Popped to Sainsbury's this morning, and took the little one so that the wife go have a bit of peace.
It was quite busy, so rather than reversing in as usual, I just drove straight in, so as not to hold anybody up.
As I got out of the car I was greeted by a lady in a car that had stopped just behind mine.
"Oi, that space is for mothers with kids!"
"It's for parents with kids," I corrected her.
"Yeah!" she shouted in agreement, as she glared at me.
So, I pointed at my son, still sat in his car seat, and asked whether he counted.
With a jerk of her head, she began to pull away. I took the chance to ask whether she thought an apology might have been in order, but the look she shot me suggested that she didn't.
Now, I'm sure I have the look of a sexy, sophisticated, man about town, who would never dream of getting tied down with a wife and kids...but you'd think that perhaps people would make sure that there were no kids aboard, before starting to shout the odds.
At least it gave the guy in the space next to me a chuckle, as he unloaded his two kids.
Last edited by: SteelSpark on Sun 8 Jul 12 at 14:06
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Not had anyone say anything to me, but have had the menacing looks from mothers when pulling into a parent and child space before they realize that fathers can indeed take a child to the supermarket.
It does bug me when I see parents using these spaces with children who are old enough to not need a child seat though.
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im 52 and i take my mother shopping, do we count?
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Only if you keep whining, saying "are we there yet" all the time.
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...or unless you have a propensity to wet yourself if not within easy reach of the supermarket or other facilities.
:-)
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I cannot get away from making the assumption that those spaces are only there for cars containing kids who are too enormous to manage a short walk up the car park.
Never had those spaces in my day which is why I have 3 lovely slim and fit children in their twenties.
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Agree with you, round here they are there for mothers in huge cars that are too big to fit anywhere else.
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Following my rather forlorn visit to PC World this afternoon I stopped in Tesco and was rather shocked at the size of the punters there - one particular enormously fat youth (aged anywhere between 19 and 40) waddled into a car parked in one of these spaces with his elderly equally large dad. Rather have him parked in there than next to my motor in the further reaches of the car park if you know what I mean. I suppose, despite his age, parked in the spirit of the provision of the spaces.
Last edited by: R.P. on Sun 8 Jul 12 at 19:28
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Well done that man!
The next target will be to use the nappy-changing facilities, thoughtfully provided in the ladies but not the gents loos.
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>> I cannot get away from making the assumption that those spaces are only there for
>> cars containing kids who are too enormous to manage a short walk up the car
>> park.
>> Never had those spaces in my day which is why I have 3 lovely slim
>> and fit children in their twenties.
I very much doubt that it had any effect on the health of your kids, unless you parked in Asda in one town and walked to Safeway in the next town.
Of course, the spaces have nothing to do with the distance to the store, and everything to do with having a bit more room to get the kids in and out.
Last edited by: SteelSpark on Sun 8 Jul 12 at 20:19
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Wasn't provided, or needed, when mine was young.
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>> Wasn't provided, or needed, when mine was young.
Well no, I don't think that anybody would suggest that it is impossible to get a child in and out of a car without these spaces, but it can make it a lot easier, especially when you're wrestling with a struggling child and a fiddly car seat.
Lots of things that are available now, weren't available in the past...that doesn't necessarily make them a bad idea.
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Quite right SS - if we didn't accept changes for convenience we'd still be shopping in Maypole or somewhere...
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>> Quite right SS - if we didn't accept changes for convenience we'd still be shopping
>> in Maypole or somewhere...
Your convenience spaces in huge supermarkets has killed your high street. Convenient?
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>> Your convenience spaces in huge supermarkets has killed your high street. Convenient?
The huge supermarkets might have killed the high street. I don't see what the parent and child parking spaces have got to do with it.
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well nothing if you quote it out of context.
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Well look at it this way, how many per supermarket are there? % wise? And what % of parents shop with kids.
The first - only a few, the second? lots. A huge imbalance in fact. Proves they are not needed these days either and only encourage inappropriate vehicle sizes and mummy rage - as you discovered. And why are they near the shop entrance?
Repeat, not needed - even these days.
