In New Zealand, a System To Watch for Disabled Parking Violators 551
cylonlover writes "What does it mean when a parking spot is marked with a wheelchair symbol? If you answered, 'It means I can park there as long as I'm going to be quick,' you're wrong — yet you're also far from alone. Every day in parking lots all over the world, non-disabled drivers regularly use spaces clearly reserved for the handicapped. They often get away with it, too, unless an attendant happens to check while their vehicle is parked there. Thanks to technology recently developed by New Zealand's Car Parking Technologies (CPT), however, those attendants could soon be notified the instant that a handicapped spot is improperly occupied."
Re:not haveing a electronic tag = improperly occup (Score:5, Informative)
You're jumping to conclusions. No electronic tag = attendant notified = attendant checks it out, a fine isn't automatically issued.
Re:P&T on handicapped parking (Score:4, Informative)
He also finds it ironic, that there are disabled parks near supermarkets and department stores, fundamentally the kinds of stores where you'll be covering quite a distance moving around a large complex, there's not really much effort saved by having a disabled park close to the door.
Re:P&T on handicapped parking (Score:4, Informative)
As someone that frequently parks in handicapped spots, my area (Western NY*) seems to have an amazing lack of them. It's often difficult to find open spots at grocery stores, doctors offices, etc. A few times a month, I'll end up deliberately parking at the far side of the parking lot precisely so I'll have room for the wheelchair because the closer spots are all taken. I try not to be that dick that parks in a way that takes up two spaces, though every now and then in lots or fields without markings, I'm forced to do that too because of the desire for some drivers to park touching the mirror of the car next to them.
* At one point, I think is was the American Fact Finder part of the census that listed this general area with a ridiculous amount of something like 37% of the population being classified as disabled. Granted, that's not all physical disabilities, but it stuck with me because the number seems so absurd. When it eclipses 50%, does being disabled become the norm with the super-abled being classified as the different ones?
Re:Good for New Zealand! (Score:5, Informative)
To say the employment of the handicapped declined after passage of the ADA is a great oversimplification.
For example there was a concomitant reclassification of non-disabled people as disable for a number of reasons, the major one being the cutting of welfare benefits which encouraged non-employable people to seek out disabled classification.
That made it look like there was a decrease in employment for employed handicapped folks but that actually turns out not to be the case. The level of employment for previously employed handicapped folks stayed the same or possible increased slightly.
As with most things it is not as simple as a half sentence talking point.
This 2002 follow up (PDF alert) to the MIT 2001 paper that made the claim in the first place, examines in greater detail what possibly occurred:
http://people.virginia.edu/~sns5r/microwkshp/EmpADA_3_02.pdf [virginia.edu]
Re:Good for New Zealand! (Score:4, Informative)
The simple answer is just to use fines. No really. Violations of this really aren't a huge problem for instance in Canada, they do happen but ask yourself. If you get caught, is a $5k first offence worth it? Is a $10k second offence worth it? That includes using fake, and placards that are not for the person. In most places that I've seen across the US, and other places the fines are pathetic. $100, 200, and so on.
Re:P&T on handicapped parking (Score:2, Informative)
I'm both obese and handicapped. These things are mostly unrelated. Applying your logic I don't know where I'd fit.
Also, your assumption that to be obese you have to eat things like "bacon wrapped cupcakes" is ridiculous. And makes you an asshole.
My obesity is from a disease that doesn't significantly restrict my ability to move. Quite a few people are obese due to no fault of their own. It isn't ever as simple as "just stop eating" - at the very least you have to make significant, painful changes to your diet.
Re:P&T on handicapped parking (Score:4, Informative)
Oh god, benches when shopping. SUCH a lifesaver.
I don't need a wheelchair. I do need places to sit and rest while shopping, and even more importantly when waiting in line.
Shops having no place to sit really encourages me to not actually shop and to just pop in and be out as fast as I can.
Re:P&T on handicapped parking (Score:4, Informative)
illegal parking in handicapped spots is a problem just about everywhere.. and there aren't too many reserved spots either. if anything there isn't enough -- partly because of that illegal parking. but without adequate enforcement, adding more spots would just increase the occurrence of illegal parking in them.
the walmart here for instance, has about 15 reserved spots. during the day, most are always full (and during busy times they are full). and more often than not, there is at least one parked in one of those spots that shouldn't be... even though there *are* 'regular' spots closer to a door than the handicapped spots.
as a side note, another local store goes one further and has reserved spots for expectant mothers and elderly customers (not legally enforceable like a handicapped spot but still towable if you abuse the property owner's posted rules)
it should be noted that not everybody that qualifies for parking in a reserved handicapped spot, always parks in one (even if one is available). many also don't even get the necessary permit unless they require the extra room.
Re:Steve Jobs (Score:4, Informative)
Debunked:
http://www.snopes.com/glurge/fleming.asp [snopes.com]
Your story, while cute, has no basis in fact.