Handicap Parking Rant

I don't mind walking... because I can.

DrBoost wrote: I, for one won't worry about folks parking in them when it doesnt look like they need them because life is too short.

This. There are lots of valid invisible reasons people need handicap permits and always assuming the worst about people isn't the path to happiness.

That said, I did call a tow truck on a young guy in a 550 Maranello who parked in a handicap space w/o a permit once. The excitement on the other end of the phone when I told them it was a red Ferrari was enough that I had to stick around and watch it get towed away. Don't think I'll ever see a 350lb tow truck driver leap into action like that again.

I'm long past the destructive days, but this morning I saw a young lady park in a designated handicapped spot. She looked perhaps early 20s. Got out of the car and sprinted into the store (-7 this am). She did have a cast on her forearm and a temp placard. I lost a leg when I was 6 mo. old (no idea where I left it). I don't use any parking placards or plates. There is enough bias and hurdles without having a sign to point you out. I'm perfectly able to walk an extra row or two so I'll leave the spaces to those who truly need it. For those who use them and don't need them, you suck

JThw8 wrote:

Zomby woof wrote: I hate those spots reserved for customers with child/newborns etc. I park in them. I have children. They're 22, and 24, but they're still my children.

+1 I'll respect the handicapped spots. The rest are BS and up for grabs. "Expectant mother"...yea I expect I could be a mother....Im sure some folks have called me that. "Parent with child" yep I have a child...nope not with me. "Hybrid parking" bahaahahwaahheahaaa.....yeah it runs on air and gas... Our local grocery store recently blocked off the section I always seemed to park in for "shop at home" customers. Yeah, I shop at home....oh for your crap...well no...but you weren't clear.

A local grocery had a few of these. I was a bit irritated for about 3 seconds and then I just parked further out. I don't get enough exercise as it is you know? I could use the walk.

Drewsifer wrote: I hate the "Fuel Efficient" parking spots. I park the Miata in them all the time.

Do these really exist?! I'm in VA and I haven't seen one. A CA thing?

MitchellC wrote: I park in the back anyways and don't sweat the little things.

Yeah man. I'm all about this. Like I said above, I don't get enough exercise so a good walk will do me and my cholesterol numbers some good.

carguy123 wrote: A friend actually walked up to one lady and laid his hand on her forehead like one of those old time Evangelists and in his best imitation said "HEALED! Now get up and walk" and then he walked away. 2 people clapped.

Did you friend know what was wrong with this woman? I hope she didn't have a thyroid problem.

When I've seen people who I think are using the scooters because of their weight I just mind my business. It's not my place to make fun of them. I just don't want to go out like that.

T.J. wrote: Didn't matter that he (edit - TJ's son) was 12 or 13 at the time and will never drive or own a vehicle of his own.

As a car guy this makes me pretty damned sad.

oldtin wrote: I'm long past the destructive days, but this morning I saw a young lady park in a designated handicapped spot. She looked perhaps early 20s. Got out of the car and sprinted into the store (-7 this am). She did have a cast on her forearm and a temp placard. I lost a leg when I was 6 mo. old (no idea where I left it). I don't use any parking placards or plates. There is enough bias and hurdles without having a sign to point you out. I'm perfectly able to walk an extra row or two so I'll leave the spaces to those who truly need it. For those who use them and don't need them, you suck

Offtopic, and I gotta ask, and I apologize, but- do you get one of those cool CF legs? I saw a kid the other day at the mall. He was in a chair, double amputee. Chair was pretty cool, all racy and whatnot. What really got me is his legs. They were ENTIRELY carbon fiber, except for the knee joints, which I assumed to be aluminum of some sort. The thigh buckets, the calves, the feet, the whole thing. CF. I immediately forgot what this kid had probably been through and geeked out over his legs. Does that make me a bad person?

mndsm wrote:

oldtin wrote: I'm long past the destructive days, but this morning I saw a young lady park in a designated handicapped spot. She looked perhaps early 20s. Got out of the car and sprinted into the store (-7 this am). She did have a cast on her forearm and a temp placard. I lost a leg when I was 6 mo. old (no idea where I left it). I don't use any parking placards or plates. There is enough bias and hurdles without having a sign to point you out. I'm perfectly able to walk an extra row or two so I'll leave the spaces to those who truly need it. For those who use them and don't need them, you suck

Offtopic, and I gotta ask, and I apologize, but- do you get one of those cool CF legs? I saw a kid the other day at the mall. He was in a chair, double amputee. Chair was pretty cool, all racy and whatnot. What really got me is his legs. They were ENTIRELY carbon fiber, except for the knee joints, which I assumed to be aluminum of some sort. The thigh buckets, the calves, the feet, the whole thing. CF. I immediately forgot what this kid had probably been through and geeked out over his legs. Does that make me a bad person?

