[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.

Don't be a Dick

Hey - we don't use gender-specific insults here. 😀

So exactly what year would you like to roll back these "pointless" traffic safety improvements to?

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Were things really much better in 1979 when over five times as many child pedestrians were killed on the roads?

But hey, your kids survived so it must be pointless fussing eh?

think that just because something's been provided then it's their god given right to kick up a fuss if someone else they deem less worthy than themselves happens to be using it

I haven't seen one post that suggests someone without kids is in any way "less worthy".

The only thing that makes them "less worthy" is being a dick and using specially designated spaces that they don't need, but other people do.

Who in their right mind takes children to a supermarket when you can get your shopping delivered by a nice chap in a van 😯

I have a theory (one of several) that you can estimate the level of fitness in a town by where people park in supermarket car parks.
I'm reasonable fit, so prefer to park in the far corner to avoid getting my car dented. Being reasonably fit, I manage to walk the 50m to the shop. Other, less fit people, can't so park as close as they can.

It may not just be a measure of fitness, maybe importance as well. Clearly, if you're really important you can't afford to spend 30 seconds walking, you must park within 5 seconds of the supermarket.

Clearly this is in conflict with P+C and disabled parking, which is why idiots park in them.

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?

You're voting Brexit, aren't you.

P+c parking spaces aren't there because of safety, they are there because families spend more money, and they hope this will encourage them into there store.

Were things really much better in 1979 when over five times as many child pedestrians were killed on the roads?

The main reason that so many child pedestrians don't get killed/hurt on the road anymore is because most kids aren't allowed to play outdoors these days, don't go anywhere unless they're driven and remain mostly indoors, wrapped in cotton wool surfing YouTube on their iPads.

Sure, less deaths on the road but equally [url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-32797769 ]THIS[/url] or perhaps [url= http://www.theguardian.com/education/2008/aug/03/schools.children ]THIS[/url]

@ Garaham S - Causalities on public highways not car parks, what are you on?

One day you will sit down and realise all this anger is a pointless waste of your time.

You could make yourself a uniform, become a self-appointed Parking Tsar, 5 gold stars on your epaulets, grow a moustache, wear aviator sun glasses and pretend you used to be in the military!

I'm not sure which is worse, inconsiderate morons taking all the parent and child spaces and disabled spaces, or people that don't think this behaviour should be challenged and stopped.

I'm not saying individuals should always challenge it face to face - I wouldn't fancy my disabled wife telling some tattooed thug to shift his car. But if Tesco's etc were prepared to be proactive on behalf of their valued non-dickhead customers, attitudes can change.

I'd suggest the following tannoy announcement: "Will the prize bell end who parked the chavved up red Corsa vehicle registration AB12CDE in a disabled space without displaying a blue badge please move it in the next 5 minutes before we clamp it and charge you a £100 release fee. That's right, sir, you. The fat guy with the shaved head in the Superdry vest"

No-one seems to have addressed the important elephant in the room.

How will Remain/Brexit affect our right to park like ****s?

most kids aren't allowed to play outdoors these days

And no wonder when self-entitled bellends can't even respect the facilities that are put in place specifically to help keep those kids safe.

It's two sides of the same coin I'm afraid.

Perceived traffic danger is a major reason that parents don't let their kids play in the streets.

@ Garaham S - Causalities on public highways not car parks, what are you on?

My understanding is that traffic incidents involving serious injury or death are attended by police and recorded in STATS19 data, even if they happen in car parks.

Apologies if that is not the case, but the general point stands: kids do die in car parks, avoiding that is a good thing.

all this anger is a pointless waste of your time

I'm not remotely angry.

Just filling in some time between waiting for my PC to finish compiling and wondering what is for dinner tonight.

I'm not sure which is worse, inconsiderate morons taking all the parent and child spaces and disabled spaces, or people that don't think this behaviour should be challenged and stopped.

