I own a custom Simms softail so it was more of a ribbing than anything. Although with the roadracing were doing this year I could end up with one of those tags yet.I too own Harleys,so I must be retarded too right?
Handicap parking space?
- Thread starter rtvegas
- Start date
I'd have to agree.........it's a case by case basis. Now if you saw him jog out of the coffee shop, hop on his bike and blaze, then there's reason for concern.
Just yesterday, I was pulling into the local grocery store on my bike and I was following a guy on one of those scooter high mpg bikes(about as fast as a harley
). I noticed that he had a prosthetic instead of a left leg, so I'm sure that he deserved a handicap sticker!!!just my .02 .
Relsek
Registered
In Florida, it seems like most of the handicap spots are taken by people that are fat, rather than people with some sort of disabling injury. I can't even stand to go to places like Wal-Mart anymore, it's like a fat fest, people are so fat they have to use electric buggies to get around, and if they can't find one they'll walk around leaning on their shopping cart.
I know what the responses will be, some kind of medical condition or such. That may be the case for a few but the fact is, for some it's just plain laziness and maybe if they park a little farther away they could burn off a little of that fat. I travel all over the world and every time I return I am amazed at the amount of fat walking around the American streets. I would think that if all the fat was due to medical conditions, that there would be some sign of the same problems in other parts of the world.
No offence to you overweight people that choose to be that way, this is America and you can be whatever you want. It just amazes me all the excuses I hear for being fat where people won't just own up to the fact that they eat too much and do too little.
Rant off
After reading what I wrote, I realized it may have nothing to do with the Harley dude, but it sure felt good to get if off my chest.
<!--EDIT|Relsek
Reason for Edit: None given...|1147550691 -->
I know what the responses will be, some kind of medical condition or such. That may be the case for a few but the fact is, for some it's just plain laziness and maybe if they park a little farther away they could burn off a little of that fat. I travel all over the world and every time I return I am amazed at the amount of fat walking around the American streets. I would think that if all the fat was due to medical conditions, that there would be some sign of the same problems in other parts of the world.
No offence to you overweight people that choose to be that way, this is America and you can be whatever you want. It just amazes me all the excuses I hear for being fat where people won't just own up to the fact that they eat too much and do too little.
Rant off
After reading what I wrote, I realized it may have nothing to do with the Harley dude, but it sure felt good to get if off my chest.
<!--EDIT|Relsek
Reason for Edit: None given...|1147550691 -->
I've seen a guy here in LA that has a crippy plate on his motorcycle. I can't remember his handicap, but it was completly legal.
I don't have a problem with it, there are plenty of handicap parking spots anytime I go somewhere.
I don't have a problem with it, there are plenty of handicap parking spots anytime I go somewhere.
Relsek
Registered
Unless you are toting someone around who really is handicapped, then you can't seem to find a spot.
OK...
4.5 years ago i got hit with a forklift at work. Broke L3,L4,and L5. now all 3 are fused to my sacrum. I have a Handicaped tag. I can ride a bike again now, BUT was bed ridden for 2.5 years, went through 2 major, and 11 minor surgeries. NOW can i ride a Busa Yes, Do i park it in handicaped spots? NO, but if i did i think i earned the right to. Now Florida gives those tags out for a 6yr term. I don't really ever use mine anymore. I'm in decent shape now. but i did use it for a long time. Even now i still have some really bad days (with back pain) my left leg is still weak. i only use it when setting bike on or off kickstand.
So because i can ride again should i not have the tag anymore? Like i said i have not used it for my Busa, but if i was hurting bad i wouldn't feel bad about it.
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Reason for Edit: None given...|1147554771 -->
RaveCrusader
Registered
Okay guys. I am certain that what I am about to write here is not going to be very popular. But before I get into my opinions on the subject I want to recognize that there are some excellent arguments that have been made here about what RTVEGAS and I saw at Starbucks that day. I appreciate what many of you have had to say about this topic. I wanted to wait to respond because this thread because I knew some of you would likely be able to give me some new perspective and some things to think about, which you did.
