Karma's a bitch . . . and so am I.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Vehicle was there a while, so I don't think anybody was being picked up.

I didn't do anything about it. I just let the guy complain.

[LillFilly]

The mall I worked at had an agreement with the local township that security could write fire lane and handicap tickets. An officer came by at the end of each day to pick up the stubs. We had an *lMart on our property and we owned the parking lot...Guess where most of the tickets came from? It was $25 being private property. If the ticket wasn't paid in 10 days, it was $250 and a citation was issued. If the person didn't pay the citation, they got a court date. If they showed-up...they usually lost. If they didn't show up, they owed court costs, the citation, a warrant went out for their arrest and they were charged with contempt of court . HOWEVER, if the person really did have a handicap permit that they forgot to hang up, I could void it if they got to security before the ticket stubs were picked-up. They also had 10-days to go to the police station, show their permit and get it voided...but so MANY of these people waited until it ended up in court then showed up all confused with their permits!

What I REALLY loved was ticketing the permits that they broke the dates off of, or tried to change with marker, or permits that were cut-out color copies (sometimes even black & white ones) of an actual permit. One lady used a printed picture of the handicap symbol and left it on the dash; she asked why that didn't count! I think my record for most out of date permit was one from 1997; I ticketed it in 2012!

I did have a lot of people stop me and ask "can you ticket that car?" I looked and saw it had a permit hanging and told them I couldn't. They would say "well, the person didn't LOOK handicapped!" I'd have to tell them I couldn't judge that.

What really made me mad was when people would drive Grandma/Grandpa to the mall, park in a handicap space, then leave the poor elderly person in the car while they spent 3-hours shopping! I tried to catch them and rip them a new one about how the permit is INTENDED to help them get grandma/grandpa out of the car and into the store, not for THEM to get a better parking spot!

Wow, I could rant forever on this. I have a lot of stores; I averaged about a half dozen tickets a day, and even bought sandwich baggies so I could ticket cars in the rain

[Sapphire Silk]

After he left I took a look at the vehicle. It had a handicap tag hanging from the mirror, so lamentably a ticket couldn't be given. Guess it was a case of somebody abusing somebody else's tag, and karma will get around to him eventually.

You can call a cop and have them run the owner of the hangtag. If the owner is not with the driver, the driver can be ticketed.

I have one of EE's hangtags in my car. I only use it when she's with me. If I were to use it and got caught, she could have her HP privileges revoked, and I would still have to pay the ticket.

What really made me mad was when people would drive Grandma/Grandpa to the mall, park in a handicap space, then leave the poor elderly person in the car while they spent 3-hours shopping! I tried to catch them and rip them a new one about how the permit is INTENDED to help them get grandma/grandpa out of the car and into the store, not for THEM to get a better parking spot!

That's Elder Abuse! It gets very hot in cars, and older people dehydrate very quickly. Next time you see that, call a cop.

[mathnerd]

It's hard to say though because he may not have a visible disability. Just because a person can get out of a vehicle easily and under their own power it does not automatically mean that they are not handicapped enough to be issued the tag.

And people have good days and bad days. Or could be fine in the morning and unable to walk two hours later, and as such are "saving steps". I try not to judge, though I must admit it's sometimes difficult.

After he left I took a look at the vehicle. It had a handicap tag hanging from the mirror, so lamentably a ticket couldn't be given. Guess it was a case of somebody abusing somebody else's tag, and karma will get around to him eventually.

In Florida, the fines for using somebody else's hang tag are now many times higher than just parking in the spot without a tag at all. This is a newish law to discourage the abuse of tags. The placards have the owner's DL or ID number on them, so the cops can easily tell who owns the tag.

Or maybe he was using someones car with handicap tag to go pick up that person inside. If you have waited 5 minutes you might have seen him helping someone make their way to the vehicle. Doesn't seem that likely at Radio Shack, but possible.

I've been on the receiving end of this one when I've parked to pick up my son. I generally enjoy the looks of guilt when I go retrieve my wheelchair bound child.

[CarcinogenCrunchies]

The handicapped parking signs in our lot say the fine is $1000. I'm not sure if those fines are decided on a state level or locally.

I once knew a perfectly healthy, ambulatory person in her early 30s who didn't see a thing wrong with using her mother's handicap tag for herself. That really irritates me. My grandparents didn't even apply for one until they were in their late 80s! I drive them around now, and I generally drop them off at the door and then park so I don't have to take up a handicap spot.

[Seshat]

Or maybe he was using someones car with handicap tag to go pick up that person inside.
<snip>
Doesn't seem that likely at Radio Shack, but possible.

Hey! I like shopping for electronics! Disabled people can like soldering stuff.

