pet peeve

[fireplug]

This is not meant to be a debate so play nice

I really hate people who park in handicap spots and then let out an obviously unhandicapped person to go into the store.

Another one is a nurse who works with my wife. 64 y/o and had foot surgery last year. She still parks in a Handicapped spot and then works 12 hours on her feet

And the ones that tick me off the most. They take a handicapped person to the store and then leave them in the car while they shop for themselves. Different from first instance as these people take the handicapped person with them so they can park in the spot.These are people I know so I know that is what is going on.


AAAAARRRRRGGGG


Steve

 

[Wagamama]

i totally agree with you. I also hate people who park in the "parents with infants" spot and then go into the store with their 8 year old child. I went to the store the other day with my neighbor and some lady with NO KIDS never mind an infant parked in the last infant spot. my neighbor has three kids a 4 month old, a 3 year old and a 5 year old. We had to park all the way at the other end of the lot!! It was ridiculous!! If I hadn't been there she would have had a heck of a time getting all three to the store!

~Von

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

Those mothers to be or mothers of young children spots irritate me to no end. I'd much rather have those spots set aside for senior citizens.

Isn't it funny how different people have different perspectives?

Oh, and handicapped spot abusers bug me as well!


(edited because my grammar are bad)

 

[CRB#33]

I agree.

A friend of mine is still using the tags from her now deceased husband. She is absolutely fine. Drives me nuts. Sometimes I notice that the ederly are just thinking that they are "owed" something.

 

[Cindy B]

I yelled at a handicapped spot abuser at Blockbuster the other day... she drives on in, in her convertible, top down, into the handicapped spot (which is in front of th tape drop), then GOES INTO THE STORE......


(she had no hang tag or license plate, or I would not have done this)

She comes back in and I say in a LOUD VOICE "Those spots are for handicapped people, and you are not"....

She then says in a snotty voice "I was getting something"

Then I turn to my daughter (who is four years old then) "Look at that lady breaking the law!"


It burns me up so much to see that abuse...


And as for mothers and childrens spots, we don't have them here in Philly...as a parent I would rather give my spot to a senior, and I have two kids... my kids walk in Disney world, they can walk to the Kmart...

 

[amid chaos]

I saw this one today....a young man pulled into a handicapped spot,

then hangs the tag,

gets out and walks to the store...

the only thing handicapped about him was that his pants were 3/4 the way down his butt and he was tripping over the crotch of his pant..

 

[Steve H.]

Unfortunately, the administration of handicapped stickers and placards in most states is, frankly, a joke, so it's really not that difficult to secure yourself a handicapped tag if you really want one.

You'd like to think that most people would have common decency not to do things like mentioned above, but I think we've all probably seen evidence to the contrary.

 

[fireplug]

That reminds me of another thing. If they have the mirror tag hide it on the floorboard and drive around. Then pull it out when they park. It makes me think they are embarassed to have it until they want to park up close.

Steve

 

[A kid at heart]

I wonder what you guys would all think of me parking in the handicapped spot with my handicapped plate. Watching from a distance you wouldn't see anything wrong. Sometimes you can tell I am in pain when I walk and other times you can't.
Remember not all handicaps are visible ones.

 

[mhopset]

Time for me to chime in (like you think I wouldn't)

For my first comment: The elderly being owed something. All I have to say about that is H**L yes they are owed something. You better belive it. A lot of these elderly folks fought for your freedom, worked long hours just to retire on a few dollars a month. Then usually after they retire they get sick and are unable to do anything except pay thousands of dollars for prescription drugs. You ought to be asahmed of yourself for that comment.

For all you well-bodied folks, as you walk right past my wife as she is lugging on that 250 pound scooter of mine and don't even stop to ask if you can help. Next time you should stop and offer a hand Don't even get me started on "well, Tony you should buy a lift" Well, let me tell you about purchasing a $4000.00 lift for my truck. The insurance compay refuses to pay for it because they concider it a "LUXURY" yeah WHATEVER!!! if I was able to get it out by myself I wouldn't need the stupid thing.

