Do you use parents parks?
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Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=18047
Printed Date: 10 October 2025 at 6:52pm
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Topic: Do you use parents parks?
Posted By: MissCandice
Subject: Do you use parents parks?
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 9:37am
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Just wondering how many people actually use parents parks or head for them first? Just something someone has said in the TV Guide about parents using parents parks got me thinking.. ------------- ~ Mummy to a beautiful girl ~ |
Replies:
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 9:38am
| I always look for them first. What was said? |
Posted By: MissCandice
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 9:42am
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Its an interview with Brooke Howard Smith. The question was "Ever parked in a disabled park"? He replied No, but goes on to say 'I park in those mother with baby spaces. I dont understand, Having a baby is not a handicap, you have a pram. Push it towards the door! ------------- ~ Mummy to a beautiful girl ~ |
Posted By: Kels
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 9:46am
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I park in the mother parks if I have Alize with me because they have more room to be able to open the door to get him out esp since I have a 3door hatch so have to get to the backseat. Its also nicer to have the parks closer for when its wet. What grumpy old man he sounds like lol |
Posted By: MissCandice
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 9:48am
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I reckon! I use the parks also because i can put the pram beside the car to put Kylah in so i dont have to have it sitting out where a car could hit her!
It actually annoys me he said that. ------------- ~ Mummy to a beautiful girl ~ |
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 9:51am
It REALLY annoys me when I see a car in those spots with no carseat in it!
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Posted By: caraMel
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 9:52am
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WTF? How rude! Of course having a baby is not a handicap, but trying to get your baby out of the car and into the pram safely, in the middle of the carpark, around other parked cars can be very bloody difficult, especially if said baby is in a capsule and the other cars are parked closely !
Add an impulsive toddler to the equation and it becomes even more difficult to make sure they're not running out in front of vehicles or wandering off as you try to negotiate the younger one and make sure cars aren't running over your pram! What a d!ck. And yes, I use those parks first if I am on my own with the 2 of them. ------------- Mel, Mummy to E: 6, B: 4 and: 
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 9:55am
| It depends, if they are in a smart place then I'll have a look and if one is free I'll take it. But sometimes they are more hastle than they are worth. Like at the warehouse here they are right beside the building which you would think is really handy but its a PITA to get out of just because of all the people coming in (theres a hill you have to go up to get in the carpark) so it can be really hard to get out of. I find it easier in many places just to get an ordinary park. |
Posted By: MissCandice
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 9:55am
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I thought it was really rude too. Why would you say that. Its like hes saying that we are just too lazy to park far away and walk. Its not about that at all. I would park anywhere if the spaces where the same size to allow me to safely put Kylah in her pram. ------------- ~ Mummy to a beautiful girl ~ |
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 9:55am
| There is a woolworths in chch thathas diabled and mother parks out the front and the other weekend you couldnt use any of them because some A-hole with a horsefloat was parked across the whole lot while their snooty little brat of a teemager was getting coke! DH wouldnt let me go and abuse them as there were plenty of other parks for us...NOT THE POINT!!!! |
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 9:56am
I remember saying this in another thread. SOMETIMES there are people who use the carpark and have a child but don't have the carseat. When we went grocery shopping we would take Daniel in his capsule in DH's car. When we went in, we would grab a trolley that fits the capsule. So no evidence is left in the car that we have a child. Yet we did, it's just we took his carseat with us essentially. |
nzpiper wrote:Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 9:59am
Fair point....but then you tend to have crap all through the car and hanign toys etc.....you generally can tell when it is a baby's car or not
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Posted By: kabe
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 10:02am
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Twice someone has parked next to me in one of those parks with no children. Felt like saying something to the mall people, but doubt they could have done much.
I always look for them, as they're so handy with the pram. ------------- http://alterna-tickers.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 10:04am
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And...if you have a baby and an immaculatelty presented car with no carseat then you OBVIOUSLY are far too organised to need the park! |
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 10:05am
Nah not always. My car has all that crap but DH's car doesn't as it's his work car. I see the same thing all the time here at one of the New Worlds where you can't tell they have a baby but you see them come out and load the car up with a capsule and their groceries. |
Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 10:31am
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Yep I do as I have one active 4 year old that likes to go running out into the carpark so I use them as a safety thing. Yeah sometimes people can have capsules and take them out so no evidence of a baby in the car till they get back. Brooke Howard-Smith is a dick, I don't watch Target now because of him, he is so cheesy and really just a pain in the arse. ------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: MumsyMoo
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 10:38am
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I tore some crunt a new ass-hole for zipping into the parents park whilst we were sitting there indicating to go into one the other week.
