Having parking spaces set aside for those who are not able to walk or who struggle to get around is a good thing. Handicapped spaces do bring up some issues on both sides, however, as shown by the following two e-mails. The first comes from Arlo, who has a dilemma where he lives: “Any suggestions how to handle this one? I live in a rather large apartment complex and have seen the same three vehicles park in the handicapped-only spaces over and over. These people apparently think that they can use the spaces if they aren’t being used. I’m not handicapped, but it really bothers me to see these people park in the spaces because they are too lazy to walk from spaces farther away. Should I call the police, or should I say something to the owners (I don’t know any of them very well)?”

It’s not very likely that the police are going to send an officer to enforce a parking violation unless it’s blocking the road or something. I would suggest that you notify your landlord or the management company and let them remind the owners that they are breaking the law and, even worse, may be taking a space truly needed by someone who is handicapped. It is the responsibility of the property owner to ensure that there is access to the buildings, and that includes the handicapped parking spaces. It is probably not a great idea to confront the owners of the vehicles directly unless you have a really good line to use or can run real fast. People who are brazen enough to repeatedly park in handicapped parking spaces probably aren’t the nicest people in the world, so it’s probably best to let the authorities take care of them for you and for those who really need the extra help.

On another side of the issue comes this email from Terrance who writes: “I don’t get it. All the time, I see perfectly healthy people getting out of cars with handicapped license plates or who have those permits hanging from their mirrors. Isn’t this against the law as much as parking without one at all? And if it isn’t against the law, should these people be even more sensitive to the value of those spaces and what they symbolize?”

I agree that those who display handicapped permits or plates should be more attuned to the issue at hand and to the need to have those spaces available. At the same time, how do we know that just because somebody can walk without a cane or a walker or even a limp that they aren’t handicapped? There are those who have heart-related conditions that make it difficult for them to walk more than a few steps without getting winded. I wouldn’t always assume the worst but, at the same time, I’d really hope that the caretakers of the handicapped, be they family members or others, would respect the spaces. That means that when the person for whom the special exemption was intended is not in the vehicle, they shouldn’t use any of the assigned spaces, instead leaving them for those who need them.