Family parking bays causing fury amongst mothers .

They were meant to make those frazzled family trips to the supermarket just that little bit easier.

But using parent-and-child parking bays has become one of the most stressful parts of doing the family shop, a survey has found.

The bays, which are located close to supermarket doors, have encouraged a free-for-all that leaves parents angry and exasperated.
Family supermarket parking

Two thirds of mothers said other shoppers hog the spaces, regardless of whether they have young children with them. (Posed by models)

Two thirds of mothers said other shoppers hog the spaces, regardless of whether they have young children with them.

Some have accused thuggish teenagers and single men of using the generously sized spaces when they roar in to buy cigarettes and alcohol.

Others complained of women shoving their way into mother-and-baby bays when their vehicles are carrying no more than a child seat, or when the children inside are teenagers rather than toddlers.


Disputes over parking set aside for young families threaten to take over from the abuse of disabled spaces as the biggest headache for shoppers.

Three times as many mothers complain about other customers wrongly using the parent-and-child spaces than any other parking issue, the parenting website Gurgle.com said.

Some 62 per cent of mothers in its poll carried out among 1,000 users condemned the attitudes of other shoppers.

Gurgle.com editor Nifa McLaughlin said: ‘All it takes is a little extra consideration from other shoppers to keep the spaces free, but it is clear that the space invaders are too selfish to think of the needs of families.’

One mother said: ‘I’ve argued with a woman who parked in the space saying she was out shopping with her baby – even though her baby was 19 years old.’

Another said she was trying to get into a space when a woman tried to drive into it from the other side. ‘My husband kept on reversing until they both had half the space,’ she said.

‘The lady got out of her car and was shouting at my husband that it was her space and she had kids in the car. My husband got out and checked and her children were teenagers.

At the time I was heavily pregnant with a three-year-old in the back.’

While strict blue badge laws govern the use of disabled spaces, there are no regulations which set down who can park in parent-and-child bays.

Some car park operators rely on the honesty and good manners of drivers.
However some supermarkets, including Tesco and Sainsbury’s, use fines of £50 or more to punish those caught by attendants using the bays when they do not have young children.

Supermarkets yesterday said there was no strict cut-off for the age of a child in the car but said they expected common sense and honesty from customers.


We would like to know what you think about this ? please use our poll at the top of the page.

maybe somebody should make the same furore about mothers and babies using disabled parking spaces...

I agree thistle....It is so annoying when people take up these much needed spaces who should not be parking there.

What annoys me is when a person shows a disabled sticker in the car and is not disabled .
I know there are many who drive a disabled person around ,but to park in the space they should have that disabled person in the car or be collecting them from somewhere that they have to park .
Some do that where i live and park in the space outside that my poor hubby uses They are not disabled or have a disabled person with them .
This is just taking advantage of these spaces ..
i just hope they will one day realise what it is to have a disability and how having these spaces close to where you need to go gives disabled person a little extra comfort .
We need more of these spaces in town .
As for mum and baby they do need a bit extra room but they still have legs to walk so parking in spaces further along should not be a problem as long as the space is a little wider .
ps alliance disabled parking is a nightmare ,as the spaces are too close to each other a disabled person has trouble getting out the car.

Put a note on the car of tyhe offenders say something along the lines of 'I bet this is the only time you would take my place'!!! Shame them......

take my space take my disability x

why shud there be special spaces for mum n kids n e way ?they shud change them into quick stop spaces five mins no longer in out gone,mums n dans can walk the kid from a lil further away theygoing to be wondering around the store n e way so why not that lil further to a parkin space ,n that said do the kids good,could well e only exercise they getin the week trampin around shop to fill their fat bellies

I agree with the mother/child spaces - we expected no such favour when our kids were young - in fact we walked to the shops (and no, I am not that ancient - but I can still remember what my legs and feet are for)

There should be spaces for mums to get their babies out better and closer to the shops ,as it is not the distance to walk that worries me but the walking in a car park full of cars trying to find a space to park.
Admiral park has a good road safety layout but it is only safe if folks use the proper crossings .

Surely it is all about giving mothers enough room to get their child out of the car without damaging the car parked in the next space. Or don't you mind have the side of your cars bashed in.

Gsyguy, your post looks like a foreign language to me or is it some form of Guernsey patois?

its english cockney u just can read proper

Mother's have legs and prams can have a rack fitted underneath for shopping -surely it is beneficial for mothers as well as babies to be out in the fresh air and it gives a mixed message when the rest of the island are urged not to use their cars :-( - When the kids were young a group of friends and myself with similar aged children used to get together - a couple stayed with the children and a couple went shopping - it made shopping a lot nicer not to have screaming children in the shops (and sickness was kept down because children tend to pick up all sorts from other people in shops (or so my old doctor told me).....

karma wrote:Mother's have legs and prams can have a rack fitted underneath for shopping -surely it is beneficial for mothers as well as babies to be out in the fresh air and it gives a mixed message when the rest of the island are urged not to use their cars :-( - When the kids were young a group of friends and myself with similar aged children used to get together - a couple stayed with the children and a couple went shopping - it made shopping a lot nicer not to have screaming children in the shops (and sickness was kept down because children tend to pick up all sorts from other people in shops (or so my old doctor told me).....

KIds get same sickness from school so,dont matter if its in a super market or not...come to think of it if you step out side ur home u will end up with ur body and being attacked by micro organisms so DR's statement makes no sence at all eh

My kids are now 39 and 41 so maybe medicine has advanced since then
(germs definitely have - we only had to worry about the measles/German measles/Chickenpox etc and colds in those days) - oh and we didn't have cars to cart us around either!!!