New Law Requires Handicapped Tag/Placard for DVs to Park in HC Spaces

[TAZ]

Sorry, but if you have a serious enough disability to require close in parking you should get the placard as well as the DV plate. The fact that there are folks with DV plates out there who I’ve seen on soccer fields tearing it up means there is a wide range of folks who can get the DV plates. If you’re good enough to be out playing soccer in the TX heat, you can walk across a parking lot so some old lady with a new hip and knee that can barely walk can get that close in spot.

The VA or any doctor should issue those placards for free to veterans who actually need them. Veterans shouldn’t be paying goofy government fees imo.

I guess the question is: is this DV plate abuse of handicapped parking that much of an issue that it requires government oversight. I mean don’t we have bigger fish to fry, like say power generation.

 

[Sasquatch]

99% use rollbacks here, the trucks and the company have city inspectioms and the wrecker enforcement will yank their license for a few days or a week if they start getting shady, leaving car parts at crashes, unlicensed drivers or trucks...

I was talking to a driver for probably the largest wrecker company and he said he gets 1/3 of the wrecker fee and pulls $90k/year just driving. The company gets the other 2/3 and any daily yard fees or the money for the car if it gets left. Not a bad job really...

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He must be hustling, and has a good commission structure. I've worked salary, commission, and hourly in that industry. When I jumped from being an employee to owner, was at 33% commission too, though I wasn't pulling 90K.

It can be a damn fun job, but it can also be damn stressful at times too. Statistically its also more dangerous than being a cop, or it was consistently while I was doing it. Workers comp rates reflected that (eek!) The worst part is if you're on-call. I still sometimes hear random beeping of a pager when drifting off to sleep, and we ditched pagers 11 or 12 years ago and just went to SMS or tablet-based callouts. I used to sleep in my uniform on the days I was on-call, as we had 25 minutes to respond by contract on PD tows.

I was hit by 3 different cars while I was doing it, and my truck was rear-ended twice. I got damn lucky - first two cars that hit me were low-speed. I wound up rolling across the hood of the first one - the second one just hit my ass cheek at about 15mph. The last one to make contact I was inches from death - was kneeling on the edge of my flatbed, ratcheting the tie down on when something slammed into my ankles, spun me off the deck and onto my feet. I saw tail lights heading away, and had the passenger door mirror of a red Honda product on the ground at my feet. Customer was watching in her spare vehicle, about 20-30 yards behind me. She described it as a blur. I had a limp and one hell of a bruise. Had I been standing beside the truck, vs kneeling on the bed, Id' have been crushed.

One of the only times I've had to draw and point a firearm at another person also came while I was towing, and had the ire of a road rager directed to me. Not something I care to relive, but was glad I didn't have to kill the guy.

There are days I miss the job, but there's a reason I left it.

 

[cycleguy2300]

Sorry, but if you have a serious enough disability to require close in parking you should get the placard as well as the DV plate. The fact that there are folks with DV plates out there who I’ve seen on soccer fields tearing it up means there is a wide range of folks who can get the DV plates. If you’re good enough to be out playing soccer in the TX heat, you can walk across a parking lot so some old lady with a new hip and knee that can barely walk can get that close in spot.

The VA or any doctor should issue those placards for free to veterans who actually need them. Veterans shouldn’t be paying goofy government fees imo.

I guess the question is: is this DV plate abuse of handicapped parking that much of an issue that it requires government oversight. I mean don’t we have bigger fish to fry, like say power generation.

Let's look at your HC parking from another angle...

Why should any person get special, government enforced special treatment? If a parking lot is FULL why should someone not in a special category have to park hundreds of feet away when there are a dozen special government catagory parking spots right there by the door?

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[Sasquatch]

Let's look at your HC parking from another angle...

Why should any person get special, government enforced special treatment? If a parking lot is FULL why should someone not in a special category have to park hundreds of feet away when there are a dozen special government catagory parking spots right there by the door?

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Could let the free market decide, stores / properties that want to accommodate HC parking could see an uptick, especially if others decide to dedicate space to the primary customers by not having HC spots. Of course the ADA would have to be repealed / amended.

What bugs me are all the special-Sally spots stores / property owners come up with - Pregnant / Expecting / Families with Children spaces, senior citizen spaces (this doesn't bug me as much) - employee of the month spaces in the main parking lot vs beside/behind the building - whatever. They're non-enforceable from a legal standpoint, but its bordering on participation trophy status. Should you get preferential treatment because your pullout / condom game was weak, or you chose to get knocked up? I give seniors a pass because they outwitted the reaper long enough to usually have earned parking closer, and a lot of them have a harder time walking than younger or middle aged folks.

