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mld35 wrote:
"...they can kill over dead for laziness..."

Ok, maybe it's too early in the morning for me, but what does this mean?

Or did the poster mean to say "...keel over dead..."?

Maybe I just didn't have enough coffee yet!

"I have seen too many fat arses and I mean FAT, using the handicapped parking spaces and well as motorized wheel chairs provided by the stores. Whatever, they can kill over dead for laziness for all I care."

While there are a lot of fat people because of laziness, many more are fat without a choice in the matter. be it due to disease, glandular, injury preventing exercise, medications, whatever. These overweight people are just as handicapped and cannot get around without support the same as any other handicap.

For you to comment as you did and say , "they can kill over dead for laziness for all I care."...
Shows what kind of sad, sick person you are mld.

Oh, and for those that don't know. I needed the extra side room the handicapped spaces have to manuever my sister's wheelchair next to my vehicle to lift her.

My sister was a quadriplegic (she is dead now) and sometimes we forget her handicap placard. We never recieved a ticket, only because the parking lot cops (security) saw our situation as we were leaving. She did not have a lift, I picked her up in my arms and transferred her from her chair to our vehicle.
I have seen too many fat arses and I mean FAT, using the handicapped parking spaces and well as motorized wheel chairs provided by the stores. Whatever, they can kill over dead for laziness for all I care.

"Just think how much cities could make if they start giving tickets at each business in Victoria. Cops could write more tickets in one day than they can out stopping speeding cars"

That they don't do this is further proof just how much BS and crap, that StillTheWayWardWinds comments are about the police being revenuers, writing and making up tickets for the money.

One thing...
"I saw a police officer coming out of the store. As I was walking past the handicapped parking spaces, I noticed one vehicle parked there that had neither the handicapped plate or the plackard hanging. The officer walked right past it and kept walking. I was thinking, WOW."

People can understand about priorities but then still wonder when they pass up something right in front of them. It is still all about priorities, even in the situation you just described.

Even without looking for them, if an Officer was to write tickets every time he just happened across a violation, he would not get 5 block from the police station and spend his 12 hour shift writing tickets.

And that is NOT (At least not much) an exaggeration!

TxBohemian,

I would think that you could get the ticket removed if you could prove that you had a plackard. It might not be a bad idea to keep your receipts that have date and time, proving you were there at the time of the ticket.
I've also had to park farther away when a place wasn't available. The only probelm with that is getting my mom not to automatically throw her door open all the way before I can get around to her side and hold the door so it won't hit other cars. Older people cannot get out of a car with a small opening like we can and I can't get my mom to understand that there is not enough room for her to do that in normal parking spaces.
So all of you out there who have had dents in the side of your cars, you can thank some of those on people using handicapped parking spaces when they shouldn't be.

born@Bme wrote:
"As I was walking past the handicapped parking spaces, I noticed one vehicle parked there that had neither the handicapped plate or the plackard hanging. The officer walked right past it and kept walking."

I've noticed this too and as was mentioned in these posts this is a low priority and unless someone complains nothing is going to happen.

As I stated previously we are "HC placard" holders but we don't alway use the HC spots because sometimes the wifes leg doesn't hurt as much so she will be able to walk farther and she wants to leave the spaces for those who "really" need them. (In these cases it really gets under my skin when I see people abusing this HC privlege)
Therefore we are not in the habit of automatically placing the placard on the mirror when we park, so sometimes when we do park in a HC spot we may forget to put it on and the car will look like it's not supposed to be there.
I'm not sure, as this hasn't happen (yet), but I'd think that if we do get a ticket for this we could prove we are legal (just a tad forgetful) and hopefully get the ticket removed.

Just think how much cities could make if they start giving tickets at each business in Victoria. Cops could write more tickets in one day than they can out stopping speeding cars (and use less gas doing it), although, speeding cars are the more important thing.

This brings something to mind. I'm not knocking police officers in any way because I know they don't have enough hours in the day to do everything.
But, one time I was at the Edna WalMart and I was walking into the store. I saw a police officer coming out of the store. As I was walking past the handicapped parking spaces, I noticed one vehicle parked there that had neither the handicapped plate or the plackard hanging. The officer walked right past it and kept walking. I was thinking, WOW.

Sometimes I think that people should go into the businesses and complain so they can start watching and call the police if they notice what it going on in front of their business. I'm sure that police won't come out for each call that the average person makes, but they might come if the businesses start calling and asking for help.

I have been around members of my family with physical limitations which are not easily apparent to someone just looking as we pulled into the handicap parking - one with a major heart condition, another legally blind. At times I would pull up in front of the store, let them out and then park away - others I would use their hang tags - really depended more on the weather than anything else. I do know the looks when people think that neither of us are handicapped.

