In article >,
ChattyCathy > wrote:

> 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?

Wayne is a very polite person. He obviously had quality parenting (and
no, I'm not being sarcastic here).

> > 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).

Let's face it. Traditional adult restaurants are not suitable for
children. Adults want to sit around, talk and enjoy their food. Kids
want to fill their stomachs and get on with the playing. There are
notable exceptions.

> >> 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.

My wife and I went camping when she was 7 months pregnant with our
first. The ranger gave her a funny look and had a little talk with her
before we left for an easy ranger hike. It got a little difficult when
the ranger got lost, but she did OK. She worked up until the day she
went into labor. She didn't need a special space then. But I've known
lots of women who were perfectly healthy before and after pregancy, but
had a pregnancy-related condition, or another condition that was made
worse by pregnancy, and really needed special parking.

> > 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.

That's silly. 8 months pregnant, person in wheelchair; yeah, that's
obvious. They go in the store, leaving a vehicle with no placard.
Police officer sees said car with no person anywhere near, and writes
ticket.

> 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).

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA