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The store is located within walking distance of 2 assisted living centers. One 50+ community and several senior centers. I just think the spots should be open for those individuals.
Not all of us over-50 types are incapable from walking from the middle or back of the parking lot to the store. And if we are, we can get disabled parking permits and park right up front.
As a childless person, I don't really care, since I always park on the far end of the parking lot and walk for the extra exercise anyway. I don't understand (young, healthy) people who drive up and down the aisles looking for a close space for 10 minutes, while I've already parked at the far end and walked into the building, they are still circling, but then they can go into the mall and walk around shopping for 3 hours. Is walking through the parking lot that much different than walking inside the mall (at least on nice days)?
But it seems to me that having these parent spaces near the front door wouldn't be any safer. The most dangerous time for kids in a parking lot seems to me to be when the parent is distracted by loading/unloading kids/groceries/packages from the vehicle. Following that time would be when you actually cross from the parking lot over to the sidewalk. Having both of those times take place near the front door, where the traffic is the highest, doesn't seem safer to me.
If it was really all about safety, I'd make the parent's spaces wider, but put them off to one end or the other of the parking lot, away from the front door, but near a sidewalk, so that they are away from the heaviest traffic, but still don't have to walk through the parking lot to get to the entrance, they just cross over in an area with far less traffic and walk on the sidewalk.
I'd bet that most parents would look for a narrow space closer to the door rather than the wide, reserved, parents space that had them having to walk a hundred feet farther on the sidewalk.
Just my $.02
A part of the safety issue is kids walking through the parking lot to get to the store, mall, whatever. Now the vast majority of parents are hanging on to their kids securely, but kids do manage to break loose occasionally, mom may be pushing a stroller with both hands and have the older kid walk beside her and the kid gets distracted by something. Certainly we've all heard of the example of a kid running out into the street to chase their ball, it an example of how a kid can get distracted easily. (Meaning it would help if people didn't bang out some lame response about what is a kid doing chasing a ball in a parking lot.) Also, kids' exercise tolerance is less than an adult's. So closer to the door is better, simply for the safety factor.
A wider parking spot is also helpful. I"m beginning to think that some of the objectors on this forum have never been in a parking lot, ever. They've never had the experience of trying to unload a cart full of groceries with the people on either side of them getting in and out of cars, let alone trying to do this with kids in tow. And yes, you put the kids in first.
There are some people who seem to take any little convenience offered to parents or children as a personal affront. I've never been able to understand why.
I'm beginning to think that some of the objectors on this forum have never been in a parking lot, ever. They've never had the experience of trying to unload a cart full of groceries with the people on either side of them getting in and out of cars, let alone trying to do this with kids in tow. And yes, you put the kids in first.
They wouldn't if their mommy's are doing all the grocery shopping for them.
I think it is stupid. If you cannot get your small child from the parking lot into the store without them getting hit by a car, you should not have children. The trend to make things so much easier for parents and children is going to do nothing but raise a generation of wimps.
Did you get hit by a car in a parking lot when you were a kid?
Spaces like that have been around for a long time. If you don't like it, then don't shop at that store. What a simple solution! They have nothing to do with handicap spots since putting in other special parking for anything does not change the federal requirements for a certain number of handicap spots based on parking lot size.
Seriously, people like to complain about the most trivial things sometimes...People without children should be thrilled about these spots. If you hit a small child in a parking lot, who do you think is at fault?
I'm waiting for the OP to complain about having to wait for an empty stall because rest stops added family rest rooms. This thread is what's wrong with the world. Why can't we be happy for the (very) little things that make life more pleasant for others? Why is it viewed as an affront to those who don't need them?
I never park near the stores anyway. I park in the outer edges, in the hopes that I'll be ding free when I get back to my car. But, dedicated parking spots to make life easier for somebody else? I'm all for it.
I think you missed the post that stated people *assume* a parking lot accident is always the kid's fault when it's not. It's sometimes the fault of an inattentive driver.
It is the fault of the care taker of the child or the driver.
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