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I don't disagree that they can be useful but they get abused and there'sno way of enforcing them in a private (shop) car park. I'm afraid I have to admit that I sometimes use the disbaled bays in shop car parks. I have to wonder how so many of our disabled can afford their expensive cars? I'm sure there are genuine cases but I know from experience that the blue badge is much abused, so I'm afraid I can't take it very seriously anymore. Anyway, I think I'm equally disabled - predisposed to random bouts of extreme violence to strangers querying my right to park in a Tesco's disabled bay...
Zeddo, surely the shopper with the pound in their pocket killed the high street by electing to go to the supermarket?
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Indeed, and in turn the internet will kill the superstore. We should be careful what we wish for. But we won't of course. We''l just get fatter and greedier and more immobile. We'll all have more time to sit facetweeting each other and other exciting social pastimes.
Still, never mind, it'll be even cheaper won't it so that's always a good thing isn't it....
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>> Indeed, and in turn the internet will kill the superstore.
As the motor car killed the horse and cart. What are you suggesting? That we un-invent the wheel!
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Indeed they did, I even admit to being dazzled by the prospect when they first arrived, regret it now tho when i see decimated high streets and row after row of charity shops.
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Special provision for people with children simply didn't exist in my young day. It was rightly assumed that the nippers were their own fault and they would cope with them or not, as the case might be.
Personally I believe that this smarming up to voter segments (parents are one) by politicians on every level, resulting in all this car park and other crap, has contributed to the extraordinary air of pugnacious self-importance that vulgar parents of young children often display these days. They can't wait to get in a brawl over their snotnosed brats.
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Talking of unfit kids, theres one in this Avenue about 10, who`s so fat that he beeps if he walks backwards!
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Another consequence of making assumptions!
tinyurl.com/78pxvpy
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>> Special provision for people with children simply didn't exist in my young day. It was
>> rightly assumed that the nippers were their own fault and they would cope with them
>> or not, as the case might be.
What silliness.
Kids are your own fault, but it's also your own fault if you want to do a lot of shopping in one go. So I suppose they should stop having trolleys and just make you struggle with a shopping basket. That'll put you in your place.
>> Personally I believe that this smarming up to voter segments (parents are one) by politicians
>> on every level, resulting in all this car park and other crap, has contributed to
>> the extraordinary air of pugnacious self-importance that vulgar parents of young children often display these
>> days. They can't wait to get in a brawl over their snotnosed brats.
I doubt that "politicians" have anything to do with these parking spaces. Rather shops trying to attract the parent demographic.
Likewise I'm sure that plenty of parents were just as "pugnacious" in your day. You just have your rose-tinted "good old days" glasses on.
Take a deep breath and consider that this is just the case of some shops making life a little bit easier for some parents...not the end of society as we know it.
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>> the end of society as we know it.
FFS SS, do you think I'm some sort of fuddy-duddy idiot? More fool you. But perhaps you are young enough to be used to the rubbish behaviour and self-important attitude I mention. Perhaps it seems normal to you.
Now go and wipe your nipper's nose.
Er, :o}
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>> >> the end of society as we know it.
>>
>> FFS SS, do you think I'm some sort of fuddy-duddy idiot?
I wouldn't use that terminology, but yes you do often seem to feel that people were fundamentally different in the old days, and that these days there is more weakness of character.
It's a common mistake I think.
People don't change that much, people just tend to view things differently through jaundiced eyes.
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>> you do often seem to feel that people were fundamentally different in the old days, and that these days there is more weakness of character.
You can't understand much that I say if you think that. But another of your many misunderstandings has just occurred to me: that you took my agreement with you about the pugnacious self-important woman as a comment on your own behaviour.
It wasn't meant that way and it was clumsy of me to give that impression. But thinking about your OP, your request to the boorish woman for an apology was a little bit, you know, that way. As are your attempts to correct me. Why bother? I'm incorrigible.
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I see where you coming from A.C.Asking for a apology strange..:)
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>> Asking for a apology strange..:)
You got it Dutchman. Verging in fact on the pugnacious and self-important. Of course much would depend on the manner and style of delivery, but when idiots are rude to me in car parks I put them in their place, or try to, and then cut them dead. Wouldn't dream of asking for an apology even in jest.
