Why are those stripes yellow? They should be blue, to indicate it’s the access ♿ path for people exiting wheelchair accessible vehicles. (Or with other mobility issues, but specifically it’s wider to drop a ramp.)
There’s only one way I can surmise to excuse this: If the rider is legit disabled, maybe they use 2 crutches or something, and when they arrived some non disabled asshole had taken the actual spot. While they were inside asking the store owner to call for a tow or ticket (because it’s private property it has to be the owner) the asshole left.
That’s not universal. In some states, only the handicap symbol is marked blue, with the space and restrictions marked in yellow. I think all-yellow markings - including the symbol - are still allowed in some jurisdictions. I prefer the blue marking for everything, but the yellow may be accepted here.
If he is, indeed, handicapped, he is entitled to use one of the three spaces, leaving two spaces with ramp access. However, parking in the ramp access, there is still room for two vehicles with side ramps to use the other ramp space, and there is room for one more handicap vehicle without a side ramp. He has made room for 4 vehicles instead of 3.
Those trikes are very often ridden by handicapped riders who are entitled to the entire space. Not all handicap vehicles require ramp access on the side. Indeed, the overwhelming majority do not.
Parking the way he did, he effectively added another handicap space to the lot.
I could fit a handicap van with a right side ramp into that spot. I could back a handicap van with a left side ramp into that spot. I could pull or back a vehicle with a rear ramp or no ramp into that spot. Yes, he is blocking the ramp access on one side, but I have yet to see a handicap vehicle even equipped with ramps on both sides.
(I think) all three of the spots in the photo are designated handicap parking. There are three (presumably) handicap vehicles parked in those three spots, and yet the way he has parked, there is still room for a fourth.
You are aware that van-accessible handicapped spaces only need ramp access on one side, right? That space has ramp access on both sides only because those two ramp access areas serve three spaces. He only blocked van access in the far space; that far space is still accessible to non-van handicapped vehicles. The remaining ramp space is still available to serve the other two spaces.
I’ve unfortunately met people before who think those areas are just another parking spot, so honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the real answer.
I have a big motorcycle, two wheels, not three. I will try to explain.
Visibility on a motorcycle is phenomenal. Not only do you not have roof pillars in the way, you're sitting high enough that you can see over things (like you can in an SUV or truck).
There is so much room for activites ... in your traffic lane. I never have concerns about being too close to other traffic, construction barriers, curbs, etc.
Performance-wise, if you want to experience crazy acceleration without spending supercar money, get a motorcycle. And a big motorcycle will handle high speeds on the highway just as well as, if not better than, a car at the same price point. (At least mine does.)
Fuel economy. My big - nay, giant - motorcycle gets 33MPG, and that's including occasional crazy acceleration I noted earlier. And my fuel injectors are dirty, too. On the down side, mine requires premium, but there are big bikes out there that will take 87 octane.
I would never park like this, and I have had words with people who do.
Im just curious. Is it a Goldwing? Maybe an electraglide. If its bigger than those i would be very curious. I live in the SW, so i ride routinely. I agree with the view. Its nice being up higher (r1200gs), though as of late i am grateful my fuel economy is a bit better at 40 ( its also a 2007, so older ). Being on a bike leaves you more exposed, but i kinda feel safer. Like you mention, we have space in a lane, we can maneuver into, and out of, places cars cant. When we do hit, its worse, but with good driving habits you can do a lot more on a bike. Meh, could be i just really live my bike and have become biased.
2007 Triumph Rocket III. Way back, I almost bought a naked 76 Goldwing, but it turned out to have some mechanical problems that spoiled that deal. Now I am on "the bike" for me.
I used to work with a Vietnam vet that had his leg blown off and he rode a Harley with whatever you control with your left foot somehow relocated. He told good stories about being part of a tank crew and ordered flaming shots at the bar, fun guy to talk to.
So, he parks in the space, and he blocks any other handicapped vehicle, regardless of whether it needs ramp access or not.
Or, he parks there, and he only blocks vehicles that need ramp access on the side AND can’t back into the space to use the ramp access on the other side.
