Handicapped Parking Question-WWYD?

[KAMLEM]

Yesterday I came out of the grocery store and began unpacking my bags. A car with a handicapped tag hanging from the mirror pulled in next to me. It was the closest spot to the store other than the handicapped spots, but there were plenty of handicapped spots open. While the woman was getting out of her car, another car parked behind her car in the aisle. When the handicapped woman got out, the other woman got out, too, and started screaming at the handicapped woman. She told her that she should not have taken the last "non-handicapped" space close to the store when there were so many handicapped spaces open. The handicapped woman told her she'd do whatever she wanted to do and it ended up in a big sreaming match. Both women were out of line, I was very entertained. I never really thought about it before, though. Do you think people with handicapped tags should always take the handicapped spaces before they take other spaces?

 

[MushyMushy]

What a nutjob.

No, she shouldn't have to take the handicapped spot, and I think it's great that she didn't. That other woman was way out of line.

 

[GlendaO]

Yesterday I came out of the grocery store and began unpacking my bags. A car with a handicapped tag hanging from the mirror pulled in next to me. It was the closest spot to the store other than the handicapped spots, but there were plenty of handicapped spots open. While the woman was getting out of her car, another car parked behind her car in the aisle. When the handicapped woman got out, the other woman got out, too, and started screaming at the handicapped woman. She told her that she should not have taken the last "non-handicapped" space close to the store when there were so many handicapped spaces open. The handicapped woman told her she'd do whatever she wanted to do and it ended up in a big sreaming match. Both women were out of line, I was very entertained. I never really thought about it before, though. Do you think people with handicapped tags should always take the handicapped spaces before they take other spaces?

Seriously?? These women were arguing about this?!

Okay, my dad has a mirror tag in his car for my mother. When she's not with him, he doesn't feel right parking in a Handicapped spot. He still wants to park as close to the store as he can though.

 

[kacaju]

what if the woman driving the car with the hang tag was not the one who needed it??
When my FIL was sick I often took his car to run his errands.
It had the handicap plates but I certainly didn't need it.

 

[KAMLEM]

The woman driving was definitely in need of the tag. She could hardly get out of the car and she was using a cane, so I don't think that was an issue.

 

[PatsMom]

Sounds like someone had their knickers in a twist because the lady with the handicapped placard took the spot they wanted! I think it was great that she left the handicapped spots for others who might need them more when there was a spot close enough for her to walk anyhow.

Especially if what she was leaving were the spots wide enough for a van with a lift. A friend has a DD with spina bifida and sometimes it is a challenge to find a spot that her van with the side lift can park in.

 

[TaraPA]

I never really thought about it before. I guess my first response is to say that if you have handicap tags that doesn't mean you HAVE to park in a designated handicapped spot...maybe she felt she really didn't need it that day, maybe she felt someone more handicapped than her should have the spot since another one so close was open, or she felt the spot was too tight to fit her car in (the handicapped spot that was open), who knows, but I certainly don't feel like she HAS to park there. I think the woman who stopped & yelled at her was out of line.

 

[DawnCt1]

I would have taken the hang tag off of the mirror, turned to the woman and said, "Now I am fully recovered and not handicapped anymore, so go find another parking place!

 

[KAMLEM]

The woman really ticked me off when she told the handicapped woman "you should park in a handicapped spot so that someone who is not fortunate enough to have a handicapped tag can get a close space, too!"

 

[clutter]

The woman really ticked me off when she told the handicapped woman "you should park in a handicapped spot so that someone who is not fortunate enough to have a handicapped tag can get a close space, too!"

That's too funny!!!

OTOH, my neighbor has permanent handicapped plates for his son. I wonder where he parks when it's just him....

 

[Handbag Lady]

The second woman, the non-handicapped one is a crazy person.


But, there is a parking war at work. We have regular spaces and compact spaces.

Those of us with average-sized cars and smaller who can park well do use the compact spaces because we can fit out cars in them without impacting either car on either side. The giant SUV people have been getting notes from security that kindly ask them to refrain from parking in the compact spaces.

The big complaint of the SUV drivers seems to be that compact-sized cars are parking in the regular-sized parking spaces and they take them up. The uproar is that the compact people who use regular spaces can't seem to figure out how to park and one of them even took up two spaces.

I like having a normal car as I can easily fit into either space.

 

[scotlass]

Im going out on a limb here but,while I would not made an issue of it ,and I do not think the lady " had to " park in the handicapped space it would have ticked me off a bit !!

But I am ridiculously lazy !!