Some people use their pets, dogs in particular, in the same aggressive phallic way. I paused for some fellow crossing a side street I was turning into once and he stopped, slightly in the way, with his mouth open in an expression of indignation, pointing at what looked like a large squirrel he had on a lead. After a second or so I naturally accelerated forward doing my best to run over the damn squirrel, and the twerp kicked the side of the car. Gave my wife a fright. I do hope he met some really nasty dread in a customized BMW soon after. There was a lot of it about in my old manor.
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Sense of humour failure SS?
My mother didn't have a special parking space. She didn't have a car. Come to that, there were no supermarkets either.
And sometimes she didn't even go to the shops, she sent me half a mile to the Co-op with a list and a shopping bag (her divi number was 10942).
Not many fat kids though, I can only remember 1-2 per school ;-)
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>> Not many fat kids though, I can only remember 1-2 per school ;-)
Yes, I'm sure that obesity was lower back then.
Still the current level of obesity has nothing to do with parent and child parking spaces, which is the point I was making.
Plenty of such spaces are much further away from the store entrance than a large proportion of the standard spaces.
So, the difference between the spaces is not distance, it's how much room you have at the side of the car. Absolutely nothing to do with obesity.
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>> I have to wonder how so many of our disabled can afford their expensive cars? I'm sure there are genuine cases but I know from experience that the blue badge is much abused, so I'm afraid I can't take it very seriously anymore.
You don't have to be skint to be disabled!
Last edited by: Duncan on Mon 9 Jul 12 at 05:38
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>> >> I have to wonder how so many of our disabled can afford their expensive
>> cars? I'm sure there are genuine cases but I know from experience that the blue
>> badge is much abused, so I'm afraid I can't take it very seriously anymore.
>>
>> You don't have to be skint to be disabled!
>>
Nor does it have to be the driver who is disabled.
It could be, partner, child or parent to name 3... (of course the disabled person would need to be using the car [as driver or passenger], to allow legal use of the badge.)
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Iam surprised you parking in a disabled bay at a supermarket.Random bouts of extreem violence towards people who are disabled.Are you a copper Woodster?
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>> Well look at it this way, how many per supermarket are there? % wise? And
>> what % of parents shop with kids.
>>
>> The first - only a few, the second? lots. A huge imbalance in fact. Proves
>> they are not needed these days either and only encourage inappropriate vehicle sizes and mummy
>> rage - as you discovered.
Quite a lot of parents shop with their kids actually. I imagine the % is probably right.
>> And why are they near the shop entrance?
They actually aren't always near the shop entrance. Although I suppose there is the point that it saves parents with small kids having to traverse a car park that might be quite busy.
>> >> Repeat, not needed - even these days.
No, not needed as such, but certainly helpful to parents.
The real problem is that some people get all uptight, and start blaming child obesity and the demise of the high street on these spaces.
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>> >> Well look at it this way, how many per supermarket are there? % wise?
>> And
>> >> what % of parents shop with kids.
>> >>
>> >> The first - only a few, the second? lots. A huge imbalance in fact.
>> Proves
>> >> they are not needed these days either and only encourage inappropriate vehicle sizes and
>> mummy
>> >> rage - as you discovered.
>>
>> Quite a lot of parents shop with their kids actually. I imagine the % is
>> probably right.
I think you misunderstood me, I said lots of parents shop with kids, and yet no so many places. If the % was about right your scenario would never have cropped up.
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>> I think you misunderstood me, I said lots of parents shop with kids, and yet
>> no so many places. If the % was about right your scenario would never have
>> cropped up.
Ah, I see, sorry.
Yes, I suppose you're right that there is a shortage at peak times.
I suppose they just have to make sure that there are enough spaces, so they can't make too many parent and child bays. Also, lots of people without kids park in them too.
Also, at my local Sainsbury's, the parent and child bays are also used by the security guards, so that knocks a few off.
Last edited by: SteelSpark on Sun 8 Jul 12 at 22:45
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Any supermarket I go to has the disabled closest (obviously), which is followed by parent+child. There will be some normal spaces just as close too.
