Yes you read this right. I was at starbucks today and have a handicapped permit on my car. I don't leave the placard up when i drive and i had forgot to put it on when I got out of my car. So this guy from alspaughs pulls up on his mini scooter thing and starts to write me a ticket. Now I was okay with it all and i showed him the placard assuming he would just stop writing the ticket wish me a good day and everyone move on. Oh no, this guy tells me to go down to lubbock and talk to a judge.

To me it should of been ripped up on the spot. If i could walk to go tell a judge or stand in line, my guess is i wouldn't' have a handicapped permit.

I did call the city and they infact have citizen volunteers to give out tickets to people. But no provision for when one is handed out wrongly. I would like to know what type person volunteers to give out parking tickets to handicapped people anyway. And I might suggest to alspaughsifi their employees want to do this, they not be dress in an alspaughs uniform when doing it. Bad for business ya know.

Whole thing stinks. Handicapped people have enough challenges in their lives. They (nor I) need this. 

WOW! That is a little over the top. If you showed your handicap placard that should have been enough. Sounds like this little man has a big problem with his authority and it has gone to his head. 

That is not right. I understand the frustration of people abusing the right to those spaces but if you were there and showed him your placard there was no reason to treat you like that. You made a mistake by not displaying your placard but this sounds like a case of deputy Dawg getting a little too eager to catch someone. A warning would have been the appropriate thing to do. 

I believe, by law, it is recommended that you only put the placard up when parking and not to leave it up just while you are driving around. 

I have Disabled Veteran plates on my car and I agree that once you showed him your placard it should have been a moot point going forward.

Sounds like he was overly zealous to write a ticket.

I will say this though, it simply amazes me how many people will park in a Handicap spot with neither a Handicap plate, or a placard.

One time I approached a guy who was parked in a Handicapped spot with neither a plate, nor a placard, and I asked him why he'd do that.

When he started to go ballistic on me for even asking, I just walked away. And no, this was clearly not a Handicapped individual. He was in his mid 20's, built like a brick ****house and very healthy.

However, if you have a placard you're required to hang it from the center mirror, not lay it on the dash or stuff it in the center console, but hang it from the mirror when you've parked your car in a Handicap spot.

And don't use Aunt Zelda's placard either to park there. If you're busted, Aunt Zelda will be fined and she'll loose her Handicap Placard.

Sorry this happened to you, but next time hang your placard from the mirror. 

I agree it was my bad because I was distracted and forgot to hang it. As it turns out this guy is not legally able to Ask me for id so that's why he could t stop writing the ticket. But like I told the city, if he can't carry out the job he should not be authorized to write the ticket. Its sorta like a red light camera ticket but with a 500 fine attached and from everything I read I will have to pay this because there are a bunch of loopholes in this so they get their money. I really feel for diaboed vets that have to go through this. It's just wrong 

I was with my dad at Lowe's one day and forgot to put the put the placard on the mirror. We came out to a ticket, but we just drove over to the city hall and they tore it up. This was in Tomball about six years ago, but I'm sure it will work in Kingwood. like I am always saying, give someone a whistle and they think they rule the world! Lol 

I am sure he doesn't work or Alspaugh's. Any citizen can volunteer take the 4 hour course get a background check, the T shirt, and a book of tickets. The purpose is to assist HPD to find Handicap Parking Space Violators. There are a lot.

Since you are required to hang your Handicap Tag on your rear view mirror when you park (correct, not while you drive) you were in violation. That is all they are trained to spot, anything that violates the parking ordinance.

You will have to take the time to go downtown and show your placard and most likely you will not receive a fine. I bet you will not forget to hang it again.

Volunteers are not assigned to parking lot areas. They go where they please.
http://www.houstontx.gov/parking/volunteer.html 

I hope Alspaugh's was not part of this! They are such a positive part of our community, and have been forever! I can't imagine them doing anything negative to anybody! 

I really feel for diaboed vets that have to go through this. It's just wrong
It's just any other law, Redlight laws included. Obey it or not get caught and you won't suffer any consequences. I am sure you have seen a lot of handicap parking abusers. I sure have! We need these volunteers. 

Tink, there was a time when I was going to take the four hour course and volunteer to cite people for violating the Handicap Parking law.

However, after confronting the guy that I mentioned earlier who was parked in a Handicap spot without a Handicapped tag, or placard, I decided not to do it.

He could have (and might have if I hadn't walked away) easily knocked me into next week and it just wasn't worth it.

Anymore, I just shake my head, bite my tongue and go about my business. 

Even without a placard I would leave someone alone. They obviously believe they need to use the space.

I've known cancer patients going through Chemo and their bones and joints hurt so much they need to park close to a store. They might not look disabled, but for that moment they need to be close.

Sure they should get a handicap placard but many don't realize the pain from Chemo until after treatments.

