I was wondering around Paris the other day when I came across this device at the bottom of a handicapped parking spot. I was wondering if anyone happens to be familiar with how it works/its purpose.
You can actually see the device in action at the exact spot I found it here.
qu’est que c’est le dope?
I can imagine that you might use it if you park in the adjacent parking spot but need to leave the one with the device in it open so that you can use your ramp. (Some vehicles need a fair amount of space to the right or left so that the ramp can unfold.) In the US, the handicapped parking spaces I see have a large area marked off for this purpose, but the Parisian device means that the adjacent spot can be used otherwise.
thats an interesting theory but some of the evidence does not support it.
Firstly, the handicapped spaces in this (the google streetview linked previously) photo appear to be significantly larger than the typical spaces in the lot.
Secondly, upon further inspection there are 2 of the devices, adjacent to one another. The blue device is the last parking spot in the row, so this would seem to contradict the theory.
It looks like the device is blocking use of the space. Maybe the handicapped vehicles have a device or transmitter that lowers it so they can park?
Would be a clever way to keep inconsiderate jerks from taking the parking space reserved for handicapped parking.
It appears to be a similar device to some detailed on this page:
http://www.archiexpo.com/cat/public-spaces-urban-furnishings/access-control-barriers-bollards-O-295-_61.html
I think it’s a radio-controlled barrier - that is, the disabled driver has some kind of transponder that enables it to be lowered in order to open the space for parking.
wow, yet another idea that did not occur to me, thanks mangetout!
The only evidence that possibly contradicts this idea is that the barrier was down (but no car in sight) when I took the first photo (which as I recall was on a weekday afternoon).
Still they do closely resemble the devices in mangetout’s link.
Could be if it fails it fails so the parking spot can be used.