I can see why putting parent+child spaces close. Pushing prams and trying to keep tabs on other young children can be difficult so the distance to store helps lessen the risk of accidents.
Maybe we need to introduce a new FAT space - extra space for fat people. To be located a distance from the store entrance. And if fat people don't use these they get fined.
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At a slight tangent, I wish shops would open a creche so parents could leave their little darlings there while they go off shopping.
If it's not swalking kids wanting this or that, it's oversized kids sat / stood in the trolleys jumping up and down in them and subsequently wrecking them so they never steer straight again. Kids generally running around, getting under your feet, or crashing into your trolley. Poking their fingers into items wrapped in cellophane, or other delicate wrappings (eg, bread, mushrooms, etc). Bruising all the fruit by seeing how hard they can squeeze them. Little gits.
If a kid runs into my trolley now, I make no apologies, I just think, serve yourself right you little ****, now go play with the traffic on the A34.
Back on subject, why do some parents with kids think they have the right to use the disabled bays if the parent/brat bays are all full up?
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now go play with the traffic on the A34.
Do they now close that as a play street?
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Same thing happens when I take my nan shopping. They see me get out and while I have a limp, I dont think I look like Im in dire need of the space, so I often get dirty looks, right up until my nan falls out of the car into her wheelchair.
I actually like the parent/child spaces - if you have ever sat in your car and watched children getting out of a car in the normal sized spaces, not to mention a child seat extraction, id be rather glad they werent parked next to me such is the liberal use of banging doors, a quick look about to see if anyone noticed and then they carry on. Further they are away from me the better, family sized cars are huge these days and simply too wide for the spaces.
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Same here, Stu. I have a badge but don't really show obvious signs of disability. I do suffer from angina and shortage of breath if I have to walk uphill or do a lot of stairs.
Sometimes, if I'm in another car, I might not have the permit with me but then I park in an ordinary space, preferably by a ' trolley dock ' .
The DWP has decided I'm entitled to my badge........so I use it. The supermarket isn't the major problem, though. The badge is extremely useful when visiting other towns or going into the City, although I use the tram a lot for that now.
Ted
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You are lucky to have a badge Ted.My wife has the blue badge nerve damage to her legs.I could do with the badge when I'm on my own in the car.Massive operation for cancer one long not working properly.Can't be bothered to beg the system is strange.
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>> At a slight tangent, I wish shops would open a creche so parents could leave
>> their little darlings there while they go off shopping.
>>
Morrisons in Amazingstoke had one of those when it opened in the late nineties, not there now and i never saw another one, presumably it didn't catch on.
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Maybe there was a BOGOF offer on or someone er...forgot, their little horror...
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>> Morrisons in Amazingstoke had one of those when it opened in the late nineties, not
>> there now and i never saw another one, presumably it didn't catch on.
Presumably originally a Safeway. They had creches in at stores Northampton and Newcastle-u-L opened in 96/7 or thereabouts; can't see Wm Mo being that innovative.
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>> >> Morrisons in Amazingstoke had one of those when it opened in the late nineties,
>> not
>> >> there now and i never saw another one, presumably it didn't catch on.
>>
>> Presumably originally a Safeway. They had creches in at stores Northampton and Newcastle-u-L opened in
>> 96/7 or thereabouts; can't see Wm Mo being that innovative.
>>
whoops, yes, it was a Safeway originally.
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>> >> Morrisons in Amazingstoke had one of those when it opened in the late nineties,
>> not
>
Boundary Mill at Colne had a Mancreche years ago.....Men only room with settees, telly, car magazines/papers and coffee/tea....all free.
Not there now, I suppose they need to lure you into the expensive cafe/restaurant to sit and spend money.
Temple to consumerism.......worse than the Trafford Centre, at least there's room to move in the TC !
Ted
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>Morrisons in Amazingstoke had one of those when it opened in the late nineties,
Was it Morrisons or Sainsbury in Basingstoke that had the bright idea of providing trolleys with plastic cars attached to the front so that kids could pretend they were driving the thing.
