I have seen issues recently with handicapped parking spaces, from both sides of the coin. There are many artists who feel that it's ok to pull into a handicapped parking space if they are loading in for a show, and I recently saw an artist friend that I know, who has a handicap placard, huffing and puffing to dolly in some bins from way down the block while a younger, able-bodied artist had pulled into the handicapped spot to dolly his own display in. Was this right? I don't think so.
On the other hand, this past weekend, at 5:00am, an artist was dollying in when a garbage truck pulled in and needed to empty the dumpster that the artist was parked in front of. The artist temporarily moved his van into the only available spot, the handicapped spot, dollied in one load from there, and by the time he returned, had received a $500 ticket. Ouch!
I'm sure that for many non-handicapped people who load in from handicapped parking spots, their reasoning is that if they don't park there to load in, someone else will. And they figure that whether or not an artist has a placard, if he is able to pitch a tent, then he should be able to dolly in from beyond the handicapped spot. But please be cognizant of the fact that for some artists, retirement isn't an option and they have to keep going the best they can.
We also saw an incident during load-in where a handicapped artist politely asked a non-handicapped artist to move his vehicle and vacate the spot. The non-handicapped artist somewhat rudely declined to move.
The bottom line - do handicapped parking spots still apply during load-in and load-out?
Replies
I don't understand the thinking that this could even BE an option...IT IS THE LAW.... heck if it's okay to ignore this, because it's easier, more convenient for you able bodied people, then hey it should be okay for anyone to ignore any other law, because they are inconvenient...where are your brains people???
Yes...it is a law. They are for handicapped use ONLY. If you don't have the placard, you don't use it. Period. If you use it and get caught, you deserve the ticket. IT IS AGAINST THE LAW for non handicapped people to use the spots- even if they are the only available spot. Therefore, IT NOT AN OPTION TO BE DISREGARDED, because it would be more convenient, easier... whatever your excuse. If you are not handicapped don't use them. Pretty clear.
I recently had a lengthy conversation with an artist who is in a wheelchair about these issues. If you've ever traveled outside the US and you see the total lack of facilities for disabled people you'd think that people here have it easy, not so. Maybe a little better because if they leave their homes sidewalks are now accessible and buildings also, but at a show accessibility is a serious challenge. Outdoor shows that are held in parks or whose permitted parking are far from their spaces cause all kinds of trouble for them.
Not knowing the answer, I'd speculate that the handicap space is 24 hours no excuses. And even if the show obtains a permit to close the street and not allow public traffic in, they would probably still allow cars with handicap permits through to park there.
One year at Medina, there was a similar experience but with the wheelchair accessible sidewalk ramp to get across the street. At the end of the show, all the artists pulled into the spaces around the park to load out. They were all diagonal pull straight in, not parallel parking spaces. Once all the spaces were filled, the handicap ramp was the only way to dolly to the rear of the vans. The last idiot to pull in blocked the handicap ramp so no one could dolly out. Everyone who asked him to move was told that they should give up their space so he could move into it. Finally one of the exhibitors called the police and they gave him 30 seconds to move his vehicle.
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100