I'm annoyed by people who park in disabled bays

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Tal: The individual must produce the placard to the judge to get out of the fine which is between $50 and $200 depending on the locality.

For people with permanant disabilities who can drive we have special license plates for the vehicle. Placards (which hang from the rearview mirror) are used for people who do not use just one car -- for example, my mother was disabled but could not drive so she had a placard to use when people took her shopping. Placards are also used for people with temporary disabilities (with an expiration date clearly embossed).

 

Yes, it irritates me when I see someone parking in a disabled parking space without displaying a proper parking permit. If they are going to access that luxury, they should at least have the decency to go to the effort of faking a disability in order to get the permit.

 

2 coppers worth, my mom is 80+ and has lung and heart problems. She has her car disabled permit and cannot walk but a very short distance at a time. From me and her, thanks to all who show consideration and I feel about the same way Silvery does when someone just takes the space. Glad some people think about how actions affect others.
A cell call to the local police dept. and a picture with the licence of the idiot in the disabeled parking also can work wonders sometimes.

 

Belatedly weighing in on a mostly unanimous issue: long ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I was an eager young cop, I delighted in nothing so much as towing away cars illegally parked in handicapped spots. This was over 25 years ago and the fine was $100 plus tow charges even then - I bet it's at least $250 in that jurisdiction now.

The salutary effect of towing certainly encourages those with temporary permits to display them correctly. But of the dozens of cars I towed I honestly don't think any of them belonged to handicapped people. They all belonged to someone in a hurry, or they were just going to be a couple of minutes . . . an interesting excuse when it took an average 20 - 30 minutes for the tow truck to get there.

I don't actually miss being a police officer but there were certainly moments of righteous satisfaction involved in the job.

 

Why all this hatred for people who park illegally in disabled parking bays? In the greater scheme of things, it's actually pretty trivial.

 

Because it puts unnecessary strain on those that really need them.

 

*tries hard to care, and fails*

 

Still, I'm surprised you liked it more than, say, catching pickpockets.

 

Yeah me too. When there's ample disabled parking spaces for disabled people, and violators risk huge fines by parking there, then things are well balanced, I'd say. I've always found people who moan and nag about this to be rather anal-retentive and annoying.

 

Maybe because I never managed to catch a pickpocket . . .

And at least where I worked, again remember this was more than 25 years ago, there really weren't enough handicapped spots for people who needed them. I concede that some parking lots may be overly supplied with them now. I suspect, as someone else has suggested, that this is due to a mandated minimum number for a given size parking lot.

But after trying to help a nearly immobile parent get into a doctor's office when there was nowhere to park his properly permitted car, I have to say that I do still care a lot when the spaces get misused.

Though, yeah, it's not up there with domestic violence, human trafficking, or recruitment of child soldiers.

 

I've been fined for parking in disabled bays before.

While I've had my badge showing and everything

I've also been harrassed along with my boyfriend when we've been out and, usually older, people presume us 'hasty youngsters' park there for a laugh and give us evil looks and harsh words... then they usually notice the crip sticks or the chair

I remember one woman looking terrified while I was out with friends when she had been mouthing off at us from over the road at parking in the crip bay and putting my badge up (she didn't cross the road to check) one of the male members of the group ran over to her, she looked terrified - until she realised she'd been so busy slagging us off that the cigarrette she'd been holding in the same hand as her handbag had dropped ash and it had caught

 

So, Karma (SP?) does exist!