[Tink424]

M'kay... I have a question about parking - several in fact.

Why do supermarkets never just wheel clamp people who park in disabled spaces & are clearly NOT disabled. Dude, if you haven't got that blue badge, move over, park elsewhere, you know?

& parent & child spaces... what's that all about? Is it just to make our lives a tiny bit easier? Cause personally, i don't think they work - my mother uses them, she is 50. Yes, she uses them when i'm in the car with her, but give me a break, i'M 26!

I would love to see parking tickets given to folks who take up too much space in a car park - or on a street, so that I have to pay to use a car park instead of just neatly slotting into a space that didn't mean I had to wing it & have 2 BACK TYRES ON DOUBLE YELLOW LINES & GOT A TICKET!!!

I'd also like to see 'credits' given to creative parkers. Like, the people who park on the embankments at Ikea & people who aren't afraid to leave their cars in random places. I think I am one of those people deep down, but my boyfriend is obsessive about such things & won't let me just abandon the car.

[Jonny Fortnight]

Originally Posted by Tink424

I'd also like to see 'credits' given to creative parkers. Like, the people who park on the embankments at Ikea & people who aren't afraid to leave their cars in random places. I think I am one of those people deep down, but my boyfriend is obsessive about such things & won't let me just abandon the car.

I've been known to abandon my car covering at least 4 spaces. Usually in a supermarket car park just before work or when there is lots of space to play around with.
If the car park is busy, then I will park as far away from the entrance as possible, so that there's less chance of somebody parking next to me and banging my car with their door.

I used to love parking my old Land Rover, as you could leave it in some really bizarre places, like up steeped bankings and flower beds or bushes and the like. It really looked at home wedged on someones rockery.

[ChrisFlyByNight]

I'm dissapointed you see fit to park on flower beds. I enjoy looking at the flowers which people go to great expence and time to plant and tend, and would much rather look at them than your rusty old Land Rover.

[Jonny Fortnight]

Originally Posted by ChrisFlyByNight

I'm dissapointed you see fit to park on flower beds. I enjoy looking at the flowers which people go to great expence and time to plant and tend, and would much rather look at them than your rusty old Land Rover.

It wasn't rusty!

I don't do it anymore. It was years ago when I was young and brave.
I tend to park on concrete nowadays.

[Davey_wavey(!)]

Originally Posted by Tink424

Why do supermarkets never just wheel clamp people who park in disabled spaces & are clearly NOT disabled. Dude, if you haven't got that blue badge, move over, park elsewhere, you know?

I think the problem is that there would likely be a lot of negative publicity (local rag etc at least) generated should a genuinely disabled person get clamped. If there's an abandoned motor in a disabled bay, with no badge clearly on display, you still can't be 100% sure. Maybe they've lost their badge, or are awaiting issue of it?

Even when you see someone parking up, you can't always be sure whether they are officially disabled or not, due to the wider definition used nowadays. People no longer have to be in a wheelchair, you can have disabled people who are perfectly capable of driving a car and walking around for short periods.

or on a street, so that I have to pay to use a car park instead of just neatly slotting into a space that didn't mean I had to wing it

I agree here to an extent, but there can be occasions where people look as if they have parked in a 'greedy' fashion, simply because of what other traffic has done. e.g. say Car A parks up reasonably neatly behind a couple of cars, one of which is parked greedily. Then those two cars leave and are replaced by a couple of neatly parked cars. End result? Car A now looks out of line, even though he parked perfectly. Fining him/her would be a little unfair!

edit: here's a (not so) pretty little picture

Initial status: Car B is being naughty and left a big gap:

AAAA BBBB    CCCC DDDD....

End status: Cars B and C are replaced by E and F:

AAAA     EEEE FFFF DDDD....

Now it looks as though car A is being greedy, but it wasn't their fault.

