To "snitch", or not to "snitch"? Handicap parking. - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Zerohour3k · #1 03-21-2007, 08:34 AM

Okay, here's something that's been on my mind for the last five months.. and it's quickly coming down to the point where I want to do *something* about it.

I live in an apartment complex. Not glorious, I know.. but sometimes it's an essential evil, especially in New Jersey where property tax is astronomical. They recently re-paved the parking lots of my complex, and stuck handicap spots on all four corners (since this is where they ramps are for the sidewalks). Pissed me off a little, since I just so happened to HAVE an apartment near one of the corners.. but oh well, there's plenty of other spots. Parking in these lots are "first come, first serve".. and there's no assigned places.

The complex is pretty nice, aside from the low-low-low income neighbors that recently moved in, cause a ruckus at 1 in the morning, and have about 8 people crammed in a 1 bedroom apartment.. but hey, aside from the noise, thats not my business. The issue I have? People parking in the handicapped spots who quite obviously aren't handicapped / are just too damn lazy to park further down and walk to their apartment like the rest of us.

Examples? The low income people next door.. they have two cars among the 8-9 of them. The minivan has one of those red "temporary" handicapped tags.. the kind you get when you're disabled for a few months, but not permanently. Well, they seem to enjoy parking in that spot.. and more often than not, they don't even stick that window-hanger in the windshield. I've seen them get out of the car, and they literally will hop, skip, and jump to the doorway. Not a single person in the car is by any means "disabled", so I can only assume that this is an expired tag that they're just using to park there. It urks me, but whatever.. as long as they have SOMETHING in the window, I'm fine with it, I suppose.

Then you have the others.. The ones with no tags at all. The guy with the brand new beamer who parks there when the "good" spots are taken. The idiot with the Prius who thinks that "handicapped" means "priority parking for hybrids", and the countless people who park there just to "run in to get something", leave the car running for five minutes, and then turn it off and leave it parked there for the night. The question I have to all of you is:
"Would it be wrong of me to start calling the local PD on these people, and getting them ticketed / towed?". I don't want to start causing a problem in the place that I live, but if I need to walk the extra 30 feet in the rain.. everybody else needs to follow the same rules.

Opinions?

dannym · #2 03-21-2007, 08:39 AM

I would start with the property manager before going to the police.

I know, that sort of stuff just gets me fired up.

Danny

Dee8go · #3 03-21-2007, 08:46 AM

Yeah, I'd report 'em. I'd do it for all the wrong reasons, though. If I were you and they weren't being a nuisance, I'd be inclined to ignore them. It seems like they're asking for it to me.

Hammertime · #4 03-21-2007, 08:52 AM

don't waste the PD's time...but perhaps a little call to the code enforcement office inquiring if what you saw is legal is better. In some developments behind gates the roads within the community are private property and do not really fall into the Police's area of patrol.

I lived in Miami a while back and had a similar situation, inside the community there were different laws that apply to the residents only. Example... I have a friend with a few limos...he came by and left the car outside my home, not blocking access at all. He was over for lunch...after a few hours one of these "community commandos" as I call them felt it was his duty to put a big ol sticker on the windshield. This was not an apartment, these were townhome villas and he was in front of our home...

I was incenced at the action and inquired with the police about the action because the car was not left overnight, it was about an hour or so...Police notified me that because the property has it's own charter, the police could NOT interfere unless it was something like blocking a fire hydrant OR parking in handicap spaces..you may want to look into this...

Eventually I had reached my limits with these restrictions within the community and decided to move to another area and even now I have some rules and reg's to follow in my community. The people are a little more lax here and if anything were ever to arise my neighbors would just ring my doorbell and chat me up first...

Zerohour3k · #5 03-21-2007, 08:53 AM

I can understand (uh, kinda), if it happened once in a while. You know, maybe it was an ice storm, the lines in the lot were "painted over" with snow, and everybody took up a spot and a half? Maybe then, when there's literally no spots left.. I'd make an exception.

The other issue I have, is with this guy that I lovingly nicknamed "the junk man". He owns three trucks, only one of them he actually drives. The other two have plates, but out of date inspections and registrations, and literally just SIT in the parking lot, taking up two spots. He fills the entire truck from drivers-seat to enclosed bed with, well.. junk. Used chairs, kids toys, old x-mas trees, just about everything you can think of. All three trucks are filled with this, and quite honestly I dont know what the hell the guy is doing with it. The issue? His "On-site storage solution" is taking up two extra spots, which doesn't exactly help the issue at all.

