Blocking Handicap Spaces
I may be more sensitized to access to disabled parking spaces than most. Thanks to Richard Llewellyn I understand the importance of keeping these blue-painted spaces clear for people who need room to get in and out of cars and vans conveniently close to building entrances. The "No Parking" space between two blue painted spaces is part of the package.
Vehicles allowed to park in these blue spaces accommodate a wide variety of needs. Some are normal passenger cars carrying people with limited mobility on foot. Many vans have ramps or other mechanisms to get wheelchairs on and off the vehicle. These require ample space to operate the doors and mechanisms involved. The cross-hatched spaces adjacent to the actual blue painted spot are part of the access.
When I saw this vehicle parked in the no parking space adjacent to two disabled person's parking spots I wanted to grab the picture so I could write about this. I wasn't prepared for the profanity-laced "mind your own business" I got from the man who figured his convenience was more important than the law, common courtesy, or human kindness. It may have been that nobody was inconvenienced by his appropriation of the no-parking zone this time. He claimed to be there just to drop something off and I have no reason to doubt him. It's just that you can't count on the luck of timing when you choose to block the use of these spaces.
Let's agree that these special spaces are there for good purposes and we shouldn't block them for our personal convenience.
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