[eltf177]

The handicapped parking signs in our lot say the fine is $1000. I'm not sure if those fines are decided on a state level or locally.

I once knew a perfectly healthy, ambulatory person in her early 30s who didn't see a thing wrong with using her mother's handicap tag for herself. That really irritates me. My grandparents didn't even apply for one until they were in their late 80s! I drive them around now, and I generally drop them off at the door and then park so I don't have to take up a handicap spot.

I hope no one minds if I post a link to a related story - one I love to reread, still find absolutely hilarious and wish I knew the final outcome of...

http://www.customerssuck.com/board/s...highlight=mall

[EvilEmpryss]

My first question to SS was "If he's in two spots, did he get a ticket for both spots?" I certainly hope he did. Double the douchery, double the fine.

After he left I took a look at the vehicle. It had a handicap tag hanging from the mirror, so lamentably a ticket couldn't be given. Guess it was a case of somebody abusing somebody else's tag, and karma will get around to him eventually.

Not True!!! Not True!!!

Sapphire Silk has it right: If a cop came by and you pointed out that the kid had sprinted into the store, the cop could check the registration of the tag. They are only allowed to be used by the person they are assigned to. If the jerk had Grandma's hangtag, he's going to get a ticket for using it. Honestly, there's no harm in having it checked because a truly disabled person won't have any trouble proving their identity and right to use the tag.

In addition to the hangtag I have in SS's car, Hubby has to check himself at times when he's out with the kids and driving my car (it has disabled vet plates). More than once he's pulled into a handicapped sport only to remember that I'm not with him and he's moved to a regular spot.

And having recently been to traffic court for a speeding ticket (*hangs head in shame*) I can say that the DAs here won't be lenient to someone who misuses the tag.

Hey! I like shopping for electronics! Disabled people can like soldering stuff.

Oh yes, yes we do. Planning already my Halloween costume, and I'm going to need to make a glowing staff for Maleficent. *grin*

[NecessaryCatharsis]

Hey! I like shopping for electronics! Disabled people can like soldering stuff.

I meant more that it was not the kind of store you would think of dropping someone at and driving off for an hour or six, like a restaurant or bookstore or something, so at an electronics store the driver probably would go in with the passenger or wait in the car. No comment on what disabled people or any other people can/should/would shop for intended I swear!

[EvilEmpryss]

LOL! NC, my family has learned to ask where I'm going shopping, because there are many places I will get lost in for at least an hour: craft stores, fabric stores, and electronic stores like RS are at the top of the list.

[Seshat]

NC: No offence intended, I know. None taken. Apology unnecessary, but accepted.

And in my family, it's Bast who would be spending an hour or two at Jaycar (Australian electronics store). I'd probably only be half an hour.

.... if we had the money, Bast would be designing, building and programming photovore roombas. I swear.

[dalesys]

... Disabled people can like soldering stuff.

... and a hot iron does wonders for the discipline of kibitzers ...

[prjkt]

I don't get the hate for parking inspectors, they just do their job. Have been caught doing the wrong thing in the past, i.e. not reading the signs, and just deal with it.

Will often sit in my car beside the local creek - need to pay for a ticket there, or have a council permit (free to residents) - last time I did so saw a guy walking around giving tickets, passed me by as he saw me in the car, I nodded, and he went on his way...

[Catwoman2965]

I did that once. Shopping with my mom, at an upscale mall in our area. Mom uses a wheelchair, so while she can drive with hand controls and has a car topper for her chair, she needs the HC spots as she has to be able to open her door all the way, to manuver and get into her chair from the car.

Let me also say I don't think this about everyone who drives fancy, expensive cars, but this particular mall had its share of entitled SCs, many of whom I witnessed driving said fancy, expensive cars.

So mom and I meet up to do some shopping, and as we're going in, we see a fancy, expensive car parked in one of the HC spots. No plate, or placard (as is required by my state) we looked. Got into the mall, and went to the concierage desk for the store where the spot was outside of and gave them a head's up there might be someone illegally parked in an HC spot. don't know what the outcome was, but if I see someone parked in a spot with nothing that shows they are allowed to, I have absolutely no problem opening my big fat yap.

[paxillated]

There was a day when I could walk into a store normally, so don't make assumptions. I'm not lazy. I walk slowly now because I have painful ambulatory disabilities, and most of them have nothing to do with the weight I've put on since they started. I've gotten condemnatory looks from people.

But without the handicapped spot I can't shop at all. If the store lacks a nice electric cart, I can get maybe 3 items before I wear out. Even with one, it's been a long time since I've been able to get everything on my list in one trip.

If I found one of your cards on my windshield when I got back to my car, I'd burst into tears - not because I'm a sensitive plant, but because I'm so damned tired by the time I'm done.