I think we should segregate parking and have dedicated rows for black vehicles (cuz I drive one) or mini vans (cuz I drive one) and keep the white vehicles and pickups on the other side of the lot. Make them use different entrances even, maybe. I mean, why can't we all be special snow flakes and get to park up front? Why not have "obese" parking in the back (I mean, they could use the exercise, right?)

The last two paragraphs are tongue in cheek, but yeah the notion of special snowflake parking gets annoying once you go beyond handicapped spots. I do think we need handicapped spots though, at least in large businesses with a likelihood of serving folks in chairs, or with limited mobility. Dunno if small businesses should be forced to have HC spots, especially if its a business not likely to cater to chair bound or limited-mobility folk.

 

[Axxe55]

Just like anything else in life, Handicapped Parking placards are just another way some idiots have figured a way to cheat the system, and abuse that system. Just like welfare and food stamps.

When you slide your $60K Cadillac into a HC parking spot. whoop out the placard and put it on your rearview mirror, then waddle your fat ass into WalMart, plop that fat ass into the first available mobility scooter there is, then wheel around the deli and snack sections filling your cart up with Ding-Dongs and Cheetos, and get to the check-out and whoop out that EBT card to pay for your shit, yeah, I'd say you figured out a way to scam the system!

 

[benenglish]

While we have a couple of participants with experience participating in this thread, let me ask something only tangentially related.

A business I know did some renovation. They didn't like having a handicapped spot in front of their front door so they had the crew working on the rehab just pull the pole with the sign out of the sidewalk and they disposed of it. When the renovation was finished, the handicapped paint remained on the ground but the sign is gone. Now it's just a regular parking space.

Personally, I think it was pretty shitty of the business to kill off the parking space, especially now that there's only one handicapped spot for the entire strip and it's at the far end of the stores.

I've often wondered if there was a way to get that handicapped spot reinstated but I haven't the foggiest notion of who's at fault (the business that removed it, the strip center manager for letting them, or the property owner, etc) or who would enforce such a thing.

Any ideas?

 

[cycleguy2300]

While we have a couple of participants with experience participating in this thread, let me ask something only tangentially related.

A business I know did some renovation. They didn't like having a handicapped spot in front of their front door so they had the crew working on the rehab just pull the pole with the sign out of the sidewalk and they disposed of it. When the renovation was finished, the handicapped paint remained on the ground but the sign is gone. Now it's just a regular parking space.

Personally, I think it was pretty shitty of the business to kill off the parking space, especially now that there's only one handicapped spot for the entire strip and it's at the far end of the stores.

I've often wondered if there was a way to get that handicapped spot reinstated but I haven't the foggiest notion of who's at fault (the business that removed it, the strip center manager for letting them, or the property owner, etc) or who would enforce such a thing.

Any ideas?

City Code enforcement
Or
An ADA lawyer who will file suit and take a cut when the business settles out of court

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[Axxe55]

While we have a couple of participants with experience participating in this thread, let me ask something only tangentially related.

A business I know did some renovation. They didn't like having a handicapped spot in front of their front door so they had the crew working on the rehab just pull the pole with the sign out of the sidewalk and they disposed of it. When the renovation was finished, the handicapped paint remained on the ground but the sign is gone. Now it's just a regular parking space.

Personally, I think it was pretty shitty of the business to kill off the parking space, especially now that there's only one handicapped spot for the entire strip and it's at the far end of the stores.

I've often wondered if there was a way to get that handicapped spot reinstated but I haven't the foggiest notion of who's at fault (the business that removed it, the strip center manager for letting them, or the property owner, etc) or who would enforce such a thing.

Any ideas?

City Code enforcement
Or
An ADA lawyer who will file suit and take a cut when the business settles out of court

Sent from your mom's house using Tapatalk

Not 100% sure, but I think @cycleguy2300 is correct. I think there are rules that apply that it can be enforced, and that unless someone reports his violation, it will go unchecked.

I know that some years ago when we expanded and remodeled my brother's shop, it had to be ADA compliant in order to pass the city inspector, when the building permits were applied for. I do remember some of the regulations we had to meet to pass that inspection that included the bathroom, doorways, parking spot and signage. There were others, but I can't remember all of them now.

 

[45tex]

While in hospital I asked about getting a HC permit. Next day the Doc and the social worker gave me a signed notarized form. Covid required me to mail it in. Turned down because the now lift equipped vehicle is in my sons name. He gave us the car because the one we had was not able to be fitted with the lift. Covid also seems to be stopping the title transfer.
I doubt I'd get a ticket with that lift mounted but I won't use a HC spot. We just go into the boonies. And I scooter in. Doing a wallyworld lot is dicey at best. People will run you down.
I commented to the guys installing the lift that it obstructs the Registration plate. They said not to worry as the cops will give us a break. The wife was pulled over and given a written warning the next morning.

