Reader comments
Proposal to raise handicapped-parking fine stalls

Handicap Parking is a JOKE! How many times do you see a person pull into a Handicap spot and jump out walking into the store with a hanging tag on the rear view mirror? There is no enforcement for the violators; I personally know a person that has photo copied his tag that expired over two years ago! I say start to enforce and fine no less than $299 Keep the spots open for those that really need it!

Doesn't matter what the fine is, if there is no enforcement.

"How many times do you see a person pull into a Handicap spot and jump out walking into the store with a hanging tag on the rear view mirror?"

Disabled placards and plates aren't just issued to those who must use wheelchairs.

State law defines a “disabled” person as one who:

cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest;

cannot walk without the use of, or assistance from, a brace, cane, crutch, another person, prosthetic device, wheelchair or other devices;

is restricted by lung disease to a specific standard;

uses portable oxygen;

has a cardiac condition to a specific standard; or
is severely limited in his or her ability to walk, due to an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition.

Just because someone parked in a handicap stall gets out and walks normally into a store does not mean they do not have a disability. Some disabilities are not visible to everyone else. I can walk normal, but I have some other health issues that prevent me from walking long distances. Now photo copying a tag is not right. But another thing is, I know for a fact that in SLC a person get a ticket for parking in a handicap stall and if they go into the courts to pay it, they will usually drop the fine down to $5. If they would keep the fine what it should be, and not give them a break maybe people wouldn't do it. But I think people who do not have a ligitament permit and park anyway should get a big fine. And that needs to be enforced.

OK, so there are objections to increasing the fine to something in excess of moving violation fines. How's bout making the fine simply EQUAL the highest moving violation fine?

That way a message is sent that we value the preference proximity given to those with mobility problems as much as we do the safety of people on the roads.

That seems perfectly reasonable to me and should (if their complaints are sincere) placate those who don't want to punish violators of this statute more than those who commit moving violations.

The argument that the fine would be greater than other violations of safety needs to be addressed too. With the amount of road racers and people driving recklessly continously rising, there are no reasons for people to obey the law. Twenty years ago, people would never think of driving the way they do nowdays. We would never get away with the loud exhausts and stereos that drive innocent people out of their own homes. We not only have lack of enforcment, but the fines are way too low. The enforcment we do have is more interested in the revenue collecting than peoples safety anymore.