Community Chat

[Scorpio1971]

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@Greeneyedlady21 wrote:

My mother had a handicapped placard and had a perfectly legitimate health reason for having it. She was harassed a few times by self appointed parking monitors. Including once at a bank by a jerk who approached her and told her she had no right parking in the spot for "cripples". People would bother her before she even had a chance to hang the placard. She was always told she wasn't supposed to drive with it hanging off the mirror so she never did.

Yes there are people who illegally abuse placards and park illegally in spaces. But I'd leave it up to the police and town and rmv. Made me mad as heck when anyone harassed my Mom about it. She told them off too.

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@Greeneyedlady21

I had my placard hanging in my car one day & was getting into my car in a store parking lot when this crazy guy came running up to my window and started yelling at me that he was going to report me because I was using my placard illegally and just ranting about other things he was going to report me for.  He was basically ticked off because I had the privacy sleeve, the one that legitimately comes with the placard to cover your picture, covering my picture so he was yelling because that was illegal.  I told him it was legal because that was what it is used for and wouldn't stop yelling.  So I told him to go ahead & report me & if he did not get out of my way I would run him over! Said he was going to call police because I threatened him and I said go ahead...told him it was his word against mine, no witnesses and he was acting irrationally which they would realize when talking to him!  Came home and called the Registry of motor vehicles handicapped plate/placard department and told them.  They said they were putting a note on my info that I reported this crazy person & incident to them so if he did report me they could tell him it was legal and he was wrong.

On another note...another time I was in that same parking lot and forgot to hang placard in the window.  Came out about an hour later and found a ticket on my car.  Took it to town hall clerks department and showed them my placard and was told I could appeal it.  I did and lost with the reason being there was no forgiveness for forgetting to hang it in window.  They did offer me a one time reduced violation fee of $25. which I took....I believe the original ticket fine was $150.  Now I always turn around and glance in window as I walk away and many times have to return to hang it!

Merry Christmas & happy holidays!

[shopperqvc]

@Helen852I have a handicapped placard, but I try to use it only when I need it. 

However, it has been my experiance that a few of the people that have a disability are also very stubborn, and sometimes mean or just plain selfish.. 

A guy riding a scooter in a grocery store ran into me at full throttle, yelling get out of my way. Those scooters hurt when they plow in to you. He should have had the keys taken away from him. I wasn't the only one he was yelling to move just for him.

Some think the extra wide space is there for them only to use, without caring for those that are worse off and need that spot for their wheelchair to get in or out of their van.

Many have used the fire lane in front of a business so they can park close to the door. What if there is a fire? The truck can't get near enough.

We have one guy here in town that parks his car right at the end of the wheelchair ramp at the Post Office. He's the only one that can use the ramp while he's there. And he's never there just a few minutes.

However, whether it's a disabled person, or common Joe, the me first generation has arrived. They said that holding a child back would damage his self esteem. Today, no one has a poor self esteem. They are all very important people, and they have rights.Someone else, not so much.

[lulu1]

It is illegal to park in handicapped parking space without proper ID on the car and I would not be adverse to towing cars even on the first offense.

On the other hand, it should also be illegal for someone to take advantage of the ID when the handicapped person is not present, or even worse, deceased.  The latter happens more often than most would realize.

[Nightowlz]

That's BS. If you park in a handicap parking spot your car should be towed immediately plus given a fine.

If you don't have the handicap sticker you can't park there even if you have a broken leg, That's not what those spots are for.

If you have had to deal with this with someone that is handicap you would understand the situation & not park there.

We dealt with this when my oldest brother had a brain tumor.

I also get ticked seeing people park in those spots using a handicap sticker but it belongs to someone else that's not in the vehicle at the time. Those people should not abuse those handicap stickers that belong to another family member.

[Sushismom]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

@dex.  People with temporary disabilities like broken legs or recovering from surgery aren't eligible for regular handicap parking permits.  There may be provisions for temporary permits.

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This isn't true where I live. A friend broke her ankle last year and received a regular handicap parking permit. I couldn't tell the difference between hers and my mother's. The only difference is hers expired in a couple of months instead of one year.

[Kachina624]

@Scorpio1971   Since I seldom have a passenger in my car, I have semi-permanently clipped the placard to the lowered sun visor on the passenger side of my car.  That way I don't have to remember to display it.

[NickNack]

I agree with you @I am still oxox.  I think it's awful.  I have a hang tag for when I have my father in the car with me.  I would never park in a handicapped place without him.  I know how important it is to be able to find a handicapped place when you really need it.

One time I forgot to hang the tag on my mirror when I had him with me.  I realized it when we got back to the car, and I was so embarassed.

[CatsyCline]

One thing about NY there aren't enough handicapped spaces. Noticed this when visiting my Mom.   i  have a placard and I've forgotten to use it a few times. Nothing happened but i live in the boonies.  No one has ever accosted me for using the designated parking spot. I use a cane and use scooters in walmart if they are available, many times they are broken or all being used. 

I don't care much for WM,  i have to shop there for some things, they drove out all the other chain stores years ago, they are a multi-billion dollar corp, they can't provide decent clean working scooters for all who need them. Now they stripped their floors down to bare concrete, the floors are hard to walk on for those with mobility issues!  still paying the price from last week as there was no available scooter one day.

And they packed the floors with so much merchandise its hard to maneuver the scooters around. A few weeks ago I injured my thumb trying to drive the scooter past a sock display in the lingerie department. The peg hooks bent as i cornered and tore my thumb open. The fiiting room clerk had to give me 2 bandaids.  I have nerve damage or something now in my thumb.

[CelticCrafter]

@dex - if you don't have a tag to hang in off the rear view mirror, you cannot park in a handicapped spot and will be fined.  No excuses.  

[SXMGirl]

@I am still oxox, I absolutely agree with you.  It is so annoying to see people who are not disabled parked in the handicapped spaces.  I see it so much at the Y.  We have a marine who drives a smart car, has a handicapped placard, and parks in the handicapped spaces.  I guess I expect more from a marine, especially since DH has survived two forms of stage 4 cancer and is eligible for a placard put refuses as long as he can walk.  I know that I am being petty, but I expect the marine to suck it up and walk.  It is rare to see anyone working out with a physical therapist at the Y, so I believe the marine is able to walk a few more steps.

I also get annoyed at the ones who drive a relative's car with the placard and park in the spaces jus because of the placard but have no need.  Again, I see that much too often at the Y.