OK: Illegally parked car got my attention at lunch! Read it here:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

My husband and I like to go out to lunch often...So here we are, walking up to our local Olive Garden. I spot a car without any identifiable handicapped plates, or placards or anything like that in a Handicapped place, right by the front entrance!

And the kicker? OF COURSE! Two ribbons on the back end: Support Our Troops! God Bless America!

I called the cops, and these *um* freepers got a well-deserved ticket!

Made my fuckin' day, I tell you!


:rant: :bounce:

[Mutley]

1. I do that all the time.

I work in a retail environment and I see people parking in handicapped spots that shouldn't be there all the time. it makes me angry and I will usually call the cops. dayum! no one can be lazier than i am and i will still walk a few extra feet so i can leave a handicapped spot for someone who needs it!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. I'm glad to hear you do this...It's a first for me...

The staff in the restaurant seemed reluctant to do anything...

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

2. They now support our troops AND their local police ticket quotas.

Loved the whole story, except...of course...for the Olive Garden part.

:evilgrin:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. Hmmm, you don't care for the Olive Garden?

It wasn't our first choice; the place we usually go to is not open on Mondays, and this was the first Monday in a long time that we were going out to lunch. I used to work Mondays, and my husband is usually down at CalState Long Beach but not this week...
I'm glad you like the rest of the story!

[warrens]

20. Darden, which owns Olive Garden, is red, red, red

Like, all their donations to to the Repigs.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

36. Oh, crap, I didn't know that...

We usually eat there once a week or so...But I want you to know that I cancelled my Chevron credit card in favor of a Shell card, just for that reason. Those two both give to the Republicans and the Dems...but the Shell people don't give quite as much to the Republicans as the Chevron folks...Doing what I can...

[MisterP]

64. they support the PDs--materially!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

65. Yes, they do: materially!

What a hoot--you put your finger right on it!

BTW, you have a very cool website...I just signed up for updates...

Thanks for the great work you're doing!

[Nite Owl]

3. Justice

little dose but nicely served.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. Thank you!

Yes, just a little dose, but oh boy, that felt good, I tell ya! How often can we actually DO something right? Not often enough...

[Bluzmann57]

4. Good Going!

Anybody, regardless of political affiliation, who parks in a handicapped space wo proper identification should get a ticket. This is somewhat personal, as my dad has a handicap sticker for his artificial knee. He rarely uses it, he's stubborn, but thats not the point. The point is that those are designated for people who have difficulty walking. I bet your lunch was tastier than normal too! Yum, Olive Garden.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. Yes, it was very yummy!

Although I've read the quote that says, "Revenge is a dish best served cold!" hehe And posting this just makes it even better!

I agree; these spots are for people who can't walk far, or at all! Sometimes I crack a joke about the illegal parkers being morally handicapped, lol...

[DS1]

6. It's a thousand dollar fine in Hawaii, don't know about your state

:D

[CaliforniaPeggy]

11. It's not a thousand dollars here;

I think it's several hundred--maybe around $300 or so...whatever the amount, the joker getting it will certainly feel it. And what do you bet that this person has probably done this very thing before?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

10. Good, then you really are supporting our homecoming troops

as they will need all the handicap spaces they can get. :cry:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

13. Unfortunately, how right you are!

Those poor bastards are getting screwed right and left; we must try to help them all we can.

:hug:

[CottonBear]

12. I was among the ranks of the handicapped for about 6 months.

I was on crutches. You would not believe how many suburban soccer moms in SUVs would pull into the HC spaces at the post office and RUN inside during a rainstorm. Meanwhile, I would be getting soaked trying to get out of the car with the crutches (can't carry an umbrella in that situation...) and, by the time I'd gotten totally wet, the soccer bitch would hop back in her SUV a zoom off.

I would never park in a HC space if there was only one. There's always someone worse off than you, like someone in a wheelchair.

