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| Essex dad starts crusade to stop supermarket parking space abuse | Essex dad starts crusade to stop supermarket parking space abuse |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| A dad has launched a one-man crusade against drivers he thinks abuse parent and child parking bays at supermarkets. | A dad has launched a one-man crusade against drivers he thinks abuse parent and child parking bays at supermarkets. |
| Father-of-three Simon Harris, 36, from Hockley, Essex, has taken to placing flyers on the windscreens of cars he feels break the rules. | Father-of-three Simon Harris, 36, from Hockley, Essex, has taken to placing flyers on the windscreens of cars he feels break the rules. |
| The self-styled "Man Behaving Dadly" has attracted more than 130,000 followers to his Facebook campaign. | The self-styled "Man Behaving Dadly" has attracted more than 130,000 followers to his Facebook campaign. |
| "It's a very British way of protesting," he said. "But families need these spaces." | |
| Mr Harris admitted he had received abuse online but said: "It's water off a duck's back. As long as it gets the message through." | Mr Harris admitted he had received abuse online but said: "It's water off a duck's back. As long as it gets the message through." |
| He said the campaign targeted people without children who parked in parent and child spaces at supermarkets because they were closer and wider than conventional bays. | He said the campaign targeted people without children who parked in parent and child spaces at supermarkets because they were closer and wider than conventional bays. |
| His "VDS Awareness" flyer shows a driver leaving an empty car and states: "Got kids with Visibility Deficiency Syndrome? Support is out there. You don't need to struggle alone." | His "VDS Awareness" flyer shows a driver leaving an empty car and states: "Got kids with Visibility Deficiency Syndrome? Support is out there. You don't need to struggle alone." |
| "People doing it are under the impression they have children but we can't see them. Their children are perhaps invisible," he said. | "People doing it are under the impression they have children but we can't see them. Their children are perhaps invisible," he said. |
| He is calling on supermarket giants to "step up" and police parent and child parking bays, as well as disabled spaces. | He is calling on supermarket giants to "step up" and police parent and child parking bays, as well as disabled spaces. |
| Addressing them directly in an online post, he wrote: "You have the authority to apply 'charges' in the same way that any private car park operator can through adequate signage and having an attendant on site, and you don't bother. | Addressing them directly in an online post, he wrote: "You have the authority to apply 'charges' in the same way that any private car park operator can through adequate signage and having an attendant on site, and you don't bother. |
| "You know full well that this member of staff would quickly pay for themselves." | "You know full well that this member of staff would quickly pay for themselves." |
| What the supermarkets say | What the supermarkets say |
| Tesco employs an agency to monitor parent and child spaces, which are specifically for families of children of 12 years and younger. | Tesco employs an agency to monitor parent and child spaces, which are specifically for families of children of 12 years and younger. |
| A spokesman for Sainsbury's told the BBC: "The vast majority of our customers are very considerate of parents with young children and respect family bays. | A spokesman for Sainsbury's told the BBC: "The vast majority of our customers are very considerate of parents with young children and respect family bays. |
| "If our parking attendants find these bays are being misused they will, in the first instance, ask the driver to move their car. | "If our parking attendants find these bays are being misused they will, in the first instance, ask the driver to move their car. |
| "If they refuse, they will be issued with a parking charge notice." Sainsbury's also enforces an under-12 policy. | "If they refuse, they will be issued with a parking charge notice." Sainsbury's also enforces an under-12 policy. |
| Aldi doesn't have an official policy, it says, "but the parent and child parking is honoured by the majority of our customers". | Aldi doesn't have an official policy, it says, "but the parent and child parking is honoured by the majority of our customers". |
| Asda has no age limit for children, and the bays can be used by pregnant mums, but it expects "customers to use common sense". | Asda has no age limit for children, and the bays can be used by pregnant mums, but it expects "customers to use common sense". |
| Mr Harris added: "I just want more people to realise that if you wouldn't abuse a disabled space, why would you abuse a parent and child space? | Mr Harris added: "I just want more people to realise that if you wouldn't abuse a disabled space, why would you abuse a parent and child space? |
| "It's bizarre. | "It's bizarre. |
| "If I'm out shopping and see people doing it I'll go out and flyer them, I don't really have time to spend eight hours a day patrolling around Clint Eastwood-style." | "If I'm out shopping and see people doing it I'll go out and flyer them, I don't really have time to spend eight hours a day patrolling around Clint Eastwood-style." |