So I stopped at the grocery store this morning to buy treats for the team and some sumbitch parked in the spot with the sign “Reserved for expectant mothers.”
I mentioned it to my coworker and he pointed out that there was probably no law that would allow them to ticket the perp. Upon reflection I figure he is right, but hey, I don’t know every damn thing. So I figured I would ask.
Is there any law in PA that would allow them to ticket this driver?
I don’t know about getting ticketed, but if you park in violation of a private entity’s signage, they COULD tow your vehicle in light of your trespass.
That is what I believe as well. It is enforceable in that they could have him towed or simply ban him from the entire store or even the chain for something like that if they wanted to. The concept of trespass has broad implications.
How does the store define expectant? Does that mean 8+ months pregnant? Or can it include someone who has missed a period?
I read it to mean pregnant.
Or still expecting her kid to come home from school?
So a mom who is waiting for a package from Amazon doesn’t count, I suppose.
Nor does a woman pregnant with her first child since she’s not yet a mother.
But she’s expecting to be one.
But she expects to be a mother.
ETA: D’oh! That’s what I get for posting from work…
What about complexes with multiple stores? Say the Kroger puts that sign up, but the Dollar Central next store doesn’t care. There’s nothing that designates that x spot belongs to Kroger and the other belongs to Dollar Central. So who really has the authority to tow? The plot’s owner (you know, should it not be Kroger)? Anyone who calls to complain?
The question you should have asked was, “Would any local jury convict me if I keyed the shit out of that car?”
(Vandalism is bad, mmmkay? 
)
OK, let us focus less on the wording of the sign. Likely my poor memory is to blame for any poor logic. Let us say the intent of the sign is to reserve the space for women who are pregnant.
In any case, the man parking there to day *clearly *wasn’t meant to be.
I know nothing about Pennsylvania law, but there’s probably a general statute (or maybe local ordinance) that says a property owner can have a car towed from his property if he hasn’t given permission to park there (most likely through a sign). In Texas, for instance, these rules are found in Chapter 684 of the Transportation Code. The sign in question can be translated has “you aren’t authorized to park here unless you’re pregnant.”
But so long as we’re debating the sign’s precise meaning, here’s my question: if a man walks to the store with his pregnant wife, can he leave her in that spot while he shops?
Maybe he was expecting to be treated like the King of the World, and he was one bad mother.
There was a case on this reported in the news here, where a “concerned citizen” tried to get a cop to write a ticket for someone who parked in the “Moms to Be” spot and was a man, and therefore not a “Mom to Be”. The cop was very clear on camera saying that there was absolutely no law (in Kansas or Missouri) that the guy was breaking, but he did take the opportunity to run the guy’s driver’s license, and found out he had a bench warrant out for his arrest. I didn’t even know a cop could just come up to you, demand your ID, and run a check on you even if you were violating no laws whatsoever. 
Check the MUTCD. Even if they have a standard for that type of signage, it’s still private property.
Are you sure it wasn’t the license plate he ran?
On private lots in the US, only the handicapped spaces are “enforceable”. Parking in a space for expectant moms isn’t illegal if you’re not pregnant. You’re also not going to be busted by the cops if you park in a space reserved for employees of the month or delivery drivers, exceed a time limit on the sign for carryout customers, take up two spaces, park with the front side out where a sign reads “head-in parking only”, or otherwise violate parking lot etiquette.
You could get ticketed if you park in a fire zone or in an area where you’re blocking traffic in a manner that is a threat to general public safety. Parking a Hummer in a compact car space is usually a violation of local zoning regulations rather than a parking infraction, but it’s unlikely it’ll be enforced; moving the car resolves the violation.
I’m curious about “police only” stalls that I occasionally see at businesses. Could a civilian get a ticket if they parked in a “police only” stall?
Hijack – I know there’s probably a simple reason for these, but it’s evading me. Why are these signs?
I thought the Moms-to-be were more along the lines of “Please be courteous and leave them available”, like the signs on the bus saying leave front seats available for the elderly or disabled. Unlike the signs on the bus which enforce room for wheelchairs.