I most hate college students who park both in the HS space and in the aisles as well at their apartment complexes. The complex managers don't give a crap.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

14. You have my complete sympathies! I can't believe how many people

just don't give a damn! I wonder just what is going on in THEIR heads when they pull stunts like that...probably nothing...just doing what they want without concern for anyone else. Bastards, all of them!

[CottonBear]

58. Hi CaliforniaPeggy! Thanks for caring.

:hi:

I'm totally (actually mostly: stiff ankle) recovered now but the HC experience remains with me...

If you ever see someone who needs a door opened or something off of a high shelf, then, please, offer to assist them! They'll appreciate it!

Take care. :)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

60. Oh yes, you've got it!

And I have, and will continue to do so...I couldn't look at myself in the mirror otherwise...And as a now retired nurse, that is just part of what makes me tick...once a nurse/mom, always...etc...

:hi:

[Maine-ah]

15. I'll probably get shit for this, but here it goes...

just because someone has a "support our troops" sticker on their car, doesn't mean they supported GW. Example: The boss's son in in the airforce, she voted for Kerry, she also has a support our troops sticker on her car.

Now, if it was one of those stupid round W stickers....

[CaliforniaPeggy]

19. You are completely right about this! I was just taking my thought

to the extreme limit...There weren't any GW stickers...believe me, I looked...

I just have this feeling, you know what I mean? But I could be wrong. It just struck me as funny that here are these proud Americans, breaking the freakin' law! Hypocrites!

[Kingshakabobo]

27. So very true.

I saw one of those magnets on an SUV this morning. They are one of my major pet peeves so I was ready to get aggravated until I approached the car and saw his other bumper-stickers. He had quote from Paul Wellstone on one and some agricultural federation sticker on the other. We don't see too many Wellstone bumper-stickers in this (Chicago) neck of the woods.

[progmom]

34. you took the words right out of my mouth

that being said - parking in a handicapped spot when you're not qualified to? totally wrong - no matter what your political persuasion!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

38. Hi, progmom!

Thanks for stopping by...Your intelligent reasoning is always welcome! I would have called even if there had been a K/E sticker on the car...But I would have been sadder, of course...

[1gobluedem]

16. I have a handicapped plate on my car

..for a balance disorder. I use it only when I have to (I only have one inner ear so I can't walk well if I'm carrying something large, it's hilly, etc) and always yield the space to those whose disabilities are far greater. But, at least once a week when I do use it I will inevitably be lectured by someone for "...not looking handicapped."

My stock answer (to those who deserve it, not those who accept my explanation graciously) is "Well, appearances can be deceiving because you don't look rude."

Kudos, California Peggy for turning them in!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

25. WOW, what a terrific retort!

You made me laugh! And I think that the way you handle your particular handicap is wonderful...If everyone were as careful and caring as you are, well, the world would certainly be a MUCH better place!

I felt rather strange, standing out there by the car, talking on my cell phone to the dispatcher about the car...hoping that the owners wouldn't come up at that particular moment...but I was so glad when my husband went out to see if they'd gotten a ticket yet, and they HAD!

[In_The_Wind]

17. Good for you CaliforniaPeggy !

Retirement has more than a few perks!
:think: Having the time to point out things which are wrong on so many levels is one of the rewards of getting older.

:applause: Peggy :applause:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

26. Hi, Joan, you're making me blush!

I'm very happy to be in a position to do what I can to make our society a better place. I still have all my marbles and enough youth (haha) and strength to do what I want, and what I know is right!

Thank you..your words are wonderful...:blush:

[Kingshakabobo]

18. I watched a Chicago cop....

I watched a Chicago cop block in two cars in front of a blockbuster while the drivers were still in the car. I guess the drivers figured they would take up the spots while their passengers "just ran in for a second". Anyway, the cop wrote the tickets while the drivers sat with dumb looks on their faces. They didn't even bother trying to talk their way out of the tickets.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

28. Isn't that lovely?

Justice in action! How sweet it is! Like Frist getting a ticket the other day when he was shoe shopping, or some such! I LOVE it!

