As I drove into Sainsbury's car park on Saturday, I saw that it was busy.
I turned towards the parent and child spaces. A large black Saab flew into the space I had my eye on.
As I looked for another space I watched the Saab. Three strapping lads got out and sauntered towards the store. There were no children in the car. This bothers me. Selfish bleeps, I thought.
I found a space, further away from the entrance than I would have liked. I fumed as I put my boys in a trolley. As I stomped towards the shop I saw a sign stating that improper use of the parent and child spaces could result in a £50 fine.
A £50 fine. Hmmm.
I turned round, wrote down the Saab's registration number, then marched to Customer Services.
I gave the details to the delighted woman on the counter. I'm guessing she was a parent too!
Action stations.
I was shaking as I moved away. I zoomed round the fruit and veg and hid behind the bananas.
The tannoy bing-bonged, 'Would the owner of black Saab... please contact customer services.
I hope they did get fined. Lazy, inconsiderate so and so's!
***
While I was typing this post I flicked onto Twitter and saw that the lovely Lorraine at Ramblings of a Mum on the Run had just posted a very similar rant. You can read it here.
LOL! I have had them named and shamed too.
ReplyDeleteA strange uncontrollable bubbling rage takes over me ;).
I'm totally with you on this subject matter which really winds me up.
ReplyDeleteAlso people you see park in disabled spots - lazy lazy lazy.
i got so angry about it I even did a big feature on it in the paper i worked on. It was fab, I got a mum to visit various supermarkets and ask drivers why they thought it OK to park in a spot she needed as she had a newborn. they were so embarassed!
Then she went into the store and asked why they weren't policing it. They were also embarassed!
It's infuriating and inconsiderate how lazy people are. Grrrr. Well done on 'telling' on them.
ReplyDeleteGood for you Sandy C! Let's start a blogging-movement - if everyone of us does what you've done just once, that should make a difference!
ReplyDeleteVery brave! I would never have dared to do that. I always just rant about it to the children. Much more productive.
ReplyDeleteWell done you! I find its always people with flash looking cars who feel they can flout rules. I was out shopping over the weekend and went to cross at a zebra crossing, and nearly got run over by a woman in a soft top something or other.
ReplyDeleteI hope they got fined as well, the cheeky beggars
I didn't know you could 'name and shame' them!! Well Done!!! It's spurred me on to actually doing something about it too!! :)x
ReplyDeletehoorah! hoorah hoorah hoorah!
ReplyDeleteWell done. I'm going to retweet this to my friend Alex who was complaining about such nefarious activity only last week. Am going to retweet it that is, if I can figure out how to…
kim
Here ye, here ye...YOU ROCK WOMAN!!! I commend you for doing the right thing. I was so peeved one day as I had to park away from Parent & Child and as I was walking in, a woman sat in her large vehicle in Parent & Child waiting for her TEENAGE son who was bringing the shopping. Not only was that child not a CHILD, she was only using the space to wait for said TEENAGER!!! Argh. I was furious. She saw me coming, turned on the car and got outta there before I could reach her. Nasty b***h. Horrible people who flout the rules. I am proud of you! ;)
ReplyDeleteKarin
Well done you!! Silly boy/girl racers park in those places a) cause they are lazy so n sos and b) they don't want their precious(!) cars getting scratched etc etc oooooo they bug me!!!! I also hate it when ppl who are not disabled park in disabled spaces!! So inconsiderate. BUT worse is the parents who park in P&C spaces but only the mother or father gets out the car whilst the kids and respective parent stay in the car WTF is the point! Rant over LOL! Again well done you and at least ur supermarket did something about it. We've reported a few to our CS in Asda as they have same signs but they said they couldn't do anything about it. Nonsense!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely with you! I've seen this happen all too often at my supermarket and it really annoys me.
ReplyDeleteCJ xx
Mr is actually quite excited that we will soon be able to use the parent and child bays! It's like a right of passage isnt it... we would NEVER use them now. Nor the disables bays!
ReplyDeletegood for you!
ReplyDeleteI don't even drive but get annoyed when I see people doing that!
Maybe the supermarkets should offer the tell tale tits a bonus - a tenner off your shopping if you catch someone in the act :P
Well done you! I would never be brave enough...
ReplyDeleteFab, I've not spotted a sign saying that before. I'm going to look out for the signs now and do the same! (love the tenuous pic too!)
ReplyDeleteYou go girl, good on you, it really p*$$es me off when people without kids use the parent and baby spaces - I'm 8 months pregnant and only if I have H with me do I feel I qualify, if not I just squeeze out waddle from afar! Cx
ReplyDeleteYes, I really hate that too!
ReplyDeleteInsomniac Mummy, good for you! I was annoyed, but I reserve that bubbling rage for inconsiderate drivers in general! ;-)
ReplyDeleteTara, brilliant! I had always wondered if the stores were policing, I haven't ever noticed anyone!
Chic Mama, perhaps I should have left a note on their windscreen saying 'I'm telling'!!
The Dotterel, yay, I feel like I'm using my blogging powers for good!
Mwa, I was shaking in case they had seen me take their number and report them!
Claire, very true. There are so many people who think the law doesn't apply to them.
Emma, I don't think the supermarkets encourage reporting offenders, but how else would they know? x
Kim, 'nefarious activity', love it! My blog has gone all high-tech now you know, there is a RT button at the bottom of each post! x
Karin, thank you! Poor teenager, perhaps he had gangly legs and needed the extra space to get in the car! x
Laura C, thanks :-) What a shame Asda didn't take any action. No wonder people repeatedly park where they like. I always look at people getting out of cars parked in disabled spaces. I check that they look suitably in need, otherwise I give them a hard stare!
CJ, ooh you'll have to report them next time! x
Mrs OMG, that's so funny. When I had Presley I said to Andy 'we can park in the parent & child spaces now'! This wasn't the first thing I said when P was born. My first words then were 'OMG OMG'! I said about the parking about a week later!
Leslieanne, now that's a brilliant idea. 'Sainsbury's Sainsbury's where are you?'!!!
Clare, I didn't feel brave at the time, I was a bit scared! x
Whistlejacket, it was the first time I had noticed the sign, perhaps they're new? I did a search for 'grass' on Google Images and the car appeared!
Claire L, that's reminded me of the time I proudly squeezed my car into a narrow space in a car park, then realised - at 8 months pregnant - that I couldn't get out of the car! I then parked in a P&C space and waddled to the entrance sticking my bump out! x
A Modern Mother, yes, but this was the first time I'd done anything about it!
I oh so know that sick sort of sinking feeling when you decide to do something about it - well done a very brave act in this day and age!
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to tell tales on the people i see parking in these spaces when they don't have children in the car - this has given me a bit more confidence about doing it! Woohoo! This is the first time I've read your blog, and it's really made me chuckle. Thanks for the light relief!
ReplyDeleteOOOOOh. You are good. I would bristle and do nothing. Good for you.
ReplyDeleteTattie Weasle, I would only report parking offenders if I was sure they wouldn't know it was me!
ReplyDeleteSarah, welcome and thanks :-) It was only when I saw the sign advertising the fine that I decided to report them!
Ladybird, I used to bristle too - great word :-)