[SamAdams76]

You probably should not have taken this space and had your wife walk a little bit further. Or let her sit in the car - in a legal space - while you get the film.

Like I said in an earlier post, live parking in a handicapped space is not a cool thing to do. You are basically forcing a legitimately handicapped person to get your attention by honking a horn or rapping on your window, both of which can be perceived and misinterpreted as a hostile action. So most handicapped people will not bother confronting a "live parker" sitting their space and will instead settle on the next available space.

Since we are on the subject of handicapped spaces, they seem to be giving out the handicapped placards rather loosely these days. I often see people using those spaces who have no obvious handicap. Some of them even have a spring in their step. Yet they've got the placard, so it's technically legit. Sorry, but my definition of handicapped is basically being in a wheelchair or on crutches. If you can walk, you ought to park just like anybody else.

I also find irony in the fact that even healthy people are constantly jockeying for a close space at the mall. Only to go inside and walk for miles! In a large shopping center, I always prefer to park in the fringes of the lot, where there are plenty of spaces. I am amused to see all those empty spaces and then as I approach the mall, you got all these people sitting in their idling cars, gritting their teeth, waiting for a "prime space" to open up. These people are very tense.

Tense!

[EEGator]

He said five handicapped spots were open next to him.

Your side note - my family/friends always give me crap for parking so far away. I like no one next to me, and I like to pull through. “First move forward”.

[cuban leaf]

I’m a spirit of the law sort of guy. The reason is simple: Sometimes it is actually better, safety-wise, to violate the letter of the law. When it comes to the law, it’s about one size fits “most”, but sometimes the legally wrong thing to do is the morally, or safe RIGHT thing to do.

Regarding stopping in a handicapped space, the only time it violates the spirit of the law is when there are no other handicapped spaces available. So I have a clear conscience about stopping in them.

On a side note, I had a foot injury a few months ago that made it extremely difficult to walk, but since I didn’t go to a doctor, I didn’t jump through the necessary hoops to get a sticker, so I had to park a ways away. Ultimately, I just avoided going to the store unless absolutely required. And when I did, I used crutches. And yet, if I parked in a government blessed space, I was breaking the letter of the law, though I would not have been violating the spirit of the law.

[cuban leaf]

I also probably should mention that if, as I’m stopped in a handicapped space, and the last free one is taken by someone, I leave the space. I only stay in it as long as there is at least one empty handicapped space other than the one I’m stopped in.

I also only do this once every few years.;)

[Alberta's Child]

I work in a field where we have to incorporate ADA elements like handicap parking spaces in our site designs, and I think they are ridiculous.

I can’t even remember how many thousands of parking lots I’ve seen with 5 or more HC parking spaces, and I have never once seen one where the HC spaces were even half filled.

[Raycpa]

On handicap looking people. I have a new appreciation for those who may look normal. I had surgery that went wrong and caused me to bleed internally. For the next three months I could barely walk 100 feet without having to rest due to anemia. I looked normal.

[super7man]

Good post.

We take my M-I-L to lunch on Sundays. She can barely walk even with a walker. We have a HC placard but I always drop them off right at the front door, which is a bit of an ordeal. I then park in a regular spot.

On the subject of parking at the far reaches of the parking lot. Its much easier these days to find my car when I come out as it is all by itself waiting for me.

[5th MEB]

Also one thing he should know; to a cop “live parking” is the same as parking.

The ticked goes out the door at a usual minimum of about 350.00, then they add all the court and processing fees, kicks it up to about 475.00

His money, his risk.