Melbourne mum sparks pram parking fury: 'I'll argue with anyone who tries to stop me'

If you've ever snuck into one of those "parents with pram" parking spots because, you're in a rush, your 8-year-old is with you and there's no other parking available, brace yourself - the mums with pram-aged kids are coming for you. Yep, TikTok is waging war on pram parking and who can use it and who can't, with one mum stringently laying down the law about what—and who—these particular parking perks should be used for.

Melbourne mum-of-two Montana Watt, who is also currently pregnant, took to TikTok to voice her frustrations. "Pram parking is for parents with their kids," she declared.

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"Too many times have I seen parents either get their older kids out of the car, like 10 or 12-year-old kids, or parents get out of the car with no kids, and I'm like what are you doing?"

"It's parents with pram parking. It's parent parking. I don't think that just means if you're a parent you get to use it, or if you're pregnant you get to use it."

Watt clarified that although she's currently pregnant and has two young children, even then, she wouldn't use the park if she didn't have her kids with her.

Her video sparked a lively discussion among parents and non-parents alike, with many agreeing with her view wholeheartedly.

"It's parents with prams for sureeee not parents with teenagers," one commenter exclaimed.

"100% you have to have a pram or multiple young kids," someone else agreed.

Parking for pregnant women

However, others were more lenient, arguing for a broader interpretation, with many suggesting it's also acceptable to use those parks when you're an expecting mother.

"I parked there when I was pregnant, and I park there now postpartum even though my baby is in the NICU," one mum shared, saying, "I'll argue with anyone who tries to stop me."

"Us preggos are travelling with our babies everyone! So I'm sure it counts!", someone else chimed in.

Nevertheless, for most, the issue isn't just about semantics; it's about practicality and consideration.

As one mum pointed out, "Being pregnant, and not having a park that's close to the entrance and trying to get a pregnant belly out, sometimes you need the full door open, so I believe it should be pregnant and parent parking."

"WE NEED PREGNANT PARKS," someone else demanded.

However, there were a handful of people who staunchly defended their right to park wherever they pleased.

"If there are 10 pram parks and no normal parks, I'm going to utilise the pram park," stated one individual.

"Calm down, you don't need a permit for it. As a parent, I couldn't care less who uses it," argued another.

Some even dismissed the significance of pram parking altogether.

"It's literally just a courtesy park," one person commented, "not an entitlement. Anyone can park in those car parks."

What does the law say about parent parking?

But what does the law say about all this?

According to the NRMA, those pram parking spots aren't legally enforceable. They're provided by parking lot owners as a courtesy, unlike disabled parking spots that require a permit.

“The short answer is that legally there is nothing to prevent a person without a pram, or infant, parking in a pram spot. It is at the management’s discretion how they choose to enforce parent parking rules,” the NRMA website explains.

So technically, anyone can park there. But should they? That's where the debate gets interesting.

"What did people do for all those years with no parent parking?" Someone asked with an accompanying eye roll emoji, and indeed, people have been parenting and grocery shopping for years before parent parks came along and everyone appeared to manage just fine.

The mums were having none of this argument though.

"It's funny when people say this..." one person responded, "what did we do before phones? What did we do before cars? Life evolves, these things make life easier for people!"

"We had a higher child mortality rate!" someone else reasoned. "There is a reason why all these 'unnecessary' safety features are in place these days!'"

"It's there to lower the risk of young children and babies walking around moving cars," someone else explained. "If you are just pregnant, you can still safely walk into the shop from a few steps further away."

In the end, it seems to come down to common courtesy. While there's no legal requirement to leave those spots open for parents with prams, it's a gesture of kindness that can make a big difference in someone's day.

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"We all have a part to play in keeping roads and car parks safe and fair," says the NRMA. "It is reasonable that parents with children need ease of access more than regular drivers. Heavily pregnant women could also fall into this category.

Just because you can’t be punished by the law for parking in these spots, it’s not okay for people who don’t need them to use them. It boils down to respect for others and basic civic duty."

So, whether you're a parent, a soon-to-be parent, or just someone who occasionally needs to dash into the shops, before you pull in, it's worth considering who those pram parking spots are really meant for.

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