Often I will drive up to the store for a quick trip and many times that quick trip turns into a longer one, not because the store didn’t have what I needed or the check-out lines were long, but because of a more discourteous reason.
My trip stalls in the parking lot, as I look for an open handicap parking spot. I circle and circle looking for one and finally ending up going toward the back of the lot, where I will have room to open my car door all the way and pull out my wheelchair.
This October, I will be a paraplegic for 26 years, and during that time, finding a parking spot has remained a constant frustration. This happens in the rain, the snow, the heat of summer and the busy rush of the holidays. I am often tempted to carve handicap symbols into the sides of illegally parked cars with my keys, but I restrain myself and continue on with my “quick” trip.
Handicap spots are not there because I and other disabled drivers think we need special attention, or that we aren’t strong enough to get around. The main purpose of handicap parking is solving a two-fold logistical problem. The first is that getting a wheelchair out of a car requires the doors to be all the way open, and if a person has a lift, then it requires that and the extra space a lift or ramp takes. Those stripes and wider spots are there for a reason — space. That is why I end up going to the back of the lot, where it is not as full and I can park in two spots so I can get out easily. The other reason is less realized but actually is the more important reason. Being in a chair, I am obviously a lot shorter than the average person walking through the parking lot. This is a problem in a parking lot full of minivans, SUVs and pick-ups. I am almost invisible making my way to the store, as most people’s line of sight when backing up is right above my head. Many disabled people are hurt every year in parking lot accidents.
The law requires a certain amount of handicap spots for the total amount of spots in a parking lot. There are not a lot, but those spots are filled for many reasons. The first is that, in Arkansas, one in four drivers have a handicap pass. The law to get one is that an individual cannot walk more than 50 feet before needing to rest. Unfortunately, many take advantage of this and retain that pass long after it is needed. Another reason is the infamous, “I’ll just be a minute” reason. That minute can become much longer — running into friends, remembering other things to purchase and long check-out lines. Meanwhile, I and other deserving drivers are circling, looking for a smaller and smaller selection of spots. The last reason is the saddest reason of all, which is pure selfishness. Individuals think they are above the law and/or that their business is more important than anyone else’s.
The thing that disappoints me the most is that this is not something I just find at the store. It happens here on campus. I love coming to campus every day to teach graphic design. I look forward to showing students something new to push their creativity in a new direction. But I am saddened arriving on campus when I find the few handicap spots illegally filled. I don’t know if it is the “I’ll just be a minute” reason or simple laziness, but I have a request. Don’t do it; don’t only think of yourself. Get into the habit now of not parking in those spots. Hold your friends accountable when they try to park there. I deputize you to shame them into moving. Park a little further away and get the blood flowing before you head into class. I hope these words go through your head the next time you pull into a parking lot and I hope they encourage you to leave those handicap spots for those that actually need them. Resist the temptation of parking in a handicap space and I will continue to resist the temptation of carving a handicap symbol in your pretty car.
