Mums with Prams parking etiquette
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
Forum Description: For mums, dads, parents-to-be, grandparents, friends -- you name it! And you name the topic you want to chat about!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4583
Printed Date: 01 October 2025 at 4:55pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Mums with Prams parking etiquette
Posted By: Paws
Subject: Mums with Prams parking etiquette
Date Posted: 23 November 2006 at 4:29pm
|
I don't know if it is just me or if others would be mildly annoyed...I got pipped at the post for the last Mums with Prams park today at the mall. I must admit I was a bit put out that it was a family with an umbrella stroller and a toddler who got out of the car almost on his own that emerged. I had my huge mountain buggy, nappy bag and 3/4 sleeping infant to man-handle.
Would anyone else find this frustrating? If it was me with just an umbrella stroller I wouldn't bother to park there...maybe it's just me though. *shrug* ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Replies:
Posted By: nikkitheknitter
Date Posted: 23 November 2006 at 5:00pm
|
*Hides the fact that she just parked in one of the baby parks at P&S*
I think the time has come that I can no longer park in the baby parks. (Altho I often carry Hannah through car parks as I don't trust her+cars... and carrying her from the furtherest park away makes my arms weaken at the thought!) |
Posted By: james
Date Posted: 23 November 2006 at 6:00pm
we dont have thoses praks here in dunners but if there were i would be taking full adavancegte of it ------------- <a href="http://lilypie.com"><img src="http://b4.lilypie.com/nLJ5p13.png" alt="Lilypie 4th Birthday Ticker" border="0" /></a> |
Posted By: Two Blondinis
Date Posted: 23 November 2006 at 6:54pm
|
That P's me off too Paws! and if I wasn't so polite I'd tell them so too!
In the whole 4 months I've had Caitlin I've only managed a "Parents with prams" spot once, and regularly see heaps of Parents with big kids use them. I've even seen a lady and her (at least)5 year old get into a car that was parked there whilst the guy was waiting for them in the car!  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
 
|
Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 23 November 2006 at 6:57pm
|
if there are no other carparks, xmas rush and all, they probably think they are justified, and, in all fairness, they probably didn't see you with everything.
I get really annoyed with peole parking in spaces they shouldn't, especially disabled parks. When they get out i want to say loudly "oh, i guess they do look disabled afterall", but don't have the guts....this is gisborne after all (anyone else see the news last night - scared the crap out of Lewis in the bar at the time) |
Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 23 November 2006 at 7:57pm
|
I have to admit that I have used the ones at the warehouse with Andrew. But if you have ever seen that carpark you would understand, it is horrible and with me being pregnant and having Andrew with me I feel I can use them. My DH was responsible for making the PN warehouse change their carparks from "mother and child" to the pic of a pram. He told them that not just mothers go shopping with children. I would be a little put out if someone with a toddler used the park, but being so close to xmas people think any carpark is fine for them. ------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: yummymummy
Date Posted: 23 November 2006 at 8:34pm
|
I'll be the devil's advocate here but a carpark is a carpark and the pram signs are not exactly 'legal' - I mean it's not illigal to park on those and who's to say what age is allowed (unlike the disabled ones where you require a permit). It can be a pain to find any carpark sometimes so ppl will just get what they can - esp this time of the year.
I hope you managed OK Paws. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: meow
Date Posted: 23 November 2006 at 8:40pm
|
I don't park in them anymore. Don't think I can get away with it now that Ella is almost 2 and a half. If I was a few months pregnant and had a toddler too, then yes, I would park there.
One time when Ella was younger at P&S some guy in a flash car drove up and pulled into a pram park just before we got there. I was driving but DP leaned on the horn until he got back in his car and reversed out of it lol. I have to admit to using disabled parks *very rarely* - I usually just park and wait in the car - but it's only one place I use them, right near DP's work - as all the other spaces are full and if I'm picking him up after work I have to run in to get him.. as he never hears his phone when I text. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 23 November 2006 at 9:04pm
|
yummymummy once you have children and all the stuff you have to carry with them you will realise why those parks are for parents with young children. ------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: Paws
Date Posted: 23 November 2006 at 9:32pm
Oh yeah I managed fine...I also don't mean to sound like I don't think they have any right to park there so I hope I don't sound too much like a narky cow! (sorry to mums with toddlers if I do!!  )
However...to that young couple who parked in the one we had just vacated the other week and who had NO kids....shame on you! *waggles finger* ------------- http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 23 November 2006 at 9:34pm
|
I don't currently use "pram" parks, now that Hannah can walk beside me with no problems and Briona is ok to carry from the carpark, I prefer to leave them for ppl with smaller children... with the silent hope that they will do that for me sometime. And if I am with DH, I usually park elsewhere too.
