San Francisco shrinks disability parking fines
For many years San Francisco has charged $500 for someone that was illegally parked in a handicapped parking spot. This brought in considerable revenue as there were many drivers that would use handicapped parking rather than parking a few isles down and walk. However, when the city began streamlining the parking fines and laws, lawyers found that by state law the city could only charge $100 for parking tickets. Regardless of the level of the crime against the disabled community, it now only costs $100 to park in a handicapped spot – for as long as you want. We are sure that this law was originally put in place to stop cities from creating unbelievable parking fees in popular areas that never have enough parking. At that point people has to become flexible in their parking and may end up on a lawn or on the edge of a parking lot.
However, it is hard enough to find a parking spot without making it easier for those that don’t care where they park. Handicapped parking spots are frequently used by the able bodied because most of the time they are never ticketed. For the well heeled, it is worth the risk of paying $500 to be able to walk into the store to buy something. But the children of these well heeled individuals make it a point to park in the handicapped areas. However, in well policed areas this was no longer a problem because the kids didn’t want to come home with a $500 ticket to show dad. But $100 is easy to pay and no one will be the wiser.
This adds to the problem of the number of disabled placards available. San Francisco has over 50,000 placards given out for everything from paraplegia to the apparent hangnail. All these people are parking in handicapped spots and are then immune to parking fines. There has been talk of creating two levels of placards, one for the truly disabled – paraplegics and quadriplegics, and another level for everyone else. This underscores that a new procedure needs to be created in order to get a disability placard. I have seen way too many people park in a handicapped spot and then carry in a big heavy box from the car. Or bring their enormous sport utility vehicles and park them there too. I’m sorry, but if you can get into and out of a Hummer, then you do not need a disability placard.
The city has started an investigative unit that watches and verifies that the person who the placard has been given is the one in the car. Tampa, Florida had this problem for years where “snowbirds” from Canada would use the placards of their parents to get prime parking spots near the beach. Police units using video recorders caught thousands of people and nailed them with large fines and forfeiture of the placard. Somethings similar needs to be done across the country. I remember watching a 20/20 show on this years ago where a man parked in a handicapped zone with a placard and then preceded to jog 20 miles on the beach. On his was back the camera crew jumped him and asked about his parking permit. He quickly got into his car, but not after creating a fake limp as he scampered off. This type of thing happens all the time and it is not fair to those of us that absolutely need the extra wide spaces for our wheelchairs. Not counting how hard a long distance push is on my rotator cuffs.
This problem faces every disabled person that drives. Police must have the resources to enforce the law and there needs to be giant fines to park illegally. Lets crank it up to $2,500 per infraction and increase it by $2,500 for each additional fine in a 12 month period. That would stop the people, or force them to walk after their cars were impounded for lack of payment of tickets.
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User Comments
Yo también estoy de acuerdo. Pienso que con multas de esta índole, a mucha gente se le quitarán las ganas de aparcar donde no debe. Es sin duda, una medida ejemplar para el maltrato de este colectivo.
English Translation:
I also agree. I think that fines of this nature, many people want him removed from where they should park. It is undoubtedly a copy for the mistreatment of this group.
I have a big gripe on this whole parking placard issue in general! I think that EVERYONE should have to pay for parking at a meter, regardless of if they have a disability or not. Most people who have limited incomes do not get a “Park For Free Card” if they park at a metered parking area. People who have mobility or other disabilities,who require a placard, who work for a living like many of us do, who make a fairly good income should have to pay for parking meters just like the rest do! Fine, issue a disability placard to an individual if an accommodation is necessary, but why eliminate the charge for parking to these individuals? If the income level of a person with a disability is a concern then maybe consider issuing disability license plates to individuals that are in the lower income bracket, allowing them to park for free. A license plate would be much more difficult to replicate or loan out. I think a good resolution to eliminating these fines being charged to individuals parking illegally is to charge EVERYONE to park at a meter, whether they have a disability placard or not.
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I agree that taking up parking spot reserved for disabled is an unconscieable act. The fine of $2500 proposed seems steep though. I’m sure with advanced technology a better solution can b found.
Katt
http://annoyingparkingticket.blogspot.com