There is nothing worse than driving into a parking lot at a busy time of the day like lunchtime or right after work. Finding a parking spot can become a game of Tetris as cars are pulling in and out, swooping to steal spots, and generally being like a cat and mouse as everyone tries to maneuver as close to the entrance of wherever they are going as possible. For one aunt, she saw that a parent and child space was available. Without hesitation she drove into the spot and parked her car, ready to carry on with her shopping for the day with her niece and baby in tow. After all, she had a child with her which meant that the spot was essentially meant for her to make this new mom’s life a little bit easier.
Anyone with small children or a baby knows that it can be quite juggling game to get everyone out of the car and into the shopping complex or supermarket. However, when this young mother came back to her aunt’s car she found a note which was extremely uncalled for.
Meet Chloe
The mom at the heart of this story is Chloe Connolly who is a resident of Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. She had just had a cesarean section for the birth of her baby boy, Avery. Like all new moms, Chloe was getting some help with her few weeks old baby from her dear aunt Sandra.
Sandra took on driving duties as Chloe was still healing and when it became apparent they needed to go to the shop she drove them.
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Grocery Shopping
The trio got into the car for the trip to the store and Sandra quickly spotted a mom and child spot for them to park in. Chloe was relieved as it meant that she would not have to walk very far to the entrance. As the three wandered around the store and selected what they needed it became apparent that they would need to make a couple of trips to the car with all of their purchases.
Chloe had to hold Avery and Sandra took the first round of groceries out to the car. But as Chloe watched from the store she realized that something was off.
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A Busybody
When Sandra had gone out to the parking lot with the first round of shopping bags she had been greeted with the sight of an unknown woman in a car loitering around her spot. Unsure of why she was there she approached her cautiously.
The woman immediately rolled down her window and crossly asked where Sandra’s child was. Calmly she explained that Avery was with his mother and that she simply needed to drop some bags off at her car. The woman did not care and began complaining about being unable to find parking and that she wanted Sandra’s spot.
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Some Open Spaces
As the woman continued to complain loudly, Sandra motioned to some spaces a little further down that had just become vacant. She hoped that this would appease this rather contrary woman who needed a parking spot.
Sandra was not in the wrong for parking in the mother and child spot even if this woman did not believe that Chloe and Avery existed.
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Unwanted Attention
Thinking that this was the end of the confrontation, having pointed out the open spots, Sandra went back to the store to collect Chloe and Avery.
But this would not be the last of this unpleasant stranger. In fact, it was just the beginning. The woman seemed all too consumed with Sandra.
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Grabbing A Bite To Eat
Not wanting to have a nice day ruined by this encounter, Sandra went to meet her niece and Avery inside the store. Avery was being nice and quiet for a newborn, so they decided to take advantage of his good mood and treat themselves to a nice lunch.
Chloe listened while Sandra recounted what had happened and how rude this other mother had been about not being given the mom and child spot.
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What To Do
As Chloe, Avery, and Sandra made their way back to the vehicle they noticed that something was amiss. Somebody had left a note attached to Sandra’s car and the culprit could only be one person.
At first, Sandra thought about simply throwing it away in the trash bin as she felt she had already dealt with enough nonsense from the woman, but something inside of her could not help but want to have a look at what it said.
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A Rude Note
This unknown mom had already berated Sandra publicly for something she had not done: use a parking spot when she does not have a child.
Well, she was not finished with her tirade and the note she left under the windshield proved this. It said, “ Where’s the car seat? Be considerate to people who need these spaces.”
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Two In One
Clearly, this woman did not realize that car seats can now be part of a stroller which is exactly what Avery’s was. A much easier invention than having to spend the money on two separate items.
Sandra wondered where the woman had been for the past ten years, after all, a multi-way stroller was not at all a new thing.
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Disbelief
Sandra and Chloe stared down at the note in disbelief. How could this angry mother write something so blatantly unkind and not even have the decency to believe Sandra when she said there was a baby on board?
Sandra had simply taken the space because Chloe herself is a mother with a new baby and has every right to use a space meant for exactly her situation.
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Shocking Incident
Who was this other mother to call out Sandra via this aggressive note? It was appalling that Sandra should be made to feel like she had done this woman a grievous wrong by not giving up the parking space.
The pair were in total disbelief at what had happened. Being a new mother is hard enough without having a random stranger come over to you and verbally abuse you.
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That’s Enough
Chloe decided that the world needed to know exactly what had happened. Her aunt did not deserve to feel bad about something she had done out of the kindness of her own heart.
She took to social media to explain the whole ordeal and it quickly went viral. Chloe wanted to draw attention to the fact that nosy people do not have all the answers and that you can assume nothing.
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A Public Dressing Down
This Facebook post was designed to grab the attention of all of Chloe’s friends and hopefully make its way back to the writer of this unkind note. This disgruntled mother had effectively ruined Chloe and Sandra’s day together and she would have none of it.
This woman needed to be held accountable for her actions and learn to think before she speaks or tries to steal someone’s parking spot because she believes she is more deserving.
