Mothers are big wheels

Expectant moms might find an unexpected gift at the local mall this Mother’s Day -- a parking spot reserved just for them and their soon-to-arrive bundles of joy. Bordered in bright pink paint, with signs that say “Reserved: Expectant Mother Parking,” the spots are situated near elevators, escalators and entrances at nine Westfield Shoppingtowns in greater L.A.

A few other local malls have made similar efforts to mollify moms. Antelope Valley Mall in Palmdale has “mother and child” parking for those with babies already on board, and the Glendale Galleria offers (though doesn’t advertise) complimentary valet parking to those in the family way. But Westfield’s pink parking project in Southern California, which began as a single test location in San Diego a year ago and was completed just last month, is certainly the most eye-catching.

A recent survey of shoppers in Westfield’s Century City mall found few willing to voice opposition to the special parking privileges, though Beverly Hills resident Vanessa Graziani of Beverly Hills had her doubts. “I guess it’s a good idea -- but I don’t know because I’ve never been pregnant. Honestly, I don’t know how necessary these are. I see pregnant women walk around the mall carrying bags upon bags of things.”

The most glowing praise came from a woman who was glowing a bit herself -- 31-year-old Millie Gonzalez, pregnant with her first child, made a beeline for one of the reserved spots after a dozen or so cars had passed it by. “I’m about to deliver any minute,” said the Woodland Hills resident. “I’m a cosmetics rep and I’m still working.” Gonzalez said she comes to the mall on business for Paula Dorf Cosmetics about three times a week. “I wouldn’t come here if it was not for this [parking], now that I’m in the last stage. I’m still working and I need to carry stuff up and down.”

Although the Century City mall was the first in the area to earn its pink stripes, maternally inclined parking is far from a new idea. The Babies “R” Us chain has offered “Expectant Parents Parking” since its first store opened in Westbury, N.Y., in May 1996, and over the years designated mom-to-be spaces have sprouted like spring flowers at grocery stores, drugstores and even Department of Defense installations from coast to coast.

In February, state Assemblyman Tony Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks) introduced a bill to allow women in the last trimester of pregnancy to apply for disabled parking placards. But although the proposal, State Assembly Bill 1947, is currently before the Committee on Transportation, he has decided “not to pursue it.”

“Before I introduced the bill,” said Strickland, “I had nothing but positive response, and ever since I introduced it I’ve had nothing but negative feedback, so I decided not to move forward.”

Strickland said many who opposed his bill did so because it would have required sharing the familiar blue-lined handicapped spots, already a scarce commodity. Westfield’s approach neatly sidesteps that issue. “It’s usually about five spots,” said Todd Putman, the company’s executive vice president of marketing. “And it’s always in addition to the handicapped parking.”

Since Westfield’s method doesn’t require a signed doctor’s certificate, as Strickland’s bill would have, what’s to keep the unfertilized masses from occasionally co-opting a spot for the sake of convenience? “It’s really on the honor system,” said Putman -- before adding in jest: “We thought about attaching EPT testing kits to each sign, but somebody nixed that idea.”

Putman and company can rest easy. According to the Century City survey, the Pepto-Bismol-hued spaces are morally insulated from misappropriation. “I’d park in a handicapped spot before I’d park in one of those,” said Beverly Hills resident Philip Lowe, gesturing to an empty pink spot. And Santa Monica resident Eunice Luna said that pretending to be preggers might be “a bad omen.” “I’ve thought, ‘Should I park here?’ And then I thought if I did I might end up pregnant.”