crosswalks & handicapped spaces

[An Haddock]

This is sort of a two-parter.

For as long as I've been working in this computer store, I have seen trucks delivering to the local convenience store chain who park in the handicapped spot across the street from us.

The layout is as such: we're on the main street in town. On our side of the street are regular metered parking spots.

On the other side of the street, about half a block from us, is the convenience store. It has it's own parking lot (perhaps 24 spaces or so) and a number of metered spaces that run along the main street. The municipal building for the town is directly next to the convenience store. In front of the municipal building is the last metered spot for that side of the street, followed by a handicapped spot and then the rest of the block is yellow line. (meaning you can't park along there)

Anyway, as long as I've worked here, 90% of the trucks who deliver foodstuffs to the convenience store consistently park in the metered spots without paying the meters, the handicapped spot and have never been ticketed, and the yellow line portion, also without being ticketed. I can only imagine that the town is turning a blind eye to this, but if one wanted to pursue the matter, would the police even do anything about it? Regardless of if they're delivering or not, are they not breaking the law by using the handicapped spot at their whim?


One of my biggest pet peeves is the local crosswalk. Now, I just read in the local paper that a number of cities, including our own, is going to be ticketing people who don't stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk. (not a controlled intersection with lights, mind you, just a regular crosswalk with no lights) I'm actually rather thrilled at this, as our town relies quite a bit on out-of-towners coming here for our restaurants... and they sure as hell do not want to get hit by an idiot who can't be bothered to stop or even slow down for them. I've seen other stories here that mirror my own sightings... like when one lane stops for a pedestrian and the other lane just keeps going. I mean... REALLY? The oncoming traffic is stopped, there's one or more people crossing the street and you just keep going?

In the crosswalk not 100 feet from our window I know for a fact at least one person was hit about 5 years ago. I shudder to think of any other innocent pedestrians who may have gotten clipped as well. And we have people walking their dogs, people with children in strollers... god, I don't even want to think about what *could* happen.

So the local police will be stepping up ticketing people who don't stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. I'm considering setting up a lawn chair so I can sit, relax, and enjoy a drink while pointing and laughing at whoever they ensnare.


Anyone have any crosswalk sightings they'd like to share? Or anyone have any handicapped spot stories?

[LillFilly]

The crosswalk in front of one of our stores is heavily used, but the road is too and people constantly fly-by at 45 in a 5 mph zone. I can ticket for parking, but not for speeding; have to call the police and get them for reckless driving. But on the flip side many people just walk out of the store with their heads down, looking at their phones, or leading little kids and go right into the road without looking, then look-up and start with surprise that there's a car stopping in front of them! Like the car is in a place it's not supposed to be.

We don't have a problem with vehicles in the fire lane as long as they are loading or unloading and don't dawdle. It's the people who sit there for 20 min 'waiting for someone' we usually move along.

People will also sit in handicap spots while they wait; I ask them to see their handicap card and if they don't have one they have to move. They usually bitch and moan; same goes for the people I move out of the fire lane. Cause you know, I'm just a 'F-ing mall cop' and obviously have NO authority over them!

I do not tolerate people driving recklessly on my property (or handicap spot abusers), for the sake of people and wildlife. Guess It makes me a bitch, but hey, they can take and extra 5 seconds and slow down. Though, I understand some of the higher-power performance cars make speed deceiving; 20 really doesn't feel like you're moving at all, so I'm sure half the speeders just aren't watching the dash.

I do have some handicap stories: Like the woman who gave me back the ticket and I had to bargin with her to take it (trying to save her court costs); she would only take it after preaching to me and giving me a religious panphlet. Another person told me I 'would get what I deserve' for asking her to move out of the spot she was sitting in (she wasn't handicapped); I could have called the police for her threatening me, so she was lucky!

[EricKei]

I can maybe see that a store might choose to "reserve" the YELLOW lines for deliveries, actually telling the trucks to park there; but there is absolutely NO excuse to park in HC spots when you don't actually need them >_<

I hope they do get a ticket for that someday.

[PepperElf]

I've seen other stories here that mirror my own sightings... like when one lane stops for a pedestrian and the other lane just keeps going.

Sometimes it's pretty gross.

The drivers at the Pearl Harbor base usually speed and don't pay attention.
One car stopped, the other plowed through a shipmate - compound fracture in each leg.

[Canarr]

I can only imagine that the town is turning a blind eye to this, but if one wanted to pursue the matter, would the police even do anything about it? Regardless of if they're delivering or not, are they not breaking the law by using the handicapped spot at their whim?

In Germany, the municipal authorities have a certain amount of leeway in pursuing parking offences on their own; meaning, they can decide when and where they send their people, and with which instructions.

However, when a citizen calls in a complaint - about, say, someone parking where parking is not allowed - the city is required to send someone to check it and, if applicable, ticket it. Might be the same where you live.

