KungFuPanda Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 The striped lines around the handicapped parking are NOT a good place to park your shopping cart. That little walkway between the poles of facing handicapped spots is an even worse place. If you notice, those lines will lead to a crosswalk and the crosswalk leads to a ramp. It is the safest way for a wheelchair to cross a parking lot. If you park your cart there, because you don't feel like WALKING it to a spot further away, you are a putz and someone in a wheelchair might have to move your cart before he can get out of the parking lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zimom Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 And just because you haven't left your car and PARKED it, you are still taking up the space!! Why do so many think that spot is fine for loading/unloading, waiting for someone??? KungFuPanda I have a feeling we could go on for days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I couldn't agree more. Once I started transporting my nearly fully disabled parents around I grew a whole new level of appreciation for handicapped parking, access, etc. I'm a bit of a bear about it now. My kids and I often move carts and clean out spots knowin what a hassle it is for others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Beginning in July, I will be authorized to give citations to people who park in/otherwise obstruct handicapped parking spaces if they don't have visible, legal handicapped permits of some kind. I will have no mercy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie75 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 And don't park there even if it's "just to run in". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie75 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Beginning in July, I will be authorized to give citations to people who park in/otherwise obstruct handicapped parking spaces if they don't have visible, legal handicapped permits of some kind. I will have no mercy. After being with a family member in a wheelchair try to park at places like Costco and there are NO handicap spots left because so many people have abused it, Ellie you might just have my dream job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zimom Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Beginning in July, I will be authorized to give citations to people who park in/otherwise obstruct handicapped parking spaces if they don't have visible, legal handicapped permits of some kind. I will have no mercy. Are you in the US? How did you get this authorization??? I would pay to be able to do that!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tranquility7 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Beginning in July, I will be authorized to give citations to people who park in/otherwise obstruct handicapped parking spaces if they don't have visible, legal handicapped permits of some kind. I will have no mercy. Interesting. How did you get authorized? Is this something you do on your own time (when you are going into a store yourself and see someone parked illegally) or is it something you actually have hours for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Are you in the US? How did you get this authorization??? I would pay to be able to do that!!! It's a volunteer program only in Travis County, Texas (Austin area). Such a citation carries a $500 fine. o_0 Volunteers currently write about 1000 citations a year, just in Travis County. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Beginning in July, I will be authorized to give citations to people who park in/otherwise obstruct handicapped parking spaces if they don't have visible, legal handicapped permits of some kind. I will have no mercy. Mwa-ha-ha! The Wrath of Ellie! This is going to be awesome! Can we get a weekly tally with tales of the biggest idjits? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zimom Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 It's a volunteer program only in Travis County, Texas (Austin area). Such a citation carries a $500 fine. o_0 Volunteers currently write about 1000 citations a year, just in Travis County. This is great! Man, communities could rack up if they would let just a few of us volunteer in each city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 It's a volunteer program only in Travis County, Texas (Austin area). Such a citation carries a $500 fine. o_0 Volunteers currently write about 1000 citations a year, just in Travis County. I think I like your town. :) Honestly though, they couldn't have picked a more perfect person for the job You will be tough, but fair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Mwa-ha-ha! The Wrath of Ellie! This is going to be awesome! Can we get a weekly tally with tales of the biggest idjits? I'll let you know. :-) It's very detailed: We have to take pictures (cell phone or other camera) of the offending vehicle, showing how it is violating the ordinance; pictures of the placard to show that it is not legal (outdated, forged, etc.), which can be tricky, as the placard is actually, you know *inside* the car; and a picture of the actual citation. We e-mail all of those to the precinct, and then we have to drive to the office to sign an affidavit in person, and we have to do this within 72 hours of making the citation. All of that becomes evidence in court. We might have to appear in court if the perpetrator challenges it. I'm pondering going to the court here in Williamson County to see if we can get that program started here. (I can only issue citations in Travis County, but I'm in Travis County regularly. That's where Trader Joe's and cookie butter are...). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 And don't do it at church to run in and pick your kids up from preschool! I swear those spots were taken first every day by people who wouldn't dream of parking in them on Sundays or at the grocery store. You never know if there's a child or parent w/ a disability IN the preschool who needs that spot! Just because you don't see a physical disability or know about it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I used to get so mad when I had to carry DD in and out of preK while also carrying a baby because stupid moms took her spot for drop offs- and always in the rain. If the rain makes it difficult and uncomfortable for you to walk in, it is much worse for someone who actually needs the handicap spots. People would say, "Oh, sorry, but we were just in and out." Or maybe they wondered but never asked why I was carrying a child in each hand when one seemed big enough to walk. Not that it was their business... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 It's a volunteer program only in Travis County, Texas (Austin area). Such a citation carries a $500 fine. o_0 Volunteers currently write about 1000 citations a year, just in Travis County. Can they extend your authority so you can give citations to people who use gramdma's placard when grandma isn't even with them? A LOT of people think it's legal to park with a valid placard and don't understand that the disabled person HAS to be with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 It's a volunteer program only in Travis County, Texas (Austin area). Such a citation carries a $500 fine. o_0 Volunteers currently write about 1000 citations a year, just in Travis County. Just for kicks you could issue citations while topless! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJosMom Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Here is a different perspective. I know several who legally park in the handicapped zone and leave their cart right there. They aren't wheel chair bound -- they've got bad knees or hips and they are depending on the cart to support them as they get in to the store. They leave the cart there so they can get in their car without falling, and so the next person with their condition can step out of the vehicle, grab the cart, and use it for support as they go shop. Those motorized scooters would work, but they aren't parked near the handicapped zone...and the people don't have good enough joints to get over to one without falling. If they use their walker, there is no place to store it while they shop and unload the scooter. As a ratio, I'd say I see 1000x more of these people than people using wheelchairs locally. I have to agree about the caregivers parked in the handicapped spot though. If you are taking your loved one to PT, please don't sit in your vehicle in the handicapped spot the entire time, vehicle running, blocking the ramp or sidewalk cutout. Kindly park across the way for the hour or so that your loved one is in the building receiving therapy, or go do an errand, then return. This frees the handicapped spot up for other people loading/unloading loved who ones aren't far enough along in therapy to cross the parking lot and step up on the curb without a lot of pain and a high falling risk. I am firmly in the "misuse the handicapped parking and be flogged" camp, but I think that this is a very important point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Can they extend your authority so you can give citations to people who use gramdma's placard when grandma isn't even with them? A LOT of people think it's legal to park with a valid placard and don't understand that the disabled person HAS to be with you. I'd think you'd have to get a picture and description of the person as they're coming or going. You also can't always tell. I have a friend who gets a temporary in winter because of her chronic lung issues (asthma, pneumonia repeats, bronchitis). Parking without it at the university where she works means a long walk and her doctor wants her breathing cold winter air and walking in it as little as possible. But she doesn't look handicapped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I'd think you'd have to get a picture and description of the person as they're coming or going. You also can't always tell. I have a friend who gets a temporary in winter because of her chronic lung issues (asthma, pneumonia repeats, bronchitis). Parking without it at the university where she works means a long walk and her doctor wants her breathing cold winter air and walking in it as little as possible. But she doesn't look handicapped. My state now has a photo of the handicapped person on the placard for just that reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 I'd think you'd have to get a picture and description of the person as they're coming or going. You also can't always tell. I have a friend who gets a temporary in winter because of her chronic lung issues (asthma, pneumonia repeats, bronchitis). Parking without it at the university where she works means a long walk and her doctor wants her breathing cold winter air and walking in it as little as possible. But she doesn't look handicapped. It's not about looking handicapped. It's about having the person for whom the placard was issued IN the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 TOTALLY! My mom was in a wheelchair for years and years. It was SO hard to go anyplace and those striped parking spaces make a world of difference to someone who WISHES they could stand up and walk the extra feet to the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 My state now has a photo of the handicapped person on the placard for just that reason. THIS should be everywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Had to give out a bunch of "likes" on this thread. We were able to get a conversion van thanks to a state program that paid for the conversion. We are lucky that a rear-entry van perfectly fits our dd's needs. Otherwise I would not be able to park more often than not. At places where I know there are too few handicapped spots for the number of wheelchair users (like dd's high school), I know that I can park in a regular spot and still get dd in and out of the car. If "grandma" has a placard and parks her car in the handicapped spot while waiting for her fully mobile grandchild to come out of the school, Sean's mom, Austin's mom, and Kimberly's mom won't be able to park anywhere where they can get their kids into their side-entry vans. And side-entry is a necessity for some wheelchair users--75% of conversion vans