Some people are

Nicksgrammy - ever had a person who's forgotten their tag for the window? Any more, that's a way to get a punch in the nose or a bullet in the head from some road-rage idiot...I don't think I'd be so directly confrontational, in all honesty. I'd sure like to be, but I can just see my needing a handicap space because I'm paralyzed from a gunshot wound, LOL!

You can really get yourself in trouble by being confrontational with the kinds of people who will take a handicapped spot without really needing it. Last summer, I pulled in next to a HC spot, and there was an apparently healthy young couple, with a baby, in the process of taking the child out of the car. As I exited my car, I noticed they didn't have a handicap plate or hang tag, and I said, quietly, "you know, there is a hefty fine for parking in one of those reserved spots if you don't have the plate or tag. " The woman went off on me, screaming and calling me a B****, telling me to mind my own business, etc etc. I was concerned about even leaving my car near them, so I got back in it and moved it to another location, and when I went in the store I reported it. I don't know if the store did anything about it. I would be real real careful about getting involved face to face with violaters....not all hostile people, like this woman, look threatening and you could get into a bad situation. Now I just leave little sticky notes on their windows.

When I was near my due date with baby #2 (who weighed 9 lbs. 2 oz. when he finally showed up), I went to a Target store, and drove around looking for a spot reasonably close. Finally parked in the "back forty" and slowly waddled toward the store. On my way, I watched a guy pull his big car into a handicapped spot (no hang tag, no license plate indicating he needed the spot) and then he proceeded to back his car over the handicapped sign, completely flattening it.

He got out of his car, glared at me (I guess I was probably staring with my mouth open), and strode to the store, no apparent signs of health problems. Considering he didn't seem to mind he had undoubtedly damaged his bumper, maybe he *was* handicapped. (But not with a disability that would allow him to get a driver's license ;o)

This is a great use for those who have a cell phone. Our local Walmart never has enough spaces, and whenever I see vehicles parked without the appropriate tags, I call the local nonemergency police number. Frequently, if they have an officer in the area who isn't busy, these people get ticketed. Now, this isn't Denver, but a smaller suburb, so it probably wouldn't happen in a busier area, but it sure makes me feel better. I won't judge who is entitled and who isn't, but if they don't have the tag, they shouldn't be there.

I've also complained to the store about the lack of spaces, but THAT hasn't done any good.

One of my favorite stores, a very large food store, has only four HC parking spaces. I brought this to the managers attention and he said it's the landlord's responsibility to provide the spaces and that was all they got was four spaces. I know for a fact that the entire shopping center is owned by the same food company.
They tell people like me anything to get rid of us. As I previously mentioned about "HOME DEPOT" and the year old bull story they tried to give me. This was pertaining to a huge store with twelve HC spaces and only one rickety old cart that would rattle and grind so loud that it was embarrasing to use.
It seems that the merchants don't care about us. I've complained to the police department but they can only try to catch them because there are so many shopping centers. Even my son trys but you can't be everywhere at once. He is a police officer in our town and I'm always bugging him about all the violators. They do at times get the obvious offenders, the ones without the permit but to get the adults that use their parent permit to park --- that is difficult, for the police can't sit and wait for the people for they may be gone for hours! See what I mean? Seems like the younger generation has lost their values and to them it's OK to cheat. I know not all are this way but unfortuneately I seem to meet the low life.

Just for my own info, I did some looking into ADA requirements for parking lots. Here is what I found:

Minimum Number of Accessible Parking Spaces
ADA Standards for Accessible Design 4.1.2(5)

Total Number of Parking Spaces Provided (per lot) (Column A)
Minimum No. total of Accessible Parking Spaces (60" & 96" aisles) B
Van-Accessible Parking Spaces with min. 96" wide access aisle C
Accessible Parking Spaces with min. 60" wide access aisle D

........A ...........................B ................ C......................D
1 to 25......................... 1................... 1...................... 0
26 to 50 .......................2 ...................1...................... 1
51 to 75....................... 3................... 1...................... 2
76 to 100.................... 4................... 1....................... 3
101 to 150.................. 5....................1....................... 4
151 to 200.................. 6................... 1........................5
201 to 300 ..................7................... 1....................... 6
301 to 400.................. 8................... 1 .......................7
401 to 500.................. 9................... 2 .......................7
501 to 1000 2% of total parking provided in each lot 1/8 of Column A* 7/8 of Column A**

1001 and over 20 plus 1 for each 100 over 1000
1/8 of Column A* 7/8 of Column A**


This information is readily accessible at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/restribr.htm

It might be interesting to get a good estimate of the number of total spaces and compare figures. THEN a phone call or letter to the store threatening to contact the ADA might get noticed. However there is one restriction, this is the number of handicapped places required WHEN they are restriping the lot. I don't think you can force them to restripe. But they may not know that.

There is also a toll free number to call for assistance on the ADA website.


This message was edited Dec 4, 2004 8:51 PM

While yes, it's good to say something politely or report to management if parking spots and carts are being incorrectly used, it's something else to do something like parking behind their cars. Besides the fact that you don't know who keeps a golf club in the back seat, it's also not a good idea to get people thinking that handicapped people have a tendency to be high handed and act so defensively, among other things. People form generalizations very easily which will cause loads of problems for other handicapped persons.

Edited because I origionally put "gold" club instead of golf club.... weird..

This message was edited Dec 5, 2004 7:38 PM

Good point Capt, now you all can see our situation! We seem to get it from ends. However, you are correct in saying not to provoke.

Gardenwife.. It also is so true about some idiot pulling a gun on someone. I read about all the violence in the newspaper. You never know who has a gun. I myself carried one, with a permit,
up until February of this year. I carried an ankle strap and figured by the time I got to it I'd be dead anyway because of my weakened condition and can understand why some would draw in anger.

We once had some people at my work place who used the Handi-capped parking spaces and were 'known' not to be disabled, my husband at the time was a supervisor there and put a stop to it! mainly because one of his employee's was doing it and he knew he was'nt disabled. Now the tables are turned and my hubby is permanetly disabled, It really gripes me when I see some one use a spot with out a sign, for gods sake! Get some excersize! We always try to find one when he is with me but he does'nt shop much, he'll bring his cane but keeps his 'pride' unfortunatley --- he is missing out on doing alot because he refuses to use a mobile cart or a wheel chair. I hope one day he swallow his pride. I know people dont have a clue the physical work it takes some people to get around, some times my own family does not understand the loss of his mobility.

Tplant --- I hope you dont run into someone that rude for a long time, obviously she does'nt give a darn what her kids are up too ........ scary world were living in! Jill

Jill -- I hope your husband has read all this especially the part about my hesitancy to use those electric carts but when I did I realized how foolish I'd been not to have done this before. I am a type A personality which breaks down to pride. I actually enjoyed my freedom and look forward to using them as much as I can. IT'S WONDERFUL TO DO THINGS PAIN FREE AND NOT BECOME EXHAUSTED BECAUSE OF MY DISABILITY.