[[You know, Stork Parking and the like wouldn’t be an issue if everyone behaved as I do. I generally take a parking space further away, simply because I am able-bodied. I choose to leave the spaces closer to the entrance for people who need them more than I do. No, I’m not enough of a “pollyanna” to believe that this will ever be the norm in my lifetime, but that doesn’t mean I won’t continue to do so.]]
I like this idea a lot. I’m going to do it, too, and suggest it to others. Wonder if we could ever expect that such an honor system would catch on? Besides some pregnant women(not me - I walked all over the place when I was pregnant, but some pregnancies are more complicated), parents with small children in tow should be able to get parking spaces closer to the store than other adults. - Jill
Thanks, JillGat, I hope you will. I’m trying to instill the idea into my kids as well.
Come to think of it, we do have a sort of honor system thing going with the elevator in our public library. It (and, in fact, the whole builing) is old and cranky. In an effort to avoid unnecessary repairs, a sign has been hung next to it asking people to use the stairs if they are able. Thinking about it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen an able-bodied person use it.
And how exactly can you tell if someone is disabled just by looking at them? This is called the “hidden disability” problem. When I was disabled, I looked just like any other normal “able bodied” adult man. My disability was not apparent from just looking at me. People used to scowl at me when I used my legitimate handicapped parking pass because I didn’t LOOK disabled. But I assure you I was almost completely physically disabled.
And how exactly can you tell if someone is disabled just by looking at them?
You can’t, obviously. I was trying to make the point that so few people actually use it that in all the times I have been there in the past 6 years I have never even seen anyone I might even wonder about, were I feeling particularly nosy or judgemental that day. Not even kids, who you might think would be more likely to miss or ignore the printed request.
People who scowl at someone whose disability isn’t immediately obvious are ignorant and ill-mannered.
**And how exactly can you tell if someone is disabled just by looking at them? **
And how can you tell by looking at a pregnant woman that she isn’t in the midst of a complicated pregnancy?
I had 2 complicated pg’s and was so grateful that I could park close and not have to drag my groceries clear across the parking lot. I was allowed to be out driving, but could not exhert myself.
And of course, just by looking at me, you would not have known of the problem, unless you had an ultrasound machine with you.
We have the Stork spaces at nearly all the grocery stores here and all the stores made a point of saying they were NOT taking the place of any of the handicapped spaces.
Now, of course, I just park in the first available spot, even if it is far away. What I find amusing are the people who will circle the mall parking lot for 20 minutes, just to get a “close” parking spot so they don’t have to walk as far, and then go spend hours walking in the mall. Makes no sense to me…
I went into Sears one day, when my son was still in a stroller. My daughter pushed the handicapped button that opens the doors automatically. (For those without kids, it’s a pain to try to open those 2 sets of doors with a stroller)
A person coming out, in a wheelchair yelled at me for doing that, since the automatic doors were for handicapped people, not “Lazy Mothers”, like myself.
I was so shocked I couldn’t even think of anything to say.