The following was republished with permission from The Lakewood Shopper:
This week, The Shopper was contact by an individual with a handicap who told us a very disturbing story.
He related that he went to do some pre-Pesach shopping in a local store and pulled up into the handicap spot. Before he had a chance to exit his vehicle, someone pulled up right next to his driver side, in the blue-lined area next to the handicap spot. This driver parked in that illegal area, jumped out of her car, and ran into the store.
The handicapped driver was now stuck, as he needed the entire blue-lined area to get out of his car. Like many handicapped individuals, he needs to make use of the entire blue-striped area next to the parking spot, which is why it must remain open and should not be blocked.
He was now trapped in his car as he waited for long minutes for the other driver to return. He relates that what was even more insulting was the fact that the driver did not even apologize or express remorse. When he tried to explain to her that she had trapped him in his car, she brushed him off and merely said gruffly, “I heard you!”
It appears that some people still have not gotten the message: If you do not have a handicap or disability, never park – even for a minute – in a space reserved for people with disabilities! It’s the right thing to do. And it’s the law.
It is not okay to even temporarily park in handicap spots. Handicap spots are designated for individuals with disabilities who may have difficulty walking or accessing their vehicles. Taking a handicap spot makes it difficult, or even impossible, for these individuals to access the services or locations they need.
That’s why it is illegal to park in a handicap spot without a valid permit, and violators face fines and penalties. Parking in such spots is disrespectful and inconsiderate of the needs of those with disabilities.
Sadly, in addition to this incident I have heard of many cases where handicapped people were unable to get out of their cars because someone parked in the blue lines, too close to their cars, and they had to wait a long time for the offending party to come back and move their car.
If you enter a parking lot and see an empty handicap spot, thank Hashem that you don’t need to park there! Thank Hashem, that you have the ability to walk a bit further and to shlep your packages to a further spot. As Rav Avigdor Miller zt”l would say, thank Hashem every day that you have two working legs and working arms to carry your bags. Be happy that you can park in a regular spot.
If you are in a rush to prepare for yomtov, busy with the mitzvos of the day, why would you want to taint that by possible hurting someone else?
To put it bluntly: Be a mentch! Be considerate of those who need the handicap spots. Don’t ruin someone else’s day by making his or her life a little harder! Don’t make him suffer because of your pre-Pesach rush!
The people that park in these spots without the valid permits should absolutely be towed and fined heavily. I never understood why this isn’t enforced in the various parking lots (in a frum plaza) around the greater Lakewood area.
Was at shul this morning. Saw a car park in the spot reserved for hatzalah members(i.e. when the member comes to pick up the ambulance, they need to leave their car somewhere) which was a saftey hazard to the klal being that the lot was full….. As well on a weekly basis, drivers park their cars in an area which blocks our garbage pickup(unless sticking cans in middle of street). Either way, the solution I thought of for these people can be that sticker that they used to slap om your car for blocking garbage pickup in NY, very big inconvenience to remove, and it shows your neighbors/friends that you’re the one who parks inconsiderably.
This issue has been bothering me since I moved to Lakewood. The terrible lack of consideration, lack of middos, lack of mentshlichkeit and utter selfishness, in people who don’t think twice, and just pull into a handicap spot because it’s what’s convenient for THEM, without a care in the world for suffering people who need those spots, shocks me over and over every day. I have a handicap permit and almost not a day goes by when I have to go to a parking lot, that I see cars
without permits parked in those spots! Whenever I tell the driver that they are parked in a handicap spot without a permit, they are so rude it is not to be believed. Not one apologizes. They either don’t answer you, they look at you like something is wrong with you, or they just blow you off and say,
“yeah yeah, ok. I just went into the store FOR A MINUTE.”
Is this how frum people act? What a chillul Hashem! These people might get a rude awakening one day when they realize what Hashem thought of this disgusting lack.of care for others, breaking the law and making a chillul Hashem.
So many people illegally or wrongfully parking in handicapped parking spaces is so wrong for a city that is supposed to be an example of the best of Jewish values. I believe this problem is just another one of the issues of overgrowth and along with reducing speed limits requires higher fines and stricter enforcement. How about a program thats lets whitleblowers share in the fines?
hi