Handicapped Parking

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Has anyone else noticed the abundance of handicapped parking violations in Bozeman? Maybe I'm more sensitive to this because I am handicapped myself, but take a look next time you're out and about. Let me know if I'm seeing things, or if people out there really are breaking the law.

Also, what do you do in a situation like that? A guy a week or so ago laid behind a truck tire to keep an offender parked there until the cops arrived -- only to have the police officer tell him not to do that again. So should we just call the cops and hope they get there in time to ticket the offender?

It's a sticky situation. What do you all think?
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tags: parking, law, police, handicapped + add tags
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posted on Wed, Mar 26, 2008 10:53 PM
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handicap parking bybobob9 months ago (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Matter of fact I have not noticed an abundance of people using handicap parking who do not display proper credentials. One thing I do notice is how rarely these spaces are occupied by anyone. Alot of good parking spaces just taking up space. I have also noticed alot of cars with handicap plates using regular parking spaces and leaving the handicap spaces empty. There ought to be a law.
Handicap parking byandrewgwb9 months ago (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Firstly, I think that the number of handicapped parking spaces is liked by code as a percentage of the total number of parking spaces.
Secondly, I've always noticed that unauthorized parking in these spaces attracts a fine. Who issues the fine?
If you see a violation then speak to the manager of the store/whatever and get them to take action.
Personally, I feel like pouring paint stripper over the offending vehicle - but that would be wrong and make me at least as bad as the offender.
Handicap Parking bycwrite9 months ago (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
I would like to point out that not all people, especially Senior Citizens who need a spot to park close to a business or other public place, are qualified to get a handicap permit. Therefore, I'd guess some of them are using spaces designated Handicap out of frustration. I'd like to see more "Senior Parking Only" signs around town. They would not sit empty. If I saw a younger person using a Senior Parking Only spot, then I would be annoyed.
is it okay to make mistakes? bytiredofbeingjudged9 months ago (1 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
if you're thinking of doing something drastic, please keep in mind, people may have forgotten to put their placard on their rear-view mirror.
save law enforcement for the officers byskew9 months ago (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
> So should we just call the cops and hope they get there in time to ticket the offender?

Yes.

It depends on the location of the violation, but the odds are the traffic violator was breaking the municipal code, so the correct response is to call the city police and leave it at that.

Intentionally restricting the mobility of another person is a serious crime, whether it is assault, battery, kidnapping, or a related action. There are good reasons why society limits this power to only the police, and then limits the prosecution of the underlying violation to the courts.
handicap parking bychaos9 months ago (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
What do I think? I think handicap and senior citizen signs should be obeyed, but I think that the cops told the laydown guy not to do it again because the vehicle was actually legally parked.
Handicapped Parking byArt9 months ago (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
The way I'd deal with it, is to write the license plate number down of the probable offender and call it in to the police as a non-emergency. That way I've done what I feel is my duty, and wouldn't have to be a part of watching the police giving a warning in this situation where only a warning is not justified.
Having said that, I don't think 99% of the drivers out there would park in a handicapped space.