My aunt is disabled as well as her husband. Because he drove her everywhere, she never got a placard. Well, he passed away and a week or so after when she went to the store she parked in the handicap space and used her husband's placard. She got a ticket, Not from a police officer but the store camera caught her and that somehow made it the police. She lives in California. 

This is a really sore subject for Disabled DH. I could tell you stories! In fact I think I have in the past. "They believe they need to use the space" doesn't cut it. It's more like, "I'm too lazy to walk across the parking lot so screw everyone else, its all about me, me, me." 

I'm really curious to see if Alspaugh is indeed involved. I'd love to hear their take on this. They are so community involved and such. Because honestly, if they are, it's total BS. 

I don't know that I think it was specifically them but their employee. My personal opinion is they need to tell their employees not to do this in Their uniforms. 

See the problem here is the volunteer is not law enforce the and cannot make a valid decision because they are not allowed to correct a situation. Had this been anywhere else with law inforcement we would of shook hands and wished each other a good day. This is not helping handicapped people all it is doing is making money for the city and making hardship someone who already has enough challenges living life. every day 

Genxer, with all due respect, you are not above the law despite your handicap. You made a mistake by not properly displying your handicap placarx and got caught by someone trained to spot that specifically. Period. If you make another mistake by going 10 mph over the speed limit, or not stopping at a stop sign and law enforcement sees you, I doubt that you would get a hand shake for that one either. The law proects proper use of a handicap parking space. The man was certified to give you a ticket not a warning. 

If Aspaughs is behind this I am sure they would be doing it as a community service to help the community, not to hinder it. I know they have shown support in the past for people with disabilities, as well as for our veterans. I am sure their intention would be to address the violators that abuse the parking spaces intended for those that truly need them. I think that they would not have been actively looking for someone in your situation.

But I imagine that it is a situation where once the ticket was written the community volunteer would not be authorized to tear it up or give a warning as Tink said.

I am sorry though that your one time lapse will cost you the effort of having to explain what happened although I feel certain if your documentation is in order that it will be dismissed. Is there any chance that you can have it taken care of at the Kingwood substation instead of having to drive downtown? 

Since we're on the subject of Handicap parking spots.

I was at Kroger (WLHP and NP) this morning, at 10:30, and there were "4" cars parked in Handicap Parking spots that neither had a Handicap Tag, or Placard. Nothing laying on the dash either.

I guess it's an entitlement thing and they felt that they needed the parking spot more than someone who actually has a disability.

Shook my head, bit my tongue, and walked away. 

It's too bad you didn't have your book of tickets to hand out, Saturn. 

And don't forget to look at the license plate. We don't use a placard. We use a permanent license plate. 

It's too bad you didn't have your book of tickets to hand out, Saturn.

Tink, I was going to take the course, but after the episode with the irate guy a few months ago that I approached about parking in a Handicap spot (same Kroger store, incidentally), I decided to pass on it.

It simply isn't worth getting my @ss kicked over it. 

Do you have to approach the owner of the car? You can't just leave the ticket on the windshield? Yeah, people get verrry defensive about where and why they parked there.

I was retrieving an electric cart from the Lowe's paring lot for my husband because there were none inside. I got real stink eye from an amputee who probably thought I was playing around.

Everyone can ASSume anything. But the law says what it says. Even if they don't look handicap, if they have the placard in the right place or the handicap license plate, they are legal to park in a handicap space. Only law enforcement can challenge that they are using Gramdma's card. And they don't have time for these low down cheaters. 

Tink, I have no idea if, as a citizen, you're required to notify the Handicap Parking Spot violator if you write them a ticket.

Like I said earlier, the guy at Kroger cooled my jets and I'll never approach anyone again. But I do pay attention to who's parking in a Handicap spot and I'm amazed at how many people will do it without the credentials.

I agree, even though someone may not look Handicapped, you never know what their story is.

If they have the Handicap tag, or placard, I pay no attention to it and move on.

However, if they don't have a Handicap tag, or a placard, it gets my attention.

Problem is, what the hell can you do about it?

My experience is that they will confront you with a vengeance and get in your face for challenging them.

Sadly, it isn't worth it ... 

With the usually nice weather we have here, it isn't a big deal to walk from a regular spot.

People are lazy. 

I always park far, far away from other cars. since I don't want anyone dinging my car. It never fails that when I go back to my car, there will be cars on both sides of me. I don't get it. There are empty spaces everywhere. 

There are people who have low self-esteem or feeling of status in their daily lives and go crazy when they have a little power. I think they have municipal traffic court in Kingwood. I would report this nasty person. 

Report him and see that you were in the wrong. 

Or maybe they are sticklers for rules and people who aren't handicapped parking in handicapped spaces really get their goat. I can see how it could quickly get dangerous though.