Actually guys I think I have a workable solution. I emailed my MP with this the other day.:roll:
What if we were given a windscreen card like a 'disabled parking' permit when the child was born, valid for 18 months or so until the child is able to get out of the car himself. This would prove our validity to park in Mother&Child spaces. Also, make all the 'disabled' and 'mother&child' spaces dual purpose so that either group could use the space.
I don't know about your local towns, but in my town the other day I walked past 3 car parks and saw a dozen or so spaces in each for disabled users and NONE for mothers and children. I don't want to take any spaces away from disabled users (subject for a different thread) but surely we are in the same boat here to some extent - we need to open our car doors fully.
So as I was saying - given a windscreen permit with a dated validity would dissuade freeloaders from using our facilities. This could be given to us with the child's birth certificate.
I saw a comment about expectant mothers being able to use these spaces. surely they could be worked into the system. My wife had issues getting in and out of the car when she was expecting.


Tesco Bbay Club does provide car badges that are valid for 5 years but not all stores have the signs displayed in the carparks or enforce them so they are basically a waste of time. If you were issued with an official one in your Bounty Pack or something then that would make it easier to enforce.

This is very selfish..... I drive a big car and have 3 children.. if I don't have any of my children I park in a regular parking space...

I think it's great the supermarkets do this but the offenders need to be tackled by people other than us liary mums!!!

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I do often go shopping with my mum or friends with my 4 year old and 5 month old children and we are generally unable to park there because of selfish so and so's, however i do get out of the car and walk up and down the cars checking which ones have any sign of children with them! I then wait and give them a mouthful, generally the get a bit embarrassed and leave sharpishly other times they give me a mouthful back but to be honest i dont care what they say in return as they're the ones in the wrong:x

I beleive it should be illegal to park there without having children with you, it is if you park in disabled bays!

I'm currently learning to drive as i've just found out im pregnant with my 3rd child so certainly need a car now, so hopefully something will be done about this soon....but it needs to be inforced properly!

This is my greatest annoyance. Struggling to put my 3 month old in the back of the car when there's not enough room to open the door to get the car seat through the gap - this is usually because there are not any available parent and child spaces (beacuse lazy/ignorant people decide to use them to save their legs!) and I have to use a standard space. Why do people park so closely when they can see you have a child - the clues are with the sunshades and window mobiles! I have had to bite my lip a few times to avoid arguments - I must admit the 'run-ins' I have are with the elderly they seems totoally ignorant to the purpose of the spaces. One finally rant - I totally appreciate that disabled people also need to be nearer the shops (and need wider spaces) but why is there such a greater number than parent and child spaces - wherever I go there are always plenty of unused disabled spots left. I like your window stickers and will take great pleasure in using them!!!:evil:

the last time i went shopping there was no child spaces left . as a mother of a six week old baby i was so angry to see the majority of the people using the spaces had no children .something has to be done to deter these people.

FINALLY I've found somewhere that is making a stance against people sneaking in the parent parking spaces who clearly do not have children!! I have lost count the number of times (specifically at Tesco's) that I have seen people parking in the more convenient closer parking spaces, that do not have children with them. I have also seen Tesco STAFF in the Tesco carpark parking there....I saw one member of staff go to her car and have a smoke, then go back into the store (I was waiting for a space and was hopeful when she went to her car but she then got out again - clearly with no children!) I have mentioned it to their customer services but only to be told that its impossible for them to police. I can't believe the cheek and would not dream of using the spaces if I didn't have my son with me. People don't realise that its not only the fact that its difficult to manoevere a supermarket trolley too far into the carpark but especially with the extra weight of a baby/child....but the parent parking is closer to the store because a baby/child's attention span is very limited, so usually by the time you've got through checkout, you are RUNNING to your car to get your shopping and baby/child in and home, before the tantrums start!! I also find it rather annoying when there are many more disabled parking spaces than parent parking spaces....especially at places like Mothercare or Toys R Us where (no disrespect to disabled drivers but in this case...) the majority of customers will be those with children so it doesn't make much sense to me! Aaaaarrrrggggg!!!!

AHHH this drives me mad!! Only this morning I parked in asda and as i was sorting out the baby 3 people without children parked next to me!! Also the baby spaces are right next to the cashpoint so people are always using them for that. I find its always white van men, boy rasers, elderly people and disabled badge holders who use the spaces. I complained in asda and was told its not a legal requirement to have parent and child spaces but it is to provide disabled spaces. I understand that but everyone takes up the wider spaces!! I have also not been able to get my daughter intothe car when its parked in a normal space as inconsiderate people park way to close. Even though they can see there is a car seat and a childrens sun visor in the window.

Interesting reading, new to all this even though have had internet access for years now, i am now expecting baby no3. Whilst i have found this frustrating too i can only suggest as you all have internet access to be able to leave messages that you take all the stress out of shopping and do it online. i have now for months and hate going instore now. I have found that i have more time without the dreaded supermarket run, i don't end up with extras in the trolley from my 2 year old and having it delivered in the evening means my husband helps to put it all away and knows what i have bought. I am also spending alot less each week even including the delivery charge.