*remembers what it was like at Pak n Save with 2 under 2* Becks I know what you mean about the Warehouse parking, but I don't remember ever seeing the pram parks free! -------------  |
Posted By: Jennz
Date Posted: 23 November 2006 at 9:38pm
|
I get so mad here as they have heaps of mum & bubs carparks at our local supermarket (about 15 right outside the door) and you can guarantee that half the cars in those parks are either old people or young sinlge men. I have just started using them again now as I'm exhausted and not nearly as community concious in my ill state- I stopped once DD got more independent but I guess some people just firgure they're for mothers with small children and first in first served. ------------- Jen, Charlotte 7 & Kate 3 
|
Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 23 November 2006 at 9:49pm
|
i have to agree with yummymummy - there is nothing illegal about parking in them.
and i still park in there and will continue to do so as long as i have to help my children out of the car. what should happen tho is all carparks should be made wider. i know if i park next to a car with a carseat in it i make sure there is heaps of room for the driver to get the kid in and out. ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
|
Posted By: my2angels
Date Posted: 23 November 2006 at 9:57pm
|
I get annoyed with old people using the mums with babies carparks, had a run in with an old guy once when i decided to wait for a park, he shook his head and said no you cant have the park so I pointed out it was a park for babies and he tried to tell me that his daughter and her baby were coming out of the shop at any moment so i told him I would wait, he said no i couldnt so that made me even more determined to wait (car park was chocker) but he put his groceries away and got is wife in the car and drove off within about a minute, no sign of his daughter and her baby!!!
But I must admit even before Addison i still used the babies car parks. Its to dangerous to let Kobe walk through car parks and he is to heavy to carry so Im going to park as close to the door or a walk way as i can. I think from about 3-4 years when they are less likely to run off on you then i would stop using them. |
Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 23 November 2006 at 9:57pm
|
I do agree there gsmum, we have 2 parks at our local countdown and the parks a very wide so there is heaps of room to get in and out. ------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: Bombshell
Date Posted: 23 November 2006 at 10:10pm
|
I think if you still need a stroller then those parks are fair game ...
Botany does tow if no car seat in the car! Guess no car seat means no kid so they are totally justified in that!! What i would like to see more of is the expectant parent parking - we have like five at countdown botany - and i am going to start using it now i am showing and waddling! But botany only has parents with prams parks no expectant parents ones so i wont chance those at all. MUm and grandma had disabled park sticker...amazing how many people use them without one! Trying to get a 90 year old of a car with wheelchair in any other park is impossible so no i dont agree with even parking in those for a minute now!!! |
Posted By: meow
Date Posted: 23 November 2006 at 10:35pm
|
oh yeah, forgot to mention that where I have to park at DP's work, they made 3 spaces (out of like 10) disabled parks and NO ONE (well I've never seen someone there with a sticker in their window) uses them.. fair enough having parks for people with disabilities but it's a waste if it means 3 less parks there with no one using them.. what is even worse is that they are deciding to make these few car parks into a pedestrian park so I will never be able to park close by when they do that (note I have to pay each time I park too, good old $4 per hour parking GRRRR!
lol Oh yeah, Bombshell, what if you had a baby in a carseat capsule and you have one of those travel systems and you took your baby + carseat out of your car! would they tow you then? ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: nikkitheknitter
Date Posted: 24 November 2006 at 8:16am
Hehe - yeah, personally I'd rather be carrying a massive nappy bag and hauling a buggy out than walking from the otherside of the carpark with a 14 kg toddler (and also a baby bag - these little mongrels are still pretty damn unpredictable) who is also trying to launch herself out of my arms to escape. |
my2angels wrote:Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 24 November 2006 at 8:27am
Paws was there a chance the people in the car that took that park after you were pregnant? I got scowled at heaps when i was heavily pregnant behind the wheel driving coz i looked young. That was until i got out with my huge bump lol they were like ohhhh hrmm yeh shes pregnant she can park there! 
|
Posted By: Paws
Date Posted: 24 November 2006 at 9:02am
|
Nope not pregnant...
