HANDICAP PARKING RANT

[Faulkner]

Interesting this topic came up.

So, I'm on duty last weekend helping out directing traffic around the high school football stadium. We always seem to run out of handicapped spaces for home games so we save extra parking spaces next to the stadium designating them as handicapped to compensate for the lack of regular handicapped spaces. As I'm directing traffic a Honda civic rushes up to me and the teenage girl rolls down the window and says "I need to park in one of those spaces by the stadium!"

"Sorry ma'am, those are saved for handicapped. Are you handicapped?" I asked.

"No, I'm a cheerleader."

I replied, "well that's almost good enough, but not quite. You are going to have to park with everyone else."

Bless her heart, I don't think she caught on, but she did go park out with the general public.

 

[Grayfox]

Originally Posted by labworm:
The paper tags should be eliminated and only license plates should be issued.

I agree with Deathgrip on this point. The placard makes it easier on the disabled person when someone else is driving.
Also like Deathgrip, when my wife and I went somewhere together, I'd usually drop her at the door and go park in a regular space.

Another story:
My Father was seriously wounded in WW II. These injuries plagued him for a number of years. As a result, by the time I was a teenager he had an artificial leg and a Disabled Veteran license plate. While he was fully entitled to, he rarely ever parked in a Handicapped Space. I asked one time why he didn't use them? he just looked at me and said "Son, there are people who need those."

 

[Donn]

I feel ya, tlay. Been in casts and on crutches at times myself.

 

[gdnagle]

I think there is a big difference between someone in a wheelchair and someone who can walk. At least 90% of the people who park in ADA spaces can walk OK, some maybe a little slower than the rest of us. I know one guy who walks miles a day at his job and also climbs ladders daily but he has the sign to hang on his mirror and parks in the handicap places.

Now what you see when someone gets out of their car doesn't mean a whole lot. I can get out and walk fairly well but by the time I hit the store about 50 feet away I'm in pain. I have two bad knees and bad lungs for only two of my problems. I usually don't use the electric carts as I save them for the overweight people that get out of their vehicles smoking a cigarette and riding around the store because they weigh 400 pounds. They may have a issue with weight I so I don't begrudge them to use the carts, I just don't use them. By the time I move around the store a little I have problems breathing and by then my knees are killing me and I have to stop for awhile, why Wally World around here took the benches out they use to have around the store to sit on bewilders me, I guess it's more important to put more product out them have a place for people to sit when they need to. I feed the birds and if no one is around to lift the bird seed bag into the cart for me it tears my knees up. My wife also has knee problems and I'm a lot older then her so I will do as much as I can without bothering her to do things for me. The less you do the worse it will get on you. She always complains to me about not using the electric carts and every time I have to reexplain why I don't use them. OBTW I have gotten good at knowing how to fall and never hurt myself, but it does get frustrating when you start to go down if there is nothing to grab onto and the cane isn't working well anymore and 99% of the time people in the store never try to help you which I don't care as I would rather help myself and wouldn't ask for help. I do miss walking the mall and stores and do need the HC parking, just don't look bad when I first get out of the vehicle. Yes I need the wide spots because I have to open the door all the way and lift my legs with my arms if they hurt too bad to just swing them in.

What I'm getting at is you really can't tell by the way someone first gets out of their car walking.

But I do notice most around here are younger, smoking a cigarette one after the other and standing by the door until they finish it. I can run into them wondering around the store and they haven't slowed a bit.

And I will not park in the HC spots if I don't go into the store I park out and have the wife call and let me know she is done and I pick her up. Good thing I don't need my knees to drive.

And I also agree with DeathGrip when I visit my kids and they drive or I use their vehicle I take my card with me.

 

[mmais]

These are the same people that think speed limits are not for them, double yellow lines are free passing zones & stop signs are put there to just slow down & look both ways before going. If people were required to take driving test to renew your license 50% would not pass. Just my rant to add to this.
Mike

 

[Grayfox]

originally posted by Moosedog:
"That was one of my favorite tickets to write."

Thank you Sir.

For those who haven't guessed by now, living with a disabled Father and Wife have made this a rather sore subject for me. I can't count the number of times that I've seen people park in a handicapped space and RUN into a store.

I'd like to take this opportunity to encourage every LEO on this board to make a habit of checking the parking lots in your area and nail these suckers!

 

[mexicanjoe]

I can sympathize y'all. My 10 year old son rates as a 8 month old, and is non verbal and wheelchair bound. I am very bow legged, and have bad knees. I can get around ok, but my son requires help. We can't afford a wheelchair lift for my son, and as such, we place him in his car set carrier, and lift his WC in the rear of the van. Several times I've see healthy people park in HC parking with no spaces near the door.
My son cannot control his body temperature , and we have to get in inside quickly. Try this when some able bodies parks his Corvette in HC? Well one night I'd had enough, I parked that monster of a van BEHIND the Vette. We unloaded my son and sent inside to shop.. When we came out an hour later, the Vette Driver was PO'ed. He started on me and I told him to hold his horses. I called the police who arrived shortly and issued his well deserved ticket. The officer had been one of my rookies !!!!!!

