I drive my FIL (90 years old, legally blind) to the gym where he works with a trainer/exercise therapist 2x a week. Although there are 6 handicapped parking spaces in front of the gym there are rarely any parking openings. Usually 1 or at most 2 cars will have disabled placards. The rest are big SUVs or ford 150 s which I know are driven by non physically- mentally I can't say- handicapped and obviously (just taking a guess here since they are parked at the gym) drivers. I have called the parking police and was informed that since it is in a strip mall\/private property they can't leagally do anything except patrol it and ticket those they catch entering or leaving a vehicle but they don't have the resources to leave someone there watching. Gym management is sympathetic but claim that they can't do anything invovling policing the clients unless the parking or state police get involved.
Fortunately they have a pull thru driveway so I usually end up letting him out at the door, getting him inside and then finding parking. Reversing the process when we leave.
It is very frustrating. I accidentally parked in a handicapped parking space when we first got to the netherlands because I couldn''t read the sign. The fine was the equivalent of about $500 . I never made that mistake again.
marni
marni
Katy, Texas
Trek Madone 6.5- "Red"
Trek Pilot 5.2- " Bebe"
"easily outrun by a chihuahua."