[Closed] Car park etiquette

Something about taking back our sovereignty I guess. Our god given right to park where we like because we used to treat the rest of the world like it was our plaything and we should all be very proud of that, or something.

Joking aside though, I do feel your pain. It is a common rant of mine while a I trundle round Sainsbury's car park looking for a parent and child space with a couple of pre schoolers only to find that they are all full of builder vans. I guess the plasters apprentices are getting younger, or something.

Because a percentage of people are indescribable bellends, who will, unless regulated with credible threat of enforcement, default to the laziest, most selfish behaviour possible.

Surely it would make sense in these modern days of childhood obesity to put the parent and child spaces right at the back of the carpark? Let the little cherubs get used to some excersize?

Also abandoning trolleys in spaces after you've finished using them.

Also abandoning trolleys in spaces after you've finished using them.

I used to call people out on it. "Hey mate, you've parked in a disabled bay". Every single time, I'd just be told to **** off.

You can't change the world one bellend at a time.

agent007
Surely it would make sense in these modern days of childhood obesity to put the parent and child spaces right at the back of the carpark? Let the little cherubs get used to some excersize?

That would suit me 100%. I only use them if I've got my 2&3 year old with me.

Laziness.

Surely it would make sense in these modern days of childhood obesity to put the parent and child spaces right at the back of the carpark? Let the little cherubs get used to some excersize?

Well, it's academic, because whenever I go to the supermarket with the kids, all of the parent/child spaces are full anyway, and not all with cars carrying parents and children.

Surely it would make sense in these modern days of childhood obesity to put the parent and child spaces right at the back of the carpark? Let the little cherubs get used to some excersize?

I think the general idea is that crossing a busy carpark with young kids in tow is high risk, so minimising that distance makes a lot of sense.

Its also kind of helpful for new mums who may still be recovering from giving birth and thus not great fans of walking any distance.

In my experience the ones most in need of exercise are the child-free adults who would rather take a parent+child space than waddle an extra few yards for their oven chips.

HTH. 😉

I visit the Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh at least 3 times a week to drop off or pick up my son. There are two car parks, one small obvious one next to it and another bigger one round the back. The big one usually has spaces and is only a minutes walk from the front door. The small car park is supposed to only be for the disabled and family's, I rarely use it, only if I'm running late. But the number of gym rats that park in it, I guess a small number might be unaware of the bigger car park but it's unreal. You're going for some exercise but you can't walk 150m from the car park? The council put big planters in the middle of the car park to stop people from parking there, they parked in between them, they put chains up between them, people pulled them down, they painted double yellow lines and yellow grids and they park on top of them. I've seen a personal trainers BMW parked there on more than one occasion, including in a disabled space. It's often BMW drivers that do this or people with big SUV type cars.

I just had a car in Stirling Tesco's swerve at myself and a small group who were 'in the road', there by causing a chump in a car to have to slow, or nearly take us out.

Apparently it was a car park. For cars. Not pedestrians. No, he didn't get it. No he wasn't calm when I enquired why he swerved.

It's the Corsa-driving yoofs that take up all the Parent & Child / Disabled bays in Harrogate Asda. Then they invariably throw all their detritus out of the window before racing off.

If only I had a flame-thrower....

Because a percentage of people are indescribable bellends, who will, unless regulated with credible threat of enforcement, default to the laziest, most selfish behaviour possible.

Pretty much sums it up right there. I guess that the reason for the P&C spaces being near the front doors is to reduce the amount of time that small children are on the car park and the associated risk of an accident.

Surely the fattest shoppers need the most space between cars so must use the mother and baby ones?

Take a photo of their selfishness.

I think the general idea is that crossing a busy carpark with young kids in tow is high risk, so minimising that distance makes a lot of sense.

Its also kind of helpful for new mums who are may still be recovering from giving birth and thus not great fans of walking any distance.

In my experience the ones most in need of exercise are the child-free adults who would rather take a parent+child space than waddle an extra few yards for their oven chips.

HTH.

Absolutely this.

And the best parent/child spaces have hatching either side so you can open the doors fully to get kids in and out of child seats etc easily.

Morrisons. Todmorden. It's raining. My youngest is still a baby and asleep in his car seat, which doubles as a carry cot. Door needs to open fully in order to get him and carry cot out without waking him up.

All parent/child spaces are full, but in one, there's a BMW with a bloke in it eating a pie.

I tap on the window. "Hi mate, you're in a child space and I could really do with it. Could you move please?" Him: "**** off". Me: "OK well thanks anyway. Enjoy your pie."

Short of actually having a fight in a car park whilst your children watch, there's nothing you can do.

I tap on the window. "Hi mate, you're in a child space and I could really do with it. Could you move please?" Him: "**** off". Me: "OK well thanks anyway. Enjoy your pie."

Short of actually having a fight in a car park whilst your children watch, there's nothing you can do.

So let me get this - so rather than simply going to find another space (or double space if you must open your door fully), you'd rather get out of the car to go and knock on a strangers window whilst leaving your car as an obstruction in the middle of the access roadway (presumably with said child also in the unattended car)!

The mind boggles!!! Really wonder how on earth people used to cope 10 years ago before parent and child spaces started becoming common?

reduce the amount of time that small children are on the car park and the associated risk of an accident.

rather than simply going to find another space (or double space if you must open your door fully)

And what happens when he simply parks in another normal space and later returns, with a load of shopping and a baby in a carry cot, to find that someone has parked next to him and he now can't get the door open wide enough to get the baby in?

Agent007, is that really who you are choosing to criticise in that scenario.

Weird choice 🙄

And what happens when he simply parks in another normal space and later returns, with a load of shopping and a baby in a carry cot, to find that someone has parked next to him and he now can't get the door open wide enough to get the baby in?