[mikeg]

My biggest source of frustration is at our local multiplex where people like to invent spaces that don't exist, usually on a bend, but sometimes just in the middle of nowhere because they're desperate to park in the bit of the car park nearest the cinema, despite there being, say, another 300 spaces in the adjacent car park which is a mighty 30 seconds walk away. Which stops the van from the pizza place next to it getting through, which causes the traffic to back up around the car park etc...

Oh, and they've usually driven round the car park the wrong way too. :rolleyes:

[Markyboy]

I am a parent and have a 2 year old son. On the weekends its my responsibility to get the weekly food shop from our local supermarket. They have a great parent/child parking section and one of the things I absolutley hate are people who park there who either (a) do not have a child or (b) are not old and suffer with mobility issues. I have had many a heated debate with people who do it! The fact is that standard car parking spaces these days are a joke, trying to juggle a two year old into a car seat with 6 inches of space between the next car is virtually impossible. So I am all for parent/child parking spaces as its so easy to get them in and out. As for people who can't park straight or don't know the concept of parking then I think they deserve to have their cars towed away and melted into a gate post or something! Don't get me started on people who drive massive SUV's or MPV's or 4x4's!:mad:

[ChrisFlyByNight]

Surely with those funny little back doors on the RX8 you can get all your shopping in and out of the tiniest of spaces. Its those people in the big cars I feel sorry for with the space needed to get those big doors open and shopping/kids in and out.

[johnnycocktail]

Space-d-out.co.uk

Space-d-out.co.uk is a free sevice where you can take pictures of people missusing diabled parking spaces public or private, we will be taking action after we have collected more images..

Please spread the word and get people involved..

Thanks

Space-d-out.co.uk

[KMLref]

Had a row one day with a lady at my local Asda when I pointed out that 3 of her staff had just parked in a disabled bay and wandered into work. She couldn't give a flying fig.

I was so annoyed I contacted Asda HQ and dobbed them in and got a long and wholesome apology and explanation of what had happened to those staff members ("significant retraining" I believe the phrase was!) Satisfying!

I also have a mate who lost his leg in a driving accident a few years back and has a fairly good prostetic. He 'looks OK' when he gets out of the car and has been known to stand, drop his trousers and remove said prostetic when challenged. Funny to watch.

[cfitz]

SUVs and Landrovers

I think that any one trying to turn up at supermarkets in SUVs or Landrovers, taking up all the parking, all the ozone and all the petrol left in the world should be sent to a car park much further away from the supermarket. After all, they are supposed to be using them for sports, so they are clearly well able to walk the extra mile.

The amount of times you rock up and there's a perfectly good space but some idiot in a car way too big for his puny little self has taken up one and a half spaces - it's just not on!

[Furrball]

I have a neighbour who is a such said idiot - just passed his driving test and bought a Chelsea Tractor he doesn't have the capacity to drive. Thus meaning that he pulls onto our shared driveway against my partners car so we can't open the driver door - 4x4 idiot has a lovely 2 foot space on his drivers side. He's scared he'll reverse into a sign post bless him.

Tried a friendly neighbourly word in his ear but being an anti social 4x4 driver (we're in London for goodness sake - not exactly sand dunes and off road terrain every few miles) he rudely refuses to move the thing. And what can we do except get irrate and climb over the handbrake each time we need to use the motor?

[eloise]

Hello

As seen as the Work Place law network.

It is apparently illegal to clamp vehicle on Private land, hence why Tesco may not do it...yet.

If you check http://www.streetmanagement.co.uk

You have a nice view of the Wheel Clamping business.

Might be slighly off topic...but worth having a look.

[sparklelard]

Supermarket car parks, such as tesco's, sainsburys' etc. cannot enforce these parking restrictions as they are not on the public highway, or council run car parks.

The only crime committed is a moral one.

My wife got into a heated debate with one "parent". I had parked in a parent and child parking bay and took my daughter into the store to use the toilet and do a little bit of shopping. My wife stayed in the car.

This "parent" came up to her and knocked on the window f-ing and blinding at my wife.

My wife gave as good as she got. Store security had spotted this and came to intervene. As I exited the store, with my daughter and shopping, she was being led into the store but the security office, obviously distressed. He was going to get her a cup of tea to try and calm her down.