But I have to say - when I see a four wheel drive pick up with a 4 to 12 inch lift kit sitting in a handicap parking place (that even I would be challenged to get in) I too am judgemental about the person who has hung the tag on the mirror.

Butwiser,

You are dead on. I wish I could count the number of times I have parked in the HCP only to watch people glare at me until I open the trunk and get out my wife's wheelchair. She would love to park at the far end and walk in the store.

It appears that some think the person that has to use the handicapped space is getting off easy. I am here to say that if the person parking in that space could trade the space far the most distant space and comfortably walk to the store, they would make the change in a heartbeat!

Oh could I tell some irritating stories about this, but I'll keep it short!

We, unfortunately, are Legal Handicapped parking space users due to a severe accident my wife had in '06.

I agree with all that is said here, with the exception of markwlester who evidently doesn't have a clue.

One of my pet peeves about this, there are many but I'll keep it to this one, is the person who has a HC placard/plate and pulls into a HC space but then never gets out, instead sends their passenger, who is not HC in the store to do their buisiness, yet they are taking a space that could be used for the next person that really needs it!

One particular incident I've witnessed at the James Moody PO. An older lady pulls up in the only HC space left and then looked like her 10-12ish yr old grandson, who was obviously not HC, jumps out and RUNS in the PO, probably to check her box for her.
What life lesson was this lady teaching this child? That you don't have to obey the rules? They don't pertain to me, just everybody else?

One more quick one: the jerks with the motorcycles that park in the "striped off" areas. When I see this I will call the police and maybe 5% of the time they show up while the bike is still there.( I do understand the priority thing)
I've approached a few of these idiots and told them they are making the rest of us bikers look bad by doing this and usually the response I get is "this isn't a parking space so it doesn't matter" !!??!!
WTH!!! Some kinda of reasoning here, right?!?!

Oh well, so much for keeping this short!

B2bM,

Mark's just on an anti-government rant.
No need for a thing like facts stand in the way of as good rant.

What's never used? When I have my mom with me, it is hard to find a empty handicapped parking space, and at least 90% of the cars parking in them have the handicapped plates or sticker.
Some of the busier stores actually need more of them.

FREE MARKET. Common decency. Not government regulation and waste was the point. Not requiring EVERY business to comply with something that is never used. There is waste and a lot of it.

Debunker,

Sad to say last Friday I had to pickup some prescriptions at Walgreen's at Sam Houston and Navarro. I noticed a young man parked in the HCP in front of the Red Box DVD rental. I ask if he knew he was in a Handicapped Parking spot and an he replied "yes". I ask if he had a placard and was allowed to park there. He said "no, but I will only be here a few moments". I pulled out my cell and took a photo of his car then advised him the movie might cost him $200. He got in he car and left without his movie.

My first post was simply an explanation as to why and how Police do or do not patrol for parking violations.

Let me add that I agree with the LTE writer as well as the majority of the other posters here. The first poster, Mark Lester was off the mark and just plain wrong. Handicap spaces ARE needed.

In addition to the Lazy driver, the Shopping cart putters, and all other violators, there is one that pisses me off the most and gets away with it even if the police are called to complain.

The NON-Handicapped family member driving the Handicapped equipped car. You know who I mean. A Car has an license plate or placard for handicap yet the individual who is handicapped is not in the car.
A fully functioning adult is the sole occupant and uses the handicap space "because he can" and has the necessary placard/plate to get away with it.

To these people I say, "Listen up jerkwad... The car is not the one handicapped, a particular person is. If you are not that person, you do not park in the space whether the car has a handicap plate or not!"

What is really saddening is that more often than not, the jerk doing this is a family member (probably a husband or Wife) of a handicapped person and knows full well how badly those spaces are needed.

born2Bme,

Point well made. I kind of hope it is due to being unconscious but I fear some times is is nothing more than callous indifference. That seems to be epidemic in some aspects of daily life. Maybe if we all became more respectful of others needs there would be a better quality of life for all of us.

How sad that at least one poster feels that people with handicaps are second class citizens. The person has no right to use public buildings. How about a disabled Veteran in a wheel chair? ADA was passed because people with this cold hearted attitude.

Another disturbing trend that I've witnessed. People putting their shopping carts into the handicapped parking spots. There's noting sadder than someone who needs that spot, thinks it is open, only to find when they get up to it and start to turn in, that there are a number of carts blocking your access.
What to they expect a handicapped person to do, get out and move the carts first?

