# blue spaces & "i'll only be a minute" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 16, 2005, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866 "2005-12-16T04:44:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866/41 "2005-12-17T02:57:01Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > Even handicapped people having a good day and therefore not needing the closest space are not legally allowed to use a handicapped tag (and yes, I have looked this up in our local laws). Your co-worker truly is a dogshit. could you clarify that statement please? it seems like you are saying the permits are illegal ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866/42 "2005-12-17T03:04:38Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > In Irvine California a disabled friend of the chief of police mentioned that way too many healthy people were using the handicapped spaces. The chief did not believe him so they bet $5 on it. So the chief had a couple of cops stake out the handicapped spaces at a local mall. Turns out a large percentage of people parking in the handicapped spaces weren’t eldigible. Reasons included: > [ul] > [li]They did not have the disabled person in the car with them[/li][li]They had a permit from a dead relative / friend[/li][li]They got one using fraud[/li][li]The permit was stolen[/li][li]The permit was expired (issued for a temporary condition, like a broken leg)[/li][/ul] > The fines for this type of activity in California starts at several hundred dollars and they go up from there. > The chief paid up on the bet, and now has officers regulary go out and stake out mall / theater / office building parking lots. I wish they’d do that around here!!! ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866/43 "2005-12-17T03:07:13Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > But if we add more then needed then the need to crack down on people who illegally take these spots will go down, since the disabled will get a spot anyway. The real way to do this is limit the # of spots and enforce them. > > The %age of blue spots should never excede the % of eligable disabled people IMHO. very cold attitude - i hope you never have need of a blue space to find they’ve been eliminated because of math like yours ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866/44 "2005-12-17T03:13:50Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > But if we add more then needed then the need to crack down on people who illegally take these spots will go down, since the disabled will get a spot anyway. The real way to do this is limit the # of spots and enforce them. > > The %age of blue spots should never excede the % of eligable disabled people IMHO. Um, wrong. The more blue spots there are, the more people will feel entitled to use them “just for a minute.” ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866/45 "2005-12-17T05:24:58Z")
On a note similar to what **kanicbird** stated how many blue spaces there are seems to be somewhat arbitrary to say the least. At my doctor’s office (4 story medical building) there is a grand total of 2 handicapped spaces. On the other hand, at the Fed-Ex facility at Portland Airport (PDX) there is something like 10 or 12 handicapped spaces. 😕 All I can conclude is that in the view of the city planning guys, handicapped people never get sick, but they ship a hell of a lot of stuff via Fed-Ex. Must be Ebay. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866/46 "2005-12-17T07:12:25Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Come on now. Haven’t you noticed that there are wayyy to many handicapped parking spaces based on common use? People say “Well you never can tell when several handicapped people will want to park at once.” Yes, you can. Probability distributions say that all 145 handicapped spot being taken at say, a typical shopping mall is 183 trillion to 1 barring some kind of convention or recent terrorist activity. If those are the case, then alternate planning can be made in advance. Either handicapped people need to get out more, or the use it or lose it rule needs to be called. Or else they made more spots because people who aren’t handicapped keep stealing them? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866/47 "2005-12-17T09:06:26Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > In fact, she seemed a little proud of it. I wish I’d had the nerve to tell her what an ass she is. Don’t worry. If she always parks in a close-up handicapped spot to avoid the _effort_ of having to walk a bit, she’ll soon have a real fat ass on her! ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866/48 "2005-12-17T11:59:11Z")
I was at a movie theater once, and a sporty red Corvette pulled up into the handicapped space. Two very healthy young people bounced out and trotted on into the theater. As I went through the ticket line I grumbled about it to the manager, who happened to be taking my ticket money. He looked up and around, and asked if the couple were still here. They were, in the concession line. He went over and I could see, but not hear, them speaking. It ended with them storming out, looking very angry. As I sat in the theater, watching previews, I saw them come in and sit a few rows in front of me, still grumbling loud enough to be overheard. Guess they’d been told to move. Yay, manager! ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866/49 "2005-12-17T13:18:04Z")
Don’t you folks realize that non-handicapped people parking in handicapped spots are severely morally handicapped? Have a little compassion, will ya? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866/50 "2005-12-17T13:52:28Z")
> [@anyrose](#): > > . are you a medical professional who has examined these “super elites” and have determined they have no physical or medical reason to keep their levels of exertion to a minimum? I’d like to see your license, jerkface I’m just going to assume you were having a bad day and not the total @$$wipe you came off as. I am against people who don’t need them and have obtained the permit through fraud or other means. You know what that means - there will be MORE spaces for little ol’ special YOU. > [@](#): > > very cold attitude - i hope you never have need of a blue space to find they’ve been eliminated because of math like yours I hope not either, but what I am saying is that I want ONLY people who need them to get them. I don’t want to elimate them. I want to take away the incentive for people using them who don’t need them by enforcement and fraud investigations -this will allow the reduction if the # of blue spots to the correct number. I think if there are fewer of these spots people will be less willing to cheat, if there are many people will see lots of these spaces unfilled they will tend to park illegally. I think you ment to state: > [@](#): > > very cool attitude - i hope you never have need of a blue space since you are such a caring person but if you do hopefully there will be better enforcement so you can always find a spot - Og bless you Kanicbird Perhaps you can flag down a Mod to make the change. Now go into the corner and have a time out. > [@Ethilrist](#): > > Um, wrong. The more blue spots there are, the more people will feel entitled to use them “just for a minute.” Um I agree with what you said, what’s wrong with it, the more blue spots will result in more abuse, the fewer (to a point) will tend to them being used correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866/51 "2005-12-17T22:03:30Z")
