Sorry, Even Breastfeeding Moms Have To Obey Traffic Laws
It seems like every week there’s a new story about a mom being chastised for breastfeeding. Well, here’s one about a breastfeeding mother who seems to be trying to turn a parking ticket into a call for outrage.
Antonia Charlesworth, 27, was on her way home from a shopping trip with her toddler and infant when her infant began to cry. Charlesworth new she needed to be fed, so she pulled over to do it. I’ve never done this on an errand. This mom is better than me. I usually just make sure my infant is fed before we get in the car or just grip the wheel and listen to her screams on the way home.
She pulled over and began feeding her, not realizing she had pulled over in a taxi stand. Here’s what happened next:
Ms Charlesworth said she was shocked to suddenly see the warden hovering in front of her windscreen scanning her tax disc and asked him if there was a problem.
When he pointed out her mistake she says she apologised and offered to move her car immediately. But instead of accepting her apology or asking her to move on, he Ӭinsisted that he would still be issuing her with a ticket and even began taking pictures of her car.
Yeah, that’s what meter maids do – that’s why everyone hates them. Do you know how many times I’ve tried to get out of a parking ticket? It doesn’t work. Ever. It doesn’t happen. Traffic cops do not stop writing tickets once they’ve started. I’m not sure why, but to hear them explain it – the earth will tip off its axis if they stop writing once they’ve started. Sorry lady.
But Ms Charlesworth says she has been left feeling ”humiliated” by the incident.
”I asked him if he could do the decent thing and allow me to finish feeding my baby in the circumstances or at least allow me to move my car but he refused and instead started taking photographs of my vehicle, which I think would have included me,” she said.
”While this was going on I was tearful, Safina was upset in the back and I was still trying to feed Anaya, who was screaming because her feed had been interrupted, all with my breast exposed and in front of passers-by.
Are you serious? You’ve just lost me completely. You parked in the wrong place. Why are you crying? Maybe stop trying to feed your baby, put your boob away if you are disturbed by “passers-by” and keep it moving.
Sorry if I sound harsh, but this woman is being ridiculous. Just because the parking cop didn’t give her a pass because she was breastfeeding? Yes, it sucks – but you picked the wrong place. People get tickets outside of hospitals while they’re visiting loved ones. They get tickets when they are running into jail to bail out their teenagers. I am picking totally random situations here to prove that shit happens. When you break the stupid traffic/parking laws – sometimes you get a ticket. Those giving you the ticket don’t give a rat’s ass what your personal excuse is – they are hearing them all day long. To be fair – I would be annoyed by this situation, too. I would bitch to my friends. I wouldn’t alert the media.
Don’t make this about breastfeeding – it’s not good for the cause. This isn’t about breastfeeding.You earned your parking ticket – just pay it. Oh, you don’t have to because “council bosses agreed to rip up the £35 ticket after The Gazette drew their attention to the incident.”
Eye roll.
(photo: Misun/ Shutterstock)