Twice as long as a normal trolley and turned the place into an amusement arcade.
Couple that with the retired folks crawling around the car park in their Lancers and it became a no-go area.
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>
>> Couple that with the retired folks crawling around the car park in their Lancers
WHAT!!! Splutter!! Retired people NEVER go to Boringstoke, one of the retirement benefits is you never need to go near the place.
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My BiL lives near there - he's been looking at a Z4 (vicariously at this stage !)
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>My BiL lives near there - he's been looking at a Z4 (vicariously at this stage !)
Saw one for sale today at a little independent at 3 Mile Cross just off J11 of the M4. No idea of the year, mileage or spec but looked nice in metallic burgundy. £6295 on the window sticker.
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> Saw one for sale today at a little independent at 3 Mile Cross
www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/bmw/z4/postcode/rg71tb/radius/10/price-to/7000/sort/default
(that's the dealer's postcode in the link)
Last edited by: Focus on Tue 10 Jul 12 at 06:32
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>> (that's the dealer's postcode in the link)
Alternately you can use the direct link to the advert with no postcodes present.
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201227478033477
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>> Alternately you can use the direct link to the advert with no postcodes present.
I looked for one of those but couldn't spot it - where was it hiding? Must put my specs on.
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>> I looked for one of those but couldn't spot it - where was it hiding?
I just clicked on the advert from your link, then got rid of the rest of the link directly after the long number - i.e. where it begins /sort/default......
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ANy chance of letting me know where that garage is ? Is it on the web ?
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Rob,
It's between Church Lane and the A33 at 3 Mile Cross, almost opposite The Swan pub.
Autotrader links above.
Postcode is RG7 1AT.
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Kevin - thanks for the info - I am now led to believe that he (and his father my FiL who had the 3 series) are within a 100 quid of making a deal on one they've found privately...
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Sorry Rob - because of the way this site removes 'New' indications automatically in certain scenarios I missed your post.
Hopefully the new improved version will be different...?
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Deal done on a very tidy Z4 with all the toys, be winging its way down to Basingstoke this weekend. 2.2 6 cylinder engine...nice car.
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Watch out for speed bumps in one of them! especially two up! - couldn`t clear a bean can !
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>Retired people NEVER go to Boringstoke..
Oh yes they do, they just never find their way out again.
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>> >Retired people NEVER go to Boringstoke..
>>
>> Oh yes they do, they just never find their way out again.
I'll send the wife shopping there then.
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>> I can see why putting parent+child spaces close [to the store entrance]
Parents with young children are a lucrative source of income for supermarkets (like the banks: hook 'em young and keep 'em for life) - it's worth the stores making them feel a little bit "special" to keep them coming back and spending every week. Hence the "baby club" voucher mailings and newsletters that most supermarkets offer new parents too.
You don't see parent & child spaces in general town centre carparks - no profit potential.
Disabled spaces are close to the entrance in both kinds because the law says they have to be.
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When my kids were 2 and 4, the option was the 'mums and tots' or park a long way away, in the far-reaches of the carpark.
Remember, kids need access and egress, so the doors have to open wider than normal, as daddy fights with the seatbelts. Not nice if i'm parked next to you, bent over, fiddling with buckles. I can't control that door, pal, sorry.
Coming out of the shops, with a trolley full of gear, I can't hold the sprogs by the hand. My hands are full pushing a trolley.
When I reach the car, I have to load the sprogs in. then unload a trolley. In between, I have to ensure that the trolley doesn't roll off down the carpark.
Parent-and-tot bays are a boon to families. And also a benefit to other motorists.
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These bays are not a legal requirement or a hat doff to one, they're provided for the "convenience" of customers - not that Supermarkets give a stuff, it's all about marketing.
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or the odd "too posh to push" Audi Q7 mum with only one child !
Last edited by: diddy1234 on Tue 10 Jul 12 at 11:56
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Up until 6 weeks ago I didn't see the need for parent and child spaces. Then, the first time I pulled into a normal space with Little Miss DB in the back I couldn't get the door open wide enough to extract her in her carseat.
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Making assumptions - R.P.
