OT Rant: That handicapped space is NOT for you.

[Kirstin Thornhill]

There are two handicapped spots in the shopping center in town, right in front of the video store.

Last summer, the police set up a undercover officer there, who wrote 63 tickets in an eight hour period.

A week later, they set up the same operation. This time, they wrote 54 tickets and towed 18 vehicles.

A week after that, they wrote 49 tickets, and towed 14 cars, including a city councilman's car.

The whole operation was cancelled for some "unknown" reason right after that city councilman's car was towed.

[Draggar]

The whole operation was cancelled for some "unknown" reason right after that city councilman's car was towed.

That sickens me. I'm a councilman, so I'm allowed to do whatever I want.

Honestly, these people who park in the spaces and don't need to are taking their good health for granted.

Maybe courts should make them 'handicapped' for a week. I'm not talking about injuring them, but maybe putting a type of cast on their leg, immobilizing it, or something on that lines, so they can see the inconvenience that they're giving others.

(Honestly, that really wouldn't work too well most likely, since the people doing this are usualy either ignorant or arrogant, neither of which like to learn lessons).

[Mileron]

My father is handicapped.
The state of NJ only allows one permanent (license plate) and one temporary (hangy card) per household.

I generally am the one who drives my dad around, in the car without the plates.
When we do go out, we park in the handicapped spots.
Occasionally, he'll start to get out of the car, but be too fatigued to enter the store, so he'll get back in. I go in alone while he waits.

If I know he's not going in at all, I won't park there.

If he's not in the car, the tag doesn't leave the glove compartment. Well unless we're taking him in a different car.

I do understand the frustration. Unfortunately, my town does nothing against violators, even when a cop car parks next to them at a convenience store.

[aruvqan]

As an side note, we have one or two customers at work that I see on a semi-regular basis that inspire me. One is walking with a cane, and is obviously having serious medical difficuties. And I've yet to see him park in the handicapped spaces. And then there's the man who is in a wheelchair who drives himself, has a folded up/disassembled wheel chair in the back seat of his car. Parks in the disabled spot, gets his wheelchair from the backseat, assembles it himself, and slides himself into it. Never asks for help from anyone, even though we always offer and do what we can. If I ever see him pull in, and someone's illegaly parked in the handicapped space, I'm going to FIND THEM inside, and make them move. Probably after I call the cops.
-Noishpa "Please don't use this thread to laugh about where I work" Taltos.

I am handicapped, broke my back and neck in 3 places. I am incredibly thrilled that I am not a para or quad, though I have good days and bad days. I *generally* park as far away from the entrance as I think I can manage because walking gently is about the only exercise I can do...I am willing to use the permit if it is slushy and slippery and icy out [really don't want to fall and screw up my ability to move...] but prefer to let someone who *really* needs it in good weather and bad to use it.

Though I probably will end up on canes in the next 10 years, and a chair within the decade after that...I will happily slog away from a distance=)

[Turlo Lomon]

My mother called me complaining about a ticket she received in California for illegally parking in a handicap spot. First offence, $350. She actually expected me to be sympathetic to her, and I asked her... what if someone who needed that spot pulled up right after her? Her response: I was only in there for a minute. Last time I watched, it takes a few minutes to write up a ticket. Sometimes I think she lives in her own little world.

[Lickity]

=) I was working at Godfather's Pizza a few winters ago. I talked to my boss about moving her car out of the ONE disabled spot we had at the store, she refused, said business was slow and we didn't have anyone who needed it at the store anyhow.

I went on a delivery, picked up my cellphone, and called the police =) Her car was towed away before I got back =D

[Lilosh]

=) I was working at Godfather's Pizza a few winters ago. I talked to my boss about moving her car out of the ONE disabled spot we had at the store, she refused, said business was slow and we didn't have anyone who needed it at the store anyhow.

I went on a delivery, picked up my cellphone, and called the police =) Her car was towed away before I got back =D

I have to thank all of you for agreeing with me on this. I've had this pet peeve for the past 6 months or so, and I finally had to let it out.


The stories you all shared make me smile. Thank you.


-Lilosh

[Lothay]

-Noishpa "Please don't use this thread to laugh about where I work" Taltos.

When you quit bringing it up, I'll believe that you really don't want people to make jokes about where you work.

[iasmin]

When you quit bringing it up, I'll believe that you really don't want people to make jokes about where you work.

Oh! UNfair! Coffee on the keyboard! Geez. ::lol:: (She and I have had the same job, just at different stores!)

[Cantatus]

Heh, just be glad you don't live in Austin. My mom has a handicap hangtag, and it seems like all of the handicap spots in Austin are further than they should be. For instance, at an Italian restaurant, the parking spots for "Take Out Orders" are in front of the building near the door and the handicap spot are on the side of the building furthest from the door. The SuperTarget has two entrances and they put all of the handicap spots in the middle rather than by the sets of doors.

