A mum-to-be has been slammed for using a parent and child parking space – without having a child with her.
The pregnant mother-of-two, who said she suffers from shooting pains that leave her “hobbling” went shopping at a Sainsbury’s in Kent earlier this week.
Commenting on parenting forum Mumsnet, she defended her decision to use the space.
She wrote: “The parking spaces in the car park are very narrow, to the point where I struggle to fit myself and my bump out of the door and it was all getting a bit ridiculous, so today I decided to park in one of the P&C spaces (of which there are many, and I didn’t take the last empty one) so that I wouldn’t have to squeeze out of the door and would have less distance to painfully shuffle into the shop.
“Afterwards I was putting my shopping in my car when I was accosted by some absolute cowbag who berated me for taking a P&C space even though I didn’t have a child with me.
Opinion was divided on whether the woman was being unreasonable or not.
One person who felt she was wrote: “Well they’re not ‘pregnancy’ parking spaces are they?
“Good reason why spaces are provided for parents of young children and you’ll appreciate this when your baby arrives.
“I think you could probably manage a normal space, like other people experiencing temporary discomfort are able to.
“I wouldn’t have challenged you on it but would have thought it.”
Another came to the woman’s defence, saying: “They are parent and child places – you are a parent to the child inside your womb who (unbeknownst to them) is causing you pain atm.
“No one in their right mind would begrudge you a parking space nearest to the shop. Has the world gone mad?”
