Parents parking in handicap spots / at red curb - would you say anything?

[HipGal]

Our school has limited parking and the parents often park at the red curb and a couple parents park in the two handicap spots. Though I've been aware of this for a couple years, I don't usually see it because dh usually does the morning dropoff. It does bother me, but I don't know if I should say/do anything about it. On one hand, normally I feel it isn't really my business where people choose to park. On the other hand, both my kids are at the school and if there was a medical emergency or fire, the emergency vehicles would not be able to get through. The red zone is on a curve, so a police car could get through even with people parked there, but I don't think a firetruck or ambulance would be able to manuveur through.

Ideally the principal would remind people, but I think he is a little intimidated by the parents at the school. The head of the Parent Organization is one of the ones that parks in the handicap spot all the time!

Anyway, I don't know if anyone would choose a better parking spot just because I mentioned it. So do I just hope that there is never an emergency the first or last half hour of school?

[melissa17s]

Does the school send out a weekly or monthly newsletter?  It would be a good place for the staff to remind parents protocol for picking up students.  You could request they include it and it would not seem so vigilanty.  In many places you can get fined by police for parking in handicap and emergency zones.  

Our police department likes to clock parents driving to and from school to make sure we are all going 25mph.

[luv-my-boys]

This is one of my pet peeves and not just at schools but everywhere.  Really handicap spaces are for those who truly need them.  And the red curb well thats just plain dangerous imo.  For safety reasons that really needs to be keep clear for emergency personnel.  I would bring it up to front office if they could please put somehting in a parent newsletter or any reminder the school sends out.  if you feel that they wont take it seriously you might want to consider seeing if the local pd has someone do enforcement patrols. 

People were parking in the handicap spaces at DS' school.  there are handicap students who would have to wait to get to school until those parents moved their vehicles because they couldnt safely or phsically get to the school because they couldnt access the handicap entrance due where sidewalks/ramps were in relation to parking.  it was totally inconsiderate and dispite numerous "reminders" I think a lot of the parents had a "well this will only take a second" attitude.  Finally the director called the local pd which has a parking enforcement officer and she sat there one morning and handed out tickets, problem solved 

[ollyoxenfree]

Originally Posted by HipGal 

 The head of the Parent Organization is one of the ones that parks in the handicap spot all the time!

S/he may be qualified to use the spot. Not all disabilities are obvious. 

You can try to speak to the principal about it. He may be intimidated by the parents, but that also means he is receptive to parental concerns - and you are a parent with a concern.  

If your school has a Health and Safety committee, you can bring it to their attention and ask them to take some sort of action, like patrolling at drop off/pick up times or issuing "tickets" to improperly parked vehicles. The tickets would just state a reminder for the future and wouldn't enforce any kind of penalty. 

You might be able to request traffic police to attend at the school during drop off/pick up times every once in a while to enforce the emergency route.  This has worked at a couple of schools I know. The situation is always better for a little while after a police visit, but it never lasts. 

Last summer, I picked my DS up at a high school where he was writing an exam. There was an ambulance parked in front of the school doors, in the emergency lane, and a fire truck behind it. They were blocked in by some UAV who had parked his huge SUV there because he couldn't be bothered to park in the parking lot just a few feet away.  He came out and moved the vehicle, just as they arrived from inside the school with a stretcher bearing a student. (The student seemed okay, BTW and they left soon after without lights or sirens, so no real urgency). Emergencies do happen and emergency routes exist for a reason. I'm not sure what they would have done if he hadn't moved his car in time, but I expect it wouldn't have been good for him or the vehicle. 

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by ollyoxenfree 

Originally Posted by HipGal 

 The head of the Parent Organization is one of the ones that parks in the handicap spot all the time!

S/he may be qualified to use the spot. Not all disabilities are obvious. 

Disabilities may not be obvious but permits should be.

I have older parents and a sister with serious back problems; they have always had handicap permits for their mirror and recently my mom was issued a handicap license plate.

Edited by Emmeline II - 12/8/10 at 6:31am

[MusicianDad]

It's illegal to park in emergency zones and it is illegal to park in handicapped spaces without valid permits. That being said, you can't really judge someone as handicapped or not based on what you see.

I would start by suggesting a notice going home to all students that handicapped parking is only for those with valid handicapped permits that it will be enforced. Followed by calling the pd to send someone out to hand out tickets to people who violate parking regulations if it doesn't seem to stop.

[velochic]

This is one of my big pet peeves.  I would complain to the administration (maybe the superintendent??) and insist something is done.

My mother is disabled (and lives with us), so we all have handicapped permits displayed in our cars.  However, if my mother isn't with me, we NEVER abuse this permit.  I will not use those spaces that are for people with true handicaps for just myself, who is healthy and needs the exercise, anyway.  And it chaps my... ahem... rear... to see such entitlement when young punks and snotty women in huge SUVs think that these laws don't apply to them.

[Lisa1970]

I call the police on those people and they come out and ticket them. I think the fine is $250.

[Geofizz]

Our problem isn't parking, but blocking crosswalks and running red lights. 
 

Originally Posted by Lisa1970 

I call the police on those people and they come out and ticket them. I think the fine is $250.

Our police won't respond to pick up/drop off issues because "they can only write one ticket during that time, so they can't address the whole problem."  It's also during shift change, and the police don't like to get out of their toasty cars.  (Translation:  One excuse is as good as another, and our police don't see it as a problem.)

Our principal has been very effective, however.  He stands out in problem areas, addresses parents by name, and asks them to move along or remind them of the problem they're causing.  He only needs to do this a few days each month to keep most of the problems at bay.