Ever confronted ppl abt parking in HC spots? | Arthritis Information
Has anyone here ever confronted someone without proper credentials who has parked in a handicapped spot?
I'm not normally confrontational with strangers, but last night there was a convergence of factors...hubby was fighting with me, I had to go out in the rainstorm to get some dinner, there weren't many parking spots. I did get the furthest HC spot. But I noticed in the HC spot next to me was a huge SUV, with the engine running and a family inside sitting there. I also noticed they didn't have a hang tag or a license plate allowing them to park there. It took me a couple of minutes to get out of my car when either the father or the mother (I forget which) came out of the restaurant with a bag of food and then they all switched places in the car, but were still sitting there.
Because of the rain and their car doors being closed, I shouted to the mother in the driver's seat and she rolled down her window. I said "nice lesson you're teaching your kids, to park in the handicapped spot". To which she replied "we're not parked in the handicapped spot"...I guess meaning that because the engine was running and they were polluting the air even more that they were technically not parked. Still it meant that the last HC spot which would have been available was not. I just walked away because it was pouring rain and I can't stand/walk that long anyway. It was probably not my proudest moment, but I can't believe the woman actually tried to defend this.
GO GLOW !!!!!!! I have never done that yet! Never had the oppurtunity. I am so glad you did.....................I don't know how it works there but here they give the place card to parents of handicapped babies and children, so parents use the card all the time. even when child is not with them. Also caretakers can get one, so you see young able body people taking up the handicap spaces. they park and jump out and are in the store before I can get my door open. I think this is so unfair, when stores are busy I have had to leave and make another trip because no handicap or close spots. Yes I have opened my big mouth, it don't do any good, here they just curse you. When you have RA life is unfair. I gotta say tho a teen open the door for me the other day and let me go first, I haven't had that to happen in years and he was with other boys...there is a few good ones out there.I In my state, the hang tags are issued only to the handicapped person. They may use them in any vehicle in which they are driving/riding. I do see people use them who don't "look handicapped", but then neither do I on my good days. I believe the fine is now 0 so folks are somewhat careful about not parking in those spots unless they are certified to do so. I think you should be careful about confronting anybody these days, there are nuts out there and you don't want to run into trouble.
Ann
Ann: I agree with your thinking--do not confront someone--there are a lot of nuts out there. You might get hurt.
Innerglow,
Ann and Catnip are giving you some very good advise. It's much safer to continue your fighting with your spouse rather than some stranger. I did confront me this evening. I went to sams club and the parking lot was kind of full so i pulled out my tag and parked in the hc spot. I feel too good for that, and even tho I'm legal, I wasn't very nice, someone may very well have needed it. Oh, one quick story, mom and I went to sears and some 30s woman came flying in, parked in the hc spot, with tag, jumped out and ran to the entrance almost pushing mom, at which I said, "nice handicap". She didn't even aknowledge me.
LEV
Lev.. she was probably thinking: How does he know about my golf game!?!
I have often been the one who brings the illegal use of handicap spaces to the attention of the violator.. and they could give two sh*ts! they look at me like I'm crazy.. and this was before I had anything more than mild RA.
Do be careful Inner... there are nuts among us... but some adults need to be taught too.
I try not to pass judgement on people, but it is frustrating to see someone park in the hc spot and then RUN into the store. It does make me want to say something...
Maybe we should all throw in our suggestions for witty responses to this type of situation.
Hope you're all having a superfantastic and extra-comfortable day!
Actually I'm one of those that "runs" into the store. Not really running (although maybe the people you're talking about do), but I walk fast because there's only a certain amount of time I can walk. I do appreciate that we don't look sick and others don't too, which is why I was careful to check for the proper credentials before opening my big mouth.
As I said, I don't normally do this. It was particularly galling that this was the last spot available in a downpour, that they left the SUV running (and therefore felt that was ok) and that their young kids were seeing this behavior. I didn't stick around long enough to get into trouble (although I suppose the soccer mom coulda shot me in the back as I hurriedly walked into the restaurant) and I agree it can be a dangerous thing to do. Just curious if anyone else had done it. I know there are "advocates" who go around photographing license plates and sending them to the police who never confront the people directly...unless they get caughting taking the photo.
