Handicapped parking spots . . senior parking . . now STORK parking??????

The BBQ Pit
1

This is getting ridiculous. I’m down with handicapped parking spaces, and I won’t get into the fact that almost every time I go to the store, or the mall, or wherever, on average LESS than 40-50% are used at any time, and 99% of the time there is ALWAYS one open. After all, if you say anything like that, it means your against handicapped people, and I’m certainly don’t want to be portrayed as THAT.

Then came senior parking, which I guess is okay, it’s mean to ask some 976 year old Methuselah to walk 1/2 a mile to the grocery store.

But NOW we have gone too far. STORK PARKING. PARENTS WITH CHILDREN PARKING.

I went to the local Wegmans the other day, and there were AT LEAST 12 “STORK” parking spots for expectant mothers. Now, look, I’m no heel, and I understand late in pregnancy, you need to take it easy. But here’s the kicker: ONLY THREE OF THEM WERE BEING USED. And this was on a Sunday, the busiest day at Wegman’s! It also begs the question. . if a woman is that incapacitated by her pregnancy that she can’t walk 100 feet . .should she really be shopping at that point?

I also love the PARENTS WITH CHILDREN PARKING. Why should my wife and me get penalized by getting a crappy parking spot because we have chosen not to start a family yet? What makes some soccer mom with 5 brats and a SUV better than us?

This to me smells of going overboard with political correctness, or to show how “pro-family” Wegman’s is. I guess they don’t realize that NOT every one of their customers has kids- as evidenced by the vacancy in the prized Stork Parking and Customers With Children sections!

At what point do we draw the line? Why stop here? How about:

OVERWEIGHT PARKING- for grossly overweight customers who might get a heart attack making it to the front door. Better yet, why not put these spots in the BACK of the parking lot so maybe these people will LOSE weight?

HANGOVER PARKING- for those who had too much to drink last night, and their concentration might be off, and they might stagger in front of a moving car.

PIECE OF SHIT CAR PARKING- this spot will be near a payphone in case the customers car doesn’t start.

EXPRESS CHECKOUT PARKING- for customers that just need 5 or less items, and need to get home quickly, so this spot is close to the store so they can leave faster.

LOW ESTEEM PARKING- for those with confidence problems. A nice parking spot will make them feel loved and important. Also good for customers who are having a really shitty day, and need just one simple thing to go right.

Oh by the way, I solved the Stork Parking problem. Whenever we go to Wegman’s, we park in the Stork spot. If anyone says anything, I just say my wife is three weeks pregnant, and they can go happily fuck themselves

2

It seemed you understood at one point in your post that these spots were specifically for expectant mothers, but in other sections of your rant you extended it to include: “Parents with children parking” and “soccer mom with 5 brats and a SUV”. You should be clear it’s just for expectant mothers and not just anyone with a child. I’ve never seen a Wegmans without adequate parking, unless this is some exception, provided you are fit enough to walk an extra 30 yards. I really don’t begrudge an expectant mom such a silly perk as a grocery store parking slot.

Personally, I park nearly as far away as possible in an effort to avoid being bumped by shopping carts and getting door dings. I’m much more irritated by the dolts who seek out my car located in the middle of an open block of 12 parking spots, and still insist on parking 12 inches away, as if to say, “So you thought you could avoid me by parking all the way out here…ding think again, Mr. Waverly.”

3

This might not be true or may be different by city or state, but I thought number of handicapped parking spaces is a percentage of total parking spaces. Can anyone confirm or deny this?

As for specialized parking, how about oversized “My car is too perfect and precious to be within twenty feet of another vehicle” parking. That way they can actually have a big parking space and not have to take up anywhere from two to four regular spaces.

4

So rather than express your dissatisfation to the property owner, or take your business elsewhere, or suck it up and walk a few extra yards, you choose to tell a lie for your own convenience?

What an asshole. How do you live with yourself?

5

there’s a few of those stork parking places at the local mall. It’s not a city sanctioned thing, it’s a courtesy thing, but i’m with you,screw that. I won’t get a ticket. And you, sir, are an anti-pregnite.

You know what really pisses me off, is when people with 8 items park in the 5 items or less zone.

6

I kinda dug the stork parking when I was hugely pregnant. I never used it any other time during my, er, confinement. Now my grocery store doesn’t have it anymore.

The place which still does is Babies-R-Us, which is ridiculous because loads of knocked-up people are shopping there all the time. There can never be enough “stork” parking there, so I dunno why they try.

