Open letter to the guy in the Porsche parked in the "Parent and Child" space.
I knew straight away you weren't a 'parent and child' kinda guy.
Your car might be your "baby" dude, but thats NOT what this sign means!
They mean a human child, and let's reiterate the CHILD part, it doesn't count if your son was born 27 years ago, so your thinking "Well I AM a parent, technically". I appreciate you might want the extra breathing room around her while your Precious is left unattended in the car park waiting for you, but in reality this means you're being a selfish prick. That's right, you heard what I said!
**Note: I do drive a Land Rover yes, but no, I don't have anything against Porche owners or drivers. BMW's on the other hand are a different matter (just kidding!) **
As soon as I came out of the shop balancing all my shopping and my baby in his car seat in the trolley (you know the ones, the wheels decide they know what way is best for you to go, and unfortunately, each wheel is choosing a different direction! And we won't even talk about the slight sloping of the tarmac in the car park which insists on dragging you perilously into the line of oncoming traffic...) I clocked you parked next to me, piling your boxes of beer in through the (tiny) passenger door. OK, I admit I immediately made assumptions; a porche of that (tiny and impractical) size isn't exactly appropriate for a baby car seat and you were a 'certain age' that made it unlikely that you had young children yourself. I mentally gave you the benefit of doubt that perhaps you had a grandchild with you, whilst the cynical part of me continued to mutter that I bet you didn't.
As I got the the car you were preparing to leave, and oh look, where is your child?
Whats the problem with taking a Parent and Child space?
Before I gave birth, I didn't fully appreciate the value of these spaces, I'd never parked in one before. but you very quickly learn even from your very first outing with baby, that these spaces are a necessity, particularly if your little one is a baby that requires a baby seat being pulled in and out of the car. If you're in a normal space with someone parked the other side of you, there just isn't enough space to open the door wide and squeeze yourself in to get your little bear out. And how do I know this? Because I keep getting to the supermarket and finding that there aren't any parent and child spaces left. Sure its first come first served. But not for the people without children with them, who just think 'fuck it' and park there anyway, sauntering into the store without a care in the world while Muggins here is then left to struggle!
It just isn't fair.
What particularly baffles me is the total air of comfort that these individuals seem to have with themselves as they casually go about their shopping. People don't do this with the disabled spaces, so why take advantage of the parent spaces? The answer? Probably because disabled badges are required and the system is to a degree 'policed' but if it wasn't would these same individuals take up these spaces too?
Opposite: Trolley, baby, shopping, changing bag, trees (OK that's not something I buy every time), plus I need to get in there to put everybody and everything away. The Parent and Child, or 'Mother and Baby' parking as it used to be known (but I assume that was eventually deemed un-PC and excluding of dads and other guardians) really is a godsend when you're trying to sort packing the car without floating about in the way of other drivers, or knocking into anyone's car with said, trolley, baby or shopping.
Its left me wishing there were more busybodies in the world, ready to jump on these people and chastise them for their ignorance, but as strongly as I feel about this particular form of inconvenience, I won't be the one to give these people a stern talking to - because ultimately it probably won't make any difference at all to their behaviour, (and also I'm just not a confrontational person). Perhaps I'll write a letter to the supermarket in question, maybe they'll invest in a politely worded sign. But then again, maybe not.
Do you find this where you live? Or any similar encounters as you go about your day? Let me know below - I'd love to know I'm not the only and that I'm not just being miserable!!
Mama x