are side-entry. Anyway, thank you to Ellie and to all who try to make things a little easier for the wheelchair users in the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RanchGirl Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 I know several who legally park in the handicapped zone and leave their cart right there. I tend to think that most of the carts left in the handicapped zone is from people who parked in the handicapped spot and for whatever reason, don't return the cart to the cart corral. If someone is parked elsewhere and is too lazy to return a cart to the corral or the store, they're not going to go to the effort of putting it in the handicapped zone, they're going to leave it next to their own car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 I tend to think that most of the carts left in the handicapped zone is from people who parked in the handicapped spot and for whatever reason, don't return the cart to the cart corral. If someone is parked elsewhere and is too lazy to return a cart to the corral or the store, they're not going to go to the effort of putting it in the handicapped zone, they're going to leave it next to their own car. I actually have seen able-bodied people wheel their cart to the blue lines when it's closer than a cart return or the store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 They don't have to be in the vehicle. The driver can be picking them up or dropping them off curbside and still park in the handicapped spot after the curb drop off/pick up business. If you don't wait around, you may never see that step. I understand that. I have no beef with legal use. There are people who do things like get their father to register their vehicle so it has handicapped plates, then proceed to always park in handicapped spots. Or they keep grandmas placard in their car and always park in a handicapped spot even if grandma isn't part of any leg of their trip. People do weird stuff when they think they'll never get caught. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 THIS should be everywhere. I'd be so caught. I have a bad habit of not looking at the hang tag when I pick it up from the counter. I often have my dad's while driving my mom and vice versa. Of course, my mom is in a wheelchair and my dad uses a white cane, so I could make a case based on the obviousness of the situation if I needed to, I guess. I should be more careful, though. I took my mom to a bookstore on Black Friday (why, I don't know, it was crazy busy), and one of the aisles had a special display in it that made it too narrow for the wheelchair. Well, we turned the corner and ran into this thing and the front wheel caught the corner of it. There was a manager nearby who stood there and watched me get the wheelchair untangled, straighten up the display and replace the books that fell off. He didn't say a single word to us or help with it in any way. When we were ready to go on, he turned around and walked away. I mean, what, was he thinking "she knocked it over, she'd better pick it up?" I went online and wrote a complaint to the chain and never heard a peep back from them. That is irritating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brehon Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 I'll let you know. :-) It's very detailed: We have to take pictures (cell phone or other camera) of the offending vehicle, showing how it is violating the ordinance; pictures of the placard to show that it is not legal (outdated, forged, etc.), which can be tricky, as the placard is actually, you know *inside* the car; and a picture of the actual citation. We e-mail all of those to the precinct, and then we have to drive to the office to sign an affidavit in person, and we have to do this within 72 hours of making the citation. All of that becomes evidence in court. We might have to appear in court if the perpetrator challenges it. I'm pondering going to the court here in Williamson County to see if we can get that program started here. (I can only issue citations in Travis County, but I'm in Travis County regularly. That's where Trader Joe's and cookie butter are...). I was wondering about this as I know where you live! ;) All I can say is good luck with the commissioner's court in Wilco. <sigh - my issues with them right now are of a professional nature. Actually, with one specific county office whose recognized and acknowledged gross mistake at the beginning of the budget year is currently hurting the (same county) department for which I work. The Court won't intervene to force a rectification even though they could.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Can they extend your authority so you can give citations to people who use gramdma's placard when grandma isn't even with them? A LOT of people think it's legal to park with a valid placard and don't understand that the disabled person HAS to be with you. Amen. I see more of this than anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 I mean this sincerely: if you have messed-up joints due to obesity, how does it help long-term to be enabled to exercise less? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 I mean this sincerely: if you have messed-up joints due to obesity, how does it help long-term to be enabled to exercise less? Well, one thing to think about is that the person's obesity may be caused by another problem. My mother was in a wheelchair for almost 10 years. She had brain cancer and cognitively struggled with things like eating. My dad fed her as if she were as active as he was. Also, he's not a paragon of nutrition either. She was always slim until she got cancer. So in her case, the obesity ended up being an effect of the cancer (and the care that my dad was giving her; although he really was doing his best), not the cause of her disability. You never know why that person is in that wheelchair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 I was wondering about this as I know where you live! ;) All I can say is good luck with the commissioner's court in Wilco. <sigh - my issues with them right now are of a professional nature. Actually, with one specific county office whose