The way you want him to park, he is definitely blocking a space. The way he is actually parked, he is probably not blocking any spaces.
Whether in the space or beside it, two more vehicles with side ramps can still park in those three spaces. Beside it, there is room for a fourth vehicle without a side ramp.
The only way this guy is an asshokenisnifnhe isn’t actually handicapped, but being that he is on a trike, there is a good chance that he is.
No one is eligible to park there. That's the point of the stripes. There is a perfectly good space for disabled right next to where they parked if they have a placard/plate.
Parked in the handicapped space, there is room for two more vehicles with side ramps. Parked where he is, there is still room for two vehicles with side ramps (both using the other ramp space, one pulled in, one backed in) plus room for a vehicle without a side ramp.
Parked the way you want, there is room for 3 vehicles. Parked the way he did, there is room for at least 4.
The only way he is an asshole is if he doesn’t have a handicap sticker.
There’s a reason they didn’t make it a spot, so vehicles with wheelchair ramps can actually function. Otherwise there’s not enough room and they’ll be trapped in their vehicle. So considerate.
Ok. Go look at the image again, and this time, stop and think about it.
You are driving a vehicle equipped with a ramp on the left side. You certainly can’t pull into this space; your ramp will be blocked by the trike. But, you can still back in to the space, and use the ramp access on the opposite side.
The alternative is that he takes the whole space, and you don’t have a handicap space accessible to you at all.
And you are telling me that it is preferable for him to simply take the entire space he is entitled to take, rather than leave enough room for you to park as well?
Actually there is indication that he isn’t, since no handicap permit is visible. “Trikes often being ridden by handicap riders” is just anecdotal bullshit that has no bearing on this discussion, idk why you brought it up since it’s literally impossible from this pic to tell if the driver has a handicap or not. Not that it matters since they’re not parked in any spot whatsoever.
Not being able to see the placard is not an indication that one does not exist. It’s just “anecdotal bullshit that has no bearing on this discussion”.
I addressed the possibility of the rider not having a handicap placard very early in this discussion. You are not raising any new issue here. I clearly specified from the start that my argument rested on the assumption that he is permitted to park in handicap spaces.
Again, he is parked in such a way as to maximize the number of accessible spots. Parking the way that you and others have argued he should would result in fewer spots available for other handicap drivers.
Your argument is authoritarian; my argument is utilitarian. Your argument is “do it that way because some painted line said so”; my argument is “do it this way because it is functionally, objectively, and mathematically superior.”
I’m not defending their park job-- it’s bad-- I’m just describing the relationship to the other person’s “disabled veteran with a Harley” story, which is what the person I was replying to asked about.
I think what you’re getting at is “disabled or not, parking on the painted margin is prohibited,” which is correct as far as I know, but I think most people would think about it differently if the driver was disabled.
e.g. Someone with difficulty walking wanted to exercise their permission to park there so that they could be closer to the entrance, but still wanted to leave a wide spot open so another disabled driver could potentially use it. Still wrong, but many people would perceive that differently.
Again, not defending the behavior (and the driver likely wasn’t disabled, just a jerk)… But surely you see how their disability status is relevant in a scenario concerning a disabled parking spot?
Left foot is gear shifter. It's an up/down button. Easy to relocate.
But who the fuck cares? Vet, hero, dog-savior. Don't park like a fucking asshole. Park in an actual spot or don't park there at all. In this image's case they are potentially blocking 2 spots, at least 1 handicapped. I hope he got 2 $500 tickets.
It looks like there are 3 marked handicapped spaces. He is entitled to 1, leaving two, both with side ramp access.
The way he is parked, there is still room for two vehicles with side ramps, both using the other, marked ramp space (one pulling in, the other backing in). And there is still an empty, presumably marked space on the other side of him. It isn’t accessible to a vehicle with a side ramp, but the overwhelming majority of handicapped vehicles don’t need or have them.
You want him to leave room for two other handicapped vehicles. He parked in a way to leave room for 3 other handicapped vehicles. And for that, you’re going to call him a fucking asshole?
I think your sphincter is cutting off the blood supply to your brain. You might want to address that.
Add comment