I'm not going to bother with the management.. they really don't seem to care at all. Used to have an old 70's MG Midget that didn't run, and was taking up a space for 4 years in the lot. Multiple people complained and were assured that it would be towed. The only reason it ever got towed, was because they were re-paving. Had it not been for that, the thing would probably still be sitting there. I just hate calling the police for stuff like this... although I did call them a year ago for something similar...

Last year a guy who felt he was special and didn't have to walk, decided to park in front of the mailboxes and fire hydrant. Worse yet, there were spots no more than fifteen feet away, but he wanted to park in the middle of the isle, right in front of the "NO PARKING" sign. I was in a particularly bad mood that night, and he ended up getting his car towed. Bet his face was red in the morning.

SwampYankee · #6 03-21-2007, 09:24 AM

Hell with 'em, nark them out.

What bothers me is that apparently obesity is a legit condition to obtain a Handicap Permit in CT.

What pisses me off even more are the apparent spouses who are obviously not the handicapped ones using the parking spots for their own use. I was at at the supermarket twice last week and both times there was a younger lady with two kids in a minivan that parked in the first handicapped spot. I remember them only because I was thinking what a misuse of the permit the first time I saw her parking there. The fact that there was a NY Yankee sticker on the tailgate probably isn't an insignificant factor.

raymr · #7 03-21-2007, 09:34 AM

Start with the property manager. Maybe they haven't taken action because nobody has complained. I'm sure the complex has rules regarding number of cars per household, and abandoned vehicles as well.

Dee8go · #8 03-21-2007, 09:51 AM

I always shake my head when I go to Home Depot and nearly every parking space within 50-75' of the door is handicapped. I mean, really! Are there THAT many handicapped people doing home repairs? Does this strike anyone else as odd?

PaulC · #9 03-21-2007, 09:54 AM

Why make a federal case out of it? Just set fire to the van.

rebreath · #10 03-21-2007, 10:05 AM

obviously they are all psychologically handicapped.that particular lack of common courtesy must be one right.
what is even more funny is that these are the same people that if they were actually handicapped and could not park in that spot they would be the first to call the tow truck on someone else.selfish simps!

Stoneseller · #11 03-21-2007, 10:22 AM

Take pictures. Lots of them. If your camera has the feature, imbed time & date into the pictures. Bring the pics to the resident management contact and tell him / her you want action. Also mail copies to the resident managers superior, along with the date you first contacted resident manager. If no action is taken within a few weeks, keep contacting a higher authority in the management company.

Perhaps even send pics to a local news media person, like a small paper or TV station. Where I live one TV news group has what they call "Seven on your side", they run stories on stuff like this all the time.

al76slc · #12 03-21-2007, 10:22 AM

Moot to me. I park as far away from other cars as possible.

My impression is that the ones who park closest for their convenience will also be the ones who'll bash your doors, since they don't care about anyone else.

Zerohour3k · #13 03-21-2007, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dee8go

I always shake my head when I go to Home Depot and nearly every parking space within 50-75' of the door is handicapped. I mean, really! Are there THAT many handicapped people doing home repairs? Does this strike anyone else as odd?

That kinda confuses me, too. I can understand a store having 2-4 parking spots reserved for Handicrap. But some of my favorite restaurants, diners, stores, and even Lowes / Home Depot seems to have the first 15 spots all Handicapped. Either the state is giving out way too many handicapped tags, or people are just downright clusmy and defective these days, because I fail to see the reason behind this many spots.

Also, in reference to another comment... obesity is apparently a valid reason for a handicap plate in NJ, too. Personally, I say that genetic or not, there SHOULD be reserved parking for fatness.... in the back of the lot. If anybody needs more exercise, it's these people.. not *less* effort. I also think that depending on the condition.. some people shouldn't have licenses, let alone a handicapped tag. A person with crippling arthritis shouldn't be driving, for example. If they have poor reflexes and bad joints... can they really be effective at hitting the brake in an emergency, swerving for an obstacle, or even reaching for the blinker? At the same time, does someone wheelchair-bound need a tag for whoever's car they ride in? They aren't walking to the door to begin with, and it takes the same effort to get loaded into their chair no matter where they park.. so why do they need a tag?

I may be bitter against the sheer number of handicapped spots, but I know one thing: I'm not allowed to park there, and neither are the other people without tags. Sucks that I need to walk an extra 30 seconds, but it's a heck of a lot better than having a missing limb, blindness, or some other crippling disease. They don't need a zillion spots, but the spots that they *DO* have simply aren't for the rest of us. Sorry for the rant, but this has always been a topic that ticks me off.

Dee8go · #14 03-21-2007, 12:15 PM

Amen, brother! Yeah a little exercise wouldn't hurt some folks.

Dee8go · #15 03-21-2007, 12:16 PM

Actually, I liked Paul's suggestion. Who's bringing the marshmellows . . . ?