recognized and acknowledged gross mistake at the beginning of the budget year is currently hurting the (same county) department for which I work. The Court won't intervene to force a rectification even though they could.) :-( Well, I cannot imagine that people have not already tried to do something similar in Wilco, so I'm guessing that yes, there must be issues of some kind here. I'm not sure I'm the one to head up the battle. We'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 I mean this sincerely: if you have messed-up joints due to obesity, how does it help long-term to be enabled to exercise less? I'm not sure how obesity got into the conversation. Maybe I missed something. In any case, exercise doesn't repair damaged joints. At most it will strengthen the muscles around the joints, which will help prevent further damage and may reduce pain. Additionally, joint pain is excruciating. Why would you want someone to be in more pain than is necessary? Another way to look at it is this - a person who is in severe pain will probably move as little as possible. If they can't bear the 100 yard walk from the parking space to their destination, then they will stay home, getting even less exorcise than you might want them to. So, would you rather them walk 50 feet or not at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 I'd be so caught. I have a bad habit of not looking at the hang tag when I pick it up from the counter. I often have my dad's while driving my mom and vice versa. Of course, my mom is in a wheelchair and my dad uses a white cane, so I could make a case based on the obviousness of the situation if I needed to, I guess. I should be more careful, though. Yeah, you do. Because if I saw you parked illegally, I would be required to ticket you, and then you would have to go to court. I don't know if the judge would dismiss your case if you showed up with your disabled parents or not, but the whole ordeal would be painful for all. Does anyone else ever drive your parents? If not, why not just keep the placards in your glove box? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 I understand that. I have no beef with legal use. There are people who do things like get their father to register their vehicle so it has handicapped plates, then proceed to always park in handicapped spots. Or they keep grandmas placard in their car and always park in a handicapped spot even if grandma isn't part of any leg of their trip. People do weird stuff when they think they'll never get caught. I think sometimes it is just ignorance and lack of any thought. My DD had a handicap tag for about 4 years and her own grandparents were the worst about that- on both sides of the family! They'd take the van and park in the spot but leave DD in the car with one adult while everyone else went inside. They'd ask me to park there when DD wasn't with us. They'd drop DD off at the doors and pick her up at the doors and still want to park in the handicap spots to walk in. It was maddening. They were genuinely confused as to why I thought that was terrible and illegal behavior. I hope they learned and didn't do it when I wasn't there, but I don't know. They were like children and needed reminders over and over. Normally these people are very ethical and would never take a handicap spot or try to do something wrong even if they had no chance of being caught. We didn't even park in the handicap spots unless DD was having a bad day or if the other open spots were truly too far. She was ambulatory and could walk- she just couldn't walk far or on certain terrains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 I would also like to ask a well intentioned question: if you're in a motorized wheelchair or scooter, why is it a need to park closer than those who are using walkers? Is there a battery restriction that means you need to be in the closest parking spot? Would it be better to design the parking lot so that an entire row next to a concrete barrier had wide spaces for load/unload? In other words, is it the closeness that is needed or is it the width of the space? We have school district aides who attend students in motorized wheelchairs who go further each day mileage wise than the length of the grocery store parking lot, so its odd that their parents think they need to be the closest to the store in terms of parking. It's access and safety. Wheelchairs are harder to see because they're lower, so if the person is alone it is safer to avoid as much of the parking lot as possible. Also you need space around the van to even get a power chair out of the vehicle. It's much safer to unload in a van zone than a regular parking spot. Some vans unload from the side, so they literally cannot get out of the vehicle in a regular spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 Dp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmos Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 It's access and safety. Wheelchairs are harder to see because they're lower, so if the person is alone it is safer to avoid as much of the parking lot as possible. Also you need space around the van to even get a power chair out of the vehicle. It's much safer to unload in a van zone than a regular parking spot. Some vans unload from the side, so they literally cannot get out of the vehicle in a regular spot. If I'm understanding correctly, neither of those reasons necessarily requires proximity to the building. The safety issue requires avoiding the open parking lot, so the parking space must be next to a safe pedestrian corridor, but not necessarily directly next to the destination. The second reason has to do with the size of the space. Of course, in most existing parking lots, the only usable ones are right next to the building. But it seems to suggest one could design a parking lot with more wheelchair access spots farther away from the building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 I'll let you know. :-) It's very detailed: We have to take pictures (cell phone or other camera) of the offending vehicle, showing how it is violating the ordinance; pictures of the placard to show that it is not legal (outdated, forged, etc.), which can be tricky, as the placard is actually, you know *inside* the car; and a picture of the actual citation. We e-mail all of those to the precinct, and then we have to drive to the office to sign an affidavit in person, and we have to do this within 72 hours of making the citation. All of that becomes evidence in court. We might have to appear in court if the perpetrator challenges it. I'm pondering going to the court here in Williamson County to see if we can get that program started here. (I can only issue citations in Travis County, but I'm in Travis County regularly. That's where Trader Joe's and cookie butter are...). Wow, I had no idea this was possible. I live in Travis county and going to look into how to do this myself. Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Yeah, you do. Because if I saw you parked illegally, I would be required to ticket you, and then you would have to go to court. I don't know if the judge would dismiss your case if you showed up with your disabled parents or not, but the whole ordeal would be painful for all. Does anyone else ever drive your parents? If not, why not just keep the placards in your glove box? How would you know she had the wrong person's placard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Beginning in July, I will be authorized to give citations to people who park in/otherwise obstruct handicapped parking spaces if they don't have visible, legal handicapped permits of some kind. I will have no mercy. This is the greatest thing ever. I wish California had something like this. We have some crazy entitled people at our neighborhood pool. And speaking of loading zones, people at our pool try to park in them. I've written too many windshield notes to count. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 How would you know she had the wrong person's placard? Oh, sorry--my bad. I reread her post and I misunderstood. It doesn't matter whose placard is displayed, only that it is a legal placard. :blushing: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 I tend to think that most of the carts left in the handicapped zone is from people who parked in the handicapped spot and for whatever reason, don't return the cart to the cart corral. If someone is parked elsewhere and is too lazy to return a cart to the corral or the store, they're not going to go to the effort of putting it in the handicapped zone, they're going to leave it next to their own car. Not always true. Once at a Walmart, I watched a woman, who was not in a handicapped spot, choose to take her cart and stick it, not in the slanted line area, but in the middle of the handicapped parking spot, despite the fact that there was a cart corral *exactly as far away from her car as the handicapped spot.* (three spots away) She was not very pleased with what I had to say to her as I went over and removed it. I'm also not sure that this covers the situations where there are 3, 4, or 5 carts nested together in the handicapped spot or clustered around the sign in the parking area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 If I'm understanding correctly, neither of those reasons necessarily requires proximity to the building. The safety issue requires avoiding the open parking lot, so the parking space must be next to a safe pedestrian corridor, but not necessarily directly next to the destination. The second reason has to do with the size of the space. Of course, in most existing parking lots, the only usable ones are right next to the building. But it seems to suggest one could design a parking lot with more wheelchair access spots farther away from the building. Not everyone needs to be closer to the building. With disabilities being so varied, I think they try to situate the parking where it will help the most people. I'd much rather park further away and walk a bit to avoid traffic, but it's not always safer and I certainly didn't feel that way when I was pushing a manual wheelchair. Also, MOST disabled people don't have a power chair. Just yesterday I saw in front of the handicapped spots a sign that read FINE. I thought, "good. Maybe that sign will make people think twice." It doesn't. Most handicapped spots here post a fine. It's not a deterrent if nobody ever checks and you're confident you won't get caught. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 If I'm understanding correctly, neither of those reasons necessarily requires proximity to the building. The safety issue requires avoiding the open parking lot, so the parking space must be next to a safe pedestrian corridor, but not necessarily directly next to the destination. The second reason has to do with the size of the space. Of course, in most existing parking lots, the only usable ones are right next to the building. But it seems to suggest one could design a parking lot with more wheelchair access spots farther away from the building. Not everyone needs to be closer to the building. With disabilities being so varied, I think they try to situate the parking where it will help the most people. I'd much rather park further away and walk a bit to avoid traffic, but it's not always safer and I certainly didn't feel that way when I was pushing a manual wheelchair. Also, MOST disabled people don't have a power chair. Just yesterday I saw in front of the handicapped spots a sign that read FINE. I thought, "good. Maybe that sign will make people think twice." It doesn't. Most handicapped spots here post a fine. It's not a deterrent if nobody ever checks and you're confident you won't get caught. I'll let you know. :-) It's very detailed: We have to take pictures (cell phone or other camera) of the offending vehicle, showing how it is violating the ordinance; pictures of the placard to show that it is not legal (outdated, forged, etc.), which can be tricky, as the placard is actually, you know *inside* the car; and a picture of the actual citation. We e-mail all of those to the precinct, and then we have to drive to the office to sign an affidavit in person, and we have to do this within 72 hours of making the citation. All of that becomes evidence in court. We might have to appear in court if the