[misc.handicap] Disability Rat Stickers

Jeff.Salzberg@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Jeff Salzberg) (01/05/90)

Index Number: 6040

 PG> Relative to your comment about leaving stickers on the cars of 
 PG> people who are large, short-tempered, and nearby, I had an 
 PG> incident once.

This message thread has inspired me to get off my duff and do something
I've long wanted to do.  As of yesterday morning, I am the proud owner
of 1,000 5.5" X 8.5" pieces of paper that say:

"You are parked in a space that is reserved for handicapped drivers only.  I
know that you were "only running in for a minute", but you should realize that
by parking here you may have seriously inconvenienced a disabled driver and
may even have prevented him or her from using this facility.

"If it were in my power, I would write you a ticket; as it is, I can only urge 
you to be more considerate in the future."

I printed 'em up on the laser printer at work, had Word Perfect draw a
box around 'em, and had 'em printed on blue paper so they (sorta) look
like parking tickets.

A few have already found a well-deserved place under the windshield
wipers of certain deserving vehicles.

--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89!Jeff.Salzberg
Internet: Jeff.Salzberg@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org

Pat.Goltz@f3.n300.z1.fidonet.org (Pat Goltz) (01/05/90)

Index Number: 6108

You said that you made up 1000 papers that read "...", and looked like 
traffic tickets as a result of my message. Good for you! You are a lot 
bolder than I am. I wouldn't be caught dead doing that after that guy 
dumped his ashes all over my hood. He might deck me next time.
  I just watch people take those parking spaces and seethe.
  There is one pet peeve I have, though. Many businesses put ALL their 
shaded spaces into handicapped spaces. It gets very hot in Arizona, and I 
would like the opportunity vie for SOME of those parking spaces with the 
handicapped. It doesn't seem fair. Another thing that seems unfair is 
when they put so many handicapped spaces. One time recently I noticed 
that all the shaded spots at the local building materials store were 
handicapped. I wondered just what percentage of their clientele is 
handicapped! While it is not impossible for a handicapped person to need 
building materials, most of what they sell is beyond MY capacity to use, 
physically, and I don't qualify to use one of the spaces! My own view is 
that if four spaces are ROUTINELY empty, the supply is greater than the 
demand. Of course, I usually shop when the store is less busy, so who am 
I to talk? <grin>
  The point of all this is that I am glad you made those papers. More 
power to you.
  Now I just wish they'd make parking spaces for people with very young 
children, so they don't have to carry them so far, or so the youngsters 
can get into the store without having to cross the parking lot.
  Pat

--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!300!3!Pat.Goltz
Internet: Pat.Goltz@f3.n300.z1.fidonet.org

Curtis.Oglesby@p13.f1.n360.z1.fidonet.org (Curtis Oglesby) (01/05/90)

Index Number: 6123

 PG> You said that you made up 1000 papers that read "...", and looked
 PG> like traffic tickets as a result of my message. Good for you! You
 PG> are a lot bolder than I am. I wouldn't be caught dead doing that
 PG> after that guy dumped his ashes all over
 PG> my hood. He might deck me next time.
 PG>  I just watch people take those parking spaces and seethe.
 PG>  There is one pet peeve I have, though. Many businesses put ALL
 PG> their shaded spaces into handicapped spaces. It gets very hot in
 PG> Arizona, and I would like the opportunity vie for SOME of those
 PG> parking spaces with the handicapped. It doesn't seem fair. Another
 PG> thing that seems unfair is when they put so many handicapped spaces.
 PG> One time recently I noticed that all the shaded spots at the local
 PG> building materials store were handicapped. I wondered just what
 PG> percentage of their clientele is handicapped! While it is not
 PG> impossible for a handicapped person to need building materials, most
 PG> of what they sell is beyond MY capacity to use, physically, and I
 PG> don't qualify to use one of the spaces! My own view is that if four
 PG> spaces are ROUTINELY empty, the supply is greater than the demand.
 PG> Of course, I usually shop when the store is less busy, so who am I
 PG> to talk? <grin>
 PG>  The point of all this is that I am glad you made those papers.
 PG> More power to you.
 PG>  Now I just wish they'd make parking spaces for people with very
 PG> young children, so they don't have to carry them so far, or so the
 PG> youngsters can get into the store
 PG> without having to cross the parking lot.

