This is why you don’t park in striped areas next to disabled parking spots

With only a couple of inches of room to get in, this Father had to wait for the truck owner to come back and drive out.

Mexican Psytrance artist DJ Pollyfonika shared an image earlier this week showing the importance of not parking in those extra-large striped areas next to disabled parking spots. Although the photo’s been floating around for several months, it’s worth re-posting here along with further explanation.

In the photo we see a Father parked in a van accessible parking spot in front of Menards, a popular chain of home improvement stores in the Midwestern United states. This man’s returned with his disabled kid in a wheelchair to find that a truck is parked in a regular parking spot next to his van, encroaching on the striped area meant for wheelchair ramps to drop down.

The father is presumably phoning Menards, requesting an announcement on the P.A. system for the truck owner to come out and move his truck.

According to TheNewsWheel.com, prior to 1968, there were no federally mandated guidelines for the design and accessibility of buildings. If you were wheelchair bound, I imagine you parked your vehicle with the rest of the cars and had to do your best to maneuver out of your vehicle as best you could. If you didn’t park close enough, now you had to make your way to the building, however far it is.

Today, it’s a lot better, but new generations of drivers must learn what accessible parking spaces are, how disabled drivers and passengers use them, and how to respect those spaces.

This truck driver in the photo clearly has no regard or respect for the hatched area next to van accessible parking.

Accessible parking spaces are denoted with a sign painted on the parking spot and signage in front of it. There’s also a white-striped area next to it for disabled drivers and passengers ease of ingress and egress into their vehicle.

Van accessible parking spots make up 1 out of 6 accessible parking spots and has strategic extra space to accommodate a van ramp for a wheelchair. This is for the ramp and gives the wheelchair user space to enter and exit.

Now that you know, it’s your duty and the law to not encroach on these spots. Also, if you see someone parking and encroaching on striped off areas, politely let them know why they shouldn’t.

If they don’t see what’s the big deal and walk off, feel free to snap a couple of photos and let the police know. There’s also a handy app to help called Parking Mobility available on the app store.

You get upset when someone parks too close to your car, get upset about people encroaching on van accessible parking too.