As for hiding my handicap sticker on the floor. You better belive it. I don't want anybody to "label me". Yes I am ashamed I have to have the stupid sticker, plus you never know what kind of nut case is out there waiting to pounce on you.

I'm sorry sometimes I can't believe the nerve some of you people have. You know there are starving people in the world and elderly people eating dog food. And you worry about if you can make it into Wal-mart in less than 2 minutes.

Tony

 

[A kid at heart]

I had to provide medical documentaion to get my plate and placard. It wasn't that easy to get.

 

[Talking Hands]

I had to provide documentation to get my hangtag as well

 

[Disney Doll]

mhopset, I don't believe anyone was saying anything negative about handicapped people who are actually handicapped and park in a handicapped spot. The original poster's pet peeve was about those that are not handicapped and park in the spot. If I saw you and your wife getting out of a car and her struggling with your scooter, I'd certainly offer to help her and I certainly wouldn't begrudge you the need for a handicapped spot.

While I am sure that there are many elderly people who are not well off, there are also just as many(at least in my area of the country)who are VERY well off, and still expect special treatment because of their age. I have no problem helping out those less fortunate than myself. I do have a problem with someone who can afford to spend 3-4 months out of the year in Florida trying to beat the system, claiming they are "elderly and on a fixed income". My response is that their income must be fixed pretty high to be able to winter in Florida, because I work full time, and I certainly can't afford to do that! While I am most appreciative that they fought for our country, I don't think that gives anyone license to break the law or expect special treatment in their day-to-day life.

Again, I think the original poster's intent was not to comment on those who are legitimately using handicapped spaces, such as yourself, but to comment on those who are obviously not handicapped and using the spaces. I do agree with you when you say that some handicaps are not visible...you are absolutely correct. However, I think that is the exception rather than the rule.

In any event, I am sorry if you live somewhere where people give you a hard time because of your disability. That is certainly not right, and I don't blame you for being angry.

 

[disykat]

I agree - it's wrong to use handicapped spaces if you aren't handicapped.

As for the mother's spaces - I've seen them occasionally. If the owners of the store choose to designate spots for a specific group of people it doesn't bother me. I won't park there, just like I won't park in the employee of the month spot. Whether or not they should exist is moot - that decision belongs to the property owners. If there's a sign legally put up by the property owner then it should be respected IMO. I doubt, however, that those signs are legally enforcible like handicapped spots (?).

 

[mamajoan]

I have disabled/handicap plates. I have had 2 hang tags stolen from my car when they were on the mirror and I was parked in correct parking. I never drove with the tag on the mirror for 2 reasons.#1. It states in the pamphlet the accompanies the tag that you are not to do so, #2 It blocks the view.

There are many people with handicaps that are not always visible, I have learned to shut my mouth on more than one occaision (unbelievable for mamajoan.. but TRUE)
My kids often say to complete strangers who abuse the handicap space.. " Please don't park in the hash marks, it is illegal and my mom can't get to her wheelchair when you do that"

The handicap spaces I see abuse the most are ones that are near the ATM or at Blockbuster to drop off movies.

It is true that alot of people abuse the privledge or what I often consider a neccessity of handicap parking. But there are a whole lot more of kind, decent folks around the country. Thanks to those who leave room next to the handi-space for the car door to open. Thanks to those who offer to hold a door, carry a bag, return a cart. and many of these people are Seniors...

God Bless the BLUE PARKING SPOT CREATOR!!

 

[CRB#33]

While I am sure that there are many elderly people who are not well off, there are also just as many(at least in my area of the country)who are VERY well off, and still expect special treatment because of their age. I have no problem helping out those less fortunate than myself. I do have a problem with someone who can afford to spend 3-4 months out of the year in Florida trying to beat the system, claiming they are "elderly and on a fixed income". My response is that their income must be fixed pretty high to be able to winter in Florida, because I work full time, and I certainly can't afford to do that! While I am most appreciative that they fought for our country, I don't think that gives anyone license to break the law or expect special treatment in their day-to-day life.

Thank you DisneyDoll for defending me

I am not in the least ashamed of myself.

