Earlier this year United Airlines announced to passengers that their flight was delayed because they were waiting for pillows and blankets for first class. That seemed like the move that did more to highlight inequality in commercial air travel more than about anything else an airline might have done.
When I read that a wheelchair-bound passenger was trapped at the Atlanta airport by a Porsche that seemed up there, though. It wasn’t a Delta Air Lines Porsche, however (one used for tarmac transfers mostly of Delta 360 elite members on tight connections).
Instead it was a parking lot shenanigan where the Porsche driver had blocked the doors of the passenger’s specially-modified van. The illegally-parked Porsche – intruding on a handicap space – left the woman ‘alone in the dark’ and unable to get into her vehicle to leave.
Parking staff told the woman to call the police. Police told her to deal with parking staff. This went on for hours. The woman’s husband drove out to pick her up, leaving the van behind until the next day when the Porsche was finally towed.
I’ve certainly been to packed airport parking lots, usually during peak holiday periods, though more so lately. People create makeshift spaces. I’m always nervous parking in one of those, afraid I’ll be towed or block someone or that I’ll get hit so I’m more aware of my surroundings when I do. Here the van also had “Extra Space Needed for Ramp or Lift” stickers.
@yvettepegues ♿️ The “special lift area” or diagonal lines around #ADA or #handicapparking ♬ original sound – Yvette Pegues
Be a little more watchful of the cars around you when parking – especially makeshift parking – in the airport lot, would you?
Block in that Elitist and see how he likes it!
As a fellow wheelchair user, I feel her pain and, sadly, see this often. People don’t understand that those areas are loading zones for a wheelchair. It’s incredible how selfish people can be.
I always take pictures of illegally parked vehicles and send them to the local authorities. Hopefully they follow up and ticket the owners.
Just what exactly is the job of parking enforcement at Atlanta airport?
If dealing quickly with this is not it, why not?
Try it here in the uk, where the general public don’t give a toss about ‘blue badge’ parking spaces (both on the public highway and in private car parks such as supermarkets etc.). They will park there if their is no other space available near to where they wish to be. And if you date approach some of these imbeciles – you get a mouthful of verbal abuse and threats. The response from local councils and supermarkets etc is that they do not have the resources to patrol and issue penalty fines day in day out in all areas.
Their is also a black market in illegally manufactured blue badges!
Yea seems like that would be a pretty clear cut case for towing a vehicle- unless it’s one of the corrupt Atlanta airport executives and the parking staff doesnt want to anger. Definitely would at least try to get into the minivan during the process while accidentally scratching and dinging up the porsche with my wheelchair.
And why didn’t the parking staff get into her van and pull it out so she could get in?
Note: the person isn’t wheelchair bound, as she is not tied to the chair. TheJetsFan used wheelchair user as an identifier. I hope that JetsFan isn’t tied to a chair, either! 🙂
Truly disgusting. The Porsche should have been towed in 20 minutes i
I agree, they need to tow those arseholes.
In the city of ATL, there’s a booming business of towing companies making good money by towing cars (at times, illegally or without valid reason), and charging owners hundreds of dollars to get their car back. I can’t understand why APD not doing this at the airport? They’re enforcing traffic rules there. Maybe Clayton CO. PD should stop profiling people on jetways and start enforcing parking.
As someone who have nice cars, I take offense that people assume all people who drive nice cars are assholes. Would this post be here if it was a Toyota? I do agree that there are some fell entitled peoples who feel everyone else should just yield. That goes to any types of car. Personally I’d park my car as far away from the crowd as possible to avoid chips and dings. Not that I mind paying to have them fixed, but I don’t want the aggravation and the hassle dropping the car off to someone who will overcharge me and take my car for a quarter mile run at the school zone.
I’m still not clear on why a parking attendant or helpful airport employee (or even a parking lot passerby?) couldn’t pull the van forward, which would then allow for the proper clearance the side door requires. There’s got to be someone around ATL that could lend a handicapped person a hand to remedy this issue in just a few moments.
Sure, the other car is parking illegally–it’s wrong and a jerk move…a ticket is in order–but seems like an easy fix with a bit of assistance and not worthy of the social media storm, “calling the cops” and an “hours”-long fiasco.
Our family has a handicapped grandparent–and this sort of clearance issue comes up from time to time. 99.9% of the time the encroachment is not out of entitlement, malice or “my car is nice so I’ll park where I want”, but rather someone is in a hurry, dealing with kids, or just plain didn’t notice the handicapped space next to them (can both be parked legally and still too close). We’ll just pull the car forward, load up…and move on; choosing grace over accusations. When the offending parker has noticed, they’re apologetic and have an ‘oh duh, I should have been more observant’ moment–all good. Kindness prevails on both sides.
Just goes back to nobody wants to work
1. You can buy valve stem removal tools on Amazon for $2 ($10 for a 5-pack). 😉
2. The “extra”/shaded areas should be protected with more than just paint. Perhaps block off the entry into them with poles wide enough for a wheelchair to pass through, but not wide enough for a car?
Awful. The woman is disabled, which makes her life harder at every front – why add this pain to her already difficult situation?!
Sad.
Parking in the Blue Strips is the SAME as parking in a “handicap” parking. In some states the fine is $150 1st $300 2nd $600 3rd plus towing. in CA the MInimum fine is $250.
Now every Handicap car owner should have a Swiss knife in the car just in case they need to “help” this type of car with at least 2 flats.
The police are legally able to ONLY ticket on private property for just this violation, nothing else.
One hates to advocate malicious mischief, but deflating one or more tires on the offender’s vehicle might cause the owner to think twice before occupying any such reserved space.
As to the failure of the parking authorities or the police to deal with the offender as they should have done, it seems we’re living in a society where the prompt action of some people depends solely on whose ox is in the ditch. For those people to do their duties, the owner of the ox needs to be a friend or one in a position to make their lives unpleasant, if not miserable, when they fail to do their duties. Even doing their duties is above the pay-grade of such people.
Mike the Venn diagram of Porsche owners and aholes is just one circle.
Thanks for your services. We are towing your car.
I have a handicapped car with a ramp. That notice is on it to leave extra space for the ramp. Most times I have to pull up to load my son’s wheelchair. Someone will be parked beside me. When we were on vacation a person was parked in the no parking wheelchair spot with a cut in the curb to push the wheelchair through. Since it was blocked I raised my son’s wheelchair in front and pushed him over the curb.