Middle aged twat seemed to think that because it was raining and he was only racing in for 'just a few bits and pieces' that it was OK for him to park there, despite the fact that we were waiting there in a car (ours) that CLEARLY said 'Baby On Board' and a had visible car-seat in the back. I got outta the car and nutted... He caught me on a bad day. Kinda felt sorry for him afterwards, but served the prick right! I always get so annoyed when there's people who blatantly aren't handicapped or have children, parked in paraplegic/mothers carparks... I think it's OK though if there's a woman who's very blatantly heavily pregnant using one (a mothers park, not paraplegic.... Even though, let's face it... Sometimes you feel like a cripple with the limited movement . Lol). -------------  My wee girl is the love and light of my life!
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Posted By: BessieBear
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 10:57am
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Hmmm i have a 3 door hatch it's been hard enuff trying to pratice getting my capsule in and out of the back seat (air bag in front) i have inveated in those base things but i don't even have a my baby yet wo will be interesting. But yeah i always see (very large) ppl that are to blimmin lazy to find a park somewhere else and it annoys me now. They are expectant mother parks aswell And when it's pouring with rain and i don't want to risk (YET AGAIN) falling over in a puddle 8 months pregnant. ------------- Sarah Mum to, Boy 07/2008, Girl 03/2010, Boy 05/2012, Angel  07/08/2014
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Posted By: LeahandJoel
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 11:11am
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Yup I use them when they are available, although not that many places have them here, which is a shame they are very handy. -------------  
 
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Posted By: emz
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 11:23am
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I use them at certain places, sometimes they're in awkward places tho.
My MIL was over for the long weekend and went shopping. She said that there were no parks so 'once more round and I would've just used the wheelchair park'  I don't even think she cared, DH and I were appalled. Mind you, coming from Westport they probably don't even have any wheelchair parks as the place is so small! (no offence coasters!)
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 11:25am
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The only place I use them is at countdown and new world. All the malls and stuff the normal spaces seem good enough, and quite often are so packed you are lucky to get a normal park so would probably be impossible to get a parent one.
The one at countdown says new and expectant mothers. Dh complained about this as he reckons its sexist and that it means he shouldn't park there even if he has Spencer with him, to which I pointed out he has never actually taken Spencer shopping with him  ------------- 
 
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Posted By: tishy
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 11:52am
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I use them if there's one free, which there never is a Porirua Shopping Centre.
At Woolworths in Johnsonville they're 'expectant mothers' parking also. I found this to be great as my baby brain was so bad I could never remember where I parked the car!!  
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Posted By: nikkitheknitter
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 12:06pm
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I stopped using the baby parks a few months ago now. She doesn't really qualify as a baby anymore!
And Brooke is a jerk. Can't wait to see how he feels when he has a kid or two to wrangle in the supermarket. |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 12:11pm
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i use them, I kinda figure that between the gremlins trying to get themselves run over and being eight months pregnant that i qualify.
I also have no issues with telling people off for parking in them without kids. And my pet hate is couples who park in them then one waits in the car with the baby while the other one goes in. IMO, if you're not getting the kid out of the car, you have no need for a parents park, don't be so damned lazy! ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Paws
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 12:15pm
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We sometimes still park in one if they are free, especially if we are in B's 2 door and need to wrangle Miss M from out the back seat.
Often though we've found at the mall if we get a park next a pole these is heaps of room there too! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Neeks
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 12:15pm
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We were with the MIL the other day and she pulled into the Mummy park (we had Keziah in the car) and she got the most wicked evils from this lady... Morgan (MIL) went absolutely off her nut... and the lady giving the evils quickly turned on her heels LOL
I usually park away from the entrances in the back lots.. the congestion is bad enough to keep me away -------------  
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Posted By: Shorty
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 12:17pm
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We don't use them anymore.
We used them when we went to the supermarket in summer (they are outside) I have been known to point it out to people who use and don't need to! Especially the disabled parking spots....grr makes me angry when people use them and they don't need to.....I always check they are not displaying a sticker then make a point of commenting....
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Posted By: GuestGuest
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 12:42pm
I'm TTC, does that count??
