Interesting article in the Orlando Sentinal about handicapped-parking.

[BillSears]

This is the first time I've actually seen a mainstream article about how hard it is to find a handicapped-parking space. We all experience it in our day to day lives and it's good to see that it's finally getting some attention.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...7jan19,0,940750.story?coll=orl-home-headlines

 

[Andrew Bichard]

This is the first time I've actually seen a mainstream article about how hard it is to find a handicapped-parking space.

This is an issue here in the UK too in 'disability' circles. Because finding parking spaces is getting more and more difficult all the time, 'disabled parking permits' are becoming very sought after. In London especially, there is a high percentage of forged or stolen permits in use, or where the permit holder died several years previously. It has become so bad where I live, that my city offers local permits with licence plate numbers printed on, so you can replace your regular permit at night to reduce the risk of having your car windows smashed.

Some doctors are very lax with the criteria the use to judge who qualifies for a permit, leading to just about anyone over retirement age being able to get one. Recently, one city was criticised for having no checks whatsover - write in - and you got a permit by return!

Of course, part of the problem is that we all live longer, we all want to use cars instead of public transport and there is less parking space to go around.

One final concern is with 'disabled' spaces at shops. Here in the UK, parking regulations apply only to public highways and publicly owned car parks. Parking in a disabled space at a supermarket is therefore an offence under civil not criminal law. You can't issue a parking ticket, you have to sue the offender. Supermarkets are supposed to 'police' their disabled parking, but few do.

Andrew

 

[diseyore]

In Florida the handicapped spaces seem to disappear in the winter months when all the sno-birds appear. During the hot summer months there are lots of spaces available at the stores. We don't go to Disney during the summer months since my daughter breaks out and gets so sick from the sun. We are glad those spaces are available during the summer where she can have a lot less exposure.

 

[seashoreCM]

Poll question or "let's start a fad": Is it fair if/when "handicapped" motorists, when the opportunity arises, park in a space slightly away from empty "handicapped" spaces "to leave room for other 'handicapped' motorists"?

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[Juliah]

Thanks, Bill. Interesting article. I wonder if there's been a similar increase in placards and plates in other states. It does seem we have more trouble finding spaces than we used to, and it's almost never because there are vehicles without permits in the spaces.

seashoreCM, we wouldn't mind parking farther away; with power chairs, it's not a problem for my DDs to "walk" a little farther. But we have to have stripes next to the space to let our ramp out, so we really have to have accessible parking spaces. (I've tried parking so far out on a lot that no one would park next to us and still gotten boxed in.) The other problems with parking farther out in the lot are that it's not quite as safe for the girls to drive through the lot behind a lot of cars that may back out (DDs are less than five feet tall and use pediatric chairs, so they're hard to see) and parking somewhere besides the accessible spots often means not having a clear path to a curb cut.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks, Bill. Interesting article. I wonder if there's been a similar increase in placards and plates in other states. It does seem we have more trouble finding spaces than we used to, and it's almost never because there are vehicles without permits in the spaces.

seashoreCM, we wouldn't mind parking farther away; with power chairs, it's not a problem for my DDs to "walk" a little farther. But we have to have stripes next to the space to let our ramp out, so we really have to have accessible parking spaces. (I've tried parking so far out on a lot that no one would park next to us and still gotten boxed in.) The other problems with parking farther out in the lot are that it's not quite as safe for the girls to drive through the lot behind a lot of cars that may back out (DDs are less than five feet tall and use pediatric chairs, so they're hard to see) and parking somewhere besides the accessible spots often means not having a clear path to a curb cut.

Same for me.
We have to park in the van accessible spots.
This year Minnesota has not had much snow, but other years that has been a problem during the winter. Even plowed lots have quite a bit of thick slush in them, which is hard to get a wheelchair thru.

 

[OneMoreTry]

Around here, WalMart is the worst. People are cruising around waiting for a handicap spot, so they're quickly snatched up.

On the other hand, most of the people getting out of the cars in these spots appear to really need them.

 

[cupcake]

There's a series going on in the Chicago Sun Times re designated handicapped spots. Here in Chicago, if you have a permanent state handicapped placard/plates, you can go thru your alderman and get a spot marked off on the street by your home if you do not have off street parking. Part I of the series was people using deceased people's spots; Part II was -- believe it or not -- POLICE using improper spots. The City is now cracking down on this aggressively.

We do not have offstreet parking but my dh drops me and parks where he can as I am only in the car when he is too. Not being self righteous, but it seems like if one can avoid blocking off a spot 24/7 regardless of whether you are using it when parking is so tight, it's a good thing plus of course there is a special place for people who use hc spots when they do not need to do so. Anyway, the series is very uplifting. They staked out spots and had tons of photos of people leaping out of their cars (like contractors hauling out huge bundles of lumber) and then memorable quotes from these people re why they were in the spots (ex: "I'm always with my disabled mother in law" who is of course nowhere to be seen). Go Sun Times!!

http://www.suntimes.com/mainpromotions/news/201991,010807park.article

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/215886,CST-NWS-park18.article

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/200628,CST-NWS-PSOS07.article

Cupcake

 

[LindaBabe]

Poll question or "let's start a fad": Is it fair if/when "handicapped" motorists, when the opportunity arises, park in a space slightly away from empty "handicapped" spaces "to leave room for other 'handicapped' motorists"?

