Violators of designated parking spaces for disabled people bring lots of extra money to California city

From the Palo Alto Weekly in California:

Scofflaws who park illegally in disabled-parking spots have become one of the biggest moneymakers for the City of Palo Alto, according to a city violations report.

Palo Alto took in $281,000 -- 13.77 percent of all violations fines from April 30, 2008 to April 30, 2009 -- with 935 people cited at $300 apiece. The citations include $276,000 for unlawful parking in disabled-parking spots, blocking access to disabled parking and double-parking in a disabled spot; and $5,400 for blocking sidewalk access ramps, according to the report.

The revenue derived ranks second, eclipsed only by overtime parking, which raked in $830,730 in fees.

People with disabilities said they aren't surprised by the numbers. Too often, the disabled must trawl parking lots in search of the blue designated spots while drivers without disabilities commandeer the spaces, they said.

Those who have heart conditions or rheumatoid arthritis, are in wheelchairs or use walkers are forced to park distances away. And they can't utilize a parking space because the adjacent zone for wheelchair ramps and lifts is parked in, they said.

"People think the spaces should be like disabled stalls in bathrooms and should be on a first-come, first-served basis. If a disabled person is waiting, then you give them the spot," according to Donald Larkin, deputy city attorney for Palo Alto, who has heard every argument, he said.

"Many people try to challenge the law, but I haven't had anyone argue the facts," he said.

Several residents with valid disabled-parking permits say that not enough violators get caught.

"People say: 'I'm just going to be here for a minute.' In the meantime, I have to go around and around looking for a spot. A lot of people use it as a convenience," said Joe Villareal, who uses a wheelchair. He wishes more people would use digital cameras to record the license plates of violators, he said.

Villareal has captured numerous violators on camera, including an AT&T truck parked illegally in a disabled-only parking space, he said.

Violators also park in the wide cross-hatched space next to the disabled-parking area, perhaps not realizing that people in wheelchairs need the area for maneuvering and for van lifts. When cars park in those areas, the disabled-parking spot is unusable, said Helen Jones, who directed the disabled-students program at De Anza College for 23 years.

Jones has a van with a side-door ramp for her wheelchair.

"Often, if the ramp is blocked, I have to wait or find someone to back up my car so I can get out. And a lot of people aren't willing to do that," she said.

One of the worst places to find a spot is at Costco, she said. People say they're going to be only a minute, but that often turns into an hour or more. Jones has seen many wheeling out carts laden with items, she said.

"No one monitors; everyone uses the spots. I've spoken to people there and they say there's nothing they can do about it," she said.

Jones said she wishes the Department of Motor Vehicles would issue disabled-marked license plates only -- not placards. The blue plastic placards, hung from rear-view mirrors, are sometimes abused by people who have a temporary disability. People use the signs beyond the time of their disability or lend them to friends, she said.

Betsy Scroggs, who has rheumatoid arthritis, sometimes must use a walker when she has flare-ups. Once, though, she was on the receiving end of a $300 ticket.

"I was really sick one day and parked at the underground parking at the (Palo Alto) Medical Foundation. I was so excited that I got a fairly close parking space. I had gotten a ticket because I didn't put my placard where it was normally supposed to be. I got a one-time reprieve," she said.

Sometimes people have an "invisible" disability such as a heart problem or arthritis, Jones said. She is careful when approaching people she thinks might be breaking the law.

Scroggs said she has "good parking karma" and hasn't had much difficulty finding spots, although she warns people who park illegally that officers are diligent and that the driver will receive a hefty fine.

Ironically, she was once the victim of someone's anger when she parked in the Ramona Street garage, she said. Even on days when she doesn't need a walker, Scroggs' physician doesn't want her to walk far, she said. One day, someone saw her walking from her car but didn't notice the placard in her window.

"I got back to my car and there was a really nasty note saying: 'You aren't handicapped at all and we're calling the police,'" she said.