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I am one of the old and obese.. Before I rotated my right foot around 180 degrees, I ran 3-5 miles several times a week, bowled, danced, played football and softball, and at 5'9" weighed between 157 and 161. Since that day, because of limping and falling, I have torn the ACL in my right knee, damaged the left knee, AND the left ankle, have broken bones due to falls, over a dozen times in the past 15 years or so, one so bad it required surgery, and was out of work for 3 months. Before you look over at me and see old fat guy, I used the be the guy with the 195 average bowling, and whose team was kicking your team's butt. That guy running through the neighborhood several times a week, being looked upon with appreciation by those of the fairer sex, and a member of the military, willing to give up their life, so people can ***** about old fat people parking in a handicapped parking spot and saying, "their only handicap is a lack of twinkies".
Considering how many abuse the handicapped spots by bogus claims for handicapped placards, and considering just how many more HC spots there are than actual HC drivers, I don't worry about it. If I did, I'd notify the police rather than committing acts of vandalism. I save those for idiots that park in 2 spots to "protect their paint" from door dings. That extra space is room for a shopping cart, or room to park a motorcycle.
Police don't want to bother so as not to offend businesses. It was estimated that only a third of those who park in handicapped spaces actually have a need to do so. Some exaggerate their physical need for a handicapped space, others just use fake placards or abuse ones they have for occasional passengers. Its a shame because the police could generate some needed revenue for their communities by nailing parking space abusers at $100 or $200 a pop.
Where I live they have a volunteer force that goes around 7 days a week, 12 hours a day issuing tickets to people who park in handicapped spaces and who response to complaints about cars that don't belong in those spaces. These volunteer forces are common in other cities as well. As for your claim that "some exaggerate their physical need for a handicapped space" they have to have a doctor sign a paper about their qualifying disability and if they are caught lying, they can lose their practice. So I really don't think this is a significant abuse to get your panties in a wad over.
I've been known to say something to an obviously non-handicapped person with no handicap car sticker or mirror visor tag who takes one of the very few handicapped spaces available at a store.
People who do use these spots illegally tend to react the way you would expect a jerk to act, with belligerence, to being called out for their selfish and lazy act. They don't care about others who need that close parking space.....or anyone else. Most handicap space parking offenders I've observed are young folks, too.
There nothing you can do, cops don't have time or care, and handicap caretaker think they are entitled to reserved parking. They need to do away with handicap parking. Why does Home Depot need twenty spaces, they not that many wheelchair people doing roofing lately
There nothing you can do, cops don't have time or care, and handicap caretaker think they are entitled to reserved parking. They need to do away with handicap parking. Why does Home Depot need twenty spaces, they not that many wheelchair people doing roofing lately
You might see empty handicap spaces at night but during the day they could be filled up and people who need them are waiting for one to open. That's the way it is around here at many places. And who are you to judge whether or not a handicapped person needs/wants to shop at a place like Home Depot? What arrogance! My husband was right side paralyzed for over twelve years and he loved to go there just to look at all the tools and I took him often. It was his favorite place to go. Also, people who help people into wheelchairs or the disabled who use walkers need the extra wide parking spaces to load and unload. You can't just use a normal width space.
By the way, in some states a person only has to take a picture of car abusing a handicapped space (with license and sign showing) and email it to the police department for them to get a ticket. So those who abuse the system have that to look forward to across the nation as the baby boomers start needing and get more competitive with those spaces.
There nothing you can do, cops don't have time or care, and handicap caretaker think they are entitled to reserved parking. They need to do away with handicap parking. Why does Home Depot need twenty spaces, they not that many wheelchair people doing roofing lately
Do you honestly think one has to be in a wheelchair to be considered disabled? How naive.
I once had a 26 year old friend who had one kidney, was terminally ill with cancer but still liked to get out as much as possible. he had a handicapped sticker and used it once to meet some of his friends for dinner.
As he was walking into the restaurant an ignorant a hole approached him and said "You don't look very handicapped to me". What my friend was hoping to be a rare evening out with friends was almost ruined by a jerk with an attitude. Who, BTW did not need the space or have a sticker anyway.
My friend's friends jumped all over the a hole and let him have it with both barrels about what the hell did he know about illnesses or injuries which are not obvious. It upset the jerk's wife so much she insisted they leave the restaurant right away and she apologized to the young man and said she had lived a lifetime with this jerk and this was not the first time she was embarrassed by him in public.
One day if you live long enough you will likely need special consideration with parking or transportation and I hope you aren't able to find a handicapped space. KARMA
My husband is a combat vet.. amputee.. doesn't have a hang tag because where we live he has veteran handicap designation on the license plate. We are very often accosted when he's wearing long pants covering his prosthetic leg, about not having a hang tag when we are able to park in the *blue* zone.
When he sees someone leave their vehicle with no visible handicap.. he often says.. it must be a mental handicap. There are LOTS of those.
Nearby volunteers are sworn by city court to patrol handicapped space in various lots to hand out tickets. The new meter maids many call them. Very effective once the word gets around.
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