OT - Handicap Parking

[chunkyfrog]

Any time someone parks so close I have to squeeze to get through the door,
their mirror on that side might get "accidentally" bumped out of position.
In case of video surveillance it will always look like an accident.
I need to put a larger container of sandblasting medium in my car--I'm out again.

[Sheriff Buford]

I've purposely stayed out of this discussion, but I will slap around anyone illegally parking in a handicap spot. Let me know where...

Virginia. You come to Virginia, I'll point them out to you and you can slap to your heart's content.

As long as you let me pet those cute kittens.

Sheriff

[Madalot]

I've purposely stayed out of this discussion, but I will slap around anyone illegally parking in a handicap spot. Let me know where...

Virginia. You come to Virginia, I'll point them out to you and you can slap to your heart's content.

As long as you let me pet those cute kittens.

Sheriff

The kitties in my avatar aren't mine, but I do have 6 at my home that are pretty darned cute.

My husband and I had errands to run yesterday so we went to a late lunch, Lowe's, Target, Sears & Sam's Club (whew - a lot for me). We didn't have ONE problem with parking. One person did leave a motorized card in a wheelchair ramp area, but it wasn't near my van so *I* can't gripe about it that much. But, five places and no trouble for us whatsoever. That was nice.

[cicsos2]

I would like to share a story with a different perspective.

First, the environment: My employer, not a retail business, owned the building and the parking garage and there were no other businesses withing a 1/2 mile. The parking garage was multi-story with many handicapped places on the first and second floors, all near the entrances to the offices. The vast majority of these places went unused.

Normally the first 2 floors of the parking garage would fill up fairly quickly followed by the remainder for those drivers who had been out making calls on their customers.

One of my coworkers' husband was handicapped but was still able to drive with a properly equipped car. Both of their cars were modified and had handicapped plates. My friend would not park in a handicapped spot, even if she had to go all the way to the top to find a place. Thats just the way she was (and still is). Also, she traveled a lot back than (and still does - I enjoy keeping up with her on Facebook).

One day she received a call from the building manager asking if she could drop by for a few minutes. He asked her is she would be willing to always park in one of the handicapped places since her car had the plates and leave the regular spots open? She agreed to do so, but only if there were multiple handicapped places available.

A few years later we had moved to another location with multiple businesses and she went back to her "old" ways, and skipped the handicapped spots and felt much better for doing so.

[Madalot]

When I was still working, only needing a cane to get by, I did the same thing. We had 4 or 5 handicap places right in front of the building and they usually went unused. I parked in a regular spot, but it was brought to my attention that since parking spots were limited, it would better if I took one of the handicap spots since I was legitimately entitled to one. So, I did. But like that woman, if I went somewhere and there were plenty of regular spots that would work for me, I used them.

Now, being in a power wheelchair, even some handicap spots don't work for me. I have to use a "van accessible" spot ONLY. I can't get out otherwise. If none are available, my husband parks further away and he gets out before we put the ramp down to make sure nobody tries to park in the spot beside me while I'm exiting. When we leave, if somebody took that spot, my husband moves the van while I wait someplace safe.

[chunkyfrog]

It might be nice if your van had an extendable bar with a sign on it,
"DO NOT BLOCK RAMP AREA" , so these nitwits couldn't go there.
I have seen some vans leave the ramp down, but I can't imagine how they keep the contents (or vehicle) secure.

[Madalot]

It might be nice if your van had an extendable bar with a sign on it,
"DO NOT BLOCK RAMP AREA" , so these nitwits couldn't go there.
I have seen some vans leave the ramp down, but I can't imagine how they keep the contents (or vehicle) secure.

I guess in my situation it's a blessing in disguise that my eyes are so badly affected that I don't feel safe driving. Since my husband takes me wherever we go, *I* at least have him to park & move the van as necessary to get around these idiots. I feel horrible for the person that is alone. It's happened to me enough, with my husband, to know that even if I did feel I could drive, I'd be risking someone blocking the ramp and preventing me from getting back into my vehicle after doing my errand.

[Kiralynx]

I resisted getting a handicapped tag for years. I finally got one in 2006, when I was called for jury duty. The building it was in had an elevator in the building, but none in the adjacent parking garage. When I went to report for jury duty, I ended up walking down 12 flights of steps... and back up again. When I mentioned this as a problem to the clerk of court, I was told, "Why didn't you park in the handicapped spaces?" I said I did not have a tag. And was told, "Well, if you don't have a tag, you aren't handicapped, and so therefore, you can climb the stairs."

Bullfeathers. I got the tag, used the handicapped tag for the jury duty. Then I scrupulously resisted using it. I would park in the first regular space next to handicapped spaces that I could find. (I especially did this at work, because I felt it was much more important that our handicapped customers have the spaces.)

Then in 2008, I had the cancer surgery -- and needed the tag.

Now I have serious knee issues -- and my hips, which were under control, got thrown for a whack when I had to do without my Bipap for a week last year, thanks to Hurricane Isaac.

I still park next to the handicapped spaces if there's one within my walking range. If it's an event I'm using my scooter for, I don't worry about it. I park wherever and the scooter is my electric legs.

[JohnBFisher]

... I resisted getting a handicapped tag for years. ... I still park next to the handicapped spaces if there's one within my walking range ...

