Handicapped Parking

Guard Dad

Guard Dad

Administrator
Staff member
I've been noticing that while the handicapped spaces used to be mostly empty, I often see them either filled or mostly filled now during heavy shopping times.

I was just leaving Sam's and was walking behind a woman toward the parking lot, and saw her get into her car which was parked in a handicapped space. She did have a handicapped sticker, but the lady walked as easily as I do. And every single handicapped space was full.

So is this the latest entitlement to be abused? Does just having a handicapped sticker make it OK to take up a space that could possibly be needed by someone who really is handicapped? It's my understanding that it doesn't take a whole lot to get one from a doctor. And I personally know some folks who uses their mother's handicapped sticker to park in the spaces.
 
Don't judge a book by its cover my friend. Just because you can't see the handicap doesn't mean there isn't one.
 
Oh honey...

As you know (or maybe you don't), I have a temporary handicap hang tag since may accident. I have been frustrated more times than not by the whole handicapped parking situation. The tags are abused more than prescription pain pills and red-headed step-children combined. What a lot of people do not realize is simply having possession of the tag is not enough to make using the spot legal. If the person the tag was issued for is not in the vehicle, not legal to park there. If the person the tag was issued for is not exiting the vehicle, not legal to park there. And for the love of all that is good in this world ... if you aren't having a bad day with whatever your "handicap" is, don't park there. There is a good chance that somebody in worse shape than you could use that spot.
If I am having a good day, I don't use the spots. There's simply no reason to. (Hubby teases me about using up the able-bodied spaces.) And wake up ... the van accessible spots are for vans with wheelchairs, etc. not your lazy butt in your sportscar.
 
LisaC said:
Don't judge a book by its cover my friend. Just because you can't see the handicap doesn't mean there isn't one.
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:thumbsup
I believe this will be the second time today I have said perception might not be reality.
 
LisaC said:
Don't judge a book by its cover my friend. Just because you can't see the handicap doesn't mean there isn't one.
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Very true but there are a ton of people abusing the *bleep* out of them. Hubby's been writing quite a few tickets on that one over the last few months.
 
unionmom said:
LisaC said:
Don't judge a book by its cover my friend. Just because you can't see the handicap doesn't mean there isn't one.
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Very true but there are a ton of people abusing the *bleep* out of them. Hubby's been writing quite a few tickets on that one over the last few months.
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True, but we (you and I) can not tell just by seeing a person walking just fine whether they need it or not. I am glad the police do ticket anyone that abuses them. :thumbsup
 
ShoeDiva said:
unionmom said:
LisaC said:
Don't judge a book by its cover my friend. Just because you can't see the handicap doesn't mean there isn't one.
Click to expand...
Very true but there are a ton of people abusing the *bleep* out of them. Hubby's been writing quite a few tickets on that one over the last few months.
Click to expand...
True, but we (you and I) can not tell just by seeing a person walking just fine whether they need it or not. I am glad the police do ticket anyone that abuses them. :thumbsup
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Absolutely. There are all kinds of handicaps.

You should hear some of the stories people tell hubby to try to justify their improper use of them. ::)
 
I thought about that...maybe the woman has a handicap but feels OK today. That doesn't change the way I feel; I walk fast, and she was walking as fast as I was today. That means she didn't need a handicapped space today. This is my concern, that it has become a blanket permission to use these spaces whether needed or not.

I think having handicapped parking is a nice touch, but what part of the constitution gives the government the right to mandate it. If business wants to provide handicapped parking as a convenience to it's customers, then I think it's great. But these all-encompassing government mandates that turn into special rights are beyond ridiculous.
 
Guard Dad said:
I thought about that...maybe the woman has a handicap but feels OK today. That doesn't change the way I feel; I walk fast, and she was walking as fast as I was today. That means she didn't need a handicapped space today. This is my concern, that it has become a blanket permission to use these spaces whether needed or not.

I think having handicapped parking is a nice touch, but what part of the constitution gives the government the right to mandate it. If business wants to provide handicapped parking as a convenience to it's customers, then I think it's great. But these all-encompassing government mandates that turn into special rights are beyond ridiculous.
Click to expand...

I hope you are never handicapped GD. You might feel a little different than you do now.
 
ShoeDiva said:
Guard Dad said:
I thought about that...maybe the woman has a handicap but feels OK today. That doesn't change the way I feel; I walk fast, and she was walking as fast as I was today. That means she didn't need a handicapped space today. This is my concern, that it has become a blanket permission to use these spaces whether needed or not.

I think having handicapped parking is a nice touch, but what part of the constitution gives the government the right to mandate it. If business wants to provide handicapped parking as a convenience to it's customers, then I think it's great. But these all-encompassing government mandates that turn into special rights are beyond ridiculous.
Click to expand...

I hope you are never handicapped GD. You might feel a little different than you do now.
Click to expand...