If you have to go and no spaces are available, just take up two normal ones.;\)

Along with all the other parents out there - it really does get my goat up when I see people parking in P&C spaces - there ususally is'nt enough of them anyway so they are at a permium. To be honest there are usually more disabled spaces then P&C spaces - but do mindless people park in them???? 9 times out of 10 i'd say no. I onces challanged a woman at my local Asda who was in one of them really really too big 4x4 landrover people carrier things - she got into the space seconds before me and refused to move - she said she was waiting for her husband and child! yeah right! I gave her a mouthfull. Meanwile I had to walk from the far end of the carpark with my 11 month old in arms in the rain! Nice!!!

The supermarkets need to do somthing about this sooner rather than later - why not have a specific area sectioned off with an entry key - then mums and dads who regularly use that store can get a pass key for the area - then everyone will be happy :\)

I have to say before I became pregnant I used to go mad at people for parking in parent and baby spaces!!!:evil: Now i'm pregnant I feel even more angry to see people in sporty cars parking in these spaces just to stop them from being marked and people who just can't be bothered to walk that extra couple of feet!!

I pleased to see that something is now being done to stop this. I will be downloading the poster and putting them on all the cars that shouldn't be parked in these spaces and I will enjoy watching their faces when they see it and realise they shouldn't of parked there!!!!:lol:

sign me up fully behind the campaign.

Hi i agree with the fact of people parking in these spaces but i have to disagree with what some of u have said about disabled spaces......my mum is disabled and 9 times out of 10 when i take her out there are no disabled spaces as round my way there is only 6-10 in any one carpark whereas the mother and baby spaces seem to go on forever......ill be glad when my baby arrives especially if i have my mum with me as we wont have to struggle in a normal space. But i have seen people parking in both mother and baby and disabled spaces who clearly have no children nor a disablitly!! It makes me so mad as they just dont care.
I was sat in tescos car park~(actually managed to get in a disabled) and saw at least 10 people getting into cars who had no kids!! Round my area it seems to be young boy racers (which im to scared to confront!) and couples in flash cars who obviously have far to much money to have kids!! Bentley convertable type drivers!!
But YES i am completly behind the petition!

:\?

I've previously had to park at the very back of a car park with a young baby, a trolly full of shopping and the most rainfall seen in weeks. All because a car that contained four teenage boys didn't want to get wet and used a mother and baby space! Mind you under new laws a least two of them needed a bosster seat!

I think it is about time supermarkets started taking this issue seriously if they are to bother at all. They take the plaudits for providings the places and say how wonderful they are for doing so, well it is about time those plaudits were better earned. They can do something about the issue. The car parks are private and they can set the rules. Wheel clamps and tow trucks anybody?

Tesco are perhaps the most frustrating in that they issue 'car parking passes' to their Mother & Baby club members which they claim are required to park in their parent and child spaces. Are they enforced? No. Could they be enforced? Well they could, though they'd have to take things more seriously and not issue 'passes' that you write your own car registration on (what if you change car?) and more importantly your own expiry date on.

Perhaps the supermarkets should group together and create a national parent and child parking permit and make it a requirement that it is displayed when parking in their parent and child spaces. It should also be a requirement that a car seat be clearly visible in the car of course. Oh yes, and a child really ought to be a requirement too though that isn't so easy to check. No permit then they can be free to take punitive action.

I think there also has to be a move to encourage other car parks to take parent and child parking a bit more seriously if they do it at all. For example the 'Allders' car park in Croydon has a few P&C spaces but they aren't any wider than any other ones. The 'Whitgift' car park has some wider ones but they are full nine times out of ten and outnumbered by what seems at least ten to one by disabled parking spaces that are usually 90% empty. I don't have a problem with the number of disable spaces, I have a problem that it proves they have room to provide more P&C spaces. If they want to boast about having them, then provide a sensible amount.

I agree that people shouldn't park in these spaces unless they have need. I also think that the stores should police them afterall families are big spenders in their stores .

I think its disgraceful that people park in the parent/toddler spaces. I would never think to park in a disabled space, neither do I use the parent/toddler spaces if I am on my own.

My suggestion is this:
All parents are issued a parking permit when they register their child or claim child benefit.
It could be valid for 5 years and work along the same lines as the disabled parking permit.
This would help check the validity of people parking in parent/child spaces.

I am in great support of this subject regarding parent parking.... I am pregnant and huge for 34 weeks and also have a toddler of 23 months so need the space for leaving my vehicle, we go shopping to our local Asda and it is always my luck that someone is usually sat in their car or have just left their car with no children with them. This makes me really mad as I also suffer from Siatica and SPD and find walking a great distance difficult. They are inconsiderate and I feel helpless, something needs to be done and I will support this in anyway I can.

Its terrible that people who don't have children park in the child & parent spaces & if you say anything to the people who do you get a mouth full of abuse or worse! I do think the supermarkets do have to do more to help cos when i've complained to staff they've said theres nothing they can do about it.Which is stupid if somebody had parked right in front of the entrance they'd do something then! It just makes shopping that bit easier when you don't have to battle to get your child out of the car.