Parking - in the new day an age - Rant

[turbo36]

So I have severe stenosis of L3/L5 and I am scheduled for surgery in about four weeks. I have good days and bad days. On a good day and I can pretty much do all the walking I need to when I get to the big box stores within reason, on a bad day I’m lucky to walk 100 feet before I have to sit down because the pain is so great. I have a handicap placard that I only use on the days that walking is extremely difficult. I have a choice of vehicles to drive, sometimes it is easier for me to drive my Porsche 911 because I can “fall into the seat” and then push myself up when I get out, it’s much harder for me to climb into my F150 on these days. I sure do get looks from people when I drive the 911 though. I just bought a Porsche Cayenne because the seating is pretty neutral, a good compromise..

 

[MossRoad]

My mother in-law who had the liver transplant and can't walk very far before she's winded, also has had a partial and then complete hip replacement. She has extreme pain and wobbles all to heck as well. She actually prefers we pick her up in the Suburban VS our car as she can just lean her butt into the car and swivel over VS falling down into the seat of the car and having to lift herself out.

She used to drive a Toyota Sienna mini van because of ease of entrance, and she just bought a Buick Encore because it sits higher.

The same thing went for my late father in-law. They both preferred the higher vehicles like vans and SUV's VS cars for the ease of sliding in VS dropping in.

 

[Jstpssng]

My mother in-law who had the liver transplant and can't walk very far before she's winded, also has had a partial and then complete hip replacement. She has extreme pain and wobbles all to heck as well. She actually prefers we pick her up in the Suburban VS our car as she can just lean her butt into the car and swivel over VS falling down into the seat of the car and having to lift herself out.

She used to drive a Toyota Sienna mini van because of ease of entrance, and she just bought a Buick Encore because it sits higher.

The same thing went for my late father in-law. They both preferred the higher vehicles like vans and SUV's VS cars for the ease of sliding in VS dropping in.

I believe that's a big reason truck based vehicles are so popular. "The powers that be" want us to drive smaller cars, yet they are nowhere near as comfortable. I spend several hours every day behind the wheel, and even with my Colorado have to be careful or I will end up with back issues.

 

[MossRoad]

I believe that's a big reason truck based vehicles are so popular. "The powers that be" want us to drive smaller cars, yet they are nowhere near as comfortable. I spend several hours every day behind the wheel, and even with my Colorado have to be careful or I will end up with back issues.

Our 2003 Suburban is sooooooo comfortable! It's just right.

 

[tradosaurus]

Capable of walking isn't the standard of who gets a handicap placard in any state. In Tennessee the qualifications are

• are confined to a wheelchair.
• walk with difficulty or uncertainty.
• have 20/200 vision or worse with corrective lenses.

In other states, it is even more broad. If you have a problem with that, then you can lobby your state legislator to increase the restrictions.

Just because you can get a handicapped placard doesn't mean you should. Based on my limited observation at work and at stores probably 80% shouldn't park in handicapped spots.

If you aren't using a cane or in a wheelchair you don't need the placard.

 

[Jstpssng]

Just because you can get a handicapped placard doesn't mean you should. Based on my limited observation at work and at stores probably 80% shouldn't park in handicapped spots.

If you aren't using a cane or in a wheelchair you don't need the placard.

There are many people with heart and/or respiratory issues who would disagree with you.

 

[SgtSluggo]

Should a person with 20/200 vision be driving? If that qualifies them for a handicap parking spot shouldn't it also prohibit them from driving?? That's funny right there!!!!

People with 20/200 vision can train to use assistive devices that allow them to see appropriately while driving. These devices can look a lot like the magnification loops you see surgeons wearing. They can correct their vision to 20/60 or 20/40 (legal to drive in most states). They might have a license that only allows daytime driving. However, these devices are impractical for constant use so they become borderline (or actually) legally blind once they take them off. The handicap placard allows them to park closer so they don't have to unsafely cross a large parking lot. Without these bioptic corrective devices they would qualify to have whoever was their guardian/driver (parent or spouse) have a placard since they would be legally blind and permanently disabled.