 

[tlay]

My brother was a parapalegic and was confined to a wheel chair. He used to see these same people in the spots. He would pull his wheel chair up to the bumper of the vehicle and call the police. The owner would sometimes come out and demand he move. He dared them to run him over. They never did.
I miss him, he died of cancer 12/23/01.

 

[gator68]

The point of the handicap spots is supposed to be that they are extra wide, or near a curb cut, to allow people who NEED to use a wheelchair to get around. My dad has needed a wheelchair since he was about 25. He literally cannot get in/out of a car by himself, and cannot get anywhere without wheels. So HC spots are not a "nice" to have, they are a necessity.

He always says they could be farther away from the stores though. Once you're in a wheel chair, going an extra 20 yds is no big deal. And it might cut down on all the a-holes with a sore knee or borrowing grandma's placard from taking the space.

 

[the ringo kid]

Here in Houston we have civilians that volunteer and are trained and authorized to write Handicap Parking violations. Misuse of placards is hard to spot, and just plain stupid. The fine for a violation is $500.

Same here. Ive seen them in action a few times.

 

[the ringo kid]

Ive got health issues as well and am handicapped. However, I can walk most of the time just fine but with extreme pain in both feet due to a botched operation I had on both back in 2009. They need worked on again. At any rate-though I fully qualify for handicapped tags, as I have other issues as well--I prefer to park way out in the parking lot (when I had a car) because I never had to fight parking lot traffic nor those who know not how to properly pull out of a space.

 

[sevensix]

Last weekend my wife and I drove the pet store for supplies. I'm a wheelchair user but since I wasn't going in the store I parked elsewhere.
Sitting there I noticed a car park in the reserved space and the woman gets out and goes inside without any mobility aids or visible impairment. To make matters more poignant she leaves the store and then walks to the other end of the mall to another business. Placards are for people who cannot walk. Clearly, abuse of the system. Go to a large store with ample handicap parking and every one will be taken. Go inside the store and I bet you won't see any disabled folks. Here in Oregon they have a special placard for wheelchair users in a "Wheelchair Only" parking space but it isn't enforced. Handicap placards are almost a joke. Got a hang nail? Get a placard, it's that easy. Cryin' shame.
-sevensix

 

[indiandave]

My late wife had MS. It's a illness where you can look really good but feel really awful. She had handicapped plates. I'm sure some people would see her park in the handicap area and bitch under their breath. An attractive and thin woman parking there. If they could walk a mile in her shoes, they would understand. Not every handicapped person looks handicapped.

 

[hangnoose]

HC PARKING

My gun club has 2 disability spots with a sign underneath them to PLEASE SAVE for wheelchair bound persons of which we have several. I always seem to see 2 trucks with lift kits parked in them. I no longer use the cane unless I plan on a long walk, or standing in line for some time. However getting to and from the shooting lane with a heavy range bag is a bit of an ordeal, & I deal with it as there is always someone worse off than me. The people that show up after me then run to get ahead of me kinda tic me off, some have almost knocked me over to get in front of me. Whatever happened to manners

 

[Brian41]

I had a temporary pass after having back surgery this year and learned about handicapped parking spots being full and seeing what looked like able bodied people using them too. Some may have seen me too park in one and look okay walking in a store but I wasn't able to walk far soon after surgery.
It expires tomorrow and my wife wants me to get it renewed but I think I'm well enough now I don't need it anymore. I'll save the spots for those in more need than me now.

 

[ladyT]

I think what really ticks me off is to see every handicap space taken yet all of the electric carts are unused. You know if you can wander around the store for 30 minutes or more and stand in line, you don't need to be parking in a handicap space. Of course seeing youngesters take the spot at the bank and run into the bank is also a sore spot with me. Not a thing I can do about it other than give them a *** stare.

 

[tlay]

We need to start holding these people accountable. Call the police, let them know. Not 911. Take a picture of their license plate. Don't get into a confrontation. I told a young couple that they out to be ashamed. It could be their family that needs the space.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

I'm a disabled veteran and have handicapped plates, but only use the handicapped parking spaces when I really need them. A couple of weeks ago, I was parking at the local big box sporting goods store when a big pick-up truck pulled into one of the handicapped parking spaces, and three young guys got out and started walking towards the store. An older woman began dressing them down for using a handicapped parking space when they didn't apparently need, and/or weren't authorized to use. The three young men let her finish her rant, and then politely wished her a nice day and resumed their trip towards the store. I believe it was only then that the older lady noticed that two of the three men had prosthetic legs, and the third one had a prosthetic arm. Oh, the pick-up truck? It not only had a "Purple Heart" license plate, but a "I served in Afghanistan" bumper sticker. The look on that lady's face was priceless. Those three guys may have been disabled, but they sure weren't handicapped. When I caught up with them inside the store, I not only thanked them for their service to our country, but for their kindness and patience towards the lady in the parking lot. They were very nice, and humble guys, and I wish them good luck and God speed.

Regards,

Dave

 

[BJoe]

I see High School kids driving moms car use the permit. Honks me off but ain't worth the confrontation.

 

[tlay]

Double-O-Dave, you just gave me a very good reason why I started this thread. Thank you for your service and find those guys and buy them a drink on me, please send me the bill.