I just want to say that I'm not suggesting they are any less deserving of the car park but simply if it was me and I had a child who needed minimal help getting out and I only had an umbrella stoller I would just use a normal park....but that's just me. I guess I was also kind of wondering what others would do/thought.  ------------- http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: KH25
Date Posted: 24 November 2006 at 10:23am
|
I'm ok with people using them if they have children, either babies or toddlers. BUT.... it really f***s me off when people with NO children use them! I go straight past one supermarket and travel an extra 10 mins or so to go to one that has mother and child/expectant mother parks and also some really cool trollies with a shelf thing that the capsule sits on top of. But grrrrr when other people use them!! I was there the other day and it was peeing down with rain and sat for around 5 mins waiting for a park to come free while watching all the idiots use those parks when they shouldn't!! ------------- Kelly, mum to DD, 19Jun06 (26wks 1lb15oz) DS1, 24Oct10 (32wks 4lb11oz) and DS2, 31Dec11 (32wks, 4lb11) http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: luna
Date Posted: 24 November 2006 at 12:10pm
|
Well here in Ham, at one shopping centre, they've moved the carparks from under shelter to outside. Now what's up with THAT???? I've never been 'lucky' enough to nab myself a pram carpark anywhere, and have to admit to actually parking further away from the door just so I have enough room to get everything out of the car (we own a large car too, so doesn't help). ------------- Selina http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 24 November 2006 at 1:36pm
|
I don't have a problem with parents of preschoolers using those parks, everyone in good conscience I guess. ------------- |
Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 24 November 2006 at 1:37pm
Oh Bombshell I was gonna say once you have a carseat for your baby, you'll be able to park in one of those spots - great for the last 2 months!!  ------------- |
Posted By: yummymummy
Date Posted: 24 November 2006 at 4:37pm
|
I've got a carseat in my car - gift for baby from mum & dad but I wouldn't park in one of those spots - after all the baby that's to go on the seat is still in me. But I guess if I was desperate enough... ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: linda
Date Posted: 24 November 2006 at 8:55pm
|
Countdown in Lower Hutt has some expecting mum parks. I remember when I was first pregnant, about eight weeks, using them. Not because I was huge or anything...just felt cool to be pregnant and therefore use it.
|
Posted By: nuttymama
Date Posted: 25 November 2006 at 7:46am
|
i think if you are heavily pregnant you should be able to use it, if you want to split hairs your still getting a baby out of the car and depending on how big you are and how far along you are at that stage it can be more difficult than having to physically get a baby out of the car.
We still use the baby parks for Abby now and then she's nearly two. Our countdown has a big walkway with disabled, baby and then four normal parks so I always try for the baby or normal parks as it is the only safe place to park and get a pram out, as there is no room between the other carparks to put a pram. She is also a big wriggler and I hate having to try and hold her and constantly watch out for cars. I get really pissed of when I see people with no children getting out of cars and I have been known to tell a few people off. I usually make sure I go first thing in the morning during the week after taking the kids to school and then we have the pick of the parks and I usually go for a normal one. But that may change with christmas getting nearer. I 'm not sure when we will stop using them but probably soon as she is getting a bit older now. ------------- Abigail 06/01/2005 Jayden 21/11/2001 Micheal 03/04/1997 |
Posted By: Rachael21
Date Posted: 25 November 2006 at 1:29pm
I have used them when Jack wasn't in the car  I thought they were for mums with kids I never thought about there being an age limit. Half the time I think its just easier to find a normal park.
|
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 25 November 2006 at 3:27pm
|
I must admit I used the parent parks when I was preg with the twins even tho Maya's days of needing a pram are long over. It was more to do with how far I could actually cope with walking and my inability to restrain Maya if she ran near the road (has been known to happen) because I was so big.
Willie got real aggro with this young couple at Countdown parked in the Expectant Mum's parking when I was preg, he sat on his horn until they moved. They gave him a filthy as look but given that he is kind of big and tattooed and scary looking I guess they weren't game enough to say anything... Oh and my sister will tell you a story about how I scratched the side of this dopey young girls car for cutting in front of a lady and her kids and parking in a Mum and Bub park and then getting smart when I asked her to move. It's all lies I tell you!  ------------- 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)
|
Posted By: miss
Date Posted: 25 November 2006 at 3:34pm
|
You know, it has never crossed my mind to park where I am not supposed to! I have got really cross with people parking in disabled parks before though - I don't know anyone who uses them, but I always think that we are so lucky to not need them, how dare someone able bodied take the park off someone who needs it!