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

I ("no shoes") rarely take the last handicapped space in case there's someone comes along with "no feet." If it's really crowded, I may even decide to come back another day.

 

[tarkus]

Poll question or "let's start a fad": Is it fair if/when "handicapped" motorists, when the opportunity arises, park in a space slightly away from empty "handicapped" spaces "to leave room for other 'handicapped' motorists"?

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

I agree. I also try to park with the AB's as on most days I can handle the walk.

We also need to remember that when some of us are "new" at this, I'm referring to myself, we don't understand the little "nuances" of the Handicapped spot.

I had never even noticed until one day when I pulled into a spot that said 'Van Accessible" and the others did'nt.

Light bulb in head then goes off, "OK, that makes sense", and I move to another space.

Be Big,
Alan

 

[SueM in MN]

I agree. I also try to park with the AB's as on most days I can handle the walk.

We also need to remember that when some of us are "new" at this, I'm referring to myself, we don't understand the little "nuances" of the Handicapped spot.

I had never even noticed until one day when I pulled into a spot that said 'Van Accessible" and the others did'nt.

Light bulb in head then goes off, "OK, that makes sense", and I move to another space.

Be Big,
Alan

thanks to everyone who does that.
One thing I have noticed is that the van accessible spots are usually the closest to the store or whatever. I think it would help keep the van accessible spots free if they put the van accessible spots as the farthes handicapped spaces from the entrance.

 

[Mason7AK]

thanks to everyone who does that.
One thing I have noticed is that the van accessible spots are usually the closest to the store or whatever. I think it would help keep the van accessible spots free if they put the van accessible spots as the farthes handicapped spaces from the entrance.

I agree with this!
We finally just got so tired of never being able to park our lift equipped full size van, that we gave up and sold it! We bought a regular minivan and are back to loading our children's chairs in and out by hand. At least we can park anywhere now....
On a side note, once when we could not find a van accessible parking spot, we unloaded our DS4 with his older brother at the store entrance. Then my other DD and myself drove up and down and around until a space opened up and we were able to park for when we all came out of the store. Wouldn't you know some dear soul saw my teenage daughter and myself get out of the van and reported us as HP abusers! The next thing I know I am getting a letter from the DMV saying they are canceling our placard! All it took was a phone call to straighten it out, but I just had to laugh! With all the abuse that does go on, can you believe we got reported when we were legit!!
Angela

 

[marshwb]

I too have a van with a fold out ramp, and more often than not can not find a handicapped spot let alone a van accesible one. My wife has MS and on her third round of cancer, which has started in her breast and is now also in her lungs, liver and bones. She has lived with MS for almost 20 years and her first breast cancer showed up 16 years ago. She can barely transfer from her wheelchair to the bed and her doctors have never really treated any with these combination of diseases and have lived this long. Needless to say when we do go out it means a lot to her to get out, so it is VERY frustrating when we have to leave for lack of a parking space. I just want to scream when I see someone park in a handicapped spot and then bound into the store. Or those who park in the blue stripped areas of the van accesable spots so that I cannot park and lower my ramp. We are booked on a DCL cruise and have a handicapped room reserved, she is determined to go no matter what, as she is sure this will be our last family vacation together. She won't get off at any of the ports but it doesn't matter just to experience Disney Magic one last time is all she wants.

 

[Juliah]

thanks to everyone who does that.
One thing I have noticed is that the van accessible spots are usually the closest to the store or whatever. I think it would help keep the van accessible spots free if they put the van accessible spots as the farthes handicapped spaces from the entrance.

I have often thought the same thing. The problem is that the regulations under the ADA actually specify that the van accessible spot has to be the one that 's closest to the curb cut, which means it is usually the one closest to the building.

 

[SueM in MN]

I have often thought the same thing. The problem is that the regulations under the ADA actually specify that the van accessible spot has to be the one that 's closest to the curb cut, which means it is usually the one closest to the building.

I had forgotten about that, but there are ways around that. At the Targets near us, they have placed a 'sidewalk' ,for want of a better word, in front of all the handicapped parking spots. There is no curb there, so no problem with getting to the sidewalk with any of the spots.
I guess, I'd rather have to go a little farther and have a spot that was van accessible. From what I see around here, most of the van accessible spots are taken up by people who are walking (possibly because they are concerned with getting the closest spot). Many times, we find all the van accessible spots are full, but there are other spots close by.
I also hate it when people park so crooked that they are partly on the crosshatched access area. There have been quite a few times when there was a van accessible spot empty, but we could not park in it because there would not be enough room to put out our ramp and get DD's wheelchair out.
I think there should be some mandatory education with the handicapped permits to let people know about some of these things. I know of one perrson who had a permit and did park in the crosshatched area - she said she thought it was just there to show where the next spot was.