Handicapped Parking Abuse (free, famous, places, percentage of)

[cherry251]

My father is handicapped, but when we went on vacation we didn.t have our placard for the rental car in PS. (We are not from the States) A lady came up and started to berate us and yell and scream, not letting my father even explain. Now, this is a visible disability; he even uses a cane and has a limp. So if this fart-headed old cow had given him one second to stand up, I hope she would have felt extremely embarrassed!

If you think someone is mis-using it, just call the cops. I don't think anyone should feel the need to completely attempt to humiliate someone else because they don't feel they need the space...

[think.reciprocity]

Originally Posted by sterlinggirl

Go to your HR department and mention that the truly handicapped people in the company think that she's creating a "hostile work environment".

Those are the magic words that will let you quit and still collect unemployment if they don't fix the problem.

I'm reading what you quoted only in the context you presented it here - not searching for it's origin to see it in it's original context...

That all being said - your advice is off. There is a legal context for "a hostile work environment" & someone parking in a handicap spot that you don't think they are entitled to does not fit. What you are suggesting is just the thing that ruins any legitimate law for those who really truly need it - promoting crying wolf so you can get your own way.

In private companies there is a right of the Disability Services Office to allow someone a reasonable accommodation by authorizing them to have specified parking that they wouldn't otherwise have - even if they do not legitimately qualify for legal handicap parking status (perhaps they have a fear or phobia that would prevent them from working unless they have parking closer to a door - as just one example - this would not qualify them for Handicap Parking legally, but may qualify them for assigned parking through work as a disability accommodation.).

Again, I didn't search for this quote's origin so maybe more details of the situation were given that eliminate this as a possibility.

[canibeyou]

Originally Posted by cherry251

My father is handicapped, but when we went on vacation we didn.t have our placard for the rental car in PS. (We are not from the States) A lady came up and started to berate us and yell and scream, not letting my father even explain. Now, this is a visible disability; he even uses a cane and has a limp. So if this fart-headed old cow had given him one second to stand up, I hope she would have felt extremely embarrassed!

If you think someone is mis-using it, just call the cops. I don't think anyone should feel the need to completely attempt to humiliate someone else because they don't feel they need the space...

I hope you do know, that even if you have a placard, but not on you, it's illegal to park in a handicap spot.

Sucks to forget it, but still illegal to park there. Not excusing people's attitude's towards you. Just pointing out that just because you own one, doesn't mean, if you forget it, you're still entitled to park there.

We've parked and forgotten to hang our placard (before we got plates) and we got a nice $375 ticket. Mind you, if you can prove to the court by showing them your placard and placard issue #, they'll dismiss the ticket.

But prior to having plates, we'd forget the placard some times (it'd be in the car we weren't driving) and we'd have to suck it up and not park in a handicap place... simply because it's against the law.

Hope you had a good vacation here. Hope the next time you visit you remember your placard!

[think.reciprocity]

I am 40 years old & look rather youthful for my age. On a good day you may see me getting out of my vehicle with my 2 year old granson in my arms. You may likely assume many things including that I am not entitled to the permanent handicap placard that I legitimately possess.

Despite what someone previously said, you can legitimately get handicap parking if you are able to run - there are many many unfortunately legimate ways to still be able to run & qualify. It's not often that you'd see me close to running or jogging - I guess it's possible on a super good day - but I may still be parked in that handicap spot.

If I am in good shape going into a place I'll likely not be in that same shape coming out & you have no earthly idea what pain I am in all the moments of each of my days. You take my pain & challenges & you can have my placard. Fair enough?

[mommytotwo]

Originally Posted by topsekret

I work with a 32 year old man that uses his mother's handicap parking sticker.
The only health issue is that he weighs 300lbs, and pure lazy. Makes me sick that he is too lazy to walk an extra 5 feet. While my father, dying of heart failure, refuses a handicap sticker! They both go to DisneyLand every year and put her in a wheelchair so they can get on the rides faster.

you mention that he is 300 lb and therefore too lazy to walk in from a far space, preferring to use his mothers handicap tag.
then you accuse him of putting the mother in the wheelchair just to get on rides faster.
I can't imagine anyone who can actually get a handicap tag (like this guys mother has) that can actually WALK Disney. If this mother has a handicap tag, she NEEDS to be in that wheelchair @ Disney. If he gets on rides faster and you don't like that, contact Disney, as they are the ones with the policy......
I went to Disney 5.5 months pregnant, and by the end of the day was so exhausted that when we passed by an abandoned rental wheelchair, I hopped into it. I don't recall going on any rides after that, as we were at Epcot and my brother was just speeding me to somewhere to watch the fireworks (now I know why my grandmother was so freaked out in the wheelchair, anything above a casual stroll can induce heart failure, lol!). So if I couldn't make it, then there is no way this guy's mother could have either.

