OT - Handicap Parking

[Madalot]

Way off topic I know, but it is something that is a MAJOR pet peeve of mine.

The lines next to handicap spots are NOT extra space. They are for wheelchair ramps. Parking over or on top of those lines can block a handicapped person's access to their vehicle!!!

My husband took me to the pharmacy yesterday morning. Almost empty parking lot. When we came out, a HANDICAPPED vehicle parked totally over the lines, not even in a space, and blocked my wheelchair access to my van. I was so pissed off and it was RAINING. My husband had to move our van so I could get back into it.

Please share this with anyone that drives. Be considerate of the disabled and handicapped parking spaces. Those lines are there for a reason. Don't block them.

[LSAT]

Way off topic I know, but it is something that is a MAJOR pet peeve of mine.

The lines next to handicap spots are NOT extra space. They are for wheelchair ramps. Parking over or on top of those lines can block a handicapped person's access to their vehicle!!!

My husband took me to the pharmacy yesterday morning. Almost empty parking lot. When we came out, a HANDICAPPED vehicle parked totally over the lines, not even in a space, and blocked my wheelchair access to my van. I was so pissed off and it was RAINING. My husband had to move our van so I could get back into it.

Please share this with anyone that drives. Be considerate of the disabled and handicapped parking spaces. Those lines are there for a reason. Don't block them.

It really irritates me when I see obviously healthy people (often a teen) parking in Handicap spots. I know some handicaps are not obvious, but if the person doesn't have a walker or wheelchair and there are other parking spots, they should use them. When my wife had hip surgery she was given a temporary (3 month) handicap tag. I think we used it twice in that period. I printed out notes that say "Laziness is not considered a handicap", and put them on obviously non-handicap cars.

[Madalot]

It really irritates me when I see obviously healthy people (often a teen) parking in Handicap spots. I know some handicaps are not obvious, but if the person doesn't have a walker or wheelchair and there are other parking spots, they should use them. When my wife had hip surgery she was given a temporary (3 month) handicap tag. I think we used it twice in that period. I printed out notes that say "Laziness is not considered a handicap", and put them on obviously non-handicap cars.

I agree with you. I remember being with people who wanted to use their family member's handicap placard because the parking lot was full. We talked them out of it, pointing out that it wasn't right to do. Plus, it's illegal, not that people care about legalities in a situation like that.

My van is a converted mini van with handicapped plates and handicap stickers on the windows. It's obvious that a person in a wheelchair is parked in that spot. I find it incomprehensible how someone would park over top of the wheelchair ramp lines essentially blocking access to my van. In truth, because the lot was empty, I suspect it was done intentionally. Why would someone, with a handicap placard themselves, NOT park in a spot and block the ONLY vehicle in the parking lot?

Most times, I suspect it's done out of ignorance or laziness. But yesterday, in an empty lot, I question that. Almost like the person was pissed off that I had a handicap van and they didn't.

But -- please bear in mind that some handicaps are NOT obvious. A person with a serious heart condition, for example, that cannot walk more than a certain distance. If a person has a legitimate, LEGAL handicap plate or placard, I try to be nonjudgmental about it, as long as they can get it in the spot and not over the lines.

[49er]

Keep in mind that someone parking in a space with a handicap sticker who doesn't have a disability may be going inside a facility to get someone who is handicapped. That was a frequent scenario for me when I drove my mother to get her hair cut.

Many times, she would have me go get groceries so of course, I moved the car to a regular spot. But when I picked her up, I used the handicap parking space because I wanted to be as close as possible. So someone who might have seen me go into the beauty shop might have mistakenly come to the conclusion that I was abusing the privilege particularly if my mother wasn't ready when I anticipated she would be.

Otherwise, points are definitely well taken and I definitely agree it is not good to abuse the privilege.

49er

[GlimR]

There is a lot of abuse using handicapped spaces, ie people just parking in them without a tag at all. It's easy to judge people but a lot harder to be inside their skin...just saying....I don't use a walker or a wheelchair but I have a major back injury that compresses nerves to my leg and causes serious, debilitating pain. You can't see it but there are days I can hardly walk but still have things I need to do. Consideration is key for sure.

[khauser]

There IS a lot of abuse ... I agree. What amazes me is that the OP refers to another handicapped person that did this. I honestly hope it was stupidity and not rudeness.