I chatted with the officer who completely agreed that these restrictions are un-enforceable.

The biggest problem are these holier-than-thou "parents" who think they know best and they have to park within 6" of the store doors as they are too lazy to get a trolley and bring it to their car.

[JulesM39]

Criminally disabled parking

Apparently the police have research evidence to show that a very high proportion of people who park in disabled parking bays without entitlement are criminals or at the very least 'wanted for questioning'. The usual technique round my way is for someone to stay in the car, ready to drive off if challenged.

[Call Clear]

Even if the supermarkets could legally enforce on site parking restrictions, I don't think it would be fair or practical for their staff to confront these people. Usually these selfish motorists are ''Couldn't care less'' types.

[smiffy]

Or some of them are like me disabled but not able to register as such or they would lose their job - so sometimes my husband parks in the disabled bays to make life easier for me. And not all disabilities are visible I look OK till I get half way round the store and anyone seeing me leave would be in no doubt I need to be near the store but going in is a different story.

[JulesM39]

Originally Posted by smiffy

Or some of them are like me disabled but not able to register as such or they would lose their job - so sometimes my husband parks in the disabled bays to make life easier for me. And not all disabilities are visible I look OK till I get half way round the store and anyone seeing me leave would be in no doubt I need to be near the store but going in is a different story.

I'm sorry to hear that smiffy. Do you think you will shop online more in future? I'm not sure this would suit me, if for some reason it was difficult for me to shop.

[smiffy]

I already do shop on-line for everything but food and pharmacy products so I only need to park in Sainsbury's car park (we shop after 8pm so hopefully don't get in anyone else's way) and in our local village where we are usually able to park out side the chemist(legally).
I don't use our local towns at all as even the disabled parkoing is often too far from where I want to get to, and I refuse point plank to use a wheelchair until I am unable to walk at all ! Amazing how stubbornness and pride can keep you going ;)

[JulesM39]

Originally Posted by smiffy

I refuse point plank to use a wheelchair until I am unable to walk at all ! Amazing how stubbornness and pride can keep you going ;)

I know somebody who put off using a wheelchair for years then found it incredibly useful when they finally got one. They were more mobile and got to more places than had been possible for years. And they only used it outside the house. This isn't to say you should start using one, but that when you do decide to, at some stage in the distant future, it will be really positive.:)

[stuartex]

parking

funny how evreyone wants to be equal these days , till it comes to stuff that makes things easier for them eh? if i spend a hundred pound a week in a super market i dont want to be walking miles to my car (wich is a 4x4) that i worked for and use for my work ie ground working (not takin kids to school) people should just calm down and stop demanding things , we are supposed to be equal arent we? and reilisticly if you are so disabled that you cant get to the shop without being right next to the door , should you be driving? that by the way is nothing personal to folks with disibilities just thoughts for today.

[smiffy]

Never heard of disability adapted cars or being a passenger stuartex :D

[stuartex]

parking

never heard of such rubbish as adapted cars, the rest of us get the highway code (both hands on the wheel etc). but i have heard of home help etc .

[smiffy]

Well thanks for that inciteful post stuartex without adapted cars many disabled people would be consigned to a very miserable life unable to work or get out of their homes.

[sarah2210]

Originally Posted by Markyboy

I am a parent and have a 2 year old son. On the weekends its my responsibility to get the weekly food shop from our local supermarket. They have a great parent/child parking section and one of the things I absolutley hate are people who park there who either (a) do not have a child or (b) are not old and suffer with mobility issues. I have had many a heated debate with people who do it! The fact is that standard car parking spaces these days are a joke, trying to juggle a two year old into a car seat with 6 inches of space between the next car is virtually impossible. So I am all for parent/child parking spaces as its so easy to get them in and out. As for people who can't park straight or don't know the concept of parking then I think they deserve to have their cars towed away and melted into a gate post or something! Don't get me started on people who drive massive SUV's or MPV's or 4x4's!:mad:

We have a 4x4 and have spotted abysmal parking by smaller vehicles as much as by other 4x4s. The most hilarious parking I ever saw was a Smart car in our local Sainsbury car park. I had reversed our 4x4 into the space perfectly and, at 5'5", I admit I struggle reversing as my rear view is slightly obscured by the spare tyre, my fiance jumped out and ran into the store. I waited in the car for about 10 minutes watching a man in the Smart car going backwards and forwards desparately trying to park in a gap that was a lot bigger even than our 4x4! I think he could have parked sideways in it without being over the line. My fiance did ask me why I was crying when he got back to the car but I couldn't tell him, I was laughing so hard! :D

I personally believe that if you have the ability to park, you can park any car anywhere unfortunately, not everyone has this ability.

[306OWNER]

Why DO

Moped Riders park in bays allocated for cars.. as you approach you see what appears to be a perfect spot only to draw level and see a little moped taking up the whole bay.. there is a seperate parking area for mopeds/motorbikes in most car parks so moped riders use them. and Why when I go to ASDA do idiots leave trolleys taking up the parking bays have they not seen the trolley return points or are they plain lazy?:)

[mugla]

I just hate bad and inconsiderate parking - wherever it happens.

I am disabled (but perfectly capable of driving), as it happens I am luckily able to drive a 'normal' car, but I don't see what difference it should make if it was adapted (after all most people adjust seats, mirrors etc to suit).

I work full-time, and so end up having to shop at the busy times (although, to be honest, I now get loads online as I can't face the shops).

I hate people parking in disabled bays without a badge, or misusing a badge (it is only to be used for the disabled person - that doesn't include if you are getting something for someone who is disabled, or having a disabled relative sit in the car while you shop!). The "I'll only be five minutes" defence doesn't work either. Spare a thought for the person whose badge you are abusing, they could end up with a fine and losing their badge.

However, can I ask you all to please look beyond stereotypes - as I drive in , you'll see a young woman, on her own, professionally dressed, in the drivers seat, with no outward sign of disability - that doesn't mean I'm not disabled. Depending on how bad things are I may get out of the car and into a wheelchair, or use crutches, or occassionally go in without anything if I feel brave and know I won't need to be on my feet for more than five minutes, or I'll get a wheelchair in store to save it taking up the bootspace I need for the shopping. I'm fed up of the dirty looks and comments as I draw into disabled spaces.

I do think that parent and child spaces are a good idea, but why do they need to be so close to the store? As I understand it, the benefit is being able to access child seats etc, but after that do you need to be right next to the store?

The main thread of this though is bad parking - what is it with you people? Didn't you learn to park when you learned to drive? Two neighbours as examples: One used to just draw into the car park and wherever she stalled the car was where she left it, another used to ask other people to park for her! Actually at least her car was then well parked! Unlike the current situation where everyone draws into a space big enough for two cars and parks in the middle of it. Yes, I know it's because nobody likes getting their car bumped by other idiots doors, but we can't all have two spaces to park in! It means I come home from work quite late and have to park unnecessarily far from my house, which causes problems. Can you all also try to park straight?

No, I'm probably not a perfect driver or indeed parker, but I believe that I park well (actually this has been commented on, particularly my spatial abilities and skill in manouevering in tight spaces) and am considerate of others. Please try to do the same!

Apologies for the length of rant, but I feel strongly about this!

[barryk]

Parking Bays

I wrote to Tesco Stores the other day on the issue of bays. I have two small children (5 and 6) and had to park in a normal spot some distance away from the entrance and walk them across the car park (and then have the problem of getting them in again with the shopping) because all the bays were taken. While I walked across the car park I noticed a (youngish) lady, who had parked in a child bay, get out without a child although she did have an empty child seat in the car!. When I challenged her she was abusive and said she had a child, it just wasn't with her and to F off!!
In my view if they provide spaces the store should police them but they say it is up to the public. What chance have we got with people like this. I just hoped that she would return to the store one day, with her child and find nowhere to park!