We are giving a big cheer to Tesco this week as they announce that they cracking down on people who abuse mother and baby and disabled spaces – giving employees smartphones to record the evidence, and dishing out fines of up to £70 for people who park inappropriately park in marked bays.
As a mum of a toddler and now a newborn baby, there is nothing more frustrating that watching someone drive into a mother and baby space with no children in their car. In my experience, its usually someone in a posh four by four, who clearly wants a large space to avoid damaging their precious automobile, or on the flipside, someone who is clearly too lazy to walk the additional 2 or 3 metres to the supermarket entrance. I have, at times, got into a slanging match with those who I have seen, and at times, shouted at them to move out of the space when I have highlighted that its a parent space. 9 times out of 10 they move, usually denying all knowledge (clearly they cannot read!!!). Sometimes however they ignore me and waltz off into the store without a care in the world, and up until now, there wasn’t much the store could do about it!
These spaces have always caused a bit of a debate, as well as raised a few questions (Such as at what age does a child stop being a child? Can pregnant women park in them etc etc), but for me personally they are a massive help, and reduce the stress of trying to get children out the car without accidently hitting the door of the car next to you. Whilst I can understand people wanting to park in them when it is the only space left (rare I would say!!) I do not condone someone abusing the spaces “just because”.
For me personally, this is the 2nd initiative Tesco have introduced in recent months that is a positive step for parents (the first being free fruit for children to eat whilst we shop!)
Fingers crossed the initiative works!