This is not the first time we saw this bike park at a Handicap spot at that Starbucks. We saw this bike parked there sometime late last year. We mentioned out loud how we thought that it was inappropriate for a motorcycle to park in a handicap space. We did not know that they even gave out handicap stickers for motorcycles. In all my years I had never heard of it. We thought it was just some Harley parked in a Handicap spot. The owner of the motorcycle hobbled around the corner and confronted us. He said; “If you want to assume that I can't park there you should check my license plate." We checked it and saw the handicap sticker.
First, a little about me and how I know RTVEGAS.
He and I work together. I come from a family of Healthcare workers. I have been working in Healthcare as an EMT, in ER's and in Medical laboratories since 1994. I work with RTVEGAS at a hospital and his background in Healthcare is more extensive then mine, about 18 years or so. I have been riding for about 15 years have more then a hundred thousand miles of riding under my belt.
Point 1: Just because they are handicapped, they should not be denied their right to ride.
Counter Point 1: Just because you are able to ride does not mean you should be riding. Think of a S.Q.U.I.D. riding like an idiot and popping wheelies in heavy traffic. They are more then able to ride but they have no business being on a bike. You have to take a test to get your drivers license and your motorcycle endorsement and they can both be taken away. That makes riding and driving a privilege that you have to earn. If you are a danger to yourself or others, you might not get to keep your license or your endorsement.
Bottom line: Riding, or driving for that matter, is not a right... it is a privilege
Point 2: He is handicapped but has good control of the bike. He just can't breathe very well or walk very far when he gets where he is going. He needs the Handicap space to park close.
Counter Point 2: Riding is exponentially more dangerous then driving a car. If you can't walk or breathe when something bad happens and you are forced to lay your bike down, you are far more likely to be critically injured. I know this from experiences I have had out in the field working in Healthcare. Even when wearing full gear, the level of severity for injuries increases dramatically. It is especially dangerous when it comes to a person with respiratory problems. You are endangering yourself and others on the road.
Bottom Line: If you can't walk more then a couple of feet or have serious respiratory problems, you have no business riding a motorcycle. You need to be in a car for your safety and mine.
Point 3: There are usually plenty of handicap spaces anyway.
Counter Point 3: That is just not always the case. My grandmother had a stroke a few years back and after she had recuperated enough to drive she had a handicapped placard for her car. There were too many times that she was not able to park in a handicap space because there simply were not enough spaces. There were times that I would help her shop and we would take her car. I saw people that were far less handicapped then her speeding into a space right in front of us right before they got out of the car and briskly walked away. You can imagine how that made me and my grandmother feel.
Bottom Line: If are severely and legitimately handicapped, you deserve the space. If you are not and use the space anyway, you are taking it away from someone that really needs it.
Point 4: If I qualify for a sticker and I can get one for my bike, why shouldn’t I? It’s not my fault that the system is set up that way.
Counter Point 4: I used to live in New Mexico. When I originally went to college out of High School I qualified for a few special types of financial aide and scholarships because one of my great grandparents was full blooded Native American. I barely made the cut, but I had enough Native American ancestry to qualify. I never took advantage of it though, because I felt it was not right. That money was set aside for people of direct Native American descendants to help them get off the reservation and get an education. I already had opportunities enough. If I used that money, I felt like it would not be proper. My dad was a Marine Corps Drill Instructor and I believe in what he said about taking things that don’t belong to you and taking advantage of things that were not meant for you. That money was never intended for people like me, even though I did qualify for it.
Bottom Line: Just because the system allows it does not mean our personal ethical integrity can be ignored.
Please keep in mind that I’m not saying anyone out there who has a handicap sticker on their bike should give it up. This is just what I think about the whole topic from my own experiences and life. Most of the time I can park closer then the Harley at that same Starbucks, there is sidewalk parking there for motorcycles.
But the most important thing to keep in mind: What the hell do I really know about anything anyway? It’s just my opinion and I have been wrong often enough.
This is not the first time we saw this bike park at a Handicap spot at that Starbucks. We saw this bike parked there sometime late last year. We mentioned out loud how we thought that it was inappropriate for a motorcycle to park in a handicap space. We did not know that they even gave out handicap stickers for motorcycles. In all my years I had never heard of it. We thought it was just some Harley parked in a Handicap spot. The owner of the motorcycle hobbled around the corner and confronted us. He said; “If you want to assume that I can't park there you should check my license plate." We checked it and saw the handicap sticker.