Originally Posted by Torn2pieces

How about those "expecting mom" parking spots - It irks me to no end seeing a truck full of men park there - no woman, no mom.......

Well, an expectant mom can walk, and if she can't she can get a temporary tag from the doctor. The annoying thing about those spots is the sign is not high enough and you are practically IN the spot before you see the sign that it is for a pregnant person.....

Originally Posted by diseyore

My daughter has Lupus SLE and must avoid the sun. She has a tag for this reason, and at times runs into the stores to keep her exposure to a minimium. He doctor feels this is best for her so others, please don't judge. You never really know what is wrong with a person. We truely get tired of people harrassing us about abusing the parking. There are days she just cries because people are so cruel. She is 22 cute, skinny and blonde so every just assumes she is a cheater. She only wishes that were true!

I am so sorry for her.

If we have learned one thing here, is that there are a multitude of reasons why people may have handicap tags, and we really shouldn't judge them without knowing.

I have seen handicap tags with pictures on them, so the actual handicapped person can be identified, to cut down on the abuse. This seems like a good idea. And one town where I worked had kind of a task force of citizens that could give out tickets. That would be ideal because the police don't have the time to wait around to see who comes out to the car and make sure they are actually the handicapped one and not a relative.

[Rustyspokes]

After the first six years of playing parking lot roulette, the placards, the inconvenient office visit to the Dr to get a signature for new tags, I decided I didn't need the hassle. 25 years as a T8 incomplete I am still as mobile and active as day one. The way I look at it there are people that need it worse than I do. Situating in the empty, outer zones, of a paved lot the extra distance to roll isn't much of a challenge. Hardly anyone ever tries to back over me more than once.

[Miss Blue]

When I take my quadraplegic grand son anywhere, I have a really hard time finding a handicap parking placeLots of the time people are parked in them using someone else tag, I know this because I hear them brag about it all the time. When I take him to college I have a hard time just finding a place to unload the wheelchair and transfer him to it. Most of the handicap spaces are occupied by healthy 18 year olds, again using one of their family members tag or none at all
That was written over a year ago, but it is still true today..Not long ago I took my grandson out to WaLmart after his classes to get a hair cut..As usual there were no handicap parking places..I cannot get him into his chair in a regular slot..So there was a big empty space marked with yellow lines right next to the first handicap slot. I pulled in, displayed Michaels handicap card and loaded him into his wheelchair and went inside..

Guess who got the ticket Not the one next to me not the one infront of me who had no license plate or placard when I parked ..But I did go to the police statiom and got it torn up after a tearful, frustrated explanation.

[Tek_Freek]

I fully expect to need one. I had Polio on my right side when I was 4 and have had some minor problems my whole life. My mother taught my wife to watch me when we go shopping and that if my right foot starts dragging across the floor instead of lifting it's time for a break. I didn't even realize it was happening.

As I get older I'm noticing more problems. I have a lot of pain in my right hip because it carries my weight in an awkward position (I was also hit by a car on that side when I was 8 and still have a bruise on the bone that shows in X-ray images), Restless Leg Syndrome, Sciatica from my twisted spine, etc.

If you were to see me walking down the street you would never know.

I have had constant pain for so many years I can't remember what it feels like to be without it. I take 4 Aleve a day (the max the doctor allows) and would hate to think what I would feel like if I stopped.

Do I feel sorry for me? Nope! I have friends that didn't recover from Polio like I did. I am one of the luckiest people on this planet. I won't be asking for that tag until I have no choice in the matter.

[cherry251]

I think I should clarify, we didn;t have an AMERICAN placard...only our canadian one. That is what the lady was so angry about.

[Tek_Freek]

Originally Posted by cherry251

I think I should clarify, we didn;t have an AMERICAN placard...only our canadian one. That is what the lady was so angry about.

But it had the universal symbol on it didn't it?

Makes her a bigger idiot...