TO the gentleman at Asda who, when I pointed out he had parked in a parent and child space without a child, swore and asked me if I was "a traffic warden" before intelligently ending the conversation by sticking two fingers up.

No, I'm not a traffic warden, I'm a parent, who every week has to drive around searching for an empty space because for every one of you "I was only two minutes", there's at least another five all parked in a space that is meant to help people with children.

The first time I noticed it I was shopping at Tesco. My son was nine weeks old and I'd had a Caesarean section and couldn't get a space. When I passed a lady in a designated space and pointed it out to her, she put her finger in my face before crying that she was shopping for her disabled mum?! All the while I'm carrying my son in his car seat while my Caesarean section wound slowly re-opened – it eventually healed four weeks later.

So no, I'm not a traffic warden, but a mother who has observed for the last two years the ignorance of others who don't appreciate the balancing act you have when trying to get your child out or back in without hitting the car next to you, hitting your child's head because you can't manoeuvre or pulling your back.

And every single person reacts the same way when it's pointed out to them – shouting and swearing. How dare you point it out to them that they may, just possibly, be in the wrong?

Next time you are thinking about using a parent and child space try (a) not parking in a space not meant for you or (b) if you have been selfish enough to think your convenience is more important than others' then a simple sorry often works wonders with the harassed parent when they point out you shouldn't be there in the first place.

Name and address supplied