Pat,

At first glance of your message, I was seething and was ready to
deck you for your little whimpering plea for fairness.  How FAIR is
it for someone to have a physical condition which makes them NEED
those spaces?  Would you like to make a pact with the devil so that
we could trade places and you could use my electric wheelchair and
those spaces?  I'll readily walk through some heat, however slow!
I want to walk again, period.

As for shaded spots, where else would you locate handicap spaces.
If a business were to meet accessibility requirements, wouldn't it
follow that the accessible spaces would be next to the building?

As for numbers of spaces, they probably have so many handicap
spaces so that there'll be enough for the physically handicapped
(who need them) and the morally handicapped (who don't need them,
but don't care about anyone except themselves!)  I know from
personal experience that this method for deciding numbers of spaces
is needed here.

But then I read your post again and realized that I'd probably
missed your intent.  I'm jumping into a discussion that I haven't
been following.  I hope that I have misread your intentions and, if
so, I'm sorry and as the late Emily Latella would say,
"Nevermind!"  If you intended your message as I've read it, you
should rethink your attitude.

But stop whining; it doesn't become you.  And don't judge the
abilities of others based on your own; people are surprisingly
resourceful if the spirit and desire are strong enough! <grin>

I feel better now.  I hope you don't feel worse.

Take care,

Curt

--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!360!1.13!Curtis.Oglesby
Internet: Curtis.Oglesby@p13.f1.n360.z1.fidonet.org

Pat.Goltz@f3.n300.z1.fidonet.org (Pat Goltz) (01/10/90)

Index Number: 6169

I assiduously leave the handicapped spaces empty. But there are times 
when I find the heat debilitating. I once was sufficiently unable to walk 
that I could have gotten a permit. I didn't for two reasons. One was that 
I didn't think I'd need it forever, and I didn't want the temptation of 
being eligible to use them when I didn't need them, and the other, more 
important one, was that I wanted to vote for the positive side of things, 
the attitude that I WAS going to overcome my problem, and so I felt that 
getting a permit would be looking on the negative side.
  Of course, I understand what you are getting at. I think the thing 
people need to realize that there are lots of different kinds of 
problems, and not all of them make a person technically eligible to use 
those spaces. I don't object to the spaces being next to the building, 
but I think that it is appropriate to place SOME of them in such a way 
that some abled parking will be left in the shade. It sometimes gets as 
hot as 118 here in the shade, you see. So there is a valid reason for 
concern here. I'm not trying to object to you getting a little 
compensation for the great loss you have suffered; I'm just telling you 
that there are other problems that no one recognizes.
  Pat

--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!300!3!Pat.Goltz
Internet: Pat.Goltz@f3.n300.z1.fidonet.org

Neal.Griggs@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Neal Griggs) (01/12/90)

Index Number: 6216

I agree with you about the parking stickers.  My wife is blind and has a dog
and we BOTH have talked about getting a parking permit but since I am not
disabled and she is capable of motivating on her own (and sometimes needs to
heheheh), I have decided not to get one at the present.  If things change later
I may but won't unless things get real bad.

BUT....I won't hesitate for one moment to leave a note or reminder on someones
car that DOESN'T have one or DOESN'T have a license tag!!!  I have a friend
that has leg braces and walks with great deficulity and his main gripe is with
the ones that either park and run in supposedly for only a minute or those that
drop off someone and then sit in their car in a marked space!!!  Talk about
inconsiderate!!!

Okay okay...I'll get off my soap box now....(grin)  I just had to comment
though.

Neal

--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89!Neal.Griggs
Internet: Neal.Griggs@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org