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Mum Fined £70 For Parking In Parent & Child Space

By Nada Wilson, 9 years ago

How annoying is it when you drive around the car park and find the Parent and Child spaces are all full up? It's easy to accept that if the people using them have a child in tow. Getting baby in and out of a car seat can be a task and a half when parked in a normal space. It's not even about being closer to the shop, it's about being able to get your children in and out of the car without scratching the car next to you with your car door.

When I read about a mum getting fined £70 for parking in a Parent and Child space I wrongly assumed she had parked in it with no children AT ALL with her. Once I had finished reading it I saw that she was in fact VERY heavily pregnant, eight days before her baby came.

The company Asda uses (Smart Parking) to tend to their car parks, have fined her on the grounds that she had no children with her which technically isn't true. The couple have been said to have stated that the car park was 'half empty'. On this basis, I am to disagree with Smart Parking. Providing it was a quick trip in and out and there was other spaces available I don't see the need of the fine. I needed the extra space getting in and out of the car when I was with child, although it never entered my head to use the Parent and Child spaces.

I am quite shocked that Asda's Parking Attendants (Smart Parking) have fined anyone for parking in spaces they shouldn't be, as I am forever frustrated in my local for encountering those naughty people who use them when they shouldn't.

What do you think? Were they entitled to park in this space on the grounds that the Mother was carrying a full grown baby inside her, or is the fine justified as they were taking up a space for a parent that needed to get their kids in and out of the car with ease?

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Comments

diz1
It's a pity they don't fine all the work vans and people with no reason to park in these spaces. It's frustrating to have 2 under 3's in a car and no child spaces left.
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lynsco
Surely this fine isn't legally binding? They'd be waiting a long time for me to pay their fine!
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Heather10
If this is a true picture it is atrocious parking in the parent & child space. Wish my supermarket would do this cos people don't care where they park
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ACD27
I think she was well within her rights to park there. I've been saying since i had my little girl that there should be a similar scheme to the disability badge, valid from 7 months pregnant to when the child starts school age 5, (and renewed for the youngest child) BUT ONLY VALID WHEN THE CHILD IS WITH YOU. All they would need to do is add a "do you require a parking permit" tick box on the form you fill out with the midwife anyway. Then at least there would be some way that parking attendants could monitor it.
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Chrissip1
I'm outraged at this! When i was pregnant my bump was massive! I used the parent and baby parking because i couldn't comfortably get in or out of my car without fearing that i would scratch the car beside me! To say she didn't have a baby with her is a lie! And the purpose of those spaces is to provide room for the mother to manoevre the child! Whether the infant was in her womb or a car seat is irrelevant! Shame on them! Give the woman her money back for her baby and apologise.
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sammyray
They were justified. I'm due in 2 weeks and I would never dream of parking in a parent and child bay and take that away from an actual parent with children. I bet she wouldn't be happy if she couldn't get parked with her kids because a pregnant woman had parked there.
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pinky15
It's appalling & she shouldn't be fined. Tesco allows you to park in parent & child from pregnancy - they even send a car sticker. I once had to get my dad to move my car when I was heavily pregnant from Asda as someone parked too close & I couldn't get in! I've also had to crawl through the passenger side, which isn't easy at the best of times let alone when pregnant! It does really annoy me though when people do park in parent & child that obviously don't need to - I would love to challenge some but too scared to. I complained once in a Morrisons & was told there was nothing they could do & they can't stop people parking in them. Sadly people just don't care, when I'm out with my 7yr old I wouldn't dream of parking in p&c as it's not necessary but it's very frustrating when I have my baby with me & can't park because of some lazy people!
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rchan
Can a fine like this be enforced? If it went to court there surely there wouldn't be enough enough evidence to prosecute?
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mumof31onway
if she feels the need to park here when pregnant?,what does she expect whe she has the baby?,im a mother of four and never would I dream of using a parent and child space when pregnant and no children!-I know the hassle of getting kids in and out of a car-so to say its a hassle when putting your pregnant self into your car-good luck when baby arrives- and come on,no pregnant person gets that big that they cant get into a car parked in a bay!
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