[TheSHAD0W]

When a building isn't designed with a receiving area, disabled parking is almost always going to take a hit simply because they're closest to the doors. Buildings that are a few decades old may not have been designed with disabled parking in mind, leaving no choice in the matter.

[wagegoth]

My current morning bus driver expects people in crosswalks to get out of his way. He scares me; he definitely has anger issues. He nearly ran over one of the people I work with a few weeks ago, then the same thing with a young woman about a week later. Last week, someone didn't feed their change properly and it got jammed up. He pulled out a jackknife with a 4" blade to clear the coins.

[Primer]

Back in the early '80's I worked for a large vending machine company, and one of our drivers was constantly getting ticketed for illegal parking while servicing machines at...the County Court House! Gee, all those cops in and out of there all day long and you think you're NOT gonna get a parking ticket?? Yes, he had to pay them all himself. Too bad they were on company trucks!

[El Pollo Guerrera]

Once, last year, I was almost hit by three different vehicles at ONE crosswalk.

Allow me to illustrate (crudely)...

___]___[
___]1__[bank____
________2_3
______________
___]___[me (walking up to the bank)
___]___[

#1) I start across the road and a woman driving a HUGE black pickup and talking on her cellphone makes a left turn and misses my by about a foot. As she drives away she looks back at me and mouths the words "I'm sorry!"...

#2) I keep walking and a car going from my right to left screeches to a stop halfway in the crosswalk, nearly taking out my kneecaps.

#3) A car behind #2 decides not to wait and plows through, turning right at the corner, not stopping and nearly taking my foot with him.

When I got into the bank I had to sit down for a minute.

[mikoyan29]

I always stop for the crosswalks if I see people at them or in them. One of these days, I'm probably going to get rear-ended. But then I also stop at lights that are out (they are supposed to be four way stops here in that case) and I stop at yield signs when there is oncoming traffic.

[An Haddock]

I can maybe see that a store might choose to "reserve" the YELLOW lines for deliveries, actually telling the trucks to park there; but there is absolutely NO excuse to park in HC spots when you don't actually need them >_<

I hope they do get a ticket for that someday.

I know there are a couple of people in our region who basically crusade against people who illegally park in handicapped spots. They take photos of their cars, of the drivers, and get them ticketed. There was a football star who was ticketed about a year ago because of one of the crusaders. I figure it's only a matter of time before someone sees the delivery trucks covering the handicapped spot and raises cain. I can see them using the yellow line portion of the street, but when they infringe on the handicapped space (which they do, regularly. ) then I take offense.

[An Haddock]

In Germany, the municipal authorities have a certain amount of leeway in pursuing parking offences on their own; meaning, they can decide when and where they send their people, and with which instructions.

However, when a citizen calls in a complaint - about, say, someone parking where parking is not allowed - the city is required to send someone to check it and, if applicable, ticket it. Might be the same where you live.

I would be more vocal, but I don't want to cause problems for the store. This is a small town, relatively, and everyone talks to everyone. I don't want the store to get in trouble because I phoned the police about a delivery truck parking where they shouldn't. Most of the police know me just from my having worked here for a few years. (and I've worked on computers for at least three of the police officers in my tenure)

Now, if I see the delivery truck parked in the handicapped spot and I have a customer in the store, what I might is point it out, mention how illegal it is, and encourage the customer to phone the police. That way they see I care about handicapped people, the customer initiates the phone call, and justice (hopefully) will be served.

[An Haddock]

#2) I keep walking and a car going from my right to left screeches to a stop halfway in the crosswalk, nearly taking out my kneecaps.

#3) A car behind #2 decides not to wait and plows through, turning right at the corner, not stopping and nearly taking my foot with him.

When I got into the bank I had to sit down for a minute.

Jesus. I imagine you didn't have your wits about you after that, but did you try phoning the police about any of them?

I'll bet drive #2 probably gave you dirty looks because YOU made him stop and take time out of his day, right?

[telecom_goddess]

Don't get me started on the crosswalk thing....I have to cross one major/busy street when I leave my building after work, to get to the Max station. This has no signal per se but it does have an obvious crosswalk and a signal flasher you can push to warn cars a pedestrian is coming. EVERY SINGLE AFTERNOON there is at least one or two jackoffs who don't bother to slow down let alone stop. If I wasn't so paranoid about getting hit, and watched for them before I step out there, I would have been killed long ago.

WTF is wrong with people? Are they SOOOOO important that they can't be bothered to stop for a lowly pedestrian?

[El Pollo Guerrera]

Jesus. I imagine you didn't have your wits about you after that, but did you try phoning the police about any of them?

No, and I know that I should have... but it happened so quickly that I didn't get any real details like plate numbers, car descriptions, etc. (Since then I have been trying to be a little more conscious of details like that... )

I'll bet drive #2 probably gave you dirty looks because YOU made him stop and take time out of his day, right?

You know it... and that's probably the motivation for #3, too.