Nice Run In With The Law!!!

John Rogers · 12-18-2018, 05:29 AM

Usually it is the other way around......you're in trouble for have just passed a CHP officer marking a Honda rice rocket in the fast lane as I zoom onto I805 south from the really neat double S curve joining from I54 east at 120+ or so in Mom's 1987 930!

This time was way better as I pulled into the Walmart parking lot and found an open handicapped place right near the front! Yea! As I was shutting things down I noticed to semi tough looking guys staring at me and the car and I was trying to decide if they were "A" police or "B" car boosters or "C" ????? So I shut down and opened the door and was getting my cane out when one walks over with a small ID holder in his hand and flips it open showing his sheriff's badge and ID card with picture. He explained they were on duty and checking for valid handicapped ID/license/placard. I pulled out the wallet and showed him the "white paper" you are supposed to carry if you have the plates which we do. He said you're the first today and I noted that is why there are so many open places and he laughed and said 25 tickets so far! Starting fine is $250 and in Chula Vista the judges usually make it $500 as the 250 is just a starter.

First time I have ever been asked about it!

onewhippedpuppy · 12-18-2018, 05:37 AM

I'm totally ok with that. People who take those spaces annoy the crap out of me. Ironically enough they are usually pigs who could definitely stand the walk from a normal spot.

masraum · 12-18-2018, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Rogers

So I shut down and opened the door and was getting my cane out when one walks over with a small ID holder in his hand and flips it open showing his sheriff's badge and ID card with picture. He explained they were on duty and checking for valid handicapped ID/license/placard. I pulled out the wallet and showed him the "white paper" you are supposed to carry if you have the plates which we do. He said you're the first today and I noted that is why there are so many open places and he laughed and said 25 tickets so far! Starting fine is $250 and in Chula Vista the judges usually make it $500 as the 250 is just a starter.

First time I have ever been asked about it!

That's spectacular. I know that when I lived in Tampa, I always heard that the ticket for parking in a handicapped spot if you weren't handicapped was $500. I support that too.

ckelly78z · 12-18-2018, 06:19 AM

I chose not to have a handicap placcard after my bad car accident (someone blasted through a stop sign into the side of my 944). I was off work for 6 months learning how to walk again with 17 broken bones. I limped by (with my walker) several idiots jumping out of lifted trucks, or fancy cars while parking in the handicap spots, who all appeared much healthier than I was at the time.

masraum · 12-18-2018, 06:19 AM

Yeah, what you said, "eff 'em, they can hike like the rest of us!"

masraum · 12-18-2018, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckelly78z

I chose not to have a handicap placcard after my bad car accident (someone blasted through a stop sign into the side of my 944). I was off work for 6 months learning how to walk again with 17 broken bones. I limped by (with my walker) several idiots jumping out of lifted trucks, or fancy cars while parking in the handicap spots, who all appeared much healthier than I was at the time.

Not that you probably didn't run into some D-Bags, but, I read a "Dear Abby" or something like that years ago. It was a guy with Muscular Dystrophy that was college aged. Because he had MD, he worked out as much as he could to try to counter-act the effects. So he looked really able bodied, but walking a long distance very quickly tired him out because due to MD, he just didn't have the endurance of someone that didn't have it. He apparently got lots of comments and dirty looks from people.

Appearances can be deceiving, and you won't know someone's condition from appearance alone.

Good on you for fighting to recover!

GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

When I had my hip replacement, I had a temporary handicap placard for a few months. I quit using it long before it expired. It is nice to park up front in a nice wide space where no one can door ding your car. I can see why it is so badly abused. My MIL is 88 and has typical health issues of that age. She has had heart issues, and can't walk very far. She has a handicap placard and uses it. There have been times we go somewhere, and all the handicap spots are full.

LakeCleElum · 12-18-2018, 06:29 AM

Is your Mom looking for a boy friend???? I wanna drive it....

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I was waiting for my case to come up in traffic court a few years ago, when the next case was an elderly man who got busted for parking in a handicapped spot and then handing the ticketing officer a bogus handicapped placard. WTF? The man was clearly in need of such a permit and could have easily gotten a legitimate one. But when the cop ran the number on the placard, it was long expired and belonged to someone else. At that point, cop had to write him. And the old man still didn't go get a legitimate placard and then came to court to fight it! Judge wanted to cut him a break, but said she had to fine him $250 for going to such length and lying to the cop. Old man couldn't pay it and had to go on a payment plan. WTF?

