Handicapped Parking!

Personally I think it’s a great concept!   A special set of parking spaces for people that are physically challenged who have some sort of appliance that helps them to get from place to place (Motorized, or otherwise) and it gives them more space to get their gear out, and gives them a closer space to get into the place they are patronizing that day.  Or maybe you have some sort of (permanent) disability that makes it tough for you to walk as easily most people, so parking in this space is a little closer, and you don’t have to wander from and to the back of the parking lot just to go pick up something! 

Over the years, people have lobbied for MORE handicapped spaces because there seems to be more people that have a legitimate disability, and there seems to be a bigger need for parking.  That all sounds great doesn’t it?  Maybe in theory and concept, but in practice I think there are MANY faults to this!

Most every night, I sit near an ER entrance at a local hospital, waiting for my wife to leave work so I can drive her home.  The place I temporarily park is right behind a set of handicapped spaces.  I have noticed that those spaces are ALWAYS filled, and you have to wonder who parks in them.  Sitting there, you can see who walks in and out of the hospital.  Of probably 10 people, I would HAVE to say that ONE person appears to be legitimately handicapped. (somehow struggling to walk or roll into the building)  The other nine all walk like they could spend 30-40 minutes on a treadmill and at a decent pace, BUT they have a handicapped sticker, placard, or license place on their vehicle!  Ok, MAYBE someone with them is handicapped, and they drove, or maybe the person that they brought in is handicapped, and they are leaving them there!  That’s kind of legitimate.  OK, another scenario….I’m sitting and waiting for my wife at a set of local outlet stores (and not wanting to stand in whatever store she is shopping in, since I would rather listen to music)  I witness the same thing!  Someone entirely capable, not limping, using any device, or anything parking, and “trotting” into the store as if they have no cares in the world, and a gift card with a large amount of cash on it.  So you can tell that they AREN’T handicapped, and should NOT be using that system!  Ok, maybe they dropped someone off at another store, but even though they have the handicapped credentials, they should not be parking there!

Sorry, I think there needs to be something in place that qualifies you to use this method!  I also feel that if someone is handicapped, and not driving, then a person that IS driving can pull up to the building, drop the handicapped person off, then go park in a regular parking space because they are totally capable to walk. (Unless it’s a child…)  I’ve also witnessed people that obviously had some disability, walking from a spot in the regular lot, while someone who is totally capable is trotting in from a handicapped spot!   THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE!

I received a ticket on my vehicle one time because I accidentally parked in a handicapped zone.  When I got back to my car, I looked around, and the handicapped parking sign wasn’t easily seen, and there were several cars in that area that had the same ticket that also didn’t have handicapped privileges.  So I didn’t feel as bad as I would have if I did park in the spot, and it was just my stupidity that put me there.  We fought it, (with “pictures with circles and arrows, and a paragraph on the back of each one”) ($1.00 to Arlo Guthrie) and won, and didn’t have to pay. I just hope that they rectified their area so people can tell easier…unless it’s a ploy, and if you just relent and pay, they get money, if you fight it, then you don’t get resistance.  It’s very hard to say in this day and age.

But I think there needs to be a renewed accountability to this, just because you HAVE the credentials, you need to be the person that needs them, and you NEED to be able to park there, as opposed to just parking there because you can!   Seeing people that walk better than I do who are parking there is a sin, and seeing people that SHOULD be parking there, walking from the back of the lot is an ever bigger sin!  Rather than our law enforcement worrying about someone driving a few miles above the speed limit, maybe they should focus their time and efforts on something that matters more to more people, instead of attempting to feed the almighty coffers! (under the premise of: “IT’S THE LAW!”) This system is wrong, has been wrong, and needs to be changed so that the people that legitimately NEED this can use it for the purpose it was intended!   I IMPLORE you to write to people in places of authority to re-route your public servants to enforce this…rather than lazily just look to see if the car has the proper plate or doo-hickey hanging from your mirror!  Check it out cops!  Do something that makes people think about what they do, rather than just walk by and ignore something!