Off topic, and I gotta ask, and I apologize, but- how is it driving a stick with a prothsesis? I've always wondered about that, ever since I saw a guy at a golf course get out of a stick shift Corvette with a prosthesis.

My late wife had MS and was down to using a walker (a wheelchair on bad days or when going into a huge store like Home Depot). Christmas eve we went to a local mall, parking in the second HC space. On the way back to the car, she was getting very fatigued... and slower. About halfway to the car we were passed by a young, healthy couple, sprinting to their Cadillac that was parked (you guessed it) in the first HC spot. No placard or sticker, just two self important yuppies. I could just about see the steam coming out of the guys ears as he had to wait for a tiring, ever-slowing woman with walker to get from behind his Caddy.

In reply to mtn:

i met a girl when i was in highschool that was born without an arm below the elbow. her right arm. and she drove a 5-speed mustang. and danced on the drill team.

My father-in-law is 97 and needs to use one of those rolling chairs to steady himself in walking long distances. He's also badly asthmatic.

He refuses to use the HC spaces; he says he wants to keep them available for people that need them.

He also says that he's happy that a drug like Viagra is available should he ever need it. (He and his girlfriend broke his bed the last time she came to stay for a weekend.)

Here's what torques me off, driving with the plaquard hanging from the mirror. It clearly states "Remove Before Driving " on each and every one.

Reading is Fundamental, people !!

I don't get what the big deal is. It is really that much of a pain in the ass to walk an extra 100ft to the store and leave spots for the disabled. I am pretty sure any one can use the extra exercise. I have never really thought it was that big a problem

In reply to mndsm:

CF + titanium + alum + a couple of steel bits

In reply to mtn: up to about 7/10s driving - everything is normal, just give me any manual trans and it's fine. For competition or over 7/10s I need to rearrange the controls to be competitive. This should be fun for the 2011 challenge. The MG has a left foot throttle, central brake and the clutch is controlled by a video game trigger on the gearshift knob. I should have a shot at being faster than the pros in that car.

I'd be really interested to see more of that setup 'tin, if you ever do post pics/build. (of the car, though the leg sounds equally cool.)

Oldtin. Just wondering why did you put the throttle on the left?

I wanted the clutch to be the finger controlled bit - more so than throttle or brake since those and steering get used more - so clutch on the gear lever made sense to me. For the throttle - rt leg is prosthetic, left is where the action is. I've prototyped a couple clutch controllers out of surplus high-speed air valves and controllers out of our hospital's junked lab equipment. First one was very complicated. Version 2.0 looks like the ticket.

sorry for the hijack - back to our previously scheduled parking lot rant...

T.J. wrote: Speaking of handicapped placards and plates, here's a funny one. When we moved to Alabama they wouldn't issue me a handicapped plate because I am not handicapped and the van is in my name. I explained that my son is wheelchair bound and is the handicapped one, but they looked at me like I had a third eye and said no plate because it is not his vehicle. Didn't matter that he was 12 or 13 at the time and will never drive or own a vehicle of his own. It was a lot harder than it should've been and resulted in my wife in tears. It worked out in the end, but it was irritating to say the least.

If you can call it "irritating", you're a better man than I. I'm angry just hearing the story. Would I be rude if I asked you to tell how you finally got it straightened out?

In reply to T.J.:

Did that involve the people at the Huntsville DMV? They may be the most useless berkeleyers I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with.

93EXCivic wrote: In reply to T.J.: Did that involve the people at the Huntsville DMV? They may be the most useless berkeleyers I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with.

Yeah, at the office in the courthouse. Had to talk to the head cheese to get it settled out. That day, my wife was wondering why the hell I packed the family up and moved to Alabama.

Best part is... . . . . . . . . . . . . . This was at my gym.

Reminds me of this pic

The gym brings out some entertaining behavior. I've been dragging my overstuffed carcus to one for a few months now to try and lose some weight before I have to have my mouth sewn shut. I pull in, park in an open spot and go inside, but every young person has to circle the lot at least once to try and get a spot by the door.

As an aside it turns out that Planet Fitness is only a judgement free zone until you start singing along with the No Doubt song playing in your headphones while wadling on the treadmill. The zone very quickly becomes judgmental, and a bit hostile.

My gym has the entire front row of parking designated to handicapped, pregnant women, people picking up small children only.

Here's a very timely story by my friend and colleague Lorraine Sommerfeld:

http://www.wheels.ca/Columnists/article/793770