Just because you can get a handicapped placard doesn't mean you should. Based on my limited observation at work and at stores probably 80% shouldn't park in handicapped spots.

If you aren't using a cane or in a wheelchair you don't need the placard.

Your observation and opinion disagree with the majority of opinion by both the legislators who designed those laws and the medical professionals who attest to these disabilities. As someone who has been covered by ADA protections nearly my whole life (though not in a way that affects my mobility) who has heard "well, you don't look disabled," the idea that you get to be some arbiter of who is "disabled enough" kind of ticks me off. Just feel blessed that you don't have any issues walking in from the back of the parking lot.

 

[sandman2234]

I read the first page, and decided I didn't want to read the rest. I drive a tractor trailer for a living and parking is one of my biggest issues. I would have probably hung up my CDL last year, but they gave me a 35% raise to keep drivers. The people complaining about a parking space have no idea of what it would take to park a tractor trailer for overnight parking. Go take a look at the nearest truck stop or rest area after 8pm anywhere in this country!
Adding parking places enough so drivers could actually park when they ran out of hours instead of spending 2 hours looking for parking places would decrease the cost of the shipment by a huge amount! Yet everyone complains about the raising cost of things at the grocery store!
David from jax

 

[turnkey4099]

I pulled into the local grocery store for the morning coffee call. Amazing, A big Dodge suberban type towing a trailer had managed to block FOUR spots by angling in. He only needed two straight in.

In 2005 it was time to buy a new car. We were both retired so I didn't want the usual 4 door sedan as the entry was basically 'crawl down into a hole' On a windy day I took a minivan out for a test drive - nope, not for me -the wind had it all oveer the highway. Then came to the Ford lot. That was the car for me. Ford 500 built on a Volvo chassis. Sat up higher that regular cars and lower than a minivan. Basically back up, sit down,l and swivel feet in. They only built that a few years

 

[bigtiller]

If a car is ever made again with swiveling seats, I will buy one.

My buddy had one back in the 70's. Chevy Monte Carlo? His older relatives liked it.

 

[MossRoad]

If a car is ever made again with swiveling seats, I will buy one.

My buddy had one back in the 70's. Chevy Monte Carlo? His older relatives liked it.

The people that lived across the street from us had a later 70s malibu classic that had swivel bucket seats. They were neat.

 

[Oaktree]

If a car is ever made again with swiveling seats, I will buy one.

My buddy had one back in the 70's. Chevy Monte Carlo? His older relatives liked it.

I want to say it would have been a late 50s/early 60s Ford product maybe?
Not sure how a swiveling seat would make it any easier to get in or out though, especially on a modern vehicle with a low roofline. The side airbags above the door cut a good couple inches of headroom getting in and out, even on a tall vehicle like an SUV. Getting your legs in/out gets to be a problem with the cramped driving positions in today's vehicles.

 

[ovrszd]

People with 20/200 vision can train to use assistive devices that allow them to see appropriately while driving. These devices can look a lot like the magnification loops you see surgeons wearing. They can correct their vision to 20/60 or 20/40 (legal to drive in most states). They might have a license that only allows daytime driving. However, these devices are impractical for constant use so they become borderline (or actually) legally blind once they take them off. The handicap placard allows them to park closer so they don't have to unsafely cross a large parking lot. Without these bioptic corrective devices they would qualify to have whoever was their guardian/driver (parent or spouse) have a placard since they would be legally blind and permanently disabled.


Your observation and opinion disagree with the majority of opinion by both the legislators who designed those laws and the medical professionals who attest to these disabilities. As someone who has been covered by ADA protections nearly my whole life (though not in a way that affects my mobility) who has heard "well, you don't look disabled," the idea that you get to be some arbiter of who is "disabled enough" kind of ticks me off. Just feel blessed that you don't have any issues walking in from the back of the parking lot.

Again I ask, should a person that needs such assistance to see, which makes walking across a parking lot, be allowed to drive? They can safely see to drive but can't navigate a parking lot?

