OHTA.ca

Hi everybody,

I just have a quick question about having a Disability Parking Permit from the ministry of transportation.

First I want to start off by saying that I don't mean to offend anyone on here who may have one, but I just have a serious question about this..

The route I take to work everyday requires me to drive past a certain hospital and every morning I see the same jeep parked on the side of the street

in a live lane at 9am with a disability parking permit sitting on the windshield. It's there just about everyday and it creates a huge bottle neck on the street because the lanes aren't wide enough for 2 cars to squeeze through while the Jeep is parked on the side. This side street wraps around behind the hospital and leads you to Finch avenue which runs along the front of the hospital.

Most of the time, I overlook it and try not to let it bother my day, it IS a small side street after all and maybe the person has to visit a sick relative so who am I to be judging them?

Well, yesterday, I saw the jeep parked at the front of the hospital on Finch avenue and in a somewhat live lane!

I say "Somewhat live lane" because it's really the finch off ramp from the 400.

Traffic is bad there during the evening rush hour because cars are trying to merge onto finch with a relatively short offramp lane

but now they also had to deal with the jeep parked in their lane which means they had even less time and space to merge onto finch..

Is this person legally allowed to park there/anywhere with his/her disability parking permit??

I've never ever seen this car get a ticket for almost a year now...

I say that because I see it on my way to work at 9am....and it's still there when i'm driving home from work at 5:30/6pm!

Surely we try to accommodate to people who are disabled but this is kinda going too far isn't it?

My dad has a disability parking permit too and I use it when I have to drive him places, but I would never EVER think that I can park on the street in a live lane...

I'm just not sure why this person's never had their car towed or at least ticketed!

While parking rules can vary from town to town, Ive never heard of accessible parking permits granting carte blanche. I believe they simply entitle you to park in designated accessible parking spots.

Stanton wrote:I believe they simply entitle you to park in designated accessible parking spots.

Sad thing is, here in Toronto you can pretty much park anywhere except "no stopping" zones or in front of fire hydrants with a disabled parking permit. In many cases, able-bodied people my age sprain their knee, twist an ankle or whatever, and get their doctor to write out a need for a disabled parking permit. Once they get it, they don't have to return it (I think for five years) here. I see people who are ready to run a marathon park in no-parking areas, and then run in to their favourite store in Yorkville for two hours. In the mean time, Granny who just had hip replacement surgery and is suffering from arthritis can't find a reasonable place to park.

Makes me want to siphon their gas tank, or put their car up on blocks and take their tires and rims. Not that I'd do that sort of stuff...