[MarkG]

I had an experience today that made me so angry -- but I may have been wrong in the first place so I wanted to get other's take. The whole situation just left a bad taste in my mouth. Here is what went down:

I live in Washington state and I'm on vacation this week. My wife and I decided to go out to eat breakfast. We went to a new pancake house and we didn't know the area very well and when we found the place there was one disabled parking space that was filled and no other parking spot where I could lower my lift to get out (have a Ford van with a passenger side entry and need some decent space to lower it and get out).

I drove next door to an adjacent parking lot but the regular parking spots where marked "Employee Only" -- it's not the strip mall shopping area but a business park next door. However, there were two disabled parking spots clearly marked with the usual "Disabled Permit Required". I have Washington State disabled license plates so I parked in one of the spots and we went to the restaurant next door to eat pancakes.

A couple of minutes later a security guard enters the door and says we have to move our van because it's private property. I told him I was parked in a disabled parking spot and have valid disabled plates and I think I'm allowed to park there (this I'm not sure of). He gets REALLY loud when I say this and yells "Fine you think that as I call to tow your van away. That is a private Microsoft parking lot and I'm dialing now.".

I have looked and looked today but I haven't been able to find any information on whether I'm allowed to park in a disabled parking spot at one establishment and go to another nearby. It's not like you had to show a badge to get into the lot as it was a lot next door to a strip mall. However, the non-disabled parking spots did say 'Employee only'.

If I had it to do over again I'd just not park there. However, the kicker was of the two disabled parking spots there -- one had a pickup truck backed into it with guys unloading Dell computers. I asked the security guard as we got to my van "So I can't park here with a valid disabled parking license plate, but these guys can without one to unload the boxes of computers?" He said it was private property and I got into my van as the jerks unloading the computers laughed.

Anyone know the parking laws in this situation? Very annoying, but if I wasn't allowed to park there in the first place I guess I don't have much room to complain about it except for the rude people, and unfortunately, I'm getting sort of used to them as time goes on.

This is my second bad incident with parking permits and the rules associated with it. A few years ago in California I was getting my disabled license plates. There, you don't need a doctor's note and can "self-certify" if you have a visible disability. I'm a C-6 quad, came in my disabled van, power chair, and had my service dog. Ya -- I looked a little disabled. :-) I went to the counter and the lady behind the desk said I needed a doctor's note. When I told her "THEIR RULES' stated I could self-certify with an obvious disability she said "Do you got your legs?". Ugh!

[KarenFerguson]

I feel for you! I do this a lot myself and am surprised I haven't gotten yelled at more often or for that matter more tickets.

My hubby & I drive an accessible Honda Element and when we can't find a disabled spot we sometimes double park (when we can) at an angle to let down the ramp. You look like a jack ass (we've over heard people talking about the rude owners of the Element before), but at least you can get out of the car!

You can also park in green zones and the curb makes it easy to get in and out of the car. I don't know if this is just a CA thing or not.

Anyway, sucks doesn't it. I bet "old people" were taking up the handicapped spots at the restaurant. I don't know when being old was considered a disability. Doctors today are giving out placards like candy. Ugh indeed.

This post has been edited by KarenFerguson: 08 September 2007 - 04:13 AM

[Alin Steglinski]

jesus christ, i would have whacked that guard upside the head with something...

KarenFerguson, on Sep 7 2007, 11:12 PM, said:

-CLIP-
Anyway, sucks doesn't it. I bet "old people" were taking up the handicapped spots at the restaurant. I don't know when being old was considered a disability. Doctors today are giving out placards like candy. Ugh indeed.
-CLIP-

these placards are SOOOOOO abused....

1.they arent given to the right people
2.they get stolen and abused
3.99% of the time they dont enforce them

gRRRRRRR *steam comes out of ears*

MarkG, on Sep 7 2007, 09:44 PM, said:

-CLIP-
This is my second bad incident with parking permits and the rules associated with it. A few years ago in California I was getting my disabled license plates. There, you don't need a doctor's note and can "self-certify" if you have a visible disability. I'm a C-6 quad, came in my disabled van, power chair, and had my service dog. Ya -- I looked a little disabled. :-) I went to the counter and the lady behind the desk said I needed a doctor's note. When I told her "THEIR RULES' stated I could self-certify with an obvious disability she said "Do you got your legs?". Ugh!
-CLIP-

jesus freaking christ, if i were that dumbass lady behind the counter the minute i saw the powerchair i would have had the forms signed and ready to go...

disabled van, OBVIOUS DISABILITY, powerchair OMG EVEN MORE FREAKING OBVIOUS service dog DOES IT GET EVEN MORE OBVIOUS THAN THIS

what a ****ing dumbazz

This post has been edited by Alin Steglinski: 08 September 2007 - 04:23 AM

[Nichole]

I know its really hard to find parking, but I'm pretty sure if it was private property they could' have towed your van away. It would have been just the same if someone besides an employee parked in a regular spot, if there were any signs that said private property/employee only. Now that being said though I don't think they guard had to be such an a** about it.