First, a little about me and how I know RTVEGAS.
He and I work together. I come from a family of Healthcare workers. I have been working in Healthcare as an EMT, in ER's and in Medical laboratories since 1994. I work with RTVEGAS at a hospital and his background in Healthcare is more extensive then mine, about 18 years or so. I have been riding for about 15 years have more then a hundred thousand miles of riding under my belt.
Point 1: Just because they are handicapped, they should not be denied their right to ride.
Counter Point 1: Just because you are able to ride does not mean you should be riding. Think of a S.Q.U.I.D. riding like an idiot and popping wheelies in heavy traffic. They are more then able to ride but they have no business being on a bike. You have to take a test to get your drivers license and your motorcycle endorsement and they can both be taken away. That makes riding and driving a privilege that you have to earn. If you are a danger to yourself or others, you might not get to keep your license or your endorsement.
Bottom line: Riding, or driving for that matter, is not a right... it is a privilege
Point 2: He is handicapped but has good control of the bike. He just can't breathe very well or walk very far when he gets where he is going. He needs the Handicap space to park close.
Counter Point 2: Riding is exponentially more dangerous then driving a car. If you can't walk or breathe when something bad happens and you are forced to lay your bike down, you are far more likely to be critically injured. I know this from experiences I have had out in the field working in Healthcare. Even when wearing full gear, the level of severity for injuries increases dramatically. It is especially dangerous when it comes to a person with respiratory problems. You are endangering yourself and others on the road.
Bottom Line: If you can't walk more then a couple of feet or have serious respiratory problems, you have no business riding a motorcycle. You need to be in a car for your safety and mine.
Point 3: There are usually plenty of handicap spaces anyway.
Counter Point 3: That is just not always the case. My grandmother had a stroke a few years back and after she had recuperated enough to drive she had a handicapped placard for her car. There were too many times that she was not able to park in a handicap space because there simply were not enough spaces. There were times that I would help her shop and we would take her car. I saw people that were far less handicapped then her speeding into a space right in front of us right before they got out of the car and briskly walked away. You can imagine how that made me and my grandmother feel.
Bottom Line: If are severely and legitimately handicapped, you deserve the space. If you are not and use the space anyway, you are taking it away from someone that really needs it.
Point 4: If I qualify for a sticker and I can get one for my bike, why shouldn’t I? It’s not my fault that the system is set up that way.
Counter Point 4: I used to live in New Mexico. When I originally went to college out of High School I qualified for a few special types of financial aide and scholarships because one of my great grandparents was full blooded Native American. I barely made the cut, but I had enough Native American ancestry to qualify. I never took advantage of it though, because I felt it was not right. That money was set aside for people of direct Native American descendants to help them get off the reservation and get an education. I already had opportunities enough. If I used that money, I felt like it would not be proper. My dad was a Marine Corps Drill Instructor and I believe in what he said about taking things that don’t belong to you and taking advantage of things that were not meant for you. That money was never intended for people like me, even though I did qualify for it.
Bottom Line: Just because the system allows it does not mean our personal ethical integrity can be ignored.
Please keep in mind that I’m not saying anyone out there who has a handicap sticker on their bike should give it up. This is just what I think about the whole topic from my own experiences and life. Most of the time I can park closer then the Harley at that same Starbucks, there is sidewalk parking there for motorcycles.
But the most important thing to keep in mind: What the hell do I really know about anything anyway? It’s just my opinion and I have been wrong often enough.
+1If he owns a Harley maybe he is mentally disabled
Valid points and well-taken, but you seem a little sensitive about this subject don't you?
just too follow up on the walmart. i have a broken ankle and leg. i went shopping with my wife the other day. i need crutches to walk can't put any weight on my bad foot. as we enter ther store the greeter tells me to grab a electric cart wich i would have done if some fat guy who walked to the store just fine did not cut in front of me and grab the last one and then gave me a dirty look as he rolled by while i hobbled back to my wife. sometimes people stink.
Whats the big deal?
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