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AJC.com > Legislature > Blog > Archives > 2009 > February > 24 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USBill would allow use of multiple standard parking spaces for the disabled
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Disabled Vietnam veteran Jim Cherry almost got a ticket when he took up a few regular parking spaces because there were no more handicapped spaces.
His wife parked his van diagonally, and that led to trouble in the parking lot of a Stone Mountain restaurant last year.
State Sen. Steve Henson (D-Tucker) has introduced a bill in response that would make it legal for a disabled person to use more than one regular parking space when in a pinch.
Senate Bill 153 says such use of parking spaces would not be a violation of any parking law.
In that incident last year, a restaurant patron got angry.
“Somebody saw what we did and got irate and the next thing you know the police are there,” Cherry said.
“I asked them to go ahead and give me a ticket and I’ll make an issue of it that way,” Cherry said.
The police did not issue a ticket, but Cherry followed through and asked for a law.
Cherry, who uses a van that is equipped with a cargo door and a lift for his wheelchair, says such vans need to park so there’s lots of room to get out the side door.
“It requires almost a diagonal parking process,” he said. The Southeastern Paralyzed Veterans Association supports the bill, Cherry said.
Henson said he’s not sure if the police have issued many tickets in such cases, but he doesn’t want there to be doubt.
“In most cases I don’t think people would ticket a car that’s got a handicapped tag that’s taking up two spaces,” Henson said.
“But I want to make sure it’s cleared up.”
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: Legislature
Comments
By nb
February 24, 2009 9:16 AM | Link to this
What kind of person complains about this? Give a person a break!
By Luanne
February 24, 2009 9:44 AM | Link to this
Do we have to have a law for everything? What happened to common sense??
By Ron
February 24, 2009 10:09 AM | Link to this
You don't need a law. I believe even police would use common sense just as they did in this case.By cliff zeider
February 24, 2009 10:14 AM | Link to this
Hey, Where do these so called handicapped park their gas guslers at home. cz
By LucyLou
February 24, 2009 2:20 PM | Link to this
Who does that?! Complains about handicapp taking up two parking spaces.