O.T. Handicapped parking spaces

Well, it's not limited to California. I see it all the time here in Arizona as well; and it just pi$$es me off. People aren't the slightest bit embarrassed about pulling into a handicapped space and bailing our, showing themselves to be a picture of health.
On the other hand, not only the perfectly healthy can be "guilty" in this respect. Years ago in Tucson; I had a very good (totally blind) friend who had one of the first "Mirror-hanger" handicap placards. When we made a beer run, he'd always make me hang the placard and park right outside the stores. Told him I didn't need the spot and he was just going to wait for me; but he always wanted me to take it, "I like to park right out front!" And you know he could tell (by the sounds he heard) just exactly how far away from the door we parked; so I'd get my butt chewed if I didn't park close
Back to the present; I once saw somebody in an SN95 'vert whip into a handicapped spot at Fry's Food Store (placard hanging on the mirror) and bail out and jog into the store. On the way in, he was questioned by a passerby; and pretty much gave the same response you got. The dude questioning the driver, just said "Okay" and watched the a-hole trot on into the store. The a-hole went in, bought some Zima's, chips, Bud Light, and Rocky Road ice cream (I was behind him at the checkout); and walked back out to find a Crown Vic from our City's Finest parked right behind him. Found out later that the guy who who questioned the driver had called the cops (it's a Criminal Violation to illegally park in a H-cap slot in Yuma, maybe in all of AZ) immediately after he took down the placard and stuffed it under the a-hole's seat.
Gawd I loved it!

I agree with your sentiments about healthy people shouldn't abuse the handicap parking tags. But please remember just because someone "looks healthy" doesn't necessarily mean that they don't have a legit reason for the tag, or for using it.




I'm also speaking from personal experience. Although I have never had a tag, while I was undergoing treatments, (before I lost all my hair) I could barely walk 20 feet without getting short of breath and exhausted.......and I still looked reasonably fit.

I see it all the time too. My mother has a handicapped placard hanging from the mirror, but sometimes refuses to use it as she says she's not that disabled, after both hips replaced. Every once in awhile you get to see a parking ticket being issued for that violation, but not enough IMO.

65stanger said:

I agree with your sentiments about healthy people shouldn't abuse the handicap parking tags. But please remember just because someone "looks healthy" doesn't necessarily mean that they don't have a legit reason for the tag, or for using it.
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Agreed. However, in the two cases I cited:

(1) I was anywhere from 19-25 yrs old, skinny, and climbed towers for a living - I certainly didn't need to park close! Only time I felt good about it was if my pal Jerry was getting out of the car, too. Not for him, mind you, but for his seeing eye "dog" (German Shepard/Timber Wolf cross) Turk. Jerry could walk for miles, but Turk was getting old and his hips were getting dysplastic; so I wasn't too keen on watching him lurch and hobble across the parking lot.

(2) The other guy was tan and buff and looked/acted like he had just carried his Jet-Ski from the boat-ramp up to his truck in the parking lot. He vaulted out of the 'Stang like somebody had pressed an "Eject" button; and jogged across to the store entrance on the opposite side.

StangDreamin' said:

(2) The other guy was tan and buff and looked/acted like he had just carried his Jet-Ski from the boat-ramp up to his truck in the parking lot. He vaulted out of the 'Stang like somebody had pressed an "Eject" button; and jogged across to the store entrance on the opposite side.

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In a case like that someone should take a tire iron to his knees, then he would need the placard!

I'm usually pretty vocal about the senseless morons that use handicap parking and are perfectly healthy, after all my brother is paralyzed from the chest down, so I understand how important those spots are. But I did something several years ago that made me a bit less vocal. My wife and I were coming back from a movie, it was raining and we wanted something to eat. We stopped at a local coffee shop and lo and behold! there was a spot right up front next to a sherriff's car. Lucky me! I whipped in, and since it was raining hard, we ran inside, feeling lucky to have found a spot so close. When we went back to the car, I found a ticket for parking in a handicap spot. I felt about two inches tall. I could have whined about the ticket, since it was raining, it was dark and there was no sign on the curb, but as I backed out, I noticed there was a huge blue painted square denoting a handicap spot. I paid the ticket and cut those who abuse those spots a little slack these days.

zookeeper said:

....... feeling lucky to have found a spot so close.

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We went to a buffet last night and found a space right at the front door. I actually walked around it and looked under the car for that blue painted spot, I couldn't believe our luck.

What tickes me off almost as much is some of the a-holes in my little hick Kentucky town. The ones who don't have the Handicap tags (and some that do) just pull up to the fire lane in front of the store and park there. Autozone, Movie rental place and the hardware store--ALL THE TIME!! Empty spaces 15 feet away, but NOOOOOO......I'll just be a minute and I DESERVE the extra special treatment. WTF?????? BOOM. Remove them from the gene pool.....

zookeeper said:

I could have whined about the ticket, since it was raining, it was dark and there was no sign on the curb, but as I backed out, I noticed there was a huge blue painted square denoting a handicap spot. I paid the ticket and cut those who abuse those spots a little slack these days.

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I think what you did is quite a bit different than someone who takes a handicapped space out of apathy, laziness, or mailicious intent. To tell the truth, I dont see to amny people abusing handicapped placards or illegally parking in the spaces. Mostly everyone double parks, blocks fire lanes, or parks in the driveway itself.

Well it finally happened. I put my son's placard on the rearview mirror and went to park in the handicapped stall only to find a rusty late 70's chev pick-up with an "I love HOOTERS" sticker on the back window and no placard to be seen. The only other spot to park was right beside him and he had parked so far over to the side that I had a bitch of a time fishing my son out the back of the car.

The same day I got a dirty look when I got out of the car (after parking in a handicapped spot) and walked around to the passenger side - again to get my son out of the back. I have to lean in the back of the car for a while sometimes; unbuckling him from his seat, putting his shoes back on if he took them off, getting his epi-pen and medicine bag, etc. People seem to jump to the conclusion that I'm getting my hockey gear out of the back or something.

Not everyone with a disabled child, or disability themselves, owns an Aerostar with a wheelchair lift on the back. Some of us own primer grey Mustangs. I just grew an extra layer of skin to not let it bother me.

In most cases though, I rarely see people abusing the rules.

pushrod power said:

when we walked to the front to go in my she noticed all of the available handicapped spots in front and said that she wished she had remembered to bring her mothers handicapped placard so we could have parked in front.

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I've heard that one before and it infuriates me. My son's placard had his name written on it when issued so it can only be used when he is in the vehicle.