be referring to supermarkets.

It's not illegal (under the normal parking laws) to park your car on either the 'disabled' or ''parent & child' spaces on a supermarket car park. It is, however, illegal to drive a motor vehicle over private land without permission. While I think that it's extremely unlikely that a prosecution would be brought using this legislation, it could be argued that a 'parent & child only' notice was a sign indicating that drivers (without children in their cars) did not have permission to drive on that part of the car park.

Some supermarkets are 'getting tough' with drivers who flout their rules (by, for example, banning them from the store) but it's unlikely that anyone would actually be fined for doing so.

Anyway, are you really so lazy that you can't walk from the far side of the car park?

Chris

[johnant]

what a stupid question to ask! any 1 knows that its common courtesy not to park in disabled or parent and toddler spaces ,there are the minority of people who abuse this system . shame on them!

[Alibobs]

I would never park in a disabled space but if I go shopping after 7.30pm I would use a parent & child space as there are always dozens of them empty and one assumes most children will be in bed. I wouldn't use one during the day though

[Toureman]

It is not illegal but even supermarkets are getting tough on this and if you use them they could start clamping because of people like you.

I do agree with Alibobs reason for parking there though.

[BenDToy]

I fail to see why people with children should be given preferential treatment with parking. They chose to have kids - organise yourself accordingly. Anyway, in what way does having a child with you restrict your ability to walk a few extra yards to the supermarket door?
And by the way I would never consider parking in a disabled bay.

[kramer81]

Are kids so fat and unhealthy nowadays that they need all the spaces close to the entrance???

[cascarelli]

For goodness sake, most kids have two legs and can walk, you dont have to park by the shop door.

If they dont have two legs then use the disabled spaces provided.

[chazza]

The wider spaces and location near the door are not to accommodate fat unhealthy children who cannot walk to the shop, it is to make it easier to lift children out of car seats and negociate prams/buggies etc.

I don't have children and hate it when I arrive at a shopping centre/supermarket and there are no ordinary spaces, but a whole line of parent and child spaces lying empty which I should not park in.

[johnant]

chasa and cascarelli you are both missing the point this is not about you disliking kids, its about whether or not you can park in shopping car park spaces allocated for parent and small child spaces ,meaning small children and disabled

[boro1986]

For BenDtoy, Kramer 81 and Cascarelli have you not got kids!!!! I have a 3 month old daughter have you ever tried getting a car seat out and pushchair out in a normal parking space in a packed supermarket, thats why the parent and child have more room!!

[BenDToy]

boro1986 - I don't have kids. Wider spaces I would jst about accept. However why should they be any closer to the entrance than normnal spaces, and sometimes even nearer than disabled ones. If they were located further away from the doors, then people without kids would not be so likely to use them. In fact, that is what I have now concluded from the debate here. How could anyone object to them being situated away from the entrance - this would keep everyone happy wouldn't it? (I predict that parents will complain, but I will be interested to see what they come up with as an excuse)

[boro1986]

I agree with why should they be nearer the entrance but then again there is a lot of traffice going up and down so its for safety reasons

[almcd007]

It's not illegal to park in one - it's worse than that if I'm around. A supermarket will surely never ban someone from their store they usually shrug there shoulders and give a "What do you do ?" kind of statement when you confront them about it. And Bend d Toy - What a statement ! I have children and I would happily park the far side of the car park if it meant a bigger space to manoeuvre a trolley with a child in it or to try and get a small child out of a car seat or worse still a baby in a baby carrier/car seat into/out of a car - try doing that with the 18 inches room you get in a normal space - a parent and child space is not there primarily to be near the doors of the supermarket, but are there to create more room. Try guiding a trolley that won't go where you want, full of shopping and two/three kids to the other end of a carpark on a busy Saturday morning. It's safer to get them to the car and in it as quickly as possible. I've had loads of arguments with people with no children parking in a parent and child spot - they are as ignorant as the idiots who park in disabled spots.

[BenDToy]

almcd007 - I don't for a minute accept that parking in a parent/child space is even remotely similar to misusing a disabled space. Having children is a lifestyle choice, and can hardly be compared to being disabled. I suspect that most disabled people did not choose to be disabled. I would never park in a disabled space.

[DirtyHabit]

Many offenders park there, not because they closer to the store entrance, but because the bays are much wider and they won't get there car door by other "could not care less" drivers.
If our local supermarket did away with the Mother & Baby and Disabled bays, many of which are empty, or are used by those not qualifying, they could use all the extra space and make all the bays much wider and still mark the bays nearest for disabled.

[almcd007]

Ben d toy - I don't know where your response came from regarding disabled people? All I am saying is - the principle is the same - parking in a parent in child is the same as parking in a disabled bay - your parking in a bay you are not entitled to use. Should a disabled person park in a mother and child bay if there is a disabled bay available just because it might be closer? They are there for many good reasons and make life a lot easier on going to the supermarket with the kids. I'm not saying in any way that being disabled is like having kids - that's madness!!!! But it is very annoying seeing people misuse bays - the answer is simple - don't park where you're not supposed to !

[Compostella]

Yes the answer is simple, put Parent & Child bays further away from the entrance which removes the incentive for misuse and gives the parents and children a nice tranquil, out of the way area to gather themselves so they can safely negotiate that treachorous nasty supermarket car park.

Honestly! Some of the parents on this thread make me sick and give us a bad name!

Come on guys get real its only prams or childseats you're not erecting an army base.

We don't need all this special treatment, we are not disabled, we had kids usually out of choice, just get on with life.