It's a deep hole you are digging.

 

[SgtSluggo]

Again I ask, should a person that needs such assistance to see, which makes walking across a parking lot, be allowed to drive? They can safely see to drive but can't navigate a parking lot?

It's a deep hole you are digging.

It's not a deep hole. It's a misunderstanding on your part. For more than 30 years there have been laws allowing those with significant vision impairment to use assistive devices to drive. Many states require specific certification and training to use these devices. These assistive devices aren't as practical to use all the time, so they aren't worn when they aren't driving. I don't think this is common so I doubt it's clogging handicap spaces.

I am sure that these people would love to either have someone to drive them around all the time or be able to have all the time correction of their vision, but neither of those is possible for everyone. Hopefully, permanent correction will be available for more people eventually.

What are you proposing? That these people shouldn't be able to get a driver's license or that they shouldn't be able to get a handicap placard? Again, if you have a problem with the laws, you can work to change them. Otherwise, I am just explaining the way it works.

 

[ovrszd]

It's not a deep hole. It's a misunderstanding on your part. For more than 30 years there have been laws allowing those with significant vision impairment to use assistive devices to drive. Many states require specific certification and training to use these devices. These assistive devices aren't as practical to use all the time, so they aren't worn when they aren't driving. I don't think this is common so I doubt it's clogging handicap spaces.

I am sure that these people would love to either have someone to drive them around all the time or be able to have all the time correction of their vision, but neither of those is possible for everyone. Hopefully, permanent correction will be available for more people eventually.

What are you proposing? That these people shouldn't be able to get a driver's license or that they shouldn't be able to get a handicap placard? Again, if you have a problem with the laws, you can work to change them. Otherwise, I am just explaining the way it works.

And I appreciate your explanations.

I am simply saying someone that has vision that impairs their ability to navigate a parking lot probably should not be coming down the road toward me driving a vehicle.

 

[cqaigy2]

I park a fair distance away from the entrance, i get exercise and people that can't make that distance, can park closer. I'll keep doing it while i can still walk that far.

 

[Jstpssng]

I park a fair distance away from the entrance, i get exercise and people that can't make that distance, can park closer. I'll keep doing it while i can still walk that far.

That seems to be the consensus here. It also is indicitive of an attitude which just might keep us a bit healthier.

 

[tradosaurus]

People with 20/200 vision can train to use assistive devices that allow them to see appropriately while driving. These devices can look a lot like the magnification loops you see surgeons wearing. They can correct their vision to 20/60 or 20/40 (legal to drive in most states). They might have a license that only allows daytime driving. However, these devices are impractical for constant use so they become borderline (or actually) legally blind once they take them off. The handicap placard allows them to park closer so they don't have to unsafely cross a large parking lot. Without these bioptic corrective devices they would qualify to have whoever was their guardian/driver (parent or spouse) have a placard since they would be legally blind and permanently disabled.


Your observation and opinion disagree with the majority of opinion by both the legislators who designed those laws and the medical professionals who attest to these disabilities. As someone who has been covered by ADA protections nearly my whole life (though not in a way that affects my mobility) who has heard "well, you don't look disabled," the idea that you get to be some arbiter of who is "disabled enough" kind of ticks me off. Just feel blessed that you don't have any issues walking in from the back of the parking lot.

I could give a rats behind about legislators and doctors. They are not infallible and usually are wrong on a few issues.

So if your mobility is not impaired why would you apply for a handicapped placard? Because you can?

 

[ovrszd]

I park a fair distance away from the entrance, i get exercise and people that can't make that distance, can park closer. I'll keep doing it while i can still walk that far.

This thought goes thru my mind every time I enter a parking lot. Every time.

 

[Jstpssng]

I could give a rats behind about legislators and doctors. They are not infallible and usually are wrong on a few issues.

So if your mobility is not impaired why would you apply for a handicapped placard? Because you can?

Because they can't see without the vision assistance in the vehicle?

Why are you so worried about whether or not somebody is handicapped? Rather, try being thankful that you are not.