Back in the day, before my RA became more physically apparent, I had gotten a placard and would park all day in the 2 hour parking outside of my office. Oh, the advantages of having RA. Anyways, one morning this woman who worked in my bldg sees me park with my placard. Now, I'm trying to rush cuz I'm late and she steps in front of me with this stupid smile and says, "oh it must be nice using that placard, is it your husbands?" So weird. Now, I'm not the type to say, A**H***, get the F out of my way. No, I explain to her I've had RA for 12 yrs -- well, then she's all apologetic, and then everytime I'd see her she'd say something like "oh, I think its so great that you continue to work with your disease." Grrrrrrrr.......
An older guy I used to know (he has since passed on, rest his soul) had a handicapped parking placard, and he used it whenever he went out. Occasionally he would catch hell from strangers - the typical "you don't LOOK handicapped" etc. His response: I'll trade your good leg for my good parking spot any day of the week. You see, my friend had a prosthetic leg (he lost the original in combat), and as a result he walked with an almost imperceptible limp. When he wore long pants, you could not tell that he had any problems. But he had ongoing problems with his leg (both the stump and the prosthetic), and it had a habit of coming loose, which would cause him to suddenly trip/fall. He didn't mind walking - in fact he walked quite a bit, for exercise. He just did not want to take the chance of falling down in a parking lot and getting hit/run over - especially if it was snowy or rainy out.
Whenever I see a healthy-looking person parking in a handicapped spot, I remember my friend and give the stranger the benefit of the doubt.
After all, most of us don't look sick either.
JasmineRain2008-06-05 20:41:55Parking lots are very dangerous places. It's probably one of two places (the other being bars) that more crimes of all kinds tends to happen. I had a few near misses getting hit by a car as a pedestrian and another incident where some moron deliberately tried to hit me with his shopping cart because I wasn't moving fast enough for his liking. I haven't gone to a bar in many years, but I suggest you keep your eyes open and stay alert in the parking lot.
If someone is mean enough to take a hc parking spot that they shouldn't, let the police issue them a ticket. They are in a position to enforce the law, we aren't.
I haven't had anything happen with the hc spots but I have with the electric wheelchairs the stores have. I take my mom shopping and she needs a wheelchair. Somedays I do too but I try to walk for the exercise. I have to go in to the service counter get the key, go to the other side of store, get wheelchair, then take it out to mom. Well, we finished shopping and I got the car up to the door of store and this lady asked if she could have the wheelchair when we were done. I said yes not knowing my mom had already told another lady she could have it. Well, the lady I told was waiting and she got the chair and the other lady who was very old and fragile looking just started cuzzing me and the other lady out! She said "I can't shop without a chair!" The other lady was nice and said "I can't either, I have a broken back" THe old lady was cuzzing and carrying on. It was quite embarrassing, people were looking at us. The lady I gave the wheelchair to said "bye, have a nice day" she said that repeatedly as she drove into store. I told my mom that I thought "my lady" handled it with style and grace. Kill em' kindness. Gets em' everytime. LOL I have used the store wheelchair before and get all kinds of looks and whispers behind my back. I'm sure it's because "I don't look sick". I don't care what people think and have always been the outcast so it doesn't bother me or mom. We go shopping and make it fun and do stupid things. Like I run into stuff (not on purpose I just can't stop a big cart). Mom and I also have races in the chairs. We go and make the most of it. Our outings are dr visits and grocery store shopping so we have to make fun out of it or we will bore ourselves to death. LOLAs far as I know, it is ILLEGAL to park in the HC with a placard if YOU are not handicapped. Meaning, if my husband is and I am not, I can't use it if I am alone. If we have a disabled child that is not with us, we can NOT park there.
If it really appears to be an able bodies person, then you could always write down the plates and report the person to the police. This way, there is no confrontation. :)
Oh don't get me started, we live in a semi-small town in southern Louisiana, already people think we are trash down here, but this has to show them that most really are.
Every single time i go to Walmart, I always see people who are not disabled parking in these spots and it makes me so mad. Especially the old ladies around 60-70 (sorry if you are this age) and have no physical problems at all and they get the license plate etc. and walk 100mph into a store and walk the store shopping.
Makes me soooooooo mad.
I went to my local Asda store and there were no HC Spaces, there was a car parked with a man in the drivers seat but no disabled badge on his car so I wound the window down and asked him if he was leaving, He said no his wife was in the store. I said oh is she disabled to which he replied no but its raining and i wanted to park near the entrance for her, I would have normally just left it but i was having a bad day and told him I needed the disabled bay to which he looked at me as if I was mad and said "tough thats not my fault" , wound his window up and turned his music full blast. I did report him to the store and they moved him on but not before he shouted a whole lot of obscenities at me......nice people out there
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