Tourist Unhappy with $1,000 Handicap Parking Fine

[CruiseExpert]

Originally Posted by JBM

There are people who grouse when they see someone with a handicapped plate or placard who appears perfectly healthy, but what they don't realize is, those spaces aren't just for people in wheelchairs or crutches.

This is a hot button issue for me. I see alot of able bodied people who have placards for a relative and abuse the priviledge when they are on their own. I actually saw a 6'6" cop in uniform using a HC spot at the supermarket recently. I don't think he had any hidden defect except between his ears.

[Ned]

I think that part of the problem is that most people don't understand the importance of these spaces for the disabled, and, for example, why these larger sized spaces are so important for disabled people, well beyond their location. As a society, we do a poor job at publicizing this information to the general public, nor in educating the public via the schools, or through the medium of public service information announcements and articles. We don't even give this subject the time of day in most Driver's Ed classes, nor in the booklet "soon to be new drivers" use to study for their written portion of the driver's exam.

I suspect that most people who illegally park in these spaces, have little conception of how important the use and availability of these spaces are to the disabled.

I think we as thinking adults ought to seek to apply pressure on our public officials, local foundations, newspapers and religious institutions to raise the public's awareness of the serious problem of the illegal and thoughtless use of handicapped parking spaces by able bodied drivers, and by their illegal and thoughtless use of these parking space, that they are causing the disabled significant hardship.

[clarkef]

Originally Posted by CruiseExpert

This is a hot button issue for me. I see alot of able bodied people who have placards for a relative and abuse the priviledge when they are on their own. I actually saw a 6'6" cop in uniform using a HC spot at the supermarket recently. I don't think he had any hidden defect except between his ears.

But how do we really know that. How do we know that the apparantly abled bodied looking person doesn't need the HC spot. It is entirely possible that the cop was on disabled and restricted to desk duty.

I am going to go out ona limb without any supporting evidence. There are of course cheater. But I believe that most people use the spots properly.

[Ned]

Clarke, you're a 100% correct. We don't know for sure. All that can be done is if the vehicle doesn't have the correct identification it should be ticketed, and in my opinion, towed. Speculating on every person parking in the spaces, as to whether or not their tags are legitimate is a waste of time.

Originally Posted by clarkef

But how do we really know that. How do we know that the apparantly abled bodied looking person doesn't need the HC spot. It is entirely possible that the cop was on disabled and restricted to desk duty.

I am going to go out ona limb without any supporting evidence. There are of course cheater. But I believe that most people use the spots properly.

[CruiseExpert]

Originally Posted by clarkef

I am going to go out on a limb without any supporting evidence.

Be careful, are you using a net? Thanks, you make a valid point.

[candyharrington]

Well, I blogged about Mr. Stone today. Just couldn't resist.

http://barrierfreetravels.com/serend...king-Woes.html

Candy

[Gesualdo]

Originally Posted by candyharrington

Well, I blogged about Mr. Stone today. Just couldn't resist.

http://barrierfreetravels.com/serend...king-Woes.html

Candy

Hmmm...maybe I could blog about it too. Maybe we could all blog about it and then all the Mr. Stones of the world would see themselves and be very embarrassed. Maybe we could shame them all into compliance by spreading the word through blog. A real grassroots campaign! I love it.

[DCTravelAgent]

Originally Posted by clarkef

But how do we really know that. How do we know that the apparantly abled bodied looking person doesn't need the HC spot. It is entirely possible that the cop was on disabled and restricted to desk duty.

I am going to go out ona limb without any supporting evidence. There are of course cheater. But I believe that most people use the spots properly.

You MUST have the handicapped plate OR the hanging placard. Cops are not and can not be expected to make a determination of "need" - they are not physicians.

Likewise, a Cop on "dissability" and restricted to Desk Duty would have (should have) the hanging placard.

There are plenty of people who have these but really should not - here in DC they are only good for 2 years - you have to reassessed by a physician to get a renewal.

My husband had one for a couple of years because he had Peripheral Artery Disease (has since had surgery and no longer needs the placard) - he looked absolutely able-bodied but in reality could not even walk a half block without severe pain. People should really just accept that if someone has one, they actually need it. Very few of us (like a Cop) are capable of making a diagnoses on the spot - on the street, that it.

[Kairho]

Maybe the cop was on an official call.

[Dianev]

Wouldn't his lights have been on if he was on an official call? Just the way we can't tell by looking at someone if they do indeed need the placard, we also can't know what prompted someone to question that need. They may have had someone close to them unable to take advantage of a handicapped spot because it was being used illegally in the past. Sometimes good sense and tact goes out the window when you have strong feelings on a particular subject.