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Can someone please explain to me why there are designated parking spaces at various grocery and retail stores for "families with children"?? Up front and center with the handicapped spots? Last time I checked, parents are still capable of walking like everyone else. Unless that changed recently and I'm somehow unaware of it.
How do you know if the adult with the children is his/her/their parent? Do they have someone checking? What about if you are a parent with children, but they aren't with you? Do you still get to park there? What if you are 80 and your children are 60? Do you still get to park there?
I see a lot more spots reserved for compact, electric, or fuel-efficient cars than I do for those reserved for families. I only recall seeing those outside Babies R Us stores.
Thanks for reinforcing my argument. All the more reason to provide "parents with children" parking spots so we can try to keep kids safe.
You usually make sense. What does people texting have to do with parking lots? Are you arguing that as protection against clueless drivers we need to have parking spaces so that the texting Mom's don't careen into wildly escaping toddlers?
I am with everyone else. This is the dumbest thread ever.
Once again, that is completely misinterpreting what I am saying. My entire point is that if we are saying these spaces are for SAFETY reasons, then put them in SAFER places, away from the main entrance of the store. The main entrance is the least safe place in the parking lot, and putting the spaces right next to the busiest place in the lot makes NO sense.
Alternate entrances are no less convenient, so it isn't like they are being punished. When I go to the mall, I ALWAYS park at one of the back entrances. It isn't like it matters once you are inside the mall, anyway, unless you are only going to one store, and it is just inside the front entrance.
Again, I always park at the far end of every parking lot anyway and have never seen any of these spaces anywhere in my town, so I don't care, personally. I just don't get the logic of putting them in the least safe place in the parking lot, and then saying they are there for safety.
OK, I hear you. It just struck me as like the "rear entrances" for minorities and such that existed years ago. But yes, for safety, a less busy entrance would be good. I'd have used it when my kids were little.
Can someone please explain to me why there are designated parking spaces at various grocery and retail stores for "families with children"?? Up front and center with the handicapped spots? Last time I checked, parents are still capable of walking like everyone else. Unless that changed recently and I'm somehow unaware of it.
I agree. These designated parking spots have really gone overboard lately. And yes, I realize that it can be stressful to walk in a parking lot with a young child, but is putting in a special parking spot really going to change anything? Less time walking, I suppose, but also more exposure to cars circling around or by the doors. Seems safer to stick them in a remote corner where they can load/unload with fewer cars around.
But.. these are private parking lots, and they can do whatever they want. If pandering to parents with young kids, or pregnant women, or electric car drivers, or whatever other group they feel like, I guess that's their call. If the stores are primarily concerned about safety, however -- which in most cases I doubt, given the design of most parking lots -- there are undoubtedly better ways to do it than slapping up a sign.
Are you arguing that as protection against clueless drivers we need to have parking spaces so that the texting Mom's don't careen into wildly escaping toddlers?
Yes. It was either that or a snarky response and I'm trying to avoid those lest we go through another mod in record time. I went with obtuse argument.
I agree. These designated parking spots have really gone overboard lately. And yes, I realize that it can be stressful to walk in a parking lot with a young child, but is putting in a special parking spot really going to change anything? Less time walking, I suppose, but also more exposure to cars circling around or by the doors. Seems safer to stick them in a remote corner where they can load/unload with fewer cars around.
But.. these are private parking lots, and they can do whatever they want. If pandering to parents with young kids, or pregnant women, or electric car drivers, or whatever other group they feel like, I guess that's their call. If the stores are primarily concerned about safety, however -- which in most cases I doubt, given the design of most parking lots -- there are undoubtedly better ways to do it than slapping up a sign.
Spoken as the parent of an only child. You have no idea how much harder it is to control two than one. It's not just twice as hard. One is generally several years younger, for one thing. I don't know what you mean by cars circling around the doors. Yes, that happens. But it's going to happen when you reach the doorway, no matter what.
Exactly why my post has them not walking through the parking lot. It has them parking just as close to the building, but crossing in an area with much less traffic, followed by walking a short distance on a sidewalk. No more walking through the parking lot than having the spaces right at the front door.
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Not sure if this was in response to my post or not. I assume so, since you bolded part of it. If so, you misinterpreted what I was saying. I totally agree with you on this point. My point was that if you put the parent spaces in a SAFER place, most parents would STILL choose the closer narrow space over having to walk, on a sidewalk, an extra few feet, to get to the wider spot, because most people are lazy.
What sidewalks?
There is one grocery store that comes to mind that is in my area. Actually in my old neighborhood, I don't live there anymore so I don't shop there anymore. Anyway they have a setup where there is a small sidewalk running down the middle of each parking section/row. The sidewalk acts as a divider, where there would normally be those yellow parking curb things. So, the cars park diagonally facing the sidewalk and the sidewalk is in the middle of two rows of cars. This was the best setup ever. There is a sloped ramp at each end so you can walk along this sidewalk with your cart if needed.
Unfortunately, I have ONLY seen it at one store (grocery). Every other store I can think of around here.. grocery, Walmart, strip centers, whatever, all have no other way for someone to get from their parked car to the front of the store without walking in the same area where cars are driving. All you can do is stay close to the parked cars next to you but then you have to worry about people backing up who don't look first. To go to a sidewalk, in most of these, would require walking across the entire parking lot to the outer edge of the property near the street, which seems rather foolish and pointless.
I am guessing there aren't as many with the sidewalk dividers around since it takes up more space this way but it sure seems to be the safest for everyone concerned.
I have an ap on my cell that freezes it while I'm in the car.
I've seen plenty of moms in mini vans texting with kids in their cars.
What a crock.
The cell phone just "knows" you're in the car???? Please. Do tell the name of this magical app so we can all apply it to our loved ones phones.
You've seen "moms in minivans texting with kids in the car". Okayyyyeeeee...... Just happens to be "moms in minivans".
Last edited by Amisi; 03-29-2013 at 06:25 PM..
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