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Posted By: shaz
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 12:52pm
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I park in them if I have Alyssa. Mainly because of the space to put the pram out beside the car out of the traffic.
But I don't use it if it's just me and the big girls that would be unfair even though no one would know as I still usually have the car seat in the car. I get annoyed with people using disabled car parks as we used to have to use them when Natasha was sick and had a wheel chair. If people actually had to live a day in a diabled persons life they wouldn't use them. ------------- Mum to Natasha Aroha 9/12/1995, Alexandra Makareta Waimarie 22/4/1998 and....Alyssa Frances Hopaea 18/03/2007 
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Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 1:18pm
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We always head to them - they're generally much wider than normal parks which makes it much easier with a pram.
I like the idea of a 'new and expectant mothers' sign though. I remember when I was 8 months pregnant trying to squeeze out between our car and the one parked next to us - not fun! -------------  
 
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Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 2:27pm
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My DH complained to The Warehouse when they put mother's park on them. He worte them a great big dirty letter saying that he is not a mother but has chidlren and takes them out so why can't the be called parents parks. The Warehouse changed the parks to the pram sign. ------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: Rachael21
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 2:50pm
ROFL thats so true. I actually am yet to find a mothers park thats wider than a normal one. Maybe I just go to the wrong places. I actually think a pregnant lady deserves it more than me, its way worse having to walk further when pregnant than push a pram a few extra metres. I wouldn't mind if they had bigger parks further away just so its a bit easier for me and my monster pram. I hate having to leave one of the kids behind the car while I put the other one in the car. |
Posted By: LeahandJoel
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 2:56pm
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The ones we have seem to all have a picture of a pram and say parents parking, I have only seen them at one place where they say expectant mothers and new mothers, not that DP would use them anyway! -------------
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Posted By: AnnC
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 3:03pm
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I use them when i have Rhylz with me otherwise I find another park. In new Plymouth centre city there is only 2 (and yup they are right near the entrence) I think when I was pregnant (it is for expentant and new mothers) I could never get one and even since Having Rhylz I think I hv parked there once.
The other day a lady was in one who clearly wasn't pregnant or child (she was around 60 odd) and I was going to say something but she must of caught me on a good day and I just went and looked for another. ------------- Ann 
Also Mum to Josh (15) and Brooke (10) |
Posted By: meow
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 3:06pm
I've stopped using them for now. But in another few months I will start again  (although they are rarely every available anyway!).------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: my4beauties
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 3:08pm
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I definitely head to those parks first and see if any are available before I go looking for another park. I've only managed to get it a few times. Once I was just walking past the park on my way to my car, and saw a car pulling out, with no children in the car whatsoever, with 2 very capable young people in it
What that Howard-Smith guy said about how he uses them is so rude! He obviously doesn't think about how difficult it is to get children in & out of the car, or what a mission it is, to get safely inside the shopping centre with young toddlers/children after walking around the carpark with them! ------------- My babies: R (9),G (7), J (5) http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 4:15pm
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Oooh and when i was at Countdown earlier I was reminded of my other pet hate - people with disabled stickers who use the parents parks.
At our Countdown there are 2 parents parks and 12 disabled parks, and the disabled parks are never all full so it's totally unneccessary. I don't park in their disabled spots, they should stay out of my parent ones. (Although incidentally I wouldn't have used them today anyway as i didn't have the gremlins and my fat pregnant self needs the exercise) ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: aqua36
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 6:34pm
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If they are free then I use them, they are much easier for getting in and out. I had a lady have a go at me when I was prked ina normal park (no parent one's free) when I was getting Kate into the car, as I had the door open too far and she couldn't get into the park next to me (despite heaps of free ones further down). I tried to complain at Centreplace in Hamilton about people using who definitely didn't have a pram - one woman had two teenagers with her. If they provide that service they should monitor. But they really didn't care. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: pepsi
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 6:40pm
| Yeah I park in them if they're available, which they usually are since I go shopping first thing in the morning when the mall opens. Most of the ones at Westcity in Henderson are nice and wide so not only can I get my fat arse out of the car, it's easy to get Alyssa out too. |
Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 09 June 2008 at 7:51pm
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That's a disgusting attitude! Yes I do park in them, every time if I can unless DH is shopping with me. The teens who park in there annoy me so much, I have been close to saying something to their face at times. ------------- |