here's the scenario:
it's a cold winter day in maine -- snow on the ground. i have a hair
appointment about 20 miles from my home in a small city. the salon is
located on main street which has ONE handicap parking space for a
large downtown area. when i arrive, this spot is taken and i have my
PCA drive around to search the area for another -- unsuccesful. after
a few circles around the main street loop i am almost late for my
appt so i tell her to just "invent a space" at the end of the
diagonal parking row b/c i need space on the passenger side to get my
bruno seat in and out. there was snow on the ground which covered the
lines. if i had not been familiar with the area i wouldn't have known
any different. i figured it was worth the risk of getting ticketed b/
c i would have a strong argument as to why i violated the parking
laws. as luck would have it, i did get a ticket which i refuse to pay
(it's only $20 but it's the principle). so now i have a court date
and need to come up with some strong arguments. some other factoids
to consider: even in the summer this downtown area is difficult to
navigate in a manual chair -- there are brick sidewalks that need
repair and the curb cuts are a joke after the abuse from many
winters, there is no way i could get around this area without help in
the winter especially with improper snow removal. also, i am not sure
what the ratio for handicap spaces to regular spaces is, but it
doesn't seem like this meets code. does anyone know that ratio? i
wanna say 1/25 or around that. the one space that is there is on a
severe slope which makes the transfer outside of the vehicle tricky.
are accessible spaces supposed to be level?
so basically i need some ammo and strong arguments so i can get my
point across to an unsympathetic police dept. any suggestions on
things to say to make them see it from my (and our) point of view?
parking is such a struggle -- a battle we are always fighting -- and
i'm fed up!
=jessica
- [QUAD-L] parking issue w/ local PD Jessica Ann Gordon
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