Dad got a citation for parking in a disabled parking space

[ARCOgraphite]

If you can move about O.K. you should NOT be in those spots if they are limited. My local grocery store only has two - I see a LOT of very able people getting out of their cars. Somtimes I pick up lunch at the store deli buffet and head back outside, and there is often a handicapped guy who parks his conversion van way out back, so he can get his powered wheelchair out the back on ramps. I was going to ask him if he wanted a hand - but he had a good system down pat and he didn't struggle.

Funny the store also has a spot for "Expectant Mothers". If just bite my lip from scolding if I see a young woman with NO belly showing parking there. Not going to win that one

 

[dishdude]

It's a wonder that someone didn't take it into their own hands......broken windshield, side of car keyed...etc.

Like this?

 

[dogememe]

It's good they are enforcing this.

I remember at a previous store I used to work at we had a regular customer who would always park his truck in the handicap when he had no reason to. This guy drove a huge lifted Ram with a Cummins. Must have been straight piped because it sounded like bigfoot farting. He'd always leave it running the entire time he was in the store. The funny part was all the chrome accessories and chrome stick-ons he had on his truck. It was literally covered in these things. Plus these massive chrome air horns on top. And this one round thing that looked like an eyeball. It just cracked me up every time.

It was less funny when we screamed at me in Spanish because I only spoke English. Then, during one of his visits to the store, we actually had someone with a wheelchair try to come in, but because he was parked in the handicap space. It was a tiny parking lot with no room for them to park elsewhere and still get their wheelchair out of their van. Some bad timing right there. Anyway, I asked him to move his truck. You know what he said to me? I don't exactly remember but it was something along the lines of "I'm sick and tired of people like you because I keep getting tickets for parking in those spaces so I don't care!"

I also saw him driving a few times. After all, it was a very unique truck and easy to spot. His driving was as abrasive as his personality. Oh and this guy had his business and phone number on the back window of his truck. I never bothered to look him up but I wonder if he had any bad Yelp or Google reviews based solely on how he parked and drove?

Now, that's not to say everyone who parks there without cause is a bad person. But while it's generally disrespectful at minimum, it can really cause issues for people, just like either ICE or EV cars not charging parked in the EV charger spots - you could ruin someones day with that.

 

[y_p_w]

Have you considered a handicap placard holder that attaches to the sun visor? Amazon has them for about $8.00. Placard stays in the car, just flip the visor when you exit at a handicap spot and your tag is displayed.

What my dad plans on doing is just leaving it on the dash. He was used to using it as a hang tag and putting it away when driving.

 

[Aredeeem]

That’s good. But check out the visor thing. Other wise that tag is gonna slide away on the dash during turns and be a pain. Either way good luck.

 

[JonnyRingvald]

People with valid handicap placards can have conditions that you and I can't "see". Be careful being so quick to (mis)judge...

True and I have issues not easily recognizable, but life threatening/debilitating 24/7. What I mentioned and saw first hand is clearly a case of the handicap parking being taken advantage of. From this point fwd if I spot another likely issue I will wait and call the person out on it just to see what sort of reaction I get as I simply don't care if they don't actually deserve the privilege.

 

[JonnyRingvald]

If you can move about O.K. you should NOT be in those spots if they are limited. My local grocery store only has two - I see a LOT of very able people getting out of their cars. Somtimes I pick up lunch at the store deli buffet and head back outside, and there is often a handicapped guy who parks his conversion van way out back, so he can get his powered wheelchair out the back on ramps. I was going to ask him if he wanted a hand - but he had a good system down pat and he didn't struggle.

Funny the store also has a spot for "Expectant Mothers". If just bite my lip from scolding if I see a young woman with NO belly showing parking there. Not going to win that one

Yep as much as I like Harris Teeter our local store gives better parking access to 'moms with kids onboard' instead of more for the handicap/veterans, which is bare minimum. Local Walmarts are annoying as they could offer more handicap space, but tie a lot of it up with outdoor items like mulch, that sort of thing. Really pathetic is when they offer curb side spaces for Black Friday pick-up! So yeah give them discounts, premium parking, etc. so they can just sit in their vehicle and be waited on...

 

[oldgrayman]

There is a Federal standard for the ratio of handicapped spots to conventional ones . Somewhere around one per every six or something like that .

 

[cptbarkey]

The officer probably still has the paper citation and clerks have not entered it in a database yet. Wait 2-3 days then try again.

 

[y_p_w]

The officer probably still has the paper citation and clerks have not entered it in a database yet. Wait 2-3 days then try again.

We already have the citation number. That should be enough. I’ve gotten parking tickets before and there’s typically a courtesy copy sent in the mail.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

A tin horn four flusher.

 

[Aredeeem]

Simply saying a handicapped person who went to their primary care physician to obtain a placard based on THEIR condition is not entitled to a Family Plan. To tie up a spot intended for THEIR condition while Sonny Boy runs inside to buy lottery tickets is NOT ok. No matter how you spin it.

 

[bdcardinal]

I saw a local Sheriff deputy peering into a car parked in a blue spot. He looked at me and said "they forgot to hang their hangtag but I see it in the car." He left them a note saying to just remember to do it next time. Super nice guy too.

 

[Pew]

Chicago has an online process for you to fight tickets. I did that process once when i paid via plate and misplaces two characters. Included a picture of the ticket and registration and all was well 5 days later.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Lots of handicap spots here. Even with the abusers there are usually enough with one open. However with pick up service at a lot of grocery stores these days I don't know why people with mobility problems don't take more advantage of it. Possibly they just like to get out once in a while I suppose, I would.