I don't think so. I've been badly hurt several times where I had to walk with crutches or a cane, and in great pain. I fell on a job and tore my calf muscle, and still walked across the Marietta Square to my truck.

Since it is a law, I am fine with people using the spaces responsibly. But if you can walk like this lady did today, you shouldn't be taking up a space.
 
Somebody not needing to use one but choosing to anyway would be a moral issue not a government mandate issue. Whether or not she had a situation that was legitimate or not and whether or not today was a good day or a bad day ... I'm ok with the ADA. It's the morals or lack there of that is the issue for me wen it comes to abusing the spaces and that's one you'll never be able to control with or without legislation.
 
Guard Dad said:
ShoeDiva said:
Guard Dad said:
I thought about that...maybe the woman has a handicap but feels OK today. That doesn't change the way I feel; I walk fast, and she was walking as fast as I was today. That means she didn't need a handicapped space today. This is my concern, that it has become a blanket permission to use these spaces whether needed or not.

I think having handicapped parking is a nice touch, but what part of the constitution gives the government the right to mandate it. If business wants to provide handicapped parking as a convenience to it's customers, then I think it's great. But these all-encompassing government mandates that turn into special rights are beyond ridiculous.
Click to expand...

I hope you are never handicapped GD. You might feel a little different than you do now.
Click to expand...

I don't think so. I've been badly hurt several times where I had to walk with crutches or a cane, and in great pain. I fell on a job and tore my calf muscle, and still walked across the Marietta Square to my truck.

Since it is a law, I am fine with people using the spaces responsibly. But if you can walk like this lady did today, you shouldn't be taking up a space.
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Sorry you tore a muscle. Does not equate though.
If the lady has a good reason to use the spot, which you and I do not know if she does or not, and has permission/proof she is the one to use it, how she was walking today really doesn't matter. It still could have been responsibly. We do not know her handicap.
What you judge as wrong, might not be. Just saying. (and in this instance you could just possibly be right, she could be abusing the tag, but we do not know either way.)
 
ShoeDiva said:
Guard Dad said:
ShoeDiva said:
Guard Dad said:
I thought about that...maybe the woman has a handicap but feels OK today. That doesn't change the way I feel; I walk fast, and she was walking as fast as I was today. That means she didn't need a handicapped space today. This is my concern, that it has become a blanket permission to use these spaces whether needed or not.

I think having handicapped parking is a nice touch, but what part of the constitution gives the government the right to mandate it. If business wants to provide handicapped parking as a convenience to it's customers, then I think it's great. But these all-encompassing government mandates that turn into special rights are beyond ridiculous.
Click to expand...

I hope you are never handicapped GD. You might feel a little different than you do now.
Click to expand...

I don't think so. I've been badly hurt several times where I had to walk with crutches or a cane, and in great pain. I fell on a job and tore my calf muscle, and still walked across the Marietta Square to my truck.

Since it is a law, I am fine with people using the spaces responsibly. But if you can walk like this lady did today, you shouldn't be taking up a space.
Click to expand...
Sorry you tore a muscle. Does not equate though.
If the lady has a good reason to use the spot, which you and I do not know if she does or not, and has permission/proof she is the one to use it, how she was walking today really doesn't matter. It still could have been responsibly. We do not know her handicap.
What you judge as wrong, might not be. Just saying. (and in this instance you could just possibly be right, she could be abusing the tag, but we do not know either way.)
Click to expand...

And it's not like this is an isolated incident. I see it all the time. Even if this lady was worse off than I thought, there's tons of abuse.

And I go back to the people I know who use their mother's sticker to get peachy parking spots.
 
I know someone that does something somewhere everyday. :laugh Ha ha ha ha...I kill myself! I just do not like to see someone judge another by outward appearance. It is something that I think we all need to work on. We do not know anyone situation and should not judge it by someone else that we know abuses it. I try to think that someone would have enough morals not to take a spot of someone that needs it. (I am speaking of the ones that do have a sticker, not the sports car butt heads!)
There is abuse, and if this was an incident that you knew was abuse, I would be right behind you on being ticked. I just hate that I know of people that do need it and do not look handicapped and others are judging them. It is just sad.
 
dapandlap said:
Americans should walk more than they do.
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Those that can, definitely should! I wish there were more sidewalks and things were not so spread apart around here. That is one thing I love about the city, walking everywhere.
 
I desperately miss being able to park in the far away parking spaces and walking to the store(s) from them. It baffles me to see folks driving round and round and round to get a spot 10' closer to the door for no apparent reason other than being 10' closer to the door. Waste a little more time and gas ... you could have already been in the store and started your shopping by the time you got the extra special spot. ::)
 
My grandfather was told he could get a handicapped sticker after he had his heart operation. He didn't want to. He could still get around fine. The only reason he even briefly considered it was because of my grandmother. She had a lot of trouble walking, but was not able to get a sticker.

When he asked his doctor about it, the doctor told him that the stickers are based on checklists, supposedly to prevent abuse. The problem was that some reality was needed.
 
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