We have recieved an explaination from the Editor at Netmums.
This reads:

I’m responding to your message that was asking about the Daily Mail article.

I have to say, I was extremely surprised to see the article in the paper when it came out, and I thought you’d like to hear how it came about.

I was contacted before Christmas by a journalist and asked about parent and child spaces in supermarket car parks and our thoughts.

I explained we’d done a poll and that parents do get cross when people without young children use them, that is was difficult to know what supermarkets could do about it, but that some were trying things out.

The journalist then asked whether we had a problem with there being so many disabled spaces. I said no, and said I expected there was a law requiring a certain proportion of disabled spaces and probably not one relating to numbers of parent-child spaces, and that’s just the way it is, as I don’t think there will be a law over parents spaces brought in.

The journalist went on to explain that his editor was wanting the piece to be written as he had come in having just had difficulty parking with his family and was cross that the disabled ones were empty… I took a step back at that stage and we left it at that, and I have not been contacted since.

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nice email, doesnt explain though if she wasnt happy about her participation and the direction of the article why she felt the need to put it on tweeter giving it even more credit and coverage.
and since when can an editor of a major newspaper use a one off trip to rip into disabled people/parking? if he had the time to take the pic of the disabled bays that were empty why didnt he park in the empty normal space across from it or didnt he think ppl would notice it?
corinne
he got a lot of comments on the story but wonder how many actually bought the paper to read it?? i didnt i just commented and didnt click on any adverts to provide him with money

About them Tweeting the article i agree 100% with you.
I personally think that if i was misquoted in such a way i would have distanced myself from the article and put out a statement on the site as an immediate release on the site and by PM.

I would like to invite the Netmums to accompany a few of us on our visits to disabled bays that is if you can find one. I drove around our local Tesco for nearly 20 mins one day trying to find a suitable parking space for John. Whose ramp comes down from the rear of the car, I was verbally abused by another driver and ended up in tears asking for the store manager to come down. What these mums need to see is that they are very lucky they do not need disabled bays for their children whilst I accept they need extra space to unload their buggies etc it should not be at the cost of a disabled person. I am in America at the moment and if you park in a disabled bay without a badge and the disabled person in the car you are fined $250.00 I think that this should apply in the uk

(02-20-2010 10:39 PM)corinne Wrote:  i have seen it on the bottom of the 2nd page of the thread i posted so its still there at the moment. i think the original poster of that particular thread was more upset at being swore at than thinking p&c bays were more important than disabled bays but its the newest thread on bays so will get the most traffic
corinne

i was talking to a member of my gym that requires an oxygen tank and also a wheelchair if walking any distance and she had gone to tesco the other day (she says she wont use the disabled bays as likes to leave them for the old ppl she is only in her late 50's lol) and her husband walked down the row of spaces checking if they didnt have the badge that they had disabled tax and out of 7 cars only ONE was entitled to park there ONE!!! why she didnt go and complain i dont know, surely as its private land they are allowed to fine ppl who park there without a badge? there was a comment from someone on the dailymail post who bragged he always parked in disabled bays and he once got a ticket and ripped it up because they cant enforce it, i thought as long as they say they will either clamp or fine they could?
thats what we should do if we win lottery, buy car parks and make a mint from fineing idiots who park where they shouldnt, would soon make money back
corinne