...just wanted to see what others opinion is to this - maybe I'm being too sensitive???
No you are not, if they are parked illegally.
Before you get mad make sure they are.
Talk to the school office about the issue and remind them to remind parents who those spots are for.
Don’t do this much in New Jersey. The fine is $250 plus $35 court costs as a court appearance is required.
Second offense is $250 plus community service.
Learned my lesson once although my husband was diabled, but I had not yet received the placard.
They love writing that ticket out here in CA...that’s gettin’ on to $300 last I checked.
No.. I don’t believe you are being insensitive especially if they have taken all the spaces. Personally, I would tap on their window and ask them to move since you have a handicap tag/sticker. If they refuse, nicely notify them you are notifying the police with their tag number. Perhaps the school administration can assist you with this. Sometimes people will “listen” to a school official vs another parent.
That being said, handicap stickers/tags have evolved into something it wasn’t intended for. For example, I know a fella (who is a lifeguard) that parks in handicap spaces all the time. He does have the placard you hang off your interior mirror. Why does he have it? Because he drives his handicapped Father once a month to a doctor. I will admit to parking in a handicap space once. I know.. shame, shame. However, my lower disc was bulging and I had great difficult walking (when this happens, I have to literally drag my left leg). I stopped at the store for some medications. Was it right? Probably not.
One day, I caught one of those handicap types parking
in one of our spots far from the store entrance.
I kicked her ass.
$50 seems a little to light... It should be more like $250. My mother is disabled and lives with us, but we don’t have a placard. We get her in and out of the car ourselves and push a wheelchair, so it’s not that big of a deal. I’d rather save those places for people who are disabled and drive and have no help. A real pet peeve of mine are the courtesy scooters at the grocery store. I’m very appreciative that they provide them. I could just push my mom in a wheelchair, but she loves riding about in a scooter if she can. The problem is all of the people who use them that have absolutely no reason for doing so. We’ve waited in the front of the store on many occasions waiting for a scooter, only to see punk thugs rolling around in them like they’re cruising the block. When they leave, I watch them just hop up and stroll out to their cars. Really angers me when people are so selfish and thoughtless.
Some states give out the permits to whoever asks. In those states, all the spots are always taken.
What is Indiana like?
Those inconsiderate idiots are indeed handicapped - mentally.
Those inconsiderate idiots are indeed handicapped - mentally.
Since it’s illegal in Indiana, call a cop!
Mixed feelings here
NM allows you to use the spaces with a placard or special plate issued as handicap or disabled veteran
.
I parked beside a vehicle in a handicap space with a DV plate, I have a purple heart plate and wear a full leg prosthetic brace which causes me to walk like a lurching frankestein. Returning to my car, the wally world golf cart was blocking my car in and the attendant argued a purple heart plate was not legal, I asked her if she considered getting shot a disability. I told her to get bent and move her scooter before I backed over it. The driver with the disabled vet plate had come out, I asked him how and where he got wounded and he responded he gets the DV plate for PTSD. Just shook my head and left.
I am of several minds on this. I like the idea of having close up handicap parking, but the one-size-fits all federal mandates are stupid. Spots are mandated based on percentage of parking (rounding up) and have no relation to the activity in question.
For instance, a water skiing club is mandated the same percentage of spots as a geriatric physical rehab office.
It would also make sense to allow some normal “short term” parking up close for businesses such as dry cleaners. But quite often, if its a large parking lot, everything within 75’ of the door is given up to handicapped spots. It seems that I am always walking past a large number of empty handicap spots in otherwise packed parking lots.
This experience likely has many people thinking that they aren’t actually depriving those in need by momentarily taking a spot.
Per the theme of your question, people shouldn’t be parking in those spots unless they need them. If you are dealing with a limited number of people, perhaps you could print up some cards to slip under their wiper, stating why you need and use those spots. I imagine that would solve the problem. If not, have them ticketed.
Handicap parking spots are the only ones I observe, because they are law. The others have gone out of control. I routinely park in spots designated for “customers with children,” “high efficiency vehicle,” “compact car,” “expectant mothers,” “employee of the month,” and electric vehicle charging stations. I fully expect to one day see “Reserved for Anyone but White Males” parking spot designations.
Not being sensitive at all. I can’t stand it when I see some young person taking the spot and then jump out of the car to enter a store...so anoying and unfair to those that seriously need the space. I say the first offense 1000 dollars. The second 10000. The third 100,000 dollars. The fourth jail for 3 years. The fifth, jail for life. Yep that is how serious I find this problem.
Why are there mandatory parking spaces in the first place? Where is it in the Constitution that the government shall make demands of private property or tell businesses how to run their parking lots? If businesses find disabled patrons want those parking spaces they can decide to provide them. Why is it that people with disabilities can park at a large complex like a mall but demand up front parking? Of all the people I can have seen parking in them maybe 0.0001% are actually people with real disabilities such as motorized chairs. The rest just get their doctor to write them the excuse to get the blue placard.
Have you tried to approach the parent that does this? In a normal situation I wouldn't recommend doing this but since it is happening at church and it seems to be by the same offender, maybe putting a face with the vehicle will stop it from happening. I guess I'm advocating shaming them into stopping their despicable behavior.
My parents were both disabled and my mom refused to get a handicapped permit. She always felt it would be taking the spot from someone more disabled than she. Oh how I miss that beautiful woman.
First, make sure that the spots are fully legal. In a lot of places, painted indicators on the parking surface are not sufficient to make the spot enforceable; you need a sign on a post. If there is a sign on a post, it’s legally enforceable.
My wife has mobility issues and sees this a lot. People are always “just there for a minute.” If she has time, she pulls up behind them, blocking them in the spot, and then calls the police. The cops are ALWAYS happy for the ticket income.
If the lawbreakers become belligerent, she gets back on the phone with 911 and asks them to hurry up because she’s being threatened and she doesn’t want to have to use her firearm (Missouri has concealed carry). They usually shut up and get back in their car to wait for the cops.
Then there are the ones who park in the "fire lane" to run in for a coffee or to pick up a newspaper, or waiting for someone to come out of the store, etc etc etc. For those I call the cops with the plate number, these for some reason are low priority for cops. I've called the fire department and they say it's parking violation and a cop issue.
A bullet through one knee and they can park there any time they want. In the meantime a stiff fine the first time and a month in the pokey with a violent cell mate the next.
Betcha that would make this a non-issue.
I suggest the jail time because I once met a very rich man with a nice Maserati sedan parked thusly. When I reprimanded him, warning I would call the police, he said; “OK, I’ll just pay the fine.”
I have a handicap plate because I have severe arthritis. Just before Christmas I was waiting to make a left turn into the only remaining handicap space at a local grocery when a young man in a Jeep made a right turn and took the space. He was obviously not handicapped and had no plate or sticker. I called the police. They showed up in less than 5 minutes and wrote him a ticket.