Of course, this thread sort of reminds me of an episode of Ally McBeal where a handicap man in a wheelchair is suing for discrimination and Ling (who is pretty much an ice queen) finds out and says, "You guys already get all of the good parking spots, what more do you want!?"

Oh, and I miss Godfather's Pizza.

[Lilosh]

When you quit bringing it up, I'll believe that you really don't want people to make jokes about where you work.

I simply got tired of every time I mentioned the phrase "at work" briefly in a post, having people start giggling and sniggering like children about where I work instead of the topic of my post.


-Lilosh

[Draggar]

I simply got tired of every time I mentioned the phrase "at work" briefly in a post, having people start giggling and sniggering like children about where I work instead of the topic of my post.


-Lilosh

Honestly, I think most of the people here don't care (not in a bad way) where you work. You have a job, that's a lot more than what a lot of people in this country can say. If they're immature enough to have an attitude like that, then they need to be ignored.

Trust me, I'd rather have people snickering about where I work instead of what I really get, non-stop questions about their service, complaints, and people demanding I give them free stuff (I'm a tech with a large wireless company, and the wireless industry is the #2 most complained about industry in the US, next to automobiles).

If you drop it and ignore it, it will stop (although I didn't see any in this thread).

[Aryse Andenter]

Wow you realy hit on one of my rant issues with this one!

My uncle would never dream of saying anything to anyone, and he hates to take a handicapped space (he somehow always insists other people are even worse off than him) and would never wait for one to open up if it is not available, but the more he walks now the less he will be able to walk in the future as it agravates his problems and has permanent debilitative effects.

Seeing him hobbling to the store from a few rows over and knowing that this means he will have to go home and remain seated for the rest of the day sure brings out the anger towards the irresponsible driver who wanted to save himself a few minutes. What about the hours of my uncle's time he has now wasted? Not to mention the possible permanent damage his thoughtless action caused? *Grrr*


On a side note though, I do know two people without visible disabilities who both have valid reasons for having the handicapped parking pass. I'll focus on the folks with no pass at all and have faith that the apparently able bodied teen running into the store has a serious but less visible condition and that she is thankful she can run into the store every day.

[Qutie]

I debated whether I would post in this topic (and I guess I won, or lost ;p)

While I appreciate how far we've come when it comes to accessability, I fear we've taken a giant step back when people are so upset that the first spaces are set aside for those that need and will benefit from them, that they need to police the users.

My mom uses a wheelchair full time now and she isn't able to drive anymore. She needs assistance from the truck to her wheelchar. I drive an SuV... mainly because I like them but a prime consideration was that it had to be comfortable enough for my mom if she didn't want to get out And still have room for the chair And any shopping we do.

Before she stopped driving she had perma-handicapped plates, once she couldn't drive we turned them in. She also had a tag if she was in another car.

She would push me all the time to hang that **** tag in my truck and use the handicapped spaces at the stores. But to me, it was easier to drop her off at the door and find another space. It was also a way to serve two people (in my mind: mom and whoever used the free space).
Even her doctor tried to get me to apply for a tag/plate as I was the sole driver for her.

Two reasons why I didn't and still haven't gotten that tag:

First, people who, god forbid, see my walking back to the truck to set up for mom to get in and feel they need to say something to me....

Second, in my mind... as long as the store had a flat sidewalk in front, I didn't need a separate space, just 2 minutes in front to unload the wheelchair and mom. BTW, stores that have raised sidewalks didn't get my $$ when I took mom out ;p

So, while I understand your ire about cars parked in handicapped spaces without tags (here in NY, I see cars in em lots more than I do trucks ;p) or with people in it you've determined to be healthy enough not to "need" it, may I suggest that either a report to the local police station or a photo of the car and sign sent in to them will take care of anyone that shouldn't be using the space.

One last thing, my sister in law is one of those people who doesn't "look" handicapped, but is. She has been confronted more than once, by some moron that felt the need to berate her about her plate and use of the space.

Inconsiderate people are the suck... whether they're illegally using a designated space....or deciding who should or shouldn't get to.

[Lilosh]

As I mentioned, I'm never quite sure about people who have the tag, but "Appear" to be fine. So normally I just give them the benefit of the doubt,and quietly wonder. I don't say anything.


My main beef is the people who park in the spaces who have no decal, or the people who leave their car running across 3 spaces, one of which is handicapped, so they can run into blockbuster or McDonalds, or wait for a buddy they're picking up from work.

If they have a decal, I never take it upon myself to scowl at them.

-Lilosh