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* Gov. Pat Quinn signed a bill into law yesterday that will mean only seriously handicapped people will be able to park free at meters. Another bill would crack down on drivers who use somebody else’s handicapped placards. The Sun-Times editorialized about the bill signings today…
After January 2014, only people who are physically unable to access meters will get free parking. Quinn also authorized tougher penalties for people caught using a deceased person’s disability parking placard in handicapped-only spots.
Last year, Sun-Times reporter Chris Fusco, whose work led to these reforms, found able-bodied drivers using fake, stolen and relatives’ placards to park for free in metered spots.
The rest of us have to pay for those cheaters. The city’s private meter company has billed $35.5 million for two years of free parking for people using disabled-parking placards or license plates. (The city is disputing the number.)
If more people were simply honorable, laws such as this one would be unnecessary.
A whole lot of laws would be unnecessary if more people were simply honorable.
Do you have any stories to tell us about this topic? Share away.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 9:43 am
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Cade McNown got popped for this while at UCLA.
perhaps that shoulda been a sign to Da Bears that they should not have drafted the guy.
Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 9:50 am
I work in the Loop and it sure seems that nearly every car parked on the street here has a handicapped placard or license plate. In my opinion, there is probably a lot of fraud taking place with this and I am glad someone is finally cracking down on this. Just because you have a handicapped relative who sometimes rides in your car does not mean you should be parking for free when they aren’t travelling with you.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 9:52 am
“A whole lot of laws would be unnecessary if more people were simply honorable.”
Pretty much sums up the basis for every political theory out there. Make a bumper sticker.
Comment by tubbfan Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 9:57 am
Many of us are still traumatized about the privatization of the Chicago parking meters. Knowing that we have to pay millions for handicapped people to park for free puts me over the edge. This is a rhetorical question because I know how it happened, but: How could the city have agreed to this?
Comment by Dan Bureaucrat Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 9:57 am
This past week in Springfield at a McDonalds. A car pulled into a HC spot and a man got out of the car and walked in the restaurant. Looked fine. A woman left the restaurant and walked to that car and tried to get in before realizing it wasn’t hers. She then walked to the adjacent HC spot and got in her car and drove away. The man returned to his car and drove away. Neither had a problem getting in and out.
To top that off, a pickup truck loaded with junk pulled into the spots sideways, taking up the HC spots and the ramp areas and parked. A young boy got out of the truck and walked next door to the Sonic drive-in while the truck waited. About 5-10 minutes later the boy returned, got in the truck and they drove away.
Laws may make the politicians look good, but they don’t mean anything without enforcement.
Comment by Ready To Get Out Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 10:02 am
Used to be a guy at my office in the burbs who would park in unloading area of the disabled parking spot in front with his sports car.
One day I decided to be that guy and call the Oak Brook Police, I still love the response of the dispatcher.
“We love giving those tickets out”
Never parked there again.
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 10:18 am
All people should pay to park at meters including handicapped people. Illinois has to get away from giving people free stuff “because it feels good”.
Comment by Shore Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 10:18 am
Nothing seems to anger folks without disabilities more than designated parking for drivers with disabilities in general. The initial reason for free parking at meters was because many drivers who use wheelchairs are not able to get to the meters and put the money in. There are drivers with disabilities who are not wheelchair users who have no trouble accessing meters, and this law requires them to feed meters.
To anyone who thinks we don’t need the accommodation of parking spaces we can use in order to live our lives and contribute to our society, come live in my world for a day.
Comment by One of Those People Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 10:20 am
The key part of this new law is ending the automatic free parking for vehicles with a handicapped placard. Since Daley privatized the parking meters, Chicago motorists have had a growing financial incentive to use the placards to save parking costs.
Now that it won’t save them any money, fewer able-bodied drivers will bother using grandma’s handicapped placard. That’s what will reduce the fraud rather than higher penalties for violators.
Comment by reformer Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 10:34 am
OOTP, just ignore Shore, the dude is perpetually angry.
Comment by Jake From Elwood Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 10:37 am
Another stupid thing people do is to leave their shopping carts in the striped areas next to handicapped parking. These spaces are needed for the wheel chair lifts to be lowered into.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 10:47 am
Not all people who get the placards are in wheel chairs. My husband is limited in his ability to walk any distance, because he develops foot ulcers (the bottom of his foot opens up) if he walks more than a couple of blocks. This happens with the needed orthotics to help minimize the disability. We often get looks when we get out of our car in a handicapped zone, since his disability is not visible. That said, if I drive I have always paid for parking downtown, because I can get to the box. There should be judgement used. I don’t think the parking should be free, but rather they should be parking spots that are nearer to entrances, or with wider access for chairs to be able to get persons out. It would make sense to be able to purchase a parking sticker on-line that you could place in your car window, when you park in a handicapped accessible spot.
Comment by illilnifan Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 10:51 am
I saw an attorney for DCFS throw up the handicapped placard on their maroon Toyota Corolla in the Skokie, IL DCFS parking lot on Tuesday, 6/12/2012 and Monday, 7/16/2012. I saw this individual then step out of their vehicle and walk into the Skokie, IL DCFS office.
Comment by StayFree75 Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 10:56 am
“I work in the Loop and it sure seems that nearly every car parked on the street here has a handicapped placard or license plate.”
I don’t see *that* many, but the other issue is, of course, that they will be parked there for 8 hours, too–well beyond the time limit for anyone else–which reduces the spots avaiable for those in genuine need, who might be coming downtown for an hour or two for a meeting or whatever.
Comment by Chris Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 10:56 am
“Illinois has to get away from giving people free stuff “because it feels good”.”
lol That could apply to quite a few situations.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 11:00 am
I used to work with a healthy young woman married to a much older man who was, in fact, disabled. She always used his HC card to park where she pleased. It made me sick.
Comment by soccermom Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 11:15 am
….and this new tough law will be enforced how?
Comment by Hank Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 11:49 am
I think most people who aren’t handicapped assumed that people that are handicapped have to pay parking meters. There shouldn’t have been free rides for seniors either.
Comment by Shore Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 11:53 am
–“A whole lot of laws would be unnecessary if more people were simply honorable.”
Pretty much sums up the basis for every political theory out there. Make a bumper sticker.–
“If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.”
Federalist 51
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 12:45 pm
=== Knowing that we have to pay millions for handicapped people to park for free puts me over the edge. ===
Let’s be clear, the city and the taxpayers aren’t doing this out of the kindness of their hearts.
They are doing it to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and I think there’s a good chance this puts the city out of compliance.
Chicago has two choices: designate one parking spot on both sides of the street on every block where there are meters as “Handicapped Parking Only,” or allow people with disabilities to park anywhere they want for free.
Chicago, like most municipalities, has found the latter option cheaper.
I’m not sure this plan is gonna fly with the Justice Department, but I’d like to know if anyone with the state has at least checked with them.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 1:20 pm
@Shore -
See my post above. This is about compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Cities have to provide a certain amount of designated handicapped parking just like grocery stores.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 1:22 pm
My good friend is a quadriplegic and I am sure this individual and spouse would appreciate it if those spots were only taken by those who really need them. People who abuse the use of these spots should be harshly punished.
Comment by Handicapped Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 1:54 pm
“They are doing it to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and I think there’s a good chance this puts the city out of compliance.”
Cite, please.
Also, would like to see where the ADA requires that businesses that charge for parking are required to provide free parking to ADA eligible drivers. Not “accessible” spots, but *free* accessible spots.
Also, note that Chicago *has* many designated handicapped parking spots in the loop. Maybe not enough, but many.
And, NONE of the on-street parking in the Loop complies with the ADA, as there is not an “access aisle” flush with the street. So, using the ADA is a boogyman doesn’t fly.
Further, there is NOTHING in the ADA that requires that ADA-compliant parking be provided for free. The trick has been that the option is *either* (1) Free or (2) Compliant meters. The new LAZ “meters” are not compliant. Can’t find my link to the contract right now, but bet that LAZ doesn’t have an obligation to make them accessible.
Comment by Chris Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 2:05 pm
@illinifan -
Kudos to you. See my posts regarding the ADA above.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 2:12 pm
I’m going Anon for this one, because it’s my mother who abuses my father’s handicapped parking permit. She parks in the spaces whether or not he’s in the car. I’m letting it go for the time being because I just have to. Once he’s gone, though, I am calling the cops on her. It’s just wrong.
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 2:37 pm
I’m going anon as well because I have family and friends who have abused their handicapped cards. One finally got a plate ironically after illegally using a card, they are now both certifiably handicapped (be careful what you ask for). I know a young person who keeps asking his relative to “bring your card” when he could easily drop her off at the door and park down the lot. I despise cheats and worse yet, handicapped cheats. However, I will never be guilty again of judging someone I see park at an “H” spot and look ilke they are able bodied. We never know what ailment they have. I’m just glad I don’t need a card/plate - yet.
Comment by A nonny moose Tuesday, Jul 24, 12 @ 7:31 pm
I am an ADA compliance examiner with 20 years experience… I have NEVER paid for parking at parking meters (in WA). That said, before anyone jumps down my throat), I am a wheelchair user with a lift equipped van. When my husband drives, we ALWAYS park at a non-handicapped parking spot if I am not getting out. However, charging for parking… I’m on Social Security Disability and this would be VERY hard for me to do. Maybe that’s why free parking is usually park of the state law?
Comment by DanaWheels Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 11:16 pm