Woman sues over $300 ticket for parking in handicapped spot

The Salem News ^ | 6/4/10 | The Salem News

[Dayman]

DANVERS — A Lynnfield woman who was slapped with a $300 ticket for parking her Mercedes in a handicapped space outside BJ's Wholesale Club last March is taking the town of Danvers to court.

In her complaint, Eberle called her use of a handicapped spot "unavoidable," then cited "physical disability and weather conditions."

It was raining that day.

[wbill]

LOL on the Food Lion. I go there occasionally....That seems to be where I see it happen the most.

I go to Harris Teeter too - see Fire Lane Parking there occasionally (usu. when raining). But, Food Lion is by far the worst. :-)

People are the same, no matter where you go.

[Judith Anne]

The symbol is of someone in a wheelchair, if you don’t need one you shouldn’t be parking there.

What about a cane? Can a person with a cane use the spot?

[seamusnh]

She doesn’t look disabled:
http://jalopnik.com/5558342/

I like this tweet:
http://twitter.com/OctaneBoy/status/15861321401

For those not familiar with the area, Lynnfield is one of the nicer suburbs north of Boston. The beautiful people. Her other car in the garage is an Infiniti G35, a nice complement to the Mercedes SUV... I wonder if Al Gore knows about her carbon footprint?

[rideharddiefast]

Not every disability requires a wheelchair.

And not everybody who wants to use a wheelchair actually has a disability,{except a mental disability) many are just too fat and lazy. using the wheelchair when it was not needed is what made them fat. not most, but some.

[IYAS9YAS]

I asked her if her mother knew she talked like that, she went in the store carrying on like a loon. I just chuckled, oh she was of the privileged class.

I've ventilated tires for less. Nothing permanent, just removed the valve stem cap and wedge something into the valve. You can do it while pretending to tie your shoes. The tire can be reinflated, but the ego deflation is the best part of it.

[dfwgator]

“I have nothing against handicapped people, heck, if it wasn’t for them, I’d never find a decent parking space.” - Gallagher

[magslinger]

In MI it is by local community. The store I mentioned is the Meijer's in the People's Republic of Okemos. I avoid that store like the plague. I avoid the rest of PRO, too, for that matter.

I don't have a handicap sticker, but could if I wanted one. My good days far exceed my bad days and as long as that remains so, I won't get one. There are days when not having to walk an extra thirty feet each way would be a very good thing, and walking past a large number of largely vacant handicap spots irritates me no end.

[FreedomPoster]

And I bet this BJ’s spot was extraordinarily well and properly marked (I know the ones at my Costco are), and that this wench well-deserved the ticket.

[kevslisababy]

I think we should all get handicap parking stickers, then nobody would get special treatment. Wouldn’t that be a laugh!

[Hulka]

Handicapped people want to be treated just like everyone else. . .that “they” can do everything everyone else can do. . .except when it comes to parking spaces.

[Boonie]

I am a recent amputee (AKA) I have begun paying closer attention to the handicapped parking spaces...The rear view mirror hanging handicapped signs are numerous and can be obtained with a doctor’s order from our state (NC). I have noticed a lot of people using these are NOT handicapped in any visible form...Quite a few are young (25-45) and get around as well as anyone.

Now, I am going to be accused of being racist but so be it...Probably 75-80% of the tags I see are in cars being driven by blacks...It makes me wonder if their doctor isn’t just handing these out to them for their convenience???

[Boonie]

I resent your remarks, sir...Greatly !!!!

[Hulka]

Withdrawn.

[TSgt]

Not every disability requires a wheelchair.

No but not every disability requires the use of a handicapped spot either. Did you walk in the store or use a wheelchair?

Get over yourself.

[Boonie]

Thank you...

[magslinger]

It doesn't sound like she is the good guy, but I am still not dismissing the possibility that the city requires way too many spots. That would make this a red on red or enemy fratricidal fire incident.

On that thought, excuse me while I make popcorn.

[wbill]

I'm in NC, too. Where I am, it's a status symbol-type thing.

Although, it might just be a function of where I shop, but most of the "offenders" that I see are young (16-34), white, and female.

I'll grant that there are hidden handicaps - as detailed on this thread - but, my general experience is that those with difficulties don't bounce out of their cars and dash into the store. They also don't just have a handicap on rainy days, either.

[antiRepublicrat]

The symbol is of someone in a wheelchair, if you don’t need one you shouldn’t be parking there.

There's a guy around here with a Purple Heart license plate and a handicap mirror hanger. He can walk, not well though. But he doesn't quite need a wheelchair. I'd pull out of a regular parking space to let him in if the handicap ones were filled.

Only half-joking, a good punishment for perfectly able people who park there would be to make them eligible to park there.

Most don’t need them and many are just fat and lazy.

Now that I've noticed mostly applies to the electric scooters at Wal-Mart. I'd say at least half the time someone's riding it because she has a bad case of fatandlazyitis.

[palmer]

I've ventilated tires for less.

In our park and ride there is "reserved" parking that I didn't know about (it's shaded from summer sun). When I got back one day last summer, my driver's side mirror was folded back (has a hinge for that purpose). No damage, just a subtle message.

[Boonie]

I agree...I have had my prosthetic for about 6 weeks and am learning to use it quite well...It IS nice to not have to walk very far to get into where I need to go...It is a chore to get into and out of my vehicle, which I also had to have a left foot accelorator installed...I don’t get bent out of shape when I see someone in a handicapped space that looks like they don’t need it and I will walk a little further if need be....but...