Asshole parkers

[minx]

A subject I know is near and dear to John's heart I know.

My friend keeps getting blocked in by assholes.  When I was out in CO, our AirBNB host was disabled and made up flyers that she put on people's cars.  I was thinking a nice card might do better...





If you like it, I can get some printed up

[Dave's Not Here Man]

I was going to print something up and keep copies in the van. The wording was going to be slightly different

[minx]

I was trying to avoid profanity

[Dave's Not Here Man]

If I ever do it I'd like to make a positive impression on the offender without watering down how fucking inconsiderate they are. It's a fine line that I have trouble not crossing. I would like to see the law changed so that only people that cannot walk without assistance, use mobility aids such as canes crutches walkers or wheelchairs can get the permit. This would obviously include anyone with a family member with those needs.

I would also make it so EVERY handicapped parking space is van accessible at least on the passenger side. Many handicap spots are the exact same size and spaced the same as the rest of the spaces in the lot. The only difference is their proximity to a flush curb. I always see people parking to one side of the spot, right up against the other line (and you know, all the way into the next spot) so they or their passenger has room to get in/out of the vehicle which is expected. If they have a wheelchair or cart it's next to impossible to use one of those spaces anyway.

Something that should revisited on the ADA guidelines.

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I disagree about restricting to only those who need mobility devices. There are a lot of 'invisible' disabilities that sap your ability to walk for a long distance. I know several people with RA who can't walk long distances so they have a placard (to give a lot of them their due, they only use it on really bad days when they're having a flare-up). And people with things like advanced COPD can't walk long distances without getting severely winded.

I'd like to see a lot more signage - one sign clearly telling people not to block the zebra stripes with anything - cars, carts or motorized carts, with a notice that it carries the same fine as a handicapped spot ($250)
A second sign with a phone number to call to have someone come and retrieve the cart (or perhaps an area to leave your cart/motorized cart - I saw one in CA and it looked fantastic)


I'd also like to see some actual enforcement on all handicapped spots. Right now all someone can really do is go back into the store to get a manager, which is ridiculous!
What would be good is an app where you could take a clear picture of the violator's car and upload it to parking enforcement - then they could issue a ticket. Cause until this shit starts hitting people in the pocket, they're not going to change sadly.

And 100% you should not be allowed to use the space if you have an able-bodied person with a valid license in the vehicle with you!!!
Before my friend got her van, when we'd go places, I'd pull up in front of the store, go inside and get a motorized cart and drive it out (she loved watching me run into shit trying to maneuver it). She'd then get into the cart, and I'd go to a regular parking spot. Absolutely ZERO reason for me to park in a HC spot.

And the van accessible spots are supposed to have 8' of space next to them by law. A lot of places have only 6', which isn't enough to deploy a full side ramp.
Of course, getting a locality to enforce that is next to impossible.

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Follow me for more accessibility rants....

After we got back from our cruise, I got a survey from Carnival. Tell us about the good and the bad.

I wrote a small novella about all of their accessibility issues, along with helpful suggestions on how to improve them. Starting with fixing their damn gangplanks so that you don't need to take a running start to get a wheelchair or scooter over the lip of them - GRRRRRR!

I will say that the boarding process itself was very handicapped friendly though - we had priority boarding, separate security lines, and separate waiting lines. Very accommodating, and the separate security line was especially nice as it allowed extra time for them to scan people in chairs and scooters without holding up everyone else. So definitely no complaints until the gangplank!

[Dave's Not Here Man]

I stand mostly behind what I said. What is the international symbol on every handicap placard and parking space? That's right a wheelchair. You must be unable to walk with aid and assistance, and yes a person with heart failure or emphysema would qualify and I might even add that use breathing apparatus to the list. What I've seen with my own eyes is disgraceful when it comes to abled vs disabled use of those spots. Disabled people are always getting the short end of it because WAY TOO MANY able-bodied people are fucking weak, lazy, and completely inconsiderate of those with very real disabilities.

The man (quad) that we bought the van from was telling me about one time he went to the store and when he returned could not get back in the van because someone in the h/c space next to him parked super close (like you said it takes 6 foot minimum). He said it was extremely hot out and he had to go back in the store to cool off and to ask them to notify the person about parking him in over the PA, to no avail. So he called the police. They located the person who parked him in and when confronted and ticketed he threw all kinds of fits. It turned out he was issued the placard for being deaf.

I also see black people, yes I'm saying it because I've seen this at least a dozen times and not once was it a white or brown or anyone else pull up to the store right in the h/c spot. No sticker, no plate, no placard, no nothing. We were at the new-ish Mexican restaurant on Rt 3 in front of the mall a few weeks ago and thise two brothers on rice rockets park right in the fucking ramp next to the van spot. I had my whole family there and if it wasn't for the baby, there would have been some opportunities to knuck. My son was like ohhhhhh shit dad, just hold it. LOL

[Dave's Not Here Man]

And another thing you see (you started it ok lol) are the CLEARLY not disabled. They just aren't and the only thing unseen is if the carpet matches the trailer skirting.

SEVERAL times I've seen smokey eyed women exit their vehicle, cigarette loosely dangling from the mouth, pulling three children from the car, putting the baby on her hip and with striking precision reaching back into the car for a bag that easily weighs 20 pounds, and in one smooth motion sling it over the shoulder without shaking a single ash from the cigarette and proceed to charge through the dollar store.


I'm assuming of course but also reasonably certain people use a friend or relatives permit even when that person isn't in the vehicle. After all it's really not something that is checkable outside of law enforcement which rarely if ever patrol parking lots. In spotsy there is one parking cop. For the whole county.

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Oh 100% able bodied people abuse the system, and I've seen exactly what you're talking about with people taking a relative's placard for their personal errands (or they'll say they're running an errand for their disabled relative, so they're 'entitled' to use the spot for that reason). When we first moved here, there was a woman in one of my playgroups who did that and it pissed me off no end.

And OMG, don't get me started on motorcycles thinking those stripes belong to them!

I have no earthly idea why being disabled without an accompanying disability or illness that affects your mobility qualifies you for a placard. Like an able-bodied deaf person can't walk an extra bit?
I do want those who actually need them to get them - and some of those people won't have a visible impairment, such as those with severe arthritis, people with severe back issues, and people who have breathing issues.
Maybe one solution would be to have the person's name printed on the placard (it can be on the back so not visible when the placard is flat on the dash. No one in the vehicle with that name - ticket.
And if said person is alone in the vehicle and not behind the wheel? Ticket.

Placards are there for a disabled driver, or a driver assisting a disabled person to get in or out of a vehicle. And if you have a placard and can't park correctly, maybe you need to have a driving test to verify that you still have the ability to actually drive.

But as you noted, there is no enforcement whatsoever. Which kind of baffles me - there is huge money to be made in parking enforcement and fines. Trust me on this.