I'm not saying individuals should always challenge it face to face - I wouldn't fancy my disabled wife telling some tattooed thug to shift his car. But if Tesco's etc were prepared to be proactive on behalf of their valued non-dickhead customers, attitudes can change.

I'd suggest the following tannoy announcement: "Will the prize bell end who parked the chavved up red Corsa vehicle registration AB12CDE in a disabled space without displaying a blue badge please move it in the next 5 minutes before we clamp it and charge you a £100 release fee. That's right, sir, you. The fat guy with the shaved head in the Superdry vest"

Whilst I agree with your sentiments about inconsiderate parking, I'm calling you out on your classism 🙂

In my experience, it's just as likely to be some tosspot in an expensive motor than it is to be, as you put it, a "chav".

Never mind that, my local tesco has a bike rack in the farthest corner of the carpark, out of view to most.

So I just lock mine to a rail near the entrance which I think is designed as a bump rail for people in cars who have no spacial awareness, but the rail goes all round the post so the bike's protected from cars. Am I going to hell?

@ Graham S - I'd be interested to see (overstating it a bit) the historical breakdown of "serious injuries and fatalities" in UK car parks, are there any stats for that?

Glad it's not boiling you over, there's bigger fish to fry 😉

Boy racers I knew it!

Never mind that, my local tesco has a bike rack in the farthest corner of the carpark, out of view to most.

So I just lock mine to a rail near the entrance which I think is designed as a bump rail for people in cars who have no spacial awareness, butvtje rail goes all round the post. Am I going to hell?

I have the stats on that. No utility cyclist has ever gone to hell. I think you'll be OK there 🙂

Agent007 - If only it was just stroppy teenagers. The only shame in this whole thing is that there are some people in society who think they're special and that the usual social rules and etiquettes that most of us seem to be able to adhere to don't apply to them.

So people on here have kids, buy a big SUV to protect said kids (sorry - squash the other vehicle in an accident), and then expect everyone else to 'make way' for them. Hey we're far more important than you because we have kids don't you know 😀

[quote="morecashthandash"]I'd suggest the following tannoy announcement: "Will the prize bell end who parked the chavved up red Corsa vehicle registration AB12CDE in a disabled space without displaying a blue badge please move it in the next 5 minutes before we clamp it and charge you a £100 release fee. That's right, sir, you. The fat guy with the shaved head in the Superdry vest"They do this in our local supermarket. I've been using the same supermarket once or twice weekly for 12 years. And three years on and off before then.

I've heard the announcement once.

It was me, i parked in the disabled bay 😳

The disabled badge had fallen off the dash in the wind and ended up in the door pocket of all places.

[quote="agent007"]So people on here have kids, buy a big SUV to protect said kids (sorry - squash the other vehicle in an accident), and then expect everyone else to 'make way' for them. Hey we're far more important than you because we have kids don't you know Why the hangup with SUVs?

All cars have got bigger, even polos. Spaces haven't, well, no way near as much as the cars have. They updated our works carparks 3 or 4 years ago. Lost about 5% of the spaces. They are still a bit on the small side if you have a large saloon or estate.

No, we have P&C spaces so our kids don't dent the side of your Audi whilst admiring the Orange 5 on the roof.....

[quote=chestercopperpot ]One day you will sit down and realise all this anger is a pointless waste of your time.

How does it compare with providing stats for people who aren't prepared to accept a general point in an internet discussion?

[quote=chestercopperpot ]@ Graham S - I'd be interested to see (overstating it a bit) the historical breakdown of "serious injuries and fatalities" in UK car parks, are there any stats for that?

[quote=agent007 ]to kick up a fuss if someone else they deem less worthy than themselves

I presume you're missing the irony that the person for whom the space is provided and it would be especially useful for isn't the one in this situation who considers themselves to be more important...

The question is, exactly what is wrong with providing such spaces to help those people [s]who the supermarkets want to attract because they spend lots of money[/s] for whom life is a little more difficult. Given such spaces are provided, what exactly is wrong with challenging people who abuse them because they're lazy?

