Remember that handicapped parking problem

[Star*]

We sat in the car and watched the very healthy, agile, young womans expression - after she rushed into the only handicapped spot yesterday. WE put this on her windshield.....priceless.

http://www.ahajokes.com/crt886.html

 

[AnnieO]

I'm going to put a handful of those in my car!!!!!!

 

[Abbey]

No **** Sherlock. I have no problem with having handicapped spaces. But...do they need 24 of them at a small convenience store? Shoot...I have to park across the street for God's sake.

Abbey

 

[Star*]

You should have seen me in the store asking the girl who parked next to the other girl in the expectant Mothers ONLY space - "OMG when are you due?" she looked at me and said (and I quote) "I aint' habbin no baby." and I said "But you parked in the expectant Moms spot." and she did her hand like she was flicking a booger off her finger and kept on shopping.

Snicker.....

 

[DammitJanet]

We dont have the expectant mom spots here but the handicapped spots chap my hide.

I need to park in my spot. I have had people look at me like I am faking it because I dont always take my walker or my chair. I had my permit long before I had my walker or my chair. Just because I dont always use them doesnt mean I can walk for long periods of time. That hike across the parking lot does me in.

 

[trinityroyal]

In addition to "lazy is not a handicap", I'm thinking:

- this is not a parking spot for shopping carts
- please do not pile snow here
- no, it's not okay if you're only going to be "a few minutes"
- would you like to have the disability that goes along with the permit?

And a few others that would get the board censors after me.

husband has a handicapped permit. He has terrible back problems, severe arthritis in his knees and a heart condition. No, he doesn't look disabled, but there sure are times when he feels it. When he feels up to walking, he parks elsewhere and walks. But when he needs the spot, BOY does he need the spot.

As for the expectant mothers' parking, I'm of two minds about it...
On the one hand, I think they're a bit silly. What about all the other non-pregnant people who could really use a parking spot close to the store. Of course, now that I need a wheelbarrow to drag my gigantic belly around in front of me, I'm beginning to change my tune about them...

Trinity

 

[Star*]

The days DF can walk a little more - he just pulls into the next available.

The last time we went to Walmart - we pulled into a HPS. People were looking at him and me.....so I bent over like Quasi Moto and flailed my arms and said "Is this handicapped enough to park there?" DF laughed and said - I'm not sure they give plaquards for mentally handicapped.

-Too bad - most days I'd be parked in aisle 1.

 

[AnnieO]

husband used to have a placard - and rarely used it unless he was really hurting so they didn't renew it.

mother in law has one and does need it. People give her dirty looks anyway and she has a cane!

Just because someone does not look handicapped, does not mean they're not. However if they're bouncing into the store, apparently it's a mental handicap?!

As for the expectant mother who wasn't "habbin" a baby - Karma. All I can say is KARMA. Someday.

 

[Lothlorien]

Around Christmas time, there was a cop just walking in the parking lot at our local grocery store, handing out tickets to people parking in the HC spots. One lady tried to argue her way out and I sat there listening and chuckling. Cop got really in her face, too. She had a handicapped placard FOR HER HUSBAND who was sitting in the car waiting for her.

However, our local Target must have 26 HC spots. A little overkill, I would say.

 

[house of cards]

I sometimes drive my disabled mom shopping. I will drop her at the door, (with her walker if they don't have carts) and go park the car. She will walk out to the car sometimes before me to rest so I park in the handicap spot with her card. If you were to see me get out, I'd just look fat, old ands slow...I'm not a whole lot better then my mom but I am not disabled.

Is this wrong? should I be using the reg spots and going to pick her up at the door when I am with her?

 

[Lothlorien]

Is this wrong? should I be using the reg spots and going to pick her up at the door when I am with her?

You are allowed to do that in NJ, as long as your mom is shopping with you and she has her id card with her.

 

[witzend]

We dont have the expectant mom spots here but the handicapped spots chap my hide.

I need to park in my spot. I have had people look at me like I am faking it because I dont always take my walker or my chair. I had my permit long before I had my walker or my chair. Just because I dont always use them doesnt mean I can walk for long periods of time. That hike across the parking lot does me in.

I used to have that problem. I'm still too vain to use the cane most of the time. But when people see that I can't get my legs out of the car until I physically pick them up with my hands and set them out of the car (or get them back in the same way) they pretty much figure it out. There's also the fact that it rains here 9 months a year and Oregonians don't use umbrellas and I never even walk fast, let alone run, in the rain.