An old comic comes to mind about this. Two men were standing outside of a shopping center when they saw a car drive into a handicapped parking space. The driver got out of the car, stretched and sprinted to the back of the car. The two men were so angry, they ran over to the driver and started beating him to the ground. While they were hitting him, they kept yelling about him parking in the handicapped spot. The driver yelled back, OK OK I'll move, but please let me get my mom into her wheel chair and into the medical clinic before she is late for her appointment!

Anybody that would park in a handicapped spot has obviously not had a child or parent or friend that is disabled. These spots are a big help for the handicapped individual as well as the care taker.

What is even worst is the person who sits and waits for someone to leave an up front parking spot holding up traffic and creating a dangerous situation for others. Most of the time the person leaving the store has not even begun to put items into the vehicle so other drivers are lined up waiting for Mr. or Mrs. LAZY to wait on MR. or Mrs, shopper to load groceries into the car. 99% of the time Mr. or Mrs. LAZY could use the exercise and needs to park at the end of the lot. As for me, I know I need the exercise, so as soon as Mr. or Mrs. LAZY gets out of the way I will go park at the back of the lot.
As for law inforcement to patrol these parking lots, forget it. I'd much rather have them solving crime. I just simply give these inconsiderate people the stink eye.

As a handicapped person with a sticker I appreciate those who respect the parking zones and the laws pertaining to the spaces in question. To those who don't respect the zones I need, I hope one day you too will need the space and can not shop there due to some A$$hole who wants to be lazy and park there. I say block them in and call the cops and tell the cops that you are blocking the perp in the space for a faster response time.

My hat goes ott to the person that wrote this article.

Pick any weekday downtown and just walk around you will notice that the two hour parking signs are just up there to be up there. I have seen people park at the bus stop and it clearly states no parking and people have to walk around the vehicle when exiting the bus. Several minutes later a patrol unit sitting at the light right next to the offending vehicle does nothing, and was preoccupied with their cell phone. People parking in loading zones for much of the day, the only time you will see them move is because they went to lunch.

So I do not consider any other parking violation in the city to hold up much here, sorta like the "no citations were given" with traffic accidents.

Oh no, handicapped parking places are a must for anyone who has trouble getting out of a car, or who needs special equipment, such as walkers and wheelchairs.
Extra space is needed to get into, and out of, an automobile. My mom has a handicapped sticker and let me tell you, if I could not park in a special place when she is in the car with me, she would open the door into the next car every time. She needs a walker, and needs a place to stand while I get the walker out of the trunk, or out of the back of my PU. I need room, other than out in the lane of traffic, to open the walker up.
For any of you who think handicapped spaces are not needed, apparen;ty you've never needed one

"Why can't the Victoria Police cruise through those business parking lots and put a ticket on the windshield of violators?"

When it comes to parking violations, Police will enforce a violation but only when there is an actual complaint from a public citizen. They got more important things to be dealing with, sorry to say but true.

Patrol officers are responding to calls from 911 and other such crimes. Next time you are getting your butt kicked by a drunken irate neighbor and the cops are called, I can see the look on your face when they respond, "Sir, it'll be a while. Officers right now are doing they drive through of business parking lots and checking handicap spaces."

Burglaries, shots fired, domestic violence. all these and more are happening on a regular basis.

In between answering and responding to such calls, Patrol division officers are catching up on their reports generated by such calls and actively patrolling around looking for crimes, burglaries, dope dealers, reckless driving. etc...etc...etc...

Parking violations are WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYY on the bottom of their list of priorities.

UNLESS someone calls in a complaint. Then (and only then) will an officer go and check it out and if there is indeed a violation, a ticket will be scratched.
Even then, response time to such a call complaint will be long because even though there is a complaint, there is more than likely other more higher priority calls that needs to be handled FIRST. and when the officer does finally get there. more oft than not, the car is gone.

That's the reality.
It has nothing to do with police being lazy or "not doing their jobs".
It has to do with the FACT that police cannot be everywhere and every moment and catch every crime.

it's prioritizing and manpower limitations.

Even traffic division which does not handle dispatched calls (except for fatality wrecks as they are the traffic accident investigators as well) does not regularly check for parking violations. They are busy running traffic and watching for violators.

Which would you rather they spend their time on?

A) Watching for drunks and moving traffic violations which could cause wrecks and injure or kill someone?

B) Or parking violations which harm and kill no one but may be a personal inconvenience to someone?

Handicapped parking spaces should not exist to begin with. They are an under used government infringement and financial burden on businesses. It should be left up to the business how their handicapped patrons shop at the establishment. Handicapped people have a choice where they shop too and if they don't like the access arrangements at one place then they would be free to go somewhere else. Once again government forcing business to carry the financial burden for parking spaces, store access and restrooms that are (in MANY cases) are never used by the handicapped. Guess who the expense is passed on to.