 

[MushyMushy]

The woman really ticked me off when she told the handicapped woman "you should park in a handicapped spot so that someone who is not fortunate enough to have a handicapped tag can get a close space, too!"

Too bad the lady didn't tell her she'd trade the parking spot if the idiot would take her disability.

 

[MushyMushy]

Im going out on a limb here but,while I would not made an issue of it ,and I do not think the lady " had to " park in the handicapped space it would have ticked me off a bit !!

But I am ridiculously lazy !!

At least you're honest!

 

[daughtersrus]

The woman driving was definitely in need of the tag. She could hardly get out of the car and she was using a cane, so I don't think that was an issue.

I had a very similar experience. My youngest DD has a rare genetic disease. As a result she is disabled. Our van had disabled plates but we also have a hang-tag for her that we use in our car or if she's with someone else. Several years ago, I was parking at Wal-Mart. I took a close spot but not in a disabled parking space because DD was not with us. A customer stopped me as I got out of the van and asked me to move to a disabled spot. I explained to her that I couldn't do that because the license plate was issued for DD and since she wasn't with me, it would be illegal for me to park there. She started to argue with me but I wasn't going to illegally park and risk a ticket and having the plates and hang-tag pulled.

She may have been handicapped but there is no way for you to know if the tag was issued for her or not.

The hang tag has numbers going down the side. The numbers "9" and "4" are punched on DD's because she was born in 1994. The DMV also told me that there is a way for them to tell if the tag is issued for a male or female (I'm not sure how though).

My FIL also has a hang tag. If he goes somewhere with my DH in our van, they have to hang FIL's tag in the window if our DD is not with because the plates on our van are only for DD. The law is that the person issued the hang-tag or plates has to not only be in the car but must leave the vehicle.

I've also had people sarcastically make fun of me and my DD not realizing that she is disabled and not a toddler. I have learned not to judge anyone that parks in handicapped spot. I have to admit that it's hard sometimes when you see someone young jump out leaving grandma waiting in the car but you just never know.

 

[Chicago526]

The second woman, the non-handicapped one is a crazy person.


But, there is a parking war at work. We have regular spaces and compact spaces.

Those of us with average-sized cars and smaller who can park well do use the compact spaces because we can fit out cars in them without impacting either car on either side. The giant SUV people have been getting notes from security that kindly ask them to refrain from parking in the compact spaces.

The big complaint of the SUV drivers seems to be that compact-sized cars are parking in the regular-sized parking spaces and they take them up. The uproar is that the compact people who use regular spaces can't seem to figure out how to park and one of them even took up two spaces.

I like having a normal car as I can easily fit into either space.

Well, if any car is taking up two spaces, I can see the complaint! That drives me nuts no matter who does it or where.

If space in your lot is truely limmited, I think the compact spots need to be filled before a compact car should take a normal spot, since the SUV's can only park in regular spots. But I don't see it being a big enough deal to start a parking war over.

And I agree, I love my little Saturn, I can park it just about anywhere. Partly unplowed spots, spots where the two cars/trucks/vans on either side parked too close or just over the line , spots with shoping carts left in them (hey, it's a Saturn, it doesn't dent! ).

 

[manning]

Maybe she wasn't handicapped. In our state those tags are issued to individuals and if there happens to be a policeman around and he challenges you and that tag doesn't belong to you and the person it does isn't there, you get the ticket. According to the law.

 

[KAMLEM]

Too bad the lady didn't tell her she'd trade the parking spot if the idiot would take her disability.

She did! That's pretty much how it ended!

The tag was definitely for her, she even said that it was.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

Too bad the lady didn't tell her she'd trade the parking spot if the idiot would take her disability.

The woman (the one without the handicapped tag) sounds like a loon.

I do have to say that I have a teeney bit of understanding for her frustration, though. Since it's April, I doubt if this is the case, but around the holidays, when you can drive around the mall parking lot for 30 minutes without finding an open, "regular" parking spot, meanwhile driving past 40 open handicapped spots, it would be a little frustrating to see someone who could have used one of those handicapped spots parking in one of the few open regular spots.

Still not frustrating enough to get into a yelling fight over, and like I said, I doubt that lot was jam-packed at this time of year.

 

[manning]

The law is that the person issued the hang-tag or plates has to not only be in the car but must leave the vehicle.

Oh boy, I may have problem there. I have a 90 year old relative who can hardly walk and has a tag. I drop him and and my spouse off at the door and then park. I hope if I get challenged the policeman will allow me to go get him.