 

[LDB]

I'll be the devil's advocate and say at least it's being enforced in some areas. Around here I regularly see many handicap violations and clearly no sign of anything being done. I pay attention to it as I'm legally (unfortunately) disabled with a parking placard, but rarely use it as I know others might benefit from parking closer, etc. due to possible worse health than me. At the apt complex I once lived at I contacted the local P.D. to get something done about a constant handicap parking violation and was basically told that sort of thing was way down the list in terms of importance. Had they seen what one of the tenants had to deal with just to get to his apartment because of that violation caused by the lazy selfish individual (firsthand account) they might have been more involved.

Interestingly enough, a toothpick broken off in the valve stem will let all the air out without permanent damage. That lazy selfish anal orifice might find two tires thus flattened randomly when coming out if parked illegally.

 

[Hall]

Simply saying a handicapped person who went to their primary care physician to obtain a placard based on THEIR condition is not entitled to a Family Plan. To tie up a spot intended for THEIR condition while Sonny Boy runs inside to buy lottery tickets is NOT ok. No matter how you spin it.

My Mom has a handicap placard and when I go visit, we often run errands and use her car. I'll drive and she'll tell me to park in the handicap spot, though I refuse to. Now, we have every right to do it even if I'm driving 'cause she still has to get from the car to the store, whether I'm driving or she drove. Instead, I drop her off at the door and use a regular spot. When we're done, I make her wait and get the car and pick her up at the door.

 

[y_p_w]

To be clear, my parents do have a legitimate need for a plackard. They both have mobility issues-not enough to keep them from walking but enough that any distance is pretty tiring/difficult. It's especially become a bigger issue with my dad being diagnosed with parkinson's, and a lot of the balance/stability issues that come with that. Still, though, that doesn't mean using a spot when they're getting in the car. Sometimes they're guilty though of acting like it's their "right" to park in those spaces regardless of the circumstances.

Strangely enough, that's within the bounds of pretty much any state law on the use of disabled parking. It's legal as long as the person to who the placard or plate is issued is in the vehicle at the time it's parked with no requirement that the "disabled person" needs to leave the car. Theoretically it can be for the convenience of the driver (or even a passenger) to not have to look around for a parking space even if the trip is for someone else. My dad has even offered to do that a few times just to get out of the house. I'll leave it up to others to debate on the fairness.

And then it's usually legal to drop someone off and find parking using that on the premise that it helps reduce the time that a "disabled person" might need to wait.

 

[y_p_w]

People with valid handicap placards can have conditions that you and I can't "see". Be careful being so quick to (mis)judge...

The thing about my dad is that he got his after he was working on the roof and fell off and broke his shoulder bone. To this day he still has extreme shoulder pain. His doctor signed off on it, since he's older and has difficulty getting in and out of his car, as well as some endurance issues (used to be a heavy smoker). He can manage it himself with difficulty, but if I'm there he asks me to help him slip his shoes on. He can manage driving himself, but it's not as easy as it was 20 years ago.

There are a lot of moving parts to the law and I'm not sure how they all work. One is that the ID card (which comes with each placard/hang tag) theoretically needs to be presented upon demand if the placard is being used. But that might not work with other parts of the law that allow its use for transport of the disabled person by another party. And he's been asking me to do that a lot recently.

My grandmother never drove before and had a disabled parking placard. It was for transporting her in whatever car she was in, and obviously none were registered in her name. Often we'd drop her off as close as possible even if there was no parking at the curb, especially when she used a walker and just an additional 30 feet was tough. Then I'd park at the closest disabled parking spot. The rationale in allowing that would be the time it takes to retrieve a car for the disabled person. At least in my state the requirement is that there needs to be the disabled person in the vehicle or in "reasonable proximity" when transporting that person. And more and more I'm asked to help transport my father, carry stuff, etc. I might drop him off somewhere and look for parking using his placard. It might even be several blocks away, but the idea is that it should be as close as possible in order to retrieve him or perhaps even him finding the car. I don't believe that I would need to be in the car at all times waiting for him to return.

I trimmed the stuff on fines, but I'm pretty sure I'm in the clear if I use it when he's on the trip. There's no definition of "reasonable proximity" but I would argue that the closest parking I can find would meet that definition.

Law section

(b) A person to whom a disabled person placard has been issued shall not lend the placard to another person, and a disabled person shall not knowingly permit the use for parking purposes of the placard or identification license plate issued pursuant to Section 5007 by one not entitled to it. A person to whom a disabled person placard has been issued may permit another person to use the placard only while in the presence or reasonable proximity of the disabled person for the purpose of transporting the disabled person.​

​

(c) Except for the purpose of transporting a disabled person as specified in subdivision (b), a person shall not display a disabled person placard that was not issued to him or her or that has been canceled or revoked pursuant to Section 22511.6.​

Disabled parking plates get interesting because it's still legal to lend out a car with them, but where the borrower is supposed to follow all applicable rules as if they weren't there.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Debating the laws is interesting, because this just brings up the point that whenever you provide an entitlement to someone that needs it - the entitlement will become something that is now their "right" whether they need it or not. The fact that they would take a handicap space so a relative that doesn't need it can run into the store or whatever, is no better than someone without the placard taking the spot. Same in my book - irrelevant of what the law says.

And I am not talking about someone with COPD or balance issues or heart failure. Those people can be perfectly mobile but its pretty easy to tell with observation the might have some problems simply by how they move carefully and methodically vs someone that is skipping about like the rest of us.