Some parents might consider it a cardinal sin if you park in a pram space when you have no children. Photo: Canberra Drivers Facebook.
It all started with a post to the Canberra Drivers Facebook page.
“Why is it acceptable to park in parents with prams without a baby? It’s hard to get a baby in and out of the car let alone get through the car park. The owner of this car ran away when I asked if he had a pram,” the poster said.
Cue hundreds (and I mean hundreds) of comments – some outraged at the driver and some outraged at the poster, telling them to “get over it” and “I handled it in my day”.
I’m probably asking for it by weighing in, but as a mother of two small children, worrying about drivers in car parks is a frequent concern.
Think about the behaviour of some people you see in a car park: no posted sign limit so I can go as fast as I like! I’m driving really slowly in a confined space, better check my phone!
Add into the mix two two-year-old children who aren’t the biggest fans of holding hands, and maybe you can see why I’d be worried.
Pram parks aren’t legally enforceable – they’re actually just a nice thing shopping centres do.
But given that our cars keep getting larger and broader while our car spaces seem to stay the same size, it’s increasingly difficult to safely get your children in and out of prams, particularly if you have more than one child.
Do you leave the pram containing one child at the back of your car while loading the other one in? At least drivers can see the pram, but there’s a chance the entire contraption could be run over by someone who’s distracted or going too fast.
How about putting the pram in the space next to your car (if there is one)? This means the child in the pram still stays in sight, but if someone suddenly turns into the park, you’re in a bit of a pickle.
Plus, if your toddler decides to become possessed while strapping them into the car seat, having extra space on either side of your vehicle so you can wrench the doors open and hold them down isn’t a bad thing either.
And don’t get me started if you have babies in a capsule – unless you can open the car door the whole way, forget about parking there.
On one of the rare occasions both (!) children agreed to stay in the pram while out and about. Photo: Claire Fenwicke.
As one commenter on the aforementioned Facebook post said, pram parks aren’t just beneficial to those with children: “I’m a single guy, no kids, and I love these parks…! I don’t park in them or near them, as I don’t want parents/kids opening their doors into my car,” he said.
“More of these spaces please, so our cars are protected…! Haha.”
Personally, I always cheer when there’s a pram park available where I’m going. It also means I can quickly high-tail it out of the vicinity if my kids have decided they’ve had enough – and it means the screaming stops sooner for everyone else.
This time of year can be particularly stressful as parents and carers try to get Christmas shopping done.
You can’t leave your kids at home with a bowl of water as you run these errands. Depending on your situation, you may not have a partner, friend or other family member to help you out.
Throw into the mix the excitement of Christmas decorations, lollies in aisles at pram height and heightened stress levels for mum or dad, and you’ve got a recipe for full-blown toddler meltdowns.
What I wouldn’t have given the other weekend to be parked close to the exits in a wider pram spot as one child screamed his head off after meeting Santa, and the other cried because I didn’t buy her a toy she spotted in a shop window.
So next time you think about pulling into a pram park, spread the Christmas spirit and save it for someone with a pram.
You just might make their entire day.
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