No one's saying that shops shouldn't offer P&C spaces if they so wish, or that they're not a good idea. Some of us are just saying that if you arrive at the supermarket and someone you deem less worthy than you is parked in one of them them then 'so what', drive on find another space. No need to throw your toys out of the pram.

Jeeees, if you get stressed about stuff like this then perhaps deciding to have kids was a PLC (poor life choice).

[quote=agent007 ]we're just saying that if you arrive at the supermarket and someone you deem less worthy than you

Well there you go again. It's not exactly an opinion here is it? Nobody is suggesting people who are fully able and have no children are less worthy, well unless being a selfish dick makes somebody less worthy, but I'm not sure I'd like to make that call.

[quote=agent007 ]Jeeees, if you get stressed about stuff like this then perhaps deciding to have kids was a PLC (poor life choice).

and there you go again, again. I'm not at all stressed about this.

In a similar way to those confronting people parked in parent and child spaces, I have had it 3 times in the last year when people see me pull into a parent and child space and don't even wait to see if I have kids in the back to march over and start telling me how selfish I am for parking in a space where others need it. I then open the rear doors and extract the kids from the car and watch them shrink back within their self-righteous busy body bubbles with a non verbal look of **** off.

Some people just love a good confrontation.

That's a bit bizarre LHS, is there something missing from that story which explains why people thought you had no kids?

Nope, only thing I could consider is that I am a man on my own without my wife and the back windows of the car are tinted so you can not see in so hard to see if there are kids in or not, but, these people did not even wait 15secs to check if I opened the rear doors to get the kids just rush over all confrontational. It is a Waitrose so people tend to be particularly uptight!

Had it once in the US too.

The obvious answer is car parks are going to hell because society is going to hell. Lots of rules, but rarely any consequence for breaking them, and for the large portion of the population with no conscience, this means the rule may as well not exist.

We have a different problem round here though. Theres too many disabled and P&C spaces, almost to the point you need to take a bike to tesco to ride from the nearest 'normal' space to the door. Wouldnt mind so much, but 90% of the time, 90% of the 'special' spaces are empty.

Never had that one myself LHS and I also have tinted rears and a penis (untinted).

Mind you I don't shop at Waitrose so maybe it's that.

@ aracer - Misrepresenting statistics is de-rigueur now-a-days, I'll get over it.

I'm not expecting GrahamS to provide any stats 😉 although if you want too you can!

I don't have any stats specifically covering car park deaths chester but they'd hardly be conclusive either way - advances in car pedestrian-impact safety have almost certainly lowered deaths, whilst increased numbers of cars and car parks will probably have raised them.

agent007 - twit

No one's saying that [s]shops[/s] local councils shouldn't [s]offer P&C spaces[/s] build cycle paths if they so wish, or that they're not a good idea. Some of us are just saying that if you arrive at the [s]supermarket and someone you deem less worthy than you is parked in one of them them then[/s] path and someone happens to be driving their car in one 'so what', [s]drive[/s] cycle on find another [s]space[/s] route. No need to throw your toys out of the pram.

Facilities are put in place to help those who would otherwise be endangered by mixing with traffic, NOT to facilitate an easier life for those experiencing a slight inconvenience by their presence.

Would you also effuse the use of disabled spaces in the same way?

I've never had that sort of problem - though whilst I do shop at Waitrose (and have used their car park with kids) I don't think I've ever used the P&C spaces there - nor do I have a drug dealer's car 8) Mind you I don't think I've ever seen anybody confront somebody about this around here - TBH I don't think it's such an issue as it is in some places, maybe we're all a bit more laid back in our little backwater.

Drug dealers car would have front windows tinted not rear windows.

I have all windows tinted. And sunglasses on.
That's how I roll in my diesel, grey Galaxy.

#livethedream

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