On Thu 02 Apr 2009 12:37:20a, ChattyCathy told us...

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
>> On Wed 01 Apr 2009 10:32:10p, ChattyCathy told us...
>
>>>>
>>> Yep, you've made that pretty clear. However, if your Mom had felt the
>>> same way, you wouldn't be here, now would you?
>>
>> That has nothing to do with this topic. My parents wanted more
>> children but were unable to have more. Had they had more, I'm quite
>> sure they would have been as well disciplined as I was and no "mother
>> with children" spaces would be required, nor would other shoppers
>> have a problem with their or my presence.
>
> Ahem. If this has nothing to do with the topic, why did you bother to
> tell me how you feel about it?

You opened that door, not I.

>> There is serious parental negligence in discipline and training today,
>> and for that, everone else suffers. It's hardly my fault if they
>> cannot control their kids. If I misbehaved in public, I was quickly
>> whisked away and displined in one way or another. I can assure you it
>> rarely happened. I had great parents and they knew what they were
>> doing.
>
> Sounds to me like are you intimating that *all* the other parents out
> there these days are not as good as yours. I discipline my children
> when in public too. Just because I have children doesn't make me think
> they can do as they please and cause a disturbance either. In fact, we
> all but stopped dining out anywhere until our kidlette was old enough
> to 'behave herself' and not annoy the other restaurant patrons. Same
> goes when I take her shopping with me. If she doesn't behave herself in
> the supermarket she hears all about it (which is not that often, but it
> has happened).

Certainly not all, but a good deal more than when I was growing up. For
lack of a better way to say it, I think it's a sign of the times. Things
were much different than when I was growing up.

>>> I think it's safe to say that you're in the minority when it comes to
>>> not wanting kids - just look at the world population. And IMHO,
>>> getting annoyed about a few parking spaces offered to pregnant Moms
>>> and/or parents with children by the various stores/supermarkets is
>>> only going to raise your blood pressure - it's not going to make the
>>> stores 'reallocate' them. As Boron pointed out somewhere else in this
>>> thread, the stores do it to 'keep their clientele happy'. It is
>>> indeed an added incentive to shop there - which seems to work.
>>
>> I'm quite sure that I'm in the minority and don't mind admitting it.
>> At
>> the same time, I think you may be missing my point. I have nothing
>> against a pregnant woman parking close to the store, and I would
>> consider their
>> pregnancy to be a temporary disability.
>
> Funny way of looking at it, IMHO but if that's your take on it, so be
> it.

Obviously, it's a matter of opinion.

>> I suggest that that they
>> should obtain a temporary disability placard and vie for the legal
>> legitimate disability spaces like anyone else that's disabled. I
>> still see absolutely no reason for specificd spaces dedicated for this
>> purpose.
>
> Somehow, I don't think I needed to have a placard when I was 8 months
> pregnant. It was pretty obvious to most onlookers... Anyway, as it is
> biologically impossible for you to ever be in the same situation, I
> think we'll have to agree to disagree about this.

I certainly agree to disagree. I was quite sure we'd have to from the
beginning.

> Heh. I remember getting pulled over by a traffic cop when I was heavily
> pregnant with the kidlette. (They do that periodically here to check if
> your car is licensed and that you have a valid drivers license).
> Anyway... the cop asked for my drivers license, but I had left my
> handbag (purse?) in the trunk of the car and my license was in it. I
> told him this and started to unfasten my seatbelt and attempt to
> wriggle out of my seat. At this point he was close enough to see my
> condition through the window. He just smiled at me and said, "It's OK,
> lady. Not to worry. Good luck with the new baby". Now I suppose you
> think that's 'favoritism' too?
>>
>> I become dismayed when I see people on walkers or crutches having to
>> park beyond the distance of the pregnancy spaces and struggle to get
>> to the store, when if they were all designated as disability spaces,
>> everyone needing them would have equal opportunity.
>
> I dunno where you shop, but where I shop the pregnancy spaces are
> usually close to the Baby-R-Us type of stores (right next to the
> disabled parking spaces).
>

Not so where I live. Supermarkets, and even some of our big box stores
have these spaces and they are closer to the entrances than the disabled
spaces.

--
Wayne Boatwright

"One man's meat is another man's poison"
- Oswald Dykes, English writer, 1709.