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Proof
To punctuate her point, Chloe also took a picture of baby Avery in his carrier and attached it to her post regarding the entire situation. She wanted to make it clear that Avery had been in the car in case this woman decided to fire back and make up some more lies.
This whole thing could have been avoided if this mean woman had simply accepted what Sandra said as the truth and moved on to find another spot.
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The Post Goes Viral
As people in the Manchester area, and then worldwide read the post and reshared it Chloe found herself in a very supportive online community. People messaged her to tell her about similar situations they had experienced. Everyone commended her for calling this woman out as her behavior towards Sandra was completely uncalled for.
This woman probably did not expect for this encounter to be shared across social media but in this day and age, you need to be extremely careful with what you do and say.
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More Comments
For the most part, everyone had something positive to say to Chloe and Sandra about what they had experienced. Then, people began to really delve into the mindset of the note writer. Why did she need that exact spot so badly? She has two legs, all she needed to do was take one of the open spots and walk a few extra meters.
Asking someone to vacate a parking spot because they deem their need as more important is not acceptable.
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Confrontation
One commentator decided to share a personal experience of theirs with someone who was much more aggressive than this note-leaver. Sadly, it is not surprising that this isn’t the only case like it.
They had parked their minivan in a child and mom spot with their child onboard when a stranger came and knocked on their window.
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Suprise Stranger
Not knowing what to expect the driver rolled their window down and faced this unknown person. The woman looked at the driver and began to berate them for using a spot not designated for them.
The couple could not believe the audacity of her. She knew nothing about them and had not even given them the time to exit the vehicle before she was knocking on their window, telling them what they should and shouldn’t do.
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What’s Inside?
As the commentator finished their story, they explained that they got out of the car and simply walked over to the back door of the van.
The woman continued to angrily explain why they should not have parked there and the driver just opened the door and pointed at their daughter in the back seat.
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There’s The Child
The woman quickly shut her mouth and stared mutely at the little girl. The driver was parked exactly where they should be. They hoped that she learned an important lesson that day.
The thing they thought was most peculiar was that the woman herself was not even with a child, so they wondered why she cared so much in the first place.
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Who Can Park There?
It does not appear that there is any set age that a child needs to be for a parent to use the family parking spots. But the public generally seems to think that it needs to be under the age of 10 or so.
If they are small children then it is alright, if they are in their teenage years than it is not. However, this is not for anyone to comment on while they do not know the rules. It really seems to largely be up to the discretion of the parents which is why there is so much room for judgment and confusion.
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Statistics
A variety of studies have been run to see just who parks in these spots which account for the belief that a lot of people who park in them probably shouldn’t be.
Some have children, some do not, it really just depends on how they are feeling that day and what their moral compass is. The newspaper The Sun wrote in one of their articles that 1 in 10 people who reside in the United Kingdom have parked in these spots.
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Potential Fines
Since this seems to be a bit of a grey area when it comes to who can park, what age is acceptable and so forth a fining system is in the process of being put into place. It should not be up to citizens to determine who can park. If people without children park in a spot and it is filmed by CCTV then they will be fined around $90.
Accountability should be determined by the state not the public, as there is a large room for error.
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Think Before You Speak
What happened to Chloe and Sandra helped to shine a light on an issue that has been affecting parents for a long while now. Who should be parking in these spots and how can it be policed?
Members of the public should not take it upon themselves to pass judgment as everyone’s situation is different and just because there is no child visible right at that time does not mean that there is not one.
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A Similar Story
Handicapped spots are another area of contention. Just because someone does not have a noticeable handicap at first glance does not mean that they do not have one. To use one of these spots you usually need a special sticker for your car that shows you meet the requirements and if you don’t it is not worth the fine of parking in one.
Yasmin Swift found herself parking on a handicapped spot and the encounter she had was awful.
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Another Nasty Note
Her experience was very similar to Chloe and Sandra’s. She has idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension which essentially means that walking long distances can leave her gasping for air. She parks in handicapped spots because she is legally allowed to and can only walk a short distance to her destination.
When she parked in one such spot, an unkind stranger left her with a note that was greatly upsetting. This should be a golden rule: just because you cannot see a disability does not mean there is not one.
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Yasmin’s Note
The note that Yasmin returned to find on the windshield of her car read, “You are parked illegally. You are not disabled. I will inform the authorities accordingly.” This person had clearly watched her and decided to weigh in on her personal situation without knowing her.
In a way, it is nice that people want these spots open for those in need but they are actively trying to keep them from people who do need them.
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Going Forward
Both Chloe and Yasmin have found a wide network of support for what happened to them as each of their encounters went viral. One thing is for certain though, they want to raise awareness that even though some people are trying to do good deeds they need to mind their own business.
It is not someone’s job to police who is parking in a spot and who should not be unless they are actually the parking police.
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The Rule Of Thumb
If you are a parent you should only be parked in a child and parent parking space if you have your child with you. No child means no spot. Walking is healthy and the spots really are intended for those who have their children with them.
In regards to handicapped spots, these are much more regulated and a person can flash their card to show that they are where they are supposed to be. Everyone just needs to live in harmony with each other and not think the worst of a person.