Ditto! Sometimes due to increased dizziness and problems making my legs work correctly I need it. But whenever possible I try to skip using it. My doctors wanted me to use a walker (due to balance problems and the spills I was taking). But I decided to teach my dog to provide mobility assistance. The walker would just confine my walking a lot more than I wanted. Don't get me wrong, while you might think having a dog is "fun", it's actually a lot of work. Not that I would ever give him up - regardless of the work. But pretty frequently, I don't take the "easy" way out .. and stubbornly resist the progression of my issues.

So, yes. If you think I'm a stubborn old cuss, you are right!!

[Madalot]

... I resisted getting a handicapped tag for years. ... I still park next to the handicapped spaces if there's one within my walking range ...

Ditto! Sometimes due to increased dizziness and problems making my legs work correctly I need it. But whenever possible I try to skip using it. My doctors wanted me to use a walker (due to balance problems and the spills I was taking). But I decided to teach my dog to provide mobility assistance. The walker would just confine my walking a lot more than I wanted. Don't get me wrong, while you might think having a dog is "fun", it's actually a lot of work. Not that I would ever give him up - regardless of the work. But pretty frequently, I don't take the "easy" way out .. and stubbornly resist the progression of my issues.

So, yes. If you think I'm a stubborn old cuss, you are right!!

Years ago, I was relating a nasty fall I'd had to my neurologist, outlining what happened. My husband had been in a horrible construction accident the week before and my kids (young at that time) and I had gone grocery shopping. They were helping me, but I was bringing in groceries along with them. In the midst of it (and I was exhausted taking care of my husband too) my leg muscles just gave out and I collapsed in the hallway. Me and all the groceries I was carrying -- sprawled out on the floor.

My neurologist just looked at me like I came from Mars or something and said -- "First, you should not be carrying groceries. Second, why weren't you using your cane? You shouldn't be walking without it - EVER!!!" He was pretty upset with me, calling my behavior reckless.

I was maybe 40 at that time. Back then, I resisted everything about this disease, sometimes pretending it wasn't there at my own detriment. That was a nasty fall and with husband incapacitated, getting up was a challenge at best. Now I use my power chair for all travels outside the house and use it 95% of the time IN the house. I've come a long way in acceptance, huh?

[Therapist]

One of my coworkers' husband was handicapped but was still able to drive with a properly equipped car. Both of their cars were modified and had handicapped plates. My friend would not park in a handicapped spot, even if she had to go all the way to the top to find a place. Thats just the way she was (and still is). Also, she traveled a lot back than (and still does - I enjoy keeping up with her on Facebook).

One day she received a call from the building manager asking if she could drop by for a few minutes. He asked her is she would be willing to always park in one of the handicapped places since her car had the plates and leave the regular spots open? She agreed to do so, but only if there were multiple handicapped places available.

I guarantee you this friend is a bleeding heart liberal. To them only good intentions matter and the results are not important.

The building manager would like to put an underutilized asset to more use and relieve the overutilized asset of some usage.

Your friend is probably sweet people but they don't really know how to help.

[Rustsmith]

One of my coworkers' husband was handicapped but was still able to drive with a properly equipped car. Both of their cars were modified and had handicapped plates. My friend would not park in a handicapped spot, even if she had to go all the way to the top to find a place. Thats just the way she was (and still is). Also, she traveled a lot back than (and still does - I enjoy keeping up with her on Facebook).

One day she received a call from the building manager asking if she could drop by for a few minutes. He asked her is she would be willing to always park in one of the handicapped places since her car had the plates and leave the regular spots open? She agreed to do so, but only if there were multiple handicapped places available.

I am in a similar position to your coworker in that I am an able bodied person whose spouse owns the handicap tags. I am sure that the laws vary between states, but in our state, the law says that it is illegal to park in a handicap spot unless the handicapped individual is in the car. They can be a passenger or the driver, but the simple fact that the car has handicap tags does not qualify it for use in these parking spots. I could be (and should be) ticketed if I were to park in a blue space if she is not with me.

[StuUnderPressure]

I could be (and should be) ticketed if I were to park in a blue space if she is not with me.

Have you EVER seen anyone check the actual Handicapped License in a person's wallet or purse?

That is what would have to be done to catch those parking in Handicapped spaces withOUT the Handicapped person in the car.

There is 1 shopping center in town that is really anal about policing Handicapped Parking. Once they see the plate or the placard, they just assume someone in the car is handicapped.

If they don't bother to do it, nobody will.

[Rustsmith]

Have you EVER seen anyone check the actual Handicapped License in a person's wallet or purse?

That is what would have to be done to catch those parking in Handicapped spaces withOUT the Handicapped person in the car.

There is 1 shopping center in town that is really anal about policing Handicapped Parking. Once they see the plate or the placard, they just assume someone in the car is handicapped.

If they don't bother to do it, nobody will.

Have I seen it, but only once and we got a very quick apology. But the city that I live near had such a severe problem with abuse in the downtown area that they tasked all levels of the police (including meter readers) with catching folks. Within a week they had cleared the problem, had confiscated a number of hang tags being used by family members and had written quite a few very expensive citations. Word got around partially thanks to coverage on the evening news of a couple of high profile cases, so those blue spots are now much more available.

[jmcd]

Regarding parking for pregnant women or people with children (Ikea does this). . .

These drive me crazy. Where's the parking for single, professional woman, who has worked her ass of for 60+ hours this week and is now having to stop at Walmart, Target, Ikea, etc before going home to prepare her dinner, do a couple of loads of laundry, and mow the lawn before falling into bed to start all over the next day? We all have our burdens in life. One chooses to have a baby, another chooses a career. . .life can be exhausting.