Ali Condon
A mum has gone viral after calling out drivers who take over parent and child parking spaces when they don't have a kid with them.
Chloe Cain was frustrated after struggling to get her little one out of the car when she was forced to park in a regular space, because two drivers without children took up the wider parent and child spaces.
Having finally set up her son in his pram, the mum told her followers: "We just arrived to the town centre. Let me flip the camera around. This car here: Two young lads going to the gym. This car here, which, bearing in mind can't even park in the space that there is: Just an old man."
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When Chloe asked the old man if he had a child with him, the man replied that he hadn't - proving her point that drivers were selfishly taking up much-needed parent and child spaces.
"I struggled to get this one out of the car because I'm in a normal bay. When will people learn?" she asked.
Perhaps rather unexpectedly, the TikTok reaction to Chloe's dilemma was quite mixed.
Some fellow parents backed her up in the comment section, agreeing that they had been struggling with the same problem.
They also pointed out that it wasn't about how close you can get to the shops, but how much room the parking space allows to set up buggies and keep youngsters together and off the road.
"I like telling people they’ve forgotten the child when they walk away from the car", wrote one parent.
"I really wish they would put these bays right at the back of the car park it's not about closeness its about space", suggested a second.
"Unfortunately there is no law to stop it. As a dad of 5 I’ve had many arguments over this", explained a third.
And, after spotting the heavy negative reaction to Chloe's post, a fourth wrote: "These comments are proof for how older generations want us to suffer and childless people just hate mothers and children."
Yes, a lot of the comments under Chloe's video totally dismissed the mum's dilemma and told her they planned to keep hogging the parent and child spaces, since there's no law against it.
"I park in them all the time. I used to be a child", mocked one viewer.
"Why do [people] think cause they have kids the world revolves around them", asked a second.
And a third proudly told the mum: "I always use them, it’s not illegal."
It's true, parking in a child and parent space without a kid isn't illegal, and doesn't come with the same penalties that parking in a disabled parking space would.
According to Confused.com, 'parking in a supermarket car park is managed and enforced by the supermarket itself', meaning 'it’s not illegal to park in a parent and child space without a child.'
That being said, you could still get a Parking Charge Notice (PCN), the same as you would if you overstayed in a car park - though these PCNs wouldn't be backed up by law.
So, it's completely legal to park in these designated spaces, even if you're not a parent - but does that make it okay? Not really.
It's not against the law to be a jerk but it's best to avoid it if you can.