 

[Grumps21]

I'm a "disabled vet". I won't go into details, but for the most part am physically fine and chose not to have DV plates mostly because I don't like being identified that easily. I park way out in the lots. I have seen and known plenty of DV's with the plates that could walk just fine parking in the handicapped spots. Most of them felt the were entitled to it. Made me sick to be associated with those people, when there were actual disabled vets/civilians that needed those spots. I think truly disabled vets should have a handicapped placard. Everyone else can walk.

Worked with a lady who was ex military and had the DV plates. She parked in the handicapped spaces at work and she also went running on her lunch hour. She told me that she can run the toll roads free of charge due to the plate. I dont know if that is true or not.
What does irritate me are the thugs that use the HC spots, usually at convenience stores. They are probably the strongest most fit persons in the building yet they pull right up to the door

 

[Sasquatch]

Worked with a lady who was ex military and had the DV plates. She parked in the handicapped spaces at work and she also went running on her lunch hour. She told me that she can run the toll roads free of charge due to the plate. I dont know if that is true or not.
What does irritate me are the thugs that use the HC spots, usually at convenience stores. They are probably the strongest most fit persons in the building yet they pull right up to the door

Yes, DV plates give you a free pass on toll roads.

 

[Axxe55]

Personally, I'd love to see more cars impounded for parking in Handicapped Parking spots. I'll bet once that became a trend, people would get off their lazy asses and walk a little ways.

 

[Grumps21]

Personally, I'd love to see more cars impounded for parking in Handicapped Parking spots. I'll bet once that became a trend, people would get off their lazy asses and walk a little ways.

Yes I would too but I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one. I’m not even sure if they impound cars when the driver is cited for no insurance do they?

 

[Axxe55]

Yes I would too but I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one. I’m not even sure if they impound cars when the driver is cited for no insurance do they?

I'm not going to hold my breath waiting, but more like wishful thinking on my part.

They are suppose to impound them, but I haven't seen that many are. Just cited a ticket and left to go.

 

[Sasquatch]

Yes I would too but I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one. I’m not even sure if they impound cars when the driver is cited for no insurance do they?

I would hope so! We did on the left coast. 1/2 of the PD impounds I did were no insurance or no valid license, the other half were drunks. Maybe @cycleguy2300 or one of the other LEO here can answer - do insurers in Texas report to the state if you have valid insurance? In Oregon a LEO knows if you have valid insurance or not when they run your plate, as the insurers report to the DMV the status of your policy. If you lapse, they report it. If you get a policy, they report it. They know the status of registered owners DL, if they have a CHL, and a bunch of other info as well. There are those situations where you cancel one insurance policy because you changed carriers, and the new carrier takes a day or two to send a notice. Hell, some carriers send notice that your insurance is expiring in 30 days, and DMV would send you a warning in the mail. I don't remember if they could use the "no valid insurance" return as reasonable suspicion to initiate a stop or not, but the traffic code was an inch thick in small print - they could find any damn infraction to pull you over if they wanted to. I knew a few cops back there that worked traffic details and had major boners for uninsured motorists, because 1/4-1/3 (depending on the year of reporting) of Oregon's drivers were uninsured or had no valid operators license. I haven't looked at Texas' statistics, but I hope to god more people are responsible here and carry insurance.

 

[mongoose]

City Code enforcement
Or
An ADA lawyer who will file suit and take a cut when the business settles out of court

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The City should never given a final and issued a certificate of occupancy without the sign. Assuming the renovation project was permitted. I would complain to the City Inspection Dept.

 

[Axxe55]

The City should never given a final and issued a certificate of occupancy without the sign. Assuming the renovation project was permitted. I would complain to the City Inspection Dept.

I may be incorrect, but from what I read, it seems they might have removed the sign after the inspector passed it being compliant.

 

[mongoose]

I may be incorrect, but from what I read, it seems they might have removed the sign after the inspector passed it being compliant.

Good point. I would still call the inspection Dept. and complain. They might even give you a bounty for reporting it.

 

[Axxe55]

Good point. I would still call the inspection Dept. and complain. They might even give you a bounty for reporting it.

Totally agree. That was why Cycleguy and I both suggested that he does that.

And if it passed inspection and wasn't up to code, that is on the inspector not doing his job. That has happened as well.

 

[craigntx]

The wife of my nephew qualified for disability for bad knees. After she got too fat