Unless You've Been There...

A car owned by Enterprise Rent-A-Car illegally parked in a handicapped parking space.There are few things that really annoy my parents in regard to my disability.  One of those is when people illegally park their vehicles in accessible or "handicapped" parking spots.  Today, while out running errands, my Dad drove past a local Enterprise Car Rental store that has a history of blocking the loading zone next to an accessible parking spot or blatantly illegally parking in those reserved spots.  My Mom and Dad have spoken to the manager and employees of several occasions about how it's not only illegal but also inconvenient for anyone that needs those parking spaces to load and unload wheelchairs, has difficulty walking distances, etc.  Today, my Dad spoke to manager again and he admitted that they were "in the wrong and had no excuse for allowing this happen".  If this was a one time occurrence then the manager's excuse would be legitimate, but history shows that this company has little regard for obeying laws or caring for people with special needs.  My parents have been complaining to this company for nearly a year and nothing has changed.  I hope that any of you that read this will complain to them and I hope that the Columbus Police Department will start enforcing our laws and holding them accountable.

A lot of times, people park in a handicapped spot out of convenience.  They may have a placard or disabled license plate for a person in their family, but they park in those reserved spaces regardless of whether the family member is with them.  I've seen cars park in a accessible parking spot only to see some able bodied person get and stroll into the store with little or no regard for whether they are inconveniencing someone who truly needs a parking space with extra room or that is closer to the store entrance.

Let's face it, most Americans could use the exercise that comes with finding a parking spot that's further away.