[Alin Steglinski]

Nichole, on Sep 8 2007, 07:49 AM, said:

I know its really hard to find parking, but I'm pretty sure if it was private property they could' have towed your van away. It would have been just the same if someone besides an employee parked in a regular spot, if there were any signs that said private property/employee only. Now that being said though I don't think they guard had to be such an a** about it.

they really should have put 2 signs on the disabled spots, employee only and disabled sign... that way people know its for disabled employees only

[smokymtn memories]

Parking is always a pet peeve. They don't hesitate to tell you to move out of private parking, but where are they when AB are parked illegally? I've reported them, many of you have reported them, and nothing done.

I try not to have a problem with the ones (elderly) parking with a plate or card that can obviously walk WAY better than I can. I guess you never know if it's a heart problem or whatever. But it definitely burns me when the vehicle is parked there with nothing, gets away with it, and the person/s getting into it really don't look at all disabled.

[Cheshire]

I would have challenged the security guard...but I'm somewhat confrontational when I think I'm being treaded on unjustly. The last time I had such a confrontation (didn't involve disability, but did involve access rights) I was threatened with towing. It turned out that the guard was bluffing, knew he was bluffing, and was ticked off to be called on it.

You never can tell with security guards....

[edlee]

I get a bit upset, myself, about the parking situation, but I'm aware of where I can legally park and where I can't.

From your post, you knew that the lot was for "employees only"when you parked there. I have the same kind of van as you, and understand the problems involved.

I either park farther away, taking two spaces, or say "shite"( the Irish version, I'm told), and go somewhere else to eat.

Parking is a bitch,ab or crip, sometimes you get the spot, sometimes you don't

As for the security guy, he was just doing his job. The handicapped people working there need their spaces too. And, yes he could have had you towed.
ed

[dorkette]

This is where being a little, petite girl comes in handy because I would have so started crying. Loudly at that, attracting lots of attention and made the security guy look like the jerk that he was.

Okay so yes it was an employee parking lot thing - I can flow with that. But what's with all this private property crap. I mean was Bill Gates chilling out there or something? Plus as you said, if they really cared about it being "Employee's Only" then they would have a gate-locked acess or something. It was Microsoft, they are typically known for technology ;)

And even if you were wrong in parking there, which I personally don't think you were, the rent-a-cop could have been a lot nicer about the situation. I get that he probably has to deal with people who don't work there parking there all the time but I'm sure that it says somewhere on your car that it's handicapped and that you parked there for a legitament reason. If he would have said "Excuse me, Sir. I'm sorry to interrupt you meal but the disabled employee from next door needs to get into his parking space. We'd appreciate it if you'd move." or something along those lines then I'm sure you would have gladly moved and guy wouldn't have looked like such a jerk. Plus, if I happened to be the disabled employee from Microsoft I would have understood.

Parking is a witch, but thankfully the only problems I've had is either worker trucks who like to take up a million spaces to unload trucks or dumbutt people who aren't disabled taking up space with or without a stolen/borrowed hang tag. Usually if I go somewhere and all the spots are taken up I try to find something on the end where I can let the ramp out in the grass or on a sidewalk or something and if that doesn't work - double park with the though of "Oh, I'll just cry my way out of it." Knock on wood so far I haven't had to use waterworks yet.

[nomis]

dorkette, on Sep 11 2007, 02:26 PM, said:

...Usually if I go somewhere and all the spots are taken up I try to find something on the end where I can let the ramp out in the grass or on a sidewalk or something and if that doesn't work - double park with the though of "Oh, I'll just cry my way out of it." Knock on wood so far I haven't had to use waterworks yet.

Likewise, I often hunt for a park at the end where no one can block my door (but sometimes a motorcyclist messes that). I had'nt entertained the tactic of letting rip with the waterworks. But, you know, the sight of a 59yr-old man bawling his eyes out might just work.