[Maestro]

21. Way to go!

And on a side note, I keep thinking of your picture and then you saying, "Made my fuckin' day, I tell you!" The two things just don't go together. I bet you are a blast at parties. :hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

29. THANK YOU, Maestro!

You are not the first to point out the *um* paradox between how I look and how, baby, I SOUND! I have quite a mouth on me, and I'm not afraid to use it...Sometimes it gets me in trouble, though...I tend to speak in the stream of consciousness mode, and this is not always good!
Yes, I do have fun at parties, or other gatherings...alcohol just makes me more interesting!

[Maestro]

56. Well if you ever in Dallas...

look me up. :hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

57. Will do, Maestro!

But.....don't hold your breath! :evilgrin:

[LisaM]

22. One day when we were exiting (legally) on the carpool exit

the cops had five cars pulled over for only having one driver. Three of them were peppered with flags, "United We Stand" stuff, etc. Patriotic lawbreakers!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

40. Hi, LisaM!

What a picture that makes! I can just see it...Patriotic lawbreakers, indeed. What a paradox.

[LisaM]

48. Yah, these people don't believe there should be carpool lanes

Probably don't believe there should be disabled spaces, either. Hey! Maybe they WANT to park their hummers right next to the store. Better yet, put them in the fire lane.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

50. You may be on to something!

After all, shouldn't we have survival of the fittest? Oh, no, that's Darwin and *gasp* the THEORY OF EVOLUTION! Oh well, no telling what these idiots are thinking, if you can call it that...

[LisaM]

52. I think that has a lot to do with it

all part of their simmering resentment against a society they want to completely control.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

51. Delete, duplicated...

[Spacemom]

23. Good for you!

You ever notice how it tends to be freepers that think the rules apply to everybody except them??

Both my mom and dad qualify for the handicap placard. Those spaces are for people that need them!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

30. I couldn't agree with you more, Spacemom!

Those places are for people who need them, not for the morally handicapped!

I can't stand people (freepers and anyone else) who think they are above the law...

[mcscajun]

24. Way to go!

Of course, you still would have called the cops on 'em even without the stickers. :)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

32. Absolutely, I would have, you know it!

Those stickers were just the icing on the cake! :kick:

[Maine-ah]

31. I just want to clarify something...

I think what you did in terms of someone parking in a handicapped spot, without the proper ID, was great! When I see that it pisses me off too. Our local grocery store not only has handicapped spots but also "expectant mothers", which I really think is fab.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

33. Those are great, also!

I haven't seen them in California, in general, but stores that cater to expectant moms tend to have them..It is a wonderful idea! Thanks for clarifying!

[Floogeldy]

35. You go girl!

Good on ya. :)

B-)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

41. Thank you Floogeldy!

Now that I'm retired, it's a full-time job keeping me reined in! It's a losing battle, I tell ya! lololol

[ronnykmarshall]

37. G'on Peggy!

Between the jerks that park in handicap spots and the ones that take up 1 1/2 parking spaces, I have to hold back from a bag of locating a flame bag o' dog poop.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

42. Hi, ronnykmarshall!

You make me glad I'm a very law-abiding citizen! "flame bag o' dog poop" indeed! What a sight that would make, not to mention smell!

[Ariana Celeste]

39. I *hate* it when people do that!

The other thing that really bothers me is when people park in the zones meant for fire trucks. But the parking in handicapped spots really pisses me off. There are so many people out there that need those spots! My elderly grandmother needs them, for instance, she has bad asthma and osteoporosis and needs that quick entrance/exit. Some people. I'm glad you reported them!! :hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

44. Thank you, Ariana Celeste!

I'm glad too...We are supposed to live in a nation of laws...well, today I helped the laws get enforced. It is a very good thing, and I'm so glad I was able to do it. Your grandmother needs our support, as do all folks who have those handicaps...

:hi: back at ya!

