[Apparelyzed]

Man Sorry for Taking Handicapped Spot

UNION, S.C. - A man who parked illegally in a space reserved for handicapped drivers was sentenced to stand outside the store with a sign telling everyone about his crime.

Ragheem Smith, 29, stood in front of a Bi-Lo grocery store Thursday with a handmade sign that read "I am not handicapped. I just parked there, sorry."

Magistrate Jeff Bailey imposed the sentence. "I figured he needed to apologize in a public way," Bailey said.

Smith told Bailey he didn't have the money and couldn't afford the time away from work that a jail sentence would require. He could have been sentenced to 30 days in jail or fined $325.

"That was better than having to pay a lot of money," Smith said of his punishment. "I know I won't do it no more."

A service of the Associated Press(AP)

[juless]

So funny I live one county down and I'm sorry I missed it.

[susiejt]

Apparelyzed, on Dec 17 2006, 09:27 PM, said:

Man Sorry for Taking Handicapped Spot

I like that too-very funny!! What a creative form of appropriate justice. Hope it starts a trend.
My lawyer for my Medical Negligence suit completely accidentally parked in a "Disabled Parking" space near her home the other night, to pick up pizza after a long exhausting day at work, doing good deeds for those injured by the medical professions through negligence. She is a fabulous woman, so committed to her work & so caring, disabled brother, disabled clients, genuinely didn't know what she had done & was shocked to see a fine then horrified to realise where she had parked. We laughed together when she told me, all i could say was "and you would be the last person that would ever do something like that intentionally".

[AZ_PTA]

I bet if they made more people publicly appologize for things instead of just paying money or serving jail time, people would think before they acted. I think part of the problem with society (at least in the US) today is that it has become to easy to pay money and "get rid" of the mistake instead of actually having to "pay" for it. If you get my meaning. I like the punishishment. It fits.

[Survivor35]

I'd like to hear of something like that happening in the states... its terrible here. Try going to wal*mart or a store like that... I've called the authorites and complained, but my cousin, who is a city officer, has told me that they dont take it as seriously as they should, they really leave it up to the store owners to handle it... so I've complained to them, but it doesnt help. I love the rude asses that will park in a handicap spot because whoever they are with is "just running in real quick" and then they watch me struggling to transfer in and out of my car. Grrrr. My dad has yelled at a couple of them, but they really dont care, and this day in age, you gotta worry about making someone you dont know mad.... Jerks.

[RYAN68]

I dont think that I'll be afraid much longer, especially about making the people who park their feel guilty as hell. It might brighten my spirits up a little.

[rkzenrage]

Sweet.

[Mary]

2 funny. In my contry though the disabled parking slots have this huge placard on wheels that has the disabled parking icon on it and it has to be dragged away from the slot by the guard on duty to enable you park....but when he aint there - just know someone is watching...to see if you will leave your car, run over and drag the placard and then drive in and park.....

[susiejt]

Mary, on Dec 19 2006, 04:53 PM, said:

2 funny. In my contry though the disabled parking slots have this huge placard on wheels that has the disabled parking icon on it and it has to be dragged away from the slot by the guard on duty to enable you park....but when he aint there - just know someone is watching...to see if you will leave your car, run over and drag the placard and then drive in and park.....

Go Kenya, go Mary, i like that.

[keeptrukin]

That's funny as sh-t. I wish they would do that for everyone they catch. There are alot of them.