T77911S · 12-18-2018, 07:09 AM

I LOVE IT!!

nothing aggravates me more (maybe texting and driving ) than handicap parking abuse.
saw a man last night with plates on his truck in a handicap spot. the guy looked in better shape than I am.

here is one thing I think is funny(peculiar) about people with handicap decals. I see them pull into a handicap spot when there are regular spots CLOSER to the place they are going.
like when I eat at 5 guys. the handicap spots are at one end of the shopping center. I watch them pull in then walk past 4 or 5 empty spots to goto the other end of the complex.

oh, I got pulled doing almost 100 in a 35, he let me go. I think he was late for lunch.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Somewhere I have a photo I took of a Ferrari 355 in a handicapped spot at Scottsdale Gun Club. Maybe he had a stuttering problem. Can't think of too many physical issues that would make entering and exiting that car real comfortable.

Evans, Marv · 12-18-2018, 07:22 AM

Maybe I'm missing something, but I have the impression the health of many morbidly obese people would be improved by revoking their handicaped permits and requiring them to walk a little farther. I just read an article about what things will be like in 2060. One of the things was 42% of the population will be obese.

craigster59 · craigster59's Garage

One of our union reps used to race motorcycles in the desert back in the day, knew McQueen, Malcolm Smith, etc. He took a tumble and has been a paraplegic since the early 80's.

He volunteers for Oxnard PD and has the authority to write handicap tickets. He tells me he thinks it makes more of an impact on the violators when they receive a ticket from a guy in a wheelchair.

He takes the money he has earned through the year and buys $50 Visa gift cards, goes to Target and hands them out to lower income families and seniors who are out Christmas shopping. The guy has a lot of heart.

Norm K · 12-18-2018, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evans, Marv

I just read an article about what things will be like in 2060. One of the things was 42% of the population will be obese.

Not a chance, as they'll have changed the definition by then.

_

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evans, Marv

Maybe I'm missing something, but I have the impression the health of many morbidly obese people would be improved by revoking their handicaped permits and requiring them to walk a little farther. I just read an article about what things will be like in 2060. One of the things was 42% of the population will be obese.

I agree, have declined requests for placards and powered wheelchairs due to this.

Zeke · 12-18-2018, 07:48 AM

Some of you are insensitive and ignorant (well, that was obvious 16 years ago when I joined). My wife has a placard and so does my stepdaughter. They both look healthy. They both suffer from debilitating disease. Those of you that fit my description ought to go to the back of the lot and take up 2 spaces.

Gogar · 12-18-2018, 07:56 AM

LOL Sammy I'm shocked to see that you have something shtty to say.

fastfredracing · 12-18-2018, 08:28 AM

So, let me ask you this. Lets say, just for argument sakes, that you just had foot surgery, or maybe twisted your ankle at work, and are hurting.
No real need for a placard, as you will be up and running in a few days. Is it a dk move to park in a handicap spot ?

Gogar · 12-18-2018, 08:29 AM

I'm not offended, I appreciate your reliability!

Fly Mach .86 · 12-18-2018, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sammyg2

And I am NOT shocked to see that you are offended by my being honest.
Maybe if I pretended to be all PC and empathetic and phony, you'd like me more and there would be rainbows and unicorn farts for everyone.

I did not say we should get rid of handicapped parking spots.

I was saying that is it NOT the job of the nanny state to dictate everything for everybody. Some of us can think for ourselves. PEOPLE should make their own decisions, not rely on the nanny state gubmint to do it for them.

It should be up to the owner of the parking lot to decide how many handicapped spots there are and where they are.
If he wants to promote business and be a good guy, he'll do the right thing. With common sense. Don't like it? Go somewhere else.

But if there is no need whatsoever for handicapped parking spots in some places, then there is no need. Get it?
It's a dumb law created and supported by dumb people.

So, who gets to decide when a handicapped parking space is needed? If it is decided it is NOT needed and some day a wheel chair bound customer/client/new employee/vendor shows up and there isn't a handicapped spot, what then? I am not resentful of these parking spots at all. Actually when I drive by them it just reminds me of how lucky I am not to have to use one. I am more annoyed at the healthy people that abuse these parking spaces than the fact that the spaces exist at all.