I am afraid I can't comment on using parent parks yet - I am sure they will be a godsned in the future though! -------------  
|
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 25 November 2006 at 5:05pm
|
I hate to say it but even if i did have an umbrella stroller and a toddler i would still use it coz i would prefer that my children be in a safe place close to the said shops instead of having to trapse across the carpark with kids in tow. Who knows who could go roaring past and take them out? I have seen the morons that speed through those carparks.
JMHO tho. |
Posted By: Sarah Beth
Date Posted: 25 November 2006 at 7:00pm
|
I think for me it would depend on how busy the mall was at the time. During a week day though if it were me with the umbrella stroller I would be more inclined to park elsewhere. Thankfully at Glenfield mall (I presume this is where you went) a lot of people tend to drive responsibly (in part due to all the speed bumps!) ------------- "> 
|
Posted By: linda
Date Posted: 25 November 2006 at 8:31pm
| Another thing that annoys me is cars that park half off and half on the foot path. I refuse to put myself and baby in danger by walking on the road around the car so my challenge is to try as hard as I can to get through the tight gap. I usually leave some rubber marks from the handle on the car. In Wellington the city council are ok if you park half on/half off the footpath but you have to leave enough room for prams. I don't care who sees me trying to push the pram through....I just hope they'll think twice next time they try and do it. |
Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 25 November 2006 at 9:04pm
| Palmerston north bloody car yards drive me crazy with that. The number of times I was forced to walk nop the rooad becasue sme stupid car was parked on the footpath. I complained to the manager but they said that legally they could do it. ass |
Posted By: Sarah Beth
Date Posted: 26 November 2006 at 9:09am
|
Hubby had been known back in the day to walk over the top of cars that were parked on the foot path. You will get a ticket in Auckland (well you used to) for doing it and his theory was, foot path is for feet, not for car wheels. Don't imagine anyone was impressed by it if they saw him though! ------------- ">
|
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 26 November 2006 at 10:27am
haha sarahbeth that would be so funny to see 
I hate walking around here coz of the cars all over the foot path it drives me bonkers! I cant wait to move away to Param. Glenfield is better now they have the judder bars and seeing there arent as many hooligans that can speed through there with them i wouldnt use the park but here i def would spesh at queensgate there are sooooo many idiots that roar through the carpark! |
Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 26 November 2006 at 8:19pm
|
a personal bugbear of mine. I have been known to go CLEAN off at non baby people (not expectant mums, though) who park in these parks.
BUT I HATE WITH A PASSION ANYONE WHO PARKS IN A DISABLED CARPARK ILLEGALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My dad is in a wheel chair, and it literally ruins any shopping expidition you may need to go on when fu@#wits who aren't disabled park in these parks. The thing I don't think many people think about is the disabled people have to PAY for the mobility cards they use (as well as for parking) yes, thats right, PAY for the "privlege" of maybe getting a handicapped park if they are lucky. Something about this rant you mums might sympathise with, though, you know how when you can park in a mums/babies car park, you do need the extra room to be getting in and out of your vehicle with baby, stroller etc. Same thing as with a handicapped park, except imagine you are getting a 45kg man who cannot support himself at all into a chair that you need to park beside the car, as he is just to heavy to carry round to the back of the car or from the footpath, etc.(and you are 7 1/2 months pregnant...) No offence to anyone who was brave enought to admit to doing this, just wanted to RANT! ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: nikkitheknitter
Date Posted: 26 November 2006 at 8:43pm
Nice rant Annie! And fully justified! 
|
Posted By: newmum
Date Posted: 27 November 2006 at 8:01am
|
Good thread!!
I was under the impression that those car parks were for parents with preschoolers AND heavily pregnant women too?? I still use the spaces with Joey (if they are ever free) because I feel I have the right to. I too HATE people parking in those disabled parks, I always get really annoyed when I see so many paople abusing those spots, especially the few times I have then seen someone with a disabled permit miss out on a park because of some stupid boy racer or something, grrrrr.  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|