[nanwilson]

When my granddaughter was in a wheel chair we had a temp handicap sticker for our car. One day we parked in the handicap zone and lifted her out of the car and placed her in the wheelchair , some lady started swearing and yelling at us that we were abusing the handicap spot as (according to her) the child could have been carried into the store and didn't need to use a wheel chair. The "child" was four and had casts on both legs, there was no way I could have carried her into the store and placed her in a shopping cart............... some people just don't get the reasoning behind the use of a wheelchair or a handicap sticker. I hear you Maddie, I still get ticked off when I see a person abuse the use of a handicap stall just to keep from walking in the rain or snow when there is someone who obviously needed that parking spot having to park farther away because some "a.. h...." was too lazy to walk.

[LSAT]

A friend of mine had an interesting experience. His wife has leg problems and they have a handicap sticker. He often drops her off at the door and then goes to park in a handicap spot. Once he was stopped in a hospital lot by a lot guard and was told that he is not handicaped and should not be parking in the handicap spot. Since he was dropping his wife off and she was not in the car, he had no legal right to a handicap spot. He stopped and asked at a local police station and they wouldn't commit one way or another.

[49er]

A friend of mine had an interesting experience. His wife has leg problems and they have a handicap sticker. He often drops her off at the door and then goes to park in a handicap spot. Once he was stopped in a hospital lot by a lot guard and was told that he is not handicaped and should not be parking in the handicap spot. Since he was dropping his wife off and she was not in the car, he had no legal right to a handicap spot. He stopped and asked at a local police station and they wouldn't commit one way or another.

I think the lot guard may be correct because initially I was doing what your friend did regarding my mother's sticker and I think somewhere I learned that was not legal, especially since we were parking the car after dropping someone off. I think it is trickier when you park in the handicapped space to pick up the person with the disability. I don't think I ever verified whether it was legal or not but I knew that was my only option since obviously, I couldn't leave my mother standing to go get the car from a regular space that would be further away.

49er

[chunkyfrog]

In my state, the handicapped person must enter or leave the vehicle while it is in the reserved space.

[49er]

In my state, the handicapped person must enter or leave the vehicle while it is in the reserved space.

It sounds like if I had been parking my car in the reserved space and then walked to pick up my mother from the beauty shop that was right in front, I would have been in violation of the law in your state?

49er

[Madalot]

I think the law is in place to prevent abuse, but as with a lot laws, they don't allow for circumstances outside the normal. My husband drops me off frequently, then parks in the handicap spot. Sometimes it's because the spot we have to park in is NOT van accessible (no lines for wheelchair ramp) and there's a vehicle in the next spot. Sometimes, it's pouring down rain and my wheelchair controller is around $4,000 to replace so it getting too wet isn't a good idea.

We go to our Target frequently and they have 12 handicap spots out front. Only 2 of them work for me because only two have really wide wheelchair areas. The other 4 "van accessible" spots have such tiny wheelchair areas that I usually can't use them because the vehicle in the spot next is either too close or way over the line, thus reducing my wheelchair space even more.

A lot of the time, we'll take a regular handicap spot and my husband will back up the van enough that I can get in & out.

When we got my van, they asked if we wanted it equipped so I could drive from my wheelchair. It was another $2,000 to do it and the hand controls would make it difficult for my husband to drive (if not impossible). Because my eyes are so badly affected, we decided NOT to bother with it, figuring between that and my increased upper body weakness, I probably wouldn't be driving too much longer anyway. Based on my complaints, it's probably for the best because if alone, I would be so screwed because of all these people.

But how I long, sometimes, to just be able to take myself to the grocery store. And even if I felt up to giving it a shot, it's not worth risking it because of these people that block the wheelchair area. Good thing I like my house because I'm confined to it 95% of the time.

[LinkC]

In Florida, parking on any part of the striped loading area is a $100 fine. That applies to vehicles both in a h/c spot or next to one. Parking in a h/c spot without a tag is separate and fines much higher.

[deerhound]

People in my Myasthenia Gravis support group get all kinds of nasty comments when using handicap parking spaces because they look very normal on the outside. The fact that their muscles can fatigue at any minute making standing, much less walking, impossible is hidden from view. I used to be self righteous until I got this disease and came to know that not all handicaps are visible. What really gripes me is that people seem to think that the handicap spots are shopping cart corrals. I see so many carts left in the handicap spaces every time I go to the store.

[chunkyfrog]

While walking to the store, I will take a cart from an empty HC spot and push it into the store.
Sometimes it's a sure way to get one with good wheels.