Reserved Parking for the Handicap – Get Out of My Space!

How many of you get frustrated when you see signs that say “Reserved Parking for the Handicap” and then see all kinds of non-handicapped people using those parking spaces? I know…I’m extremely frustrated about it!

For those of you who don’t know…I became legally handicapped 4 years ago. I carry around my handicap card and we have a highly visible handicap plaque on our car. Due to my chronic health problems and pain, I can’t walk a mile to get where I’m going.

As a handicapped person I’m really frustrated with the amount of people I see using those spaces who don’t need them. I mean seriously? I don’t care if you’re only running in to pick up a gallon of milk. I don’t care that you’re only going to be 4-5 minutes in the store. I really DON’T CARE! Stop with the laziness and stop with the excuses!

Reserved Parking for the Handicap Sign

Those clearly marked parking spaces are for the disabled/handicapped people who genuinely need them! For those of you who use them and are NOT disabled, shame on you! Shame on you for being lazy and so dang self-centered. Really, SHAME ON YOU!!!

What has me all wound up is that at a local pharmacy they have 7 clearly marked spaces and every time I go to the pharmacy those spaces are taken up by people who don’t need them. They have no handicap stickers on their vehicles or license plates. NONE. When you ask them about this…they state they’ll only be a few minutes or that they have a sick so-so at home and need to get back. Whatever. If you do NOT have the identifying info on you or your vehicle, you shouldn’t be parking there!

Last week I went down to Walmart and guess what? They have a slew of handicap marked spots and all of them were taken. Almost all of the vehicles in those spots had NO plaques, stickers or plates on their vehicles! What the heck? We had to park several aisles away and on the way into the store I brought this up to 2 security guards who were standing out front. One of them got cocky with me and said…”So what? What do you want us to do about it?” Are you kidding me?????

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Why aren’t these store managers reporting this fraud to the police? To store security guards? Why is this problem being ignored? Oh and don’t get me started on the police…you call them and well…they’re too busy to come out to deal with it. So, why in the heck even put on those signs that there are fines and legal penalties for people who use/abuse these parking spaces if you’re not going to enforce the law?

For those of you who park in these spaces and who are NOT legally declared to be disabled/handicap…SHAME ON YOU! Stop being lazy, stop being self-centered and park in the spots for regular people!!! #JustSaying #Vent

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Comments

  1. I do have a handicap hang tag. I don’t look very bad off, but sometimes I really need to park close. When I’m feeling well I don’t use the handicap spaces.

  2. Jo-Ann Brightman says

    I agree that there should be something done if the car does not have a handicap sticker. I don’t know why no one is enforcing this offense.

  3. I don’t understand why there is not enforcement by the police or security guards in some way. It is my understanding that there are fairly hefty fines if people do this. It seems to me that having to pay that fine even once would go a long way to solving the problem. It is unfortunate that people just wouldn’t be courteous and not park in these spots if they don’t need them – doesn’t matter if it is even for a minute.

  4. Susan Hartman says

    I do hate when people do that. I always figure I am lucky that I do not need one – I can walk. But some stores have taken this idea to a new level by allowing special spaces for woman who are pregnant or new mothers with young children. How about their favorite shopper of the month. I hate to complain but police and veterans also rate a parking space. I do have empathy for causes but what about the 63 year old who is on crutches or one that is escourting her blind friend. Neither qualifies for a sticker. I follow the rules but it can be annoying.

    • Here in PA…people can apply for and get a temporary handicap parking permit if they’re only going to be “disabled” for a few weeks (broken bone, surgery, etc).

  5. Dana Rodriguez says

    I get so angry when I see people doing that. I have a friend that has one leg and it would make me so mad when we would go somewhere and the handicapped spots were being used wrongly. The places of business really should do something about it when it happens.

    • Agree! I bring it to the store manager’s attention or if they have security, I demand that they go out and do something about it.

  6. gloria patterson says

    I have saw and heard people yelling, making rude remarks and leaving notes to people that don’t look handicapped. Most of those people had the placard hanging. And I admit that a few times I realized when I was in or just getting in the store that I forgot to hang my card. Did I feel like walking back and hanging the card, no I used everything I had getting in to the store. Today I have the license plate so I don’t have to remember to hang the card.

    Also parking spots a lot of store don’t have enough of them. One krogers that I shop at only has 6 spots, if those are full I usually end up going to another store where I can get a spot.

    • Yes, that’s another problem! I went to Target last week and they have a huge super center store with a huge parking lot, but yet…they ONLY had 7 handicap parking spaces. Every time I go there, they’re full and the majority of the time those cars don’t have handicap plates or placards. It’s one thing to occasionally forget hanging up your placard, but it’s an epidemic now where LAZY people who are NOT handicap are using the spaces!

  7. MD Kennedy says

    And don’t think it is just Americans! We live part of the year in Greece and just yesterday when we went to the grocery store, a woman pulled up and parked SIDEWAYS ACROSS TWO HANDICAP SPOTS right at the entrance. She was NOT handicapped, had no sticker, plate, hang-tag or anything. Grabbed her purse and RAN INTO THE STORE My husband ranted at her when she came out of the store and she responded like he had insulted her. We could call the police, but, well, Greece. I wonder if there is any country where there is respect…..

    • I think it’s a problem around the world. I’m just freaking tired of it. Every where I go…I’m seeing the fraud taking place in regards to these handicap parking spaces and NOTHING being done about it, hence why it’s a big problem!

  8. Peggy Nunn says

    Yes, don’t get me started on that too. My first encounter with that was when my sister-in-law had lung cancer and could not walk far. I would end up dropping her off at the door and parking away. Yes, we had the placard but it is useless half way down the isle. Now my husband is disabled due to knee and back issues. We have the placard too. We have only used it a few times. He says we can park away if he feels like he can walk without too much pain. He says there are others that need it more than him that day. He remembers my issues trying to get Rita in buildings.

  9. I, too, am handicap and this issue really irritates me. I have good days and bad days. On good days, I don’t use the handicap spaces because someone may need that space worse than me, but on bad days, I do. I have really been tempted to go up to people who park in the spaces without a placard and ask if they are handicap…but in this day and age, I know that would not be wise. I totally agree that this law needs to be enforced so those of us who actually need the spaces will have them. Quick question out of curiosity: Wouldn’t it be the security guard’s job to look into your complaint…or is it the job of local law enforcement? I never thought about that.

    • If the store has a security guard, we’re supposed to bring it to the guard’s attention and it’s their job to follow up on it. If the business doesn’t have a security guard, we’re supposed to call it into the police and they’re supposed to come out to handle it.

  10. ellen beck says

    I don blame you one bt. I see this all the time and wonder just how do they justify it? I mean I do know there are some who’s handicaps may not be as visible as others, but here you do have to have a plate or a placecard (or whatever it is called) hanging on your mirror. I also see non handicapped vehicles crowding the handicapped spots. I mean its like they dont realize people have to use ramps for chairs, or they need room to get out.
    Our police force loves giving tickets for this, they cruise lots at various times.

    • I’m our local crime watch block captain here in our neighborhood and I’ll be discussing these with the officers at our next crime watch meeting. We typically have 2-3 of them that show up for all of our meetings and I’m just really fed up with this now. It’s the law here in our state that the vehicle has to have either the license plate on the back of their car or the placard hanging on the mirror. I want to start a local campaign on this to bring awareness and to get something done about these lazy folks who abuse it.