You’re quite the martyr, Vinnie. You inspire me. I don’t drink coffee, myself, and one of these days I am just going to go FUCKING BALLISTIC that my co-workers get coffee breaks! That my office pays for coffee for the people who drink it! That my grocery store wastes valuable space on providing a little coffee bar for patrons! Goddamn it, just because I choose not to drink coffee, must I be so cruelly and horribly discriminated against at every turn! WHY ALL THE PRIVILEGES FOR THE JAVA DRINKERS!?!?!?

7

And I’m with manhattan. The parking spaces are meant for people in the waddling stage of pregnancy. Even when I was truly knocked up, I never parked there when I was not showing or was comfortable moving around. I wouldn’t use a special space if I didn’t need it, and I sure as fuck wouldn’t lie to save myself a few steps or attempt to “get back at” the privileged for a courtesy extended to them by the retailer.

But hey, suit yourself.

8

Maybe that’s the case where you are, but I’ve encountered parking designed for people with children. And from the sign, it’s very clear that it’s referring to post-birth (how many expectant mothers allow their fetus to ride in the shopping cart–cause that’s what the picture shows?).

Also, not all of the stores that have these spaces do have adequate parking. The “I can’t control my kids enough to walk them across the lot” spaces irritate the hell out of me; it’s not like we need more specialized parking, and I don’t feel like walking an extra thirty yards in the rain–while my items get soaked–because I can’t park in the ten empty spaces in the way.

9

Hmm, maybe I should rephrase that. The sign does not show a fetus riding in the cart; rather, it shows a child.

10

Maybe not, but some days, no matter how you beg, the maid just won’t run down to the store to pick you up some fresh lobster. What’s a pregnant woman to do?

While it may not be the best thing in the world for a heavily pregnant woman to be shopping, some don’t have the luxury of choice. The cupboards still need to be stocked, and sometimes there is no one else who can do it for them.

On the other hand… why should a busy soccer mom with 5 brats giving her grief and not a second of spare time in her day have to walk an extra 100 feet to get to her SUV while you and your wife casually stroll to your car which is parked closer?

Well, if they’re in business to make money, it’s a sad fact that they are going to chose families over couples because families eat more and therefore are the kinds of customers they really want.

Ok, I see your point. It’s stupid to have a parking space reserved for every possible handicap on earth, and to have the “People with Ebola” spaces stand empty while healthy customers have to park in another city, but have a bit of sympathy. It’s a small inconvenience to you now, but it may be something you’d be grateful for if your situation was to change. It really doesn’t make a huge difference to you, but it might to a pregnant mother of 5 with disabilities and an elderly passenger.

11

When I was pregnant, I was huge and miserable. I would’ve killed for stork parking.

I asked my OB for a temporary handicapped parking pass for the duration of my pregnancy because it was so hot and I was so large that I was terrified of passing out and falling in a parking lot. The sumbitch laughed at me and said I was a wimp who needed the exercise. Asshole.

Robin

12

I’ve seen lots of places with one spot for expectant mothers and I’ve never had a problem with it. I actually think it’s a pretty good idea.

I have no idea what Wegmans is, but unless it’s a newfangled Walmart/maternity ward I would have serious problems with 12 spots. That’s more than most places give handicap spots and certainly would get in the way of my shoppping convenience.

13

Maybe it’s a function of a long day spent driving in heavy traffic yesterday, but this made me laugh until I nearly cried.

14

Sweet! Then I’d ALWAYS have a spot.

15

Wegmans! Vinnie, where are you from? Is it my hometown?

I’d like to second the motion for:

Because I had to pick up carrots on the way to my fantasy football draft on Sunday morning, and man alive, it was rough going. I’m not sure I should have been allowed out of the house.

jarbaby

16

I don’t know where you are, figuratively or literally. It’s picture of a stork described in the OP; which is what I was discussing. At no point did I use my powers of precognition and remove viewing to comment on your signs or your parking habits.

Not clear on what the stork symbolizes? It’s stated here by the manufacturer of the signs: http://www.inc.com/users/storkparking.html

17

Waverly, the OP is describing TWO different signs. Stork Parking and Parents With Children parking. the rest of the signs in the OP are fictional.

unless I’m mistaken.

18

Fuck. I should pay attention before getting sarcastic.

Apologies Myrr21, I missed that part. To the best of my knowledge Wegmans only uses the ‘stork parking’.

19

Well, since I don’t have to walk as far when I go shopping, I live with myself very nicely, thank you very much! :smiley:

20

Originally posted by Waverly

I think the OP was talking about two different types of parking, one for pregnant women and one for parents with children. I know our local mall has spaces reserved for parents with prams.