[Nailzberg]

54. My dad, a retired fire Lt., always calls in the PD on fire zone parkers.

I recall one time his crew went to my local Blockbuster while they were out getting thier groceries. I was working there in college, and giving tons of free rentals to fire fighters through the town, they all knew I was good for hooking up the guys.

So one day my dad and his crew come in, and Dad says "You know someone is parked in the fire lane?" Sure enough outside the building, a little BMW roadster was out there. An answer came from some typical North Shore dipwad who was browsing the new release wall. "I'll move if a fire truck comes." Hmm, perhaps if they had stopped reading the backjacket of Air Bud 2 or whatever piece of shit they were perusing, and looked at my dad and his crew, they may have taken a different approach. And they may have also seen the 75' Quint which was a foot from this BMW's bumper, not easy to miss.

Anyway, my dad radioed the engineer in the rig with the order to "go hot". In other words, every damn whistle, bell, siren, airhorn, strobe, EVERYTHING. THE WORKS. If you've never seen someone shit thier pants in a Blockbuster Video, well, it sure was fun watching that guy run out the door.

Now he just calls the cops, but when he was on the line, he enjoyed his own little methods of enforcement.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

55. Omigod, that is a great story!

Thank you, Nailzberg, for telling it to me, and all of us! You paint such a vivid picture that I can literally see the events happening. I'll bet it was a verrrrry long time before that guy broke the law like that again!

Fantastic! Thank you again...

[NV Whino]

43. Maybe they were holding the spot for a returning handycapped troop

:sarcasm:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

46. Hey there, NV Whino! How are you?

Thanks for stopping by! And oh yes, OF COURSE, they were doing just that! haha...Some handicap, sure...morally, IMHO!

:kick:

[NV Whino]

49. Limping around on a sprained ankle

But other than that, Mrs. Lincoln....

[CaliforniaPeggy]

53. I'm sorry to hear you sprained your ankle! That is NO FUN!

But we do hope you'll return to the theater some day and enjoy another play, now won't you, Mrs. Lincoln?

[JimmyJazz]

45. Ha ha ha - to picture your sweet face in that photograph and

see you write the word "fuckin'" - :rofl:

btw - good move!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

47. Thanks, JimmyJazz!

I do rather startle people sometimes, lol! My "real"* friends tell me that I look like this very sweet, probably conservative type grandmotherly type...UNTIL I open my mouth! And then my cover is all blown away, lol!

Thanks for the compliment--much appreciated!

:evilgrin:


*REAL: meaning non-online friends. You guys are all real to me~

[Sugar Smack]

66. What Jimmy Jazz said-

took the words right out of my mouth.


:loveya: California Peggy!

[lpbk2713]

59. Peg-O-My-Heart

Way to go.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

61. Hi there, Ipbk2713!

Thank you so much! I hope to do it SOME MORE! When needed, of course!

I appreciate the *other* sentiment, also...

[DemBones DemBones]

62. Last time a friend of mine called the cops on people illegally using

a handicapped spot, the cops refused to do anything. Now she carries around leaflets she printed out to put under offender's windshield wipers. The leaflets say something to the effect that stupidity does not qualify someone to park in a handicapped spot.

What's most annoying is that all the disabled people I know, at DU and in the real world, agree on one thing: unless we're in a lot of pain or very tired, we rarely park in the handicapped spaces we're entitled to. We all know that someone else might need the space more than we do. So when someone who doesn't have a permit comes along and parks in a handicapped space, it really makes us angry!

Not all disabilities are visible; you don't have to be in a wheelchair or limp to be disabled -- but if you don't have a visible permit, you shouldn't be parking in a handicapped spot!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

63. That is so reprehensible, it makes me see red!

I mean, parking in handicapped spots when you don't have the proper permits is ILLEGAL! Sounds like a story for your paper, and the muckrackers to get their teeth into...Anybody doing investigative reporting in your town? This needs to be addressed...

:grr: