Handicapped Parking Spot

Saturday my apartment got a new handicap parking sign posted. I'm all for helping out the handicapped. Keep that in mind as you continue to read.

The sign is big, ugly and over the top. Why they couldn't paint a stencil on the spot itself is beyond me. Maybe that is still in the works.

That sign is nearly 6 feet tall and placed on a steel post, like what most street signs are placed on. Would anyone mistake this for a good look in front of an apartment building.

The worst part; that's MY apartment that its in front of. In the picture, those are my windows. Bad enough they look out over the parking lot but now they've added an ugly ass sign.

Our complex recently merged with another one just down the hill and thus came under new management. It's possible that this is part of the corporate mandate and that's understandable. I have no problem with them putting in a handicap parking spot. We have never had a problem with parking.

The problem is that this handicap parking spot is itself handicapped! There is no ramp onto the sidewalk. There are some driveways (for garages) further to the right (in the picture) but if those driveways have a car in them, they are worthless to a wheelchair bound individual. There is a grassy little peninsula directly to the right of that parking lot that would have to be torn out and turned into a ramp for the spot to be useful at all. I've parked there myself and it's a tight squeeze sometimes for my little Volkswagen. Many of the handicap vans I've seen are quite large. This spot is inadequate.

The only thing I can think of is that the sign is to get people out of that spot now so they can later come in and tear up the rest to acommodate the handicapped. If they do nothing then this spot is completely and totally worthless.

I don't want to be negative, but if this spot was put in for someone who threw a fit but really doesn't have special needs (someone who is taking advantage of the generosity of those who do care about the handicapped) I'm going to be rather upset. Upset also because there would be nothing that the complex owners can do. They are legally bound.

I'm going to hope that my first thoughts were the correct ones and not my latter thoughts. I have to have SOME hope for the human ability to be charitable to those whom are less fortunate.