> [@anyrose](#): > > could you clarify that statement please? it seems like you are saying the permits are illegal Sure - if you are legally allowed a handicapped permit, but you’re having a good day and are not experiencing any difficulties walking, then you are also not legally allowed to park in a handicapped spot. The handicapped spots are for people who at this exact moment are having difficulties walking. In other words, if you _always_ have difficulties walking, the spots are _always_ for you. If you have a condition that flares up and subsides, the spots are only for you when your condition is flared up. People are expected to be self-monitoring in this, of course, and we all know how effective _that_ usually is. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2006, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866/52 "2006-01-05T07:42:02Z")
> [@Dante](#): > > “No, your mother, who is an ex-parrot, had a tag. You have an incredibly inflated sense of entitlement, and I think I’d like to beat you about the head and shoulders with a clue-by-four, you flouncy jackpipe.” New law; handicapped person dies, nobody get their inheritance until the licence plates and tags are returned into the DMV. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866/53 "2006-01-05T15:39:43Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > Especially the assholes who follow you to your car and wait for you to vacate the spot. I don’t care what kind of hurry I am in, I’ll sit there till they get pissed and leave, or if another car approaches from the opposite direction, I’ll pull out so as to block the first asstard and allow the interloper to take the spot. Screw’em. Why? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2006, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866/54 "2006-01-05T15:55:21Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Why? 😕 Don’t know his/her reason, but I know I absolutely HATE it when cars follow me – it feels just like being stalked, but by some multi-ton monster. :eek: I don’t do the ‘block that person so another car gets the spot’ thing though. For one thing, I’d be afraid I’d be setting up the ‘successful’ parker for a nasty and undeserved encounter with the person I’d be blocking. Instead, when someone starts following me, I cut through the parked cars and use the next aisle. I mean, say I’m parked off the ‘E’ aisle. I leave the mall and start up the E aisle, and some remora attaches him/herself to me. I slip between the cars and start walking up the ‘D’ aisle. Usually the remora goes away for a new victim, but on occasion they will speed down E, zip back towards the store on another aisle, and glue themselves back to me as I walk on D. If so, I ignore them. I continue down D until near my car, and slip back across. I get in and leave the space normally. Can the remora manage to get to my space before anyone else? Then they win. But usually that only happens if there are no other cars cruising down E – and if there aren’t a lot of cars crusing around, why is this asshole playing remora, huh? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2006, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866/55 "2006-01-05T16:09:16Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > Don’t know his/her reason, but I know I absolutely HATE it when cars follow me – it feels just like being stalked, but by some multi-ton monster. :eek: > > I don’t do the ‘block that person so another car gets the spot’ thing though. For one thing, I’d be afraid I’d be setting up the ‘successful’ parker for a nasty and undeserved encounter with the person I’d be blocking. > > Instead, when someone starts following me, I cut through the parked cars and use the next aisle. I mean, say I’m parked off the ‘E’ aisle. I leave the mall and start up the E aisle, and some remora attaches him/herself to me. I slip between the cars and start walking up the ‘D’ aisle. Usually the remora goes away for a new victim, but on occasion they will speed down E, zip back towards the store on another aisle, and glue themselves back to me as I walk on D. > > If so, I ignore them. I continue down D until near my car, and slip back across. I get in and leave the space normally. Can the remora manage to get to my space before anyone else? Then they win. But usually that only happens if there are no other cars cruising down E – and if there aren’t a lot of cars crusing around, why is this asshole playing remora, huh? The unintentionally creepy; I think there is a deep down instinctive dislike to being stalked through a parking lot. I usually get a fear/flee/anger reaction when some follows me as I am walking back to my car. I usually ignore it but occasionally I will walk past my car or duck out to another aisle. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2006, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866/56 "2006-01-05T16:17:20Z")
I think you’ll find that people are allowed to park anywhere they want as long as it’s only for a minute and especially if they put their hazard flashers on. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866/57 "2006-01-05T16:26:26Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I think you’ll find that people are allowed to park anywhere they want as long as it’s only for a minute and especially if they put their hazard flashers on. Maybe in the Kingdom of Butter… I know for a fact that doesn’t work in San Francisco. They seem to give people tickets for even _thinking_ of parking somewhere illegally (which explains the signs (“Don’t even think of parking here!”)). ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2006, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866/58 "2006-01-05T16:38:09Z")
I always think that Karma will “make it so” for those who park in handicapped designated spaces unneccessarily. Karma will determine that they wish to be physically handicapped (in addition to their obvious mental and moral deficiencies). ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866/59 "2006-01-05T17:52:12Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > Don’t know his/her reason, but I know I absolutely HATE it when cars follow me – it feels just like being stalked, but by some multi-ton monster. :eek: > > I don’t do the ‘block that person so another car gets the spot’ thing though. Well, my question was not so much- “why don’t you like dudes following you”- since I understand your reason & even empathize a bit. But my question to UncleRojelio was really “Yes, I know they are being annoying to some by doing so- but WHY be a total asshole to someone who has no idea that they have annoyed you?” Why not try “Pardon me, but something about having a car follow me like you are doing bothers me, I’d prefer you not do it.” ? Or even a few nice hand gestures? Cutting through - you option- is OK also. But sitting there and being angry _and_ losing time seems to be a good way of driving your blood-pressure to a dangerous high. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2006, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866/60 "2006-01-05T18:13:42Z")
This (the following) is one reason why I usually like to park out in the far reaches of the parking lot. That way, if somebody does follow me, there are usually a bunch of empty spaces right there for them to take, and I can feel like I have performed a valuable service, like some sort of native guide. “See? Parking spaces! Free!” Usually, however, they just coast on by and dive back into the maelstrom, hunting for that elusive spot that’s fifty feet closer to the door. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-spaces-ill-only-be-a-minute/335866.md?page=4)