If they were disabled spots, I’d agree. I don’t know how many times my disabled ex and I had to park super far away from the grocery store so we could find two spots together to park in so she could use the side ramp because not only did people park in the disabled spots without placards or plates, but they would park half way in the buffer space between spots that’s meant for ramps. And it was Texas, so the cops weren’t exactly interested in helping disabled people. Not that they are anywhere, but especially in super conservative places since many conservatives look at them as a drain on society and a hastle to accommodate.
Was even worse when people would do it when we were in the store even though there was a big warning on the side that said it had a ramp. She had to bang up several car doors with her wheels while trying to jump the side of the ramp with her electric wheelchair. I definitely couldn’t pick the thing up alone, even if I carried her inside first. Usually took at least three people to pick it up totally off the ground. And I couldn’t drive the van without a driver’s seat to pull it out with. It wouldn’t let it move without either the seat installed or the wheelchair locked properly in place, as a safety feature.
I honestly don’t know if this is relevant to the conversation, but in my city in Ohio cops absolutely love finding people parked in handicapped spots. It’s like a sporting event to them, where they compare how many tickets they’ve written for that specific every week. Their other popular contest is people that have children that aren’t in car seats.
Huh. I never thought of giving a fuck about disabled parking spaces as a progressive vs conservative thing. I live in one of the most progressive areas of California and you better bet your buttons you don’t accidentally park on the line next to a disabled space or the striped ramp space next to it. Touching the line is the same as taking the space and the fine is $420, $625 and $825 for your first, second and third offenses.
I don’t know if the cops are so keen on ticketing offenders because they care about access for people with disabilities or they just love that sweet sweet ticket money, but I can’t imagine anyone getting away with that, basically ever.
Yeah, in Texas I never once got a cop to come on the nonemergency line. And the parking enforcement were too busy with the street parking tickets to go to private parking lots. The stores didn’t care either. The first two times we got trapped I got into screaming matches with the store managers who refused to make an announcement to ask people to move. So that’s why she started just not caring about the other people’s cars if there was at least enough room to extend the ramp. The ramp wouldn’t damage the car if it bumped it. It would detect it and fold back. Maybe a little scratch.
Always heard people, including relatives, complaining about there being empty disabled spots when parking was full or bragging about how they used them and never got a ticket or got a doctor to get them permanent plates, etc., when I was a kid. Never realized how shitty it was until I dated her, though. I won’t even get into how much they hated Medicare, Medicaid, social security, or welfare for disabled people, though my ex was a highschool teacher so only had Medicare. A disturbing number of people say disabled people should just be “put out of their misery”, calling them “crippleds” or whatever derogatory name, etc. They don’t see them as human.
But, I live in Seattle now and rarely see the spots full much less people parking over the line.
If they were disabled spots, I’d agree. I don’t know how many times my disabled ex and I had to park super far away from the grocery store so we could find two spots together to park in so she could use the side ramp because not only did people park in the disabled spots without placards or plates, but they would park half way in the buffer space between spots that’s meant for ramps. And it was Texas, so the cops weren’t exactly interested in helping disabled people. Not that they are anywhere, but especially in super conservative places since many conservatives look at them as a drain on society and a hastle to accommodate.
Was even worse when people would do it when we were in the store even though there was a big warning on the side that said it had a ramp. She had to bang up several car doors with her wheels while trying to jump the side of the ramp with her electric wheelchair. I definitely couldn’t pick the thing up alone, even if I carried her inside first. Usually took at least three people to pick it up totally off the ground. And I couldn’t drive the van without a driver’s seat to pull it out with. It wouldn’t let it move without either the seat installed or the wheelchair locked properly in place, as a safety feature.
I honestly don’t know if this is relevant to the conversation, but in my city in Ohio cops absolutely love finding people parked in handicapped spots. It’s like a sporting event to them, where they compare how many tickets they’ve written for that specific every week. Their other popular contest is people that have children that aren’t in car seats.
Huh. I never thought of giving a fuck about disabled parking spaces as a progressive vs conservative thing. I live in one of the most progressive areas of California and you better bet your buttons you don’t accidentally park on the line next to a disabled space or the striped ramp space next to it. Touching the line is the same as taking the space and the fine is $420, $625 and $825 for your first, second and third offenses.
I don’t know if the cops are so keen on ticketing offenders because they care about access for people with disabilities or they just love that sweet sweet ticket money, but I can’t imagine anyone getting away with that, basically ever.
Yeah, in Texas I never once got a cop to come on the nonemergency line. And the parking enforcement were too busy with the street parking tickets to go to private parking lots. The stores didn’t care either. The first two times we got trapped I got into screaming matches with the store managers who refused to make an announcement to ask people to move. So that’s why she started just not caring about the other people’s cars if there was at least enough room to extend the ramp. The ramp wouldn’t damage the car if it bumped it. It would detect it and fold back. Maybe a little scratch.
Always heard people, including relatives, complaining about there being empty disabled spots when parking was full or bragging about how they used them and never got a ticket or got a doctor to get them permanent plates, etc., when I was a kid. Never realized how shitty it was until I dated her, though. I won’t even get into how much they hated Medicare, Medicaid, social security, or welfare for disabled people, though my ex was a highschool teacher so only had Medicare. A disturbing number of people say disabled people should just be “put out of their misery”, calling them “crippleds” or whatever derogatory name, etc. They don’t see them as human.
But, I live in Seattle now and rarely see the spots full much less people parking over the line.
That’s horrible. I hope your ex migrated away from Texas as well.