Used to manage perfectly fine with our two in the days before P&T spaces? Never even gave it a second thought.

Used to manage perfectly fine with our two in the days before P&T spaces? Never even gave it a second thought.

Cars are getting bigger.

I used to call people out on it. "Hey mate, you've parked in a disabled bay". Every single time, I'd just be told to **** off.

That's why I just wait till they've gone and then let their tyres down.

Maybe if small children are that dangerous we shouldn't allow them in car parks?

Yeah feel free to suggest to supermarkets that they should ban families with small children.

But I wouldn't be expect them to snap you up as the new Head of Marketing Strategy 😀

agent007

I tap on the window. "Hi mate, you're in a child space and I could really do with it. Could you move please?" Him: "**** off". Me: "OK well thanks anyway. Enjoy your pie."

Short of actually having a fight in a car park whilst your children watch, there's nothing you can do.

So let me get this - so rather than simply going to find another space (or double space if you must open your door fully), you'd rather get out of the car to go and knock on a strangers window whilst leaving your car as an obstruction in the middle of the access roadway (presumably with said child also in the unattended car)!

I've confronted people for parking in parent and child spaces on numerous occasions. Same for disabled spaces. I don't know, I just think it's important to call people on bullshit like that.

And just incase you're worried I've only ever done it while my car has been parked up.

Cars are getting bigger.

Haha, well if mums these days insist on driving round in SUV's then what do you expect?

Think agent007 may be grumpy as someone interrupted him eating a pie earlier.

Good luck with your one man enforcement of arbitrary rules made up by a business on private land.

Used to manage perfectly fine with our two in the days before P&T spaces? Never even gave it a second thought.

Ah good - anecdote.

Yes, when I was a kid asbestos was all the rage, as was lead paint. Handguns were legal. No one had to wear seatbelts. There were no car seats for kids. No air bags either.

All these safety interventions were pointless, because I managed perfectly fine and didn't die. 🙄

Haha, well if mums these days insist on driving round in SUV's then what do you expect?

My point more was that normal parking spaces were fine for everyone when everyone drove normal-sized cars. Now lots of people drive oversized things, it's not possible to park next to them in a normal space and still get a kid in and out.

people who park in the "drop off " point trump everything else written above. Twunts the lot of them.
Tescos answer to the problem in Newton Abbot was to concrete bollards across the thing so no-one can use it

A word of caution by the way:

Please don't assume that someone without obvious physical disability has no right to a disabled space.

Not every disability is obvious.

That's why I just wait till they've gone and then let their tyres down

That's why BMW moved to runflats.

agent007 - Member

Used to manage perfectly fine with our two in the days before P&T spaces?

How long ago was that?
Before the days of cars getting bigger and bigger?
Before the days of it being the law to carry your child in a bulky baby seat?

Our car isn't massive, but we really struggle to get the back door open wide enough in a normal space to get the baby seat out without clouting the neighbouring car.
We are gradually learning where all the wider spaces are in the normal car parks we use, in case the parent/child spaces aren't available.

You mention earlier blocking the access roadway to speak to someone about parking as being unacceptable, but we've had to do that several times to get the babyseat in the car as the neighbouring car is too close and we can't open the door far enough to get the seat in.

This whole argument of 'it was fine in my day' is nonsense anyway.
When I was a baby, my Sister and I were transported around in our carry cot in the back of the car on a platform that my Dad constructed. We did alright, so why bother with seatbelts and baby seats and child boosters and isofix etc??

I don't think anyone died without parent and child spaces but I'm sure more car doors were dented by toddlers banging doors open. If I had a choice I wouldnt take the kids to the supermarket but that's not always an option and anything that makes it easier is a good thing. Probably all the people not getting the point appeared fully formed at the age of fifty from their mothers womb and were never children themselves.

The mind boggles!!! Really wonder how on earth people used to cope 10 years ago before parent and child spaces started becoming common?

And this some people really feel incensed when they don't get their own way with their metal box

It might be better asking if the level of indignation is so severe why have children? they seem to be such a burden.

That's why BMW moved to runflats.

That's why I carry bananas.

And I'd you don't have a banana you're already at the supermarket so you can nip in and buy one.

Yes, when I was a kid asbestos was all the rage, as was lead paint. Handguns were legal. No one had to wear seatbelts. There were no car seats for kids. No air bags either.

All these safety interventions were pointless, because I managed perfectly fine and didn't die.

Don't be a Dick 🙄

And I'd you don't have a banana you're already at the supermarket so you can nip in and buy one.

Yup. But seeing as I'm only going to be a few mins, I'll probably park in the cycle park bit.

People used to get on perfectly fine without P&T spaces. But we're an advanced and progressive society and in progressive societies we think and consider things like this. Unfortunately not every member of the public are advanced or progressive. I suspect these are the same people who are not aware that cars have indicators or seem unable to drive around a roundabout without wandering across lanes.

I think what you're supposed to do is start shouting "Here, mate, I think you've lost your kid - this man's lost his child ! What does the kid look like mate ? Hold on, I'll get security for you. What's the kid's name ?"

People used to get on perfectly fine without P&T spaces. But we're an advanced and progressive society and in progressive societies we think and consider things like this. Unfortunately not every member of the public are advanced or progressive.

If advanced and progressive means that people now expect everything given to them on a plate or think that just because something's been provided then it's their god given right (like a stroppy teenager) to kick up a fuss if someone else they deem less worthy than themselves happens to be using it then that's a real shame.

If the few P&C spaces are full just park across two bays and run the risk of people tutting or leaving a passive aggressive note on the windscreen.