Today, the lady I aide, who I affectionately call D D cause her grand kids do, and I went to South Hills Village. She is an elderly lady who uses a device we call the wheelie cart to walk with. It's a walker on steroids, really. The rear wheels stay straight, but the front ones pivot. Much like those on a shopping cart. It even has handbrakes!
Anyway, she has the handicap placard that hangs from the rear view mirror as to legally park in the handicapped spaces. Well, the mall was very crowded today and there were no vacant hc spots available. But, the 3rd space from the door is open, and it is right next to the hc spaces, so we take it. After I get the wheelie cart out of the trunk and she gets out of the car, I see that the one occupant of a hc space is sitting in the vehicle with the motor running! He must be just waiting for someone who just had to "run in" the mall. Why he had to actually take a space is beyond me! Why couldn't he have waited at the curb, or in one of the aisles till his party came out?
Oh well. Whatever will be will be.
After doing our shopping, we come out to get back in the car and head somewhere for lunch. Isn't there a different vehicle in the other hc space doing the exact same thing as the guy that was there when we went in? OOOHHHHH! I was furious! 2 of the same offense in a matter of the 2 hours we were in the mall!!! To make matters worse, the car that was parked on the right of us (the hc spots are to our left) has left and somebody with a big ol' honkin' silver M300 has parked there and is extremely close to my car! And when I had parked, I hugged the left side where the yellow lines mark the space where the handicapped people should walk! So, you know that 300M parked close! There is no room now for D D to use her wheelie cart to get to the front door of the car. She has to abandon the device she relies on and go hand over hand on the car to support herself in order to get in.
People have no consideration!!! Don't take a hc spot if you don't really need it. Don't park so close to other cars that they can't open the doors to get in. Manners, people. Where are your manners?
I know the handicapped spots are the closest to the entrance of where ever you are going. The dr's office, the grocery store, Walmart, The mall, whatever. And you think, ah, I'll only be a minute. I just park here and hope I don't get caught. But don't do it. In that minute that you are inside, someone such as D D may need that space. That's why the sign is there. That's why the fine is so steep if you get caught. You are able to walk the extra distance. People like D D cannot!
RESPECT THE SIGN!!!!!!
1 comment:
Next time, take a picture of the offender's car, including license plate and then email that to the DMV and the state police. seriously!!
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