perpetrator challenges it. I'm pondering going to the court here in Williamson County to see if we can get that program started here. (I can only issue citations in Travis County, but I'm in Travis County regularly. That's where Trader Joe's and cookie butter are...). I wish they had this program here. Still, there seems no way to catch the people who use grandma's legal placard when they've left grandma at home. They'll just swear in court that she was in the store, or that they moved the vehicle to collect her at the door. Around here, it seems that being grandma's regular chauffeur comes with 24/7 parking privileges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 If I'm understanding correctly, neither of those reasons necessarily requires proximity to the building. The safety issue requires avoiding the open parking lot, so the parking space must be next to a safe pedestrian corridor, but not necessarily directly next to the destination. The second reason has to do with the size of the space. Of course, in most existing parking lots, the only usable ones are right next to the building. But it seems to suggest one could design a parking lot with more wheelchair access spots farther away from the building. This is the case for many VA hospitals, out of necessity as so very many need safe, accessible parking. However, that is an unusual situation...these are primarily clinics and hospitals. There has been discussion for years about a tiered placard system as well, but I do not believe it is feasible. There are just too many scenarios medically, and puts someone other than he patient/patient's doc in charge of the level of disability. Way too convoluted. As someone in a wheelchair, I have to say that proximity to the door is not always the biggest concern. In fact, when hubby is with me to help we rarely park in a blue spot as it really doesn't make that much of a difference...but when I am on my own with my dd4? The distance and ability to get in quickly CAN be an issue. We live in Texas where it gets HOT. Some of my medications make me very sensitive to heat. Trying to get out with groceries, or make sure my kiddo is safe, there are lots of little reasons. Any one of them on its own? Completely surmountable. But all those little things DO add up. It is about having a little bit of independence. When I was pregnant I could not use my regular wheelchair and had to move to an electric wheelchair. The weather can be so unpredictable, and I had to be completely aware as the sudden downpours can fry the battery or damage other parts. Outrageously expensive, but it can also leave a person in a wheelchair completely stranded. All of this is to say, parking right next to the building is not ALWAYS a necessity as long as there is safe, designated, spacious (as in side-loading ramp) parking. But there are so many different scenarios to take into consideration for so many disabilities that the simplest, cheapest solution is to put them close to the door. Another pet peeve of mine? Motorcycles! There are so many around here in a Uni town, and so many think the crosshatches next to blue spots are prime places to park them. Arg! I have come out of a building so many times to find that I am trapped...I cannot get into my vehicle because the motorcycle is parked in the way of where my ramp needs to descend. I cannot tell you how many hours I have sat in parking lots waiting for the owners of either errant cars or motorcycles 'just running in for a minute' to return. In heat, rain, with piles of groceries and a miserable 4 year old. Stores will mak announcements but often people will just finish shopping anyway. Ellie, I hope that you will have the power to ticket them as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 I would also like to ask a well intentioned question: if you're in a motorized wheelchair or scooter, why is it a need to park closer than those who are using walkers? Is there a battery restriction that means you need to be in the closest parking spot? Would it be better to design the parking lot so that an entire row next to a concrete barrier had wide spaces for load/unload? In other words, is it the closeness that is needed or is it the width of the space? We have school district aides who attend students in motorized wheelchairs who go further each day mileage wise than the length of the grocery store parking lot, so its odd that their parents think they need to be the closest to the store in terms of parking. I would love some handicapped spaces located further away from the store entrance as long as there is a safe path to the door. I do not need proximity because I am a healthy adult pushing my dd's chair. But before we had our rear-entry van, I absolutely needed that loading zone to be able to park dd by her car door and lift her into the car. Parking spaces are so close together now. Even if I leave the wheelchair behind the van, I can't physically carry dd to the side of the car if someone is parked by me. So, yes, for many wheelchair users it would be fine to be parked further away, particularly if those spots all had loading zones. But most placard-holders are not wheelchair users. Some have mobility issues where distance is an issue, others may have "invisible" disabilities like COPD or heart issues where they walking far could jeopardize them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Here in the land of golf and retirees there are people who think it's fine to park their golf carts in those lines. These are NOT people who have a handicapped sticker for their cars either. We have 2 dear friends (a husband and wife) in wheelchairs and they have to deal with this all the time at Publix. It's a huge problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Another pet peeve of mine? Motorcycles! Yes, this is becoming a problem here too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Ellie, I hope that you will have the power to ticket them as well! I can ticket *any* vehicle that parks in/obstructs a handicapped parking space. I have been warned to be discreet, because some perpetrators can be very, um, belligerent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.