Respect handicapped parking rules

I have heard it said, ‘Time changes things.’ In many cases I am sure this is true. However, the types of changes that may be seen may not be the changes we would wish to see.

One of changes I would to see is the attitude a lot of folks seemingly have toward the handicapped. We live in a part of the world in which most people are said to be intelligent, but yet many of these ‘intelligent’ beings either can’t read or don’t know what handicapped parking means.

I probably have several pet peeves, but right now I can think of only one. That being the misuse of handicapped parking. There was a time when there was no such thing as handicapped parking. I remember a time when the handicapped seldom, if ever, got out and went anywhere. If they did venture out, it seemed many thought that particular person had some sort of a plague, and if you got too close to that individual, they would catch it.

Sometimes it could be quite amusing to see the actions of some in this connection. But then it was also sad to realize how misinformed the general public is. While we have seen such scenes from the past, it seems most strange that there are individuals who are satisfied in taking parking spaces reserved for those who truly have a hard time getting around.

Since I am physically disabled, I can only view the subject from my perspective. I am sure those who do not have a physical disability view it from theirs.

I greatly appreciate what many businesses do to aid their physically disabled customers. They have handicapped parking. Many businesses provide wheelchairs and electric carts to aid the physically disabled in getting around in the store and in their shopping. I know there is a lot of expense in doing this, but to me it shows these businesses have some appreciation for customers who are physically disabled. I doubt those of us who have physical limitations show enough appreciation for this service.

For a while, I rode my electric three-wheeler over to Wal-Mart every now and then to do some shopping. When I’d get there, one of the nice greeters would bring the wheelchair out to me and help me transfer from my three-wheeler to the wheelchair. When I was through, the greeter would help me to transfer me back to my three-wheeler. I greatly appreciated their help.

One day I rode over there to get some things, and was quite used to this service. When I got there, the greeter told me someone had used the wheelchair a few days before. When they got through with it, the person with the individual using the wheelchair rolled the individual to the car. And instead of taking the wheelchair back into the store, they left it in the parking lot where someone ran over it! Because of someone’s carelessness, for a period of time, a service many people got accustomed to wasn’t available.

Now then, another problem that I have seen. As was already noted, shopping centers and other businesses have laid out parking lots with several spaces for handicapped parking. These parking spaces are usually placed near the entrances to the businesses.

This is done for the convenience of the handicapped individuals. The use of such handicapped parking spaces aren’t free. In order to use one, a person must go to the county court clerk’s office and obtain an application form. Fill it out. Have your doctor to sign it. Take it back to the county court clerk’s office, present the form with $20. In turn you will receive a plaque to hang on your rear-view mirror showing there is a handicapped person in the vehicle.

The physically disabled has to pay to use the handicapped parking spaces, as I explained. But do you know what? There are lots of people who are not physically disabled who zip into these parking spaces, jump out of their vehicle, and walk happy-go-lucky into the store.

I’m sorry for not being more understanding. After all that person might have heart trouble. Yeah, right! The only heart trouble he had was being heartless. Don’t you think it is a little strange for a person to park in a handicapped parking spot only to walk a mile or two around the mall?

One of the most ridiculous acts I have ever seen was a man parking in a space reserved for pregnant women at Wal-Mart. I may have missed something, but I didn’t know men got pregnant!

A friend told me about what happened one time to his stepfather who works as a greeter at Wal-Mart. He saw this fellow park in a handicapped reserved parking place. He saw the guy get out of his car but saw no evidence of him being handicapped in any way. So he asked the fellow: ‘Are you handicapped’? The fellow replied he was not. The Wal-Mart employee said, ‘Then you can’t park there.’ The fellow begin to curse and said, ‘I can park where I please!’

What the guy said actually put him in a trap that didn’t get thrown. He has the option of parking where he pleases. Handicapped individuals don’t have that option. Normal parking spaces are too narrow to allow wheelchairs to go between cars so that we can get into them.

Stop! Think! Think how it would be if you were in an accident and it caused you to be thrown into a wheelchair. You want to go somewhere. You go but the only parking spaces are normal-sized. And that doesn’t allow you space to get in and out of the wheelchair. Then what?

I saw an elderly couple recently, the man was in a wheelchair, and the woman was pushing him. I do not know where they had parked. It was obvious they didn’t use a space for the handicapped because when I first saw them, they were some ways beyond were the handicapped parking spaces were. Would you feel some sort of guilt if you had used a parking space designed for the handicapped that caused somebody’s grandma to push grandpa halfway across Wal-Mart’s parking lot? What a cold, cold person you are if you don’t.