 

[witzend]

I sometimes drive my disabled mom shopping. I will drop her at the door, (with her walker if they don't have carts) and go park the car. She will walk out to the car sometimes before me to rest so I park in the handicap spot with her card. If you were to see me get out, I'd just look fat, old ands slow...I'm not a whole lot better then my mom but I am not disabled.

Is this wrong? should I be using the reg spots and going to pick her up at the door when I am with her?

in my humble opinion, if you are dropping your mom at the door, and picking her up at the door, you should not use the parking spot. Just have her ring your cell phone and let you know she is ready for you to go pick her up. Or park in a spot where you can see her at the door. The handicapped parking spots are so that people with the placards can park and have a short walk to and from the spot.

For me, when I first started using them, I didn't have a big problem walking to the store, but I couldn't walk back by the time I was done, and if I was pushing a cart - forget it. There are never enough disabled spaces, so it's really not a waiting space if a disabled person isn't walking/wheeling to and/or from it.

PS - I think I may have misunderstood. If you are going into the store and shopping with her after you drop her off, that's no problem.

 

[Star*]

I don't know what is right or wrong - but ...

When I go with husband - and he's in the car as a passenger and I drop him off at the door? IF he's going to walk out to the car to sit later because he's exhausted or in pain and there's that chance? I park in the handicapped spot so he doesn't have to walk so far to wait for me. Usually he can shop a little and then he tires, and has just enough energy to get back to the car. So I feel justified parking there.

BUT......I think that may be illegal in SC. I belive that the handicapped person has to exit the vehicle IN a handicapped spot - not sure. I will check with the DMV for posterity sake.

As far as using the hanger thing when he's not in the car? NO Maam. Not once - not ever...never. I don't care how many parking spots are designated handicapped - I'm just glad that I have the abilty to walk from across the lot. I've walked in with DF from the handicapped spot and to tell you the truth? I could make it into the store before him from the farthest most spot in the lot -

So if you get upset about how many spots are handicapped and are having a bad day - tell yourself I HAVE MY LEGS and health. Because some day you may get one of those spots and wish like DF that you could park far away like everyone else.

Besides - my gripe anymore with Walmart and Target are that they have BOTH gotten so big - they should provide TRAM service. (no joke)

 

[totoro]

They have the Mother's with young children at some of the stores as well.
Is 12 young?
Seriously I see some of them Mom's ehem, draggin' their kids out, all of them, big kids. Not one young one. I don't think we need those spaces?

I never used the expectant Mom spaces, but I had an easy pregnancy for both girls and I figured I needed the exercise.

I am another that has never ever parked in a HPS.

 

[DammitJanet]

Well...legal or not, there are times that I have parked in the handicapped space and let my family go in the store because I am deciding if I can get up the energy/nerve/gumption to get my rear out of the car and go in. Sometimes I can, sometimes I cant. I want to go in and try to shop because really only I know what I want but sometimes I am just too worn out by the time I get to the store and its all I can do to sit in the seat. Sometimes I have to be close enough to bolt to the restroom! (Which in Walmart is a sight to behold!)

 

[DammitJanet]

Mothers with children? Really? Gosh...I could have qualified for a space on so many levels when I was sick last fall...lol. I was handicapped.. so I had the placard.

I thought I was pregnant with the twins (does that count?)

And I am a mother and I have kids! Albeit they are grown but I do have the girls...lol.

LMAO.

 

[Abbey]

All good points made. You might be able to make it in...but after shopping for 30 minutes, out is another story.

Abbey

 

[Lothlorien]

I did use the expectant mothers' space when I was pregnant with the second child and had to lug Missy into the store. It did help. I didn't use it when I was only a few months pregnant, but during the end it was appreciated. Some stores' signs also added mothers with young children. That was good when you had to lug in a kid in a car seat and one other little one. I don't use them now and haven't for a long time. They aren't a "legal" spot and people park there without any kids at all. They won't get a ticket like a handicap spot, but I still get irked if someone parks there, because they evidently don't know that it makes it just a little easier for pregnant mom, who is having a hard time breathing because her uterus in in her lungs, to use that spot than to walk from the other end of the parking lot carrying another baby in her arms.

 

[Fran]

I use the card when taking mom places. I never use it when she isn't there. It's sort of like tempting fate. My legs work and I need to use them.

I don't begrudge anyone the use of their space that is closer to the store.