I too live in a fairly upscale neighborhood with people who think they deserve the world because they are retired. That's just not right.

There is a retirement community nearby that costs an absolute fortune for people to live in. These people keep track of the seconds on the clock when their cable goes out and demands to be reimbursed for these minutes at public township meetings, wasting precious time of the real needs of the community.

They need to be ashamed of themselves.

 

[MeanLaureen]

Well looks like the Red Headed temper in me is going to show through today!

I have a temporary handicap parking permit. Am I in a wheelchair? no Do I look handicapped? nope. But believe me, that doesn't mean that I didn't deserve that permit. I have an illness that makes if VERY painful for me to walk at times. At any given moment I could have a flare up with a fever spike up to 104 degrees and all I want to do is to get out of the public and sit down in my car until it passes or get home as soon as possible. Just because I'm 35 yrs old and apparently "normal" looking doesn't mean I am cheating the system.

You can't just go and get a handicap permit for the heck of it! I had to get written documentation from my doctor to take to DMV to get the permit. There are stiff penalties if these permits are abused. ($1500 fine and up to 6 months in jail) so I'm sure the doctors wouldn't hand out the forms to just anyone.

As far as someone riding around with the mirror tag on the floorboard and then popping it up on the mirror after they park like they are ashamed to have it there.. umm.. it's illegal to drive with that big old thing hanging in your line of sight!

I agree that there are people that abuse the handicap spaces and park there with no permit but PLEASE don't assume that a person with a permit that has no outward appearance of a disability did not deserve that permit. Trust me, we are having enough trouble dealing with our illnesses and don't need to have handicap parking space vigilantes who don't know all the facts and are judging a "book by it's cover" after us.

Rant over

 

[Saffron]

Another handicapped person chiming in.

People with chronic cardiac and lung disease use handicapped spaces. Handicap spaces are not just for people with leg/walking/ problems. Just because you can't see the handicap, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Asthmatics, people suffering the side effects of chemotherapy etc. all use the parking spaces. You can't see their disabilities, but they're there.

I rarely use my handicap placard. It's not because I don't need it, it's because I try not to need it. I'm not ashamed to have my placard or use it. I just think that there may be others who may need the parking space more than I do, that includes Sr. citizens. I will always use it if it's raining though. I am unsure on my footing on wet pavement.

It's illegal to drive with the placard hanging from your visor. It blocks your vision. You are required, by law, to remove the placard when you're driving. I don't hide mine. I keep mine in my glove box while I'm driving, so it doesn't fall on the floorboards.

Tony -- I don't understand the last paragrah in your post? No one here was saying they were going to use the handicap spaces or that there shouldn't be any handicap spaces. Or was that last paragraph not directed at the people on the CB?

 

[Mskanga]

Mother's with infants parking spots??? Did I miss something??? I have never seen one, but let me tell you, if any of the stores around here had them, that would be enough reason for me to not go there. I'm fine with handicapped parking spaces , if a senior citizen is really handicaped, they will more likely have a placard.
But it really ticks me off when relatives use the permits and they are not the handicaped ones. I have two neighbors that do that , one has the wife go all around town with the permit when she has nothing wrong and he goes to work in NJ all week in construction, the other has a handicaped husband but the wife keeps using his permit and now it's even worse because she just had twins. Those two wives should not be abusing the permit the way they are!
I work in a place where the handicaped spot is right outside the window, I can't count how many times people park in the spot and they have no tags , permits or nothing, but I make them move the car, usually it takes me telling them once to make them stop parking there. Handicaped spots are there for the people who really need them , not for the ones who do not want to walk 20 feet, lucky me I don't need one of them.

 

[fireplug]

First off all of you real handicapped people back off I said this was not about you.
Now as far as the mirror tags I will apologize for that. I misunderstood and only saw it used when it benifited someone.

LETS ALL pay attention to the first post. These were all done by people I know. NOT those in the general poulation. So climb down off the pulpits and relax it isn't about you.

As a twenty year paramedic I am fully aware of all the maladies people suffer. There is no doubt some of you reading this have some real issues. Since I know very few of you it seems to me that none of this was about you.


Steve