Misuse of handicapped parking spots

| 23/06/2016

Is it against the law to smack any perfectly able driver who parks in a disabled spot? I was at the George Town Hospital the other day and two of the four disabled spots in the front were taken by cars without the appropriate tags. Even though the parking lot was filled to overflowing, I do not think that is a good excuse to use one of those spots if you are not handicapped.


Auntie’s answer: Warning: you have touched on a topic that I feel very strongly about. I wish you could smack (or worse) all of those selfish drivers who seem to feel that if the handicapped spot is the only one open or if there are plenty of other spots to choose from, then the one reserved for people who actually need to park there is fair game.

I have confronted the driver of a delivery vehicle whose reason for using the spot was that he was only there at the location to drop something off. Meanwhile, there was a car with a disabled person inside who had to wait to use the spot.

But what you describe is truly unbelievable: that vehicles driven by non-handicapped people are taking up disabled spots in a hospital. I must repeat, in a hospital.

The rules are very clear about this. Section eight (page 77-78) of The Traffic Law, 2011 is dedicated to the use of disabled tags, and nowhere in there does it say that it is all right for others to use the spots if they feel like it. But it does definitely set out that anyone who misuses or fraudulently uses a disabled spot commits an offence.

I think the RCIPS could earn a bit of extra cash by frequent patrols of the Cayman Islands Hospital car park.

If you are into public shaming, feel free to take a photo of any offending vehicle and post it on The Blue Spot Facebook page. The extremely committed folks who run the page are happy to expose any wrongdoers.

But smacking the offending (and offensive) driver? Sorry, though I would love to see that happen, I would have to advise against that. 

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Category: Ask Auntie

Comments (29)

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  1. John Ewell says:

    Peopl who don’t respect handycap parking make me sick. Love this article though!

  2. Anonymous says:

    There are no REAL laws in a third world country.

  3. Anonymous says:

    This is Cayman. Land of Caymanians. Its what they do and how they view Laws and Rules. Get used to it. Best thing you can do.

  4. Anonymous says:

    The point I was making was that the young lady I saw leaving her car was NOT disabled, merely taking advantage of somebody else’s handicap tag which she admitted. She made no attempt to claim she was handicapped her logic was the car she used had a tag!.
    This illegal use of tags is very common in other countries and you need to wise up to it. I was there and can promise you there was nothing physically or mentally wrong with her.

  5. Anonymous says:

    I personally think there is way too many BLUE SPOTS marked out in Cayman that we don’t need…Kirks got 6 or 8 and I have not seen them in use yet and I go Kirks nearly everyday for lunch plus I shop there..So come on Kirks give us the able body people a few more spaces to help keep your cashiers clicking away..

  6. Anonymous says:

    Based on the comments here, some really vicious people live on this island.

  7. Anonymous says:

    There is a special exemption for obsese women driving SUVs and trucks if they need cake. Apparently. Easier to park in the bigger spaces and less walking needed.

  8. Annie says:

    It makes me ill when able bodied drivers park in handicapped spaces. They should be fined and shamed. Frankly I hope karma intercedes, and they become handicapped, and can’t find a damn parking space. It is the principle of the thing, and I would be willing to allocate a couple of extra tax dollars to penalize them.

    • Anonymous says:

      Stop and think. Who gave you the right to declare me ‘perfectly able’! You don’t know how sick a person might be even though he looks well. Maybe the one parked at the hospital was there to get approval for his sticker. I agree it’s inconsiderate and wrong to park in the handicapped spot if you’re well, but stick to the facts. You saw a car without a handicapped sticker Parked in a handicapped spot. Don’t judge!

  9. Pegleg Pete says:

    It seems that most of the contributors to this thread are desperate to live in a police-state. If you really want the kind of police attention to petty and irrelevant matters described in these posts, go and live somewhere else: Inner Mongolia, for instance.

    1. The traffic law/regulations only apply on a public highway; not privately owned car parks;

    2. There are indeed way too many ‘disabled’ slots;

    3. Many disabled drivers have heart or respiratory trouble; ‘disabled’ does not just mean a physical disability;

    4. The hospital car park is a joke; easier to park in Pasadora Place and walk through; (unless you are disabled, of course……….)

    • Anonymous says:

      Pegleg You mean a state where the people say this is a handicap parking space and you can be fined for parking there? Yes. The excuses you give are a sick joke on mankind. These laws are here in Cayman so perhaps you have allready proposed a place without any laws just for you. PS that Government Hospital is not private.

  10. Anonymous says:

    The USA has no such problem. It is strictly enforced and let say it, people simply do not park in handicapped spots. Different mentality, perhaps trained by strict enforcement. So your wish to smack a person for whatever reason is kind of scary and borderlines with a criminal act.
    One more thing on the topic- lots of handicapped people do not look ill at all, especially young people, yet are struggling tremendously. When a person’s blood is not reaching its heart and brain for example, you can’t see it, smell it or touch, yet a person is barely functional. Yet they have to live their lives. Be gentle to each other, who knows what life has prepared for you.

  11. Anonymous says:

    I could easily get into fist fights on a daily basis when I see the lack of consideration so many have for others on our roads. Worse if they are using the handicapped parking spots cause they can’t be bothered to walk another few feet.

    Why RCIP doesn’t regularly patrol any parking lot and write tickets for illegally using handicapped spots, illegal dark window tint, licenses plates not properly affixed to vehicles, expired license stickers etc is beyond me.

    It would seem to be an efficient and easy way to enforce traffic laws without having to put in a lot of sweat and effort.

  12. Anonymous says:

    I couldn’t agree more with the sentiments expressed here but could I ask another related question? I’ll be visiting Grand Cayman later this year. Can I use my UK disabled parking permit in the car I will be renting during my stay?

    • Anonymous says:

      People aren’t even being punished for parking in disabled spots without a permit, why bother bringing yours?

      • Anonymous says:

        9:47 Waste of effort posting a sensible question with trolls like you around isn’t it?

      • Anonymous says:

        Go ahead, bring your tag- we aim to be polite and I’m sure you will be well received. No one will question an overseas tag as we understand the meaning…

    • Volunteer says:

      My mother-in-law looked into this the last time she was visiting, a she has a disabled tag for her car in the US. The DVDL told her that the tag from the US was not valid here, and that she would have to go a doctor HERE ($$) and get an exam confirming she needed a tag and then go and apply for one at the DVDL. Not exactly a friendly policy for visitors…

      • Matt fry says:

        Well I have a badge and the same applies if you visit the USA most states do not accept the Cayman badge. However I have used it and never had a problem.I did once get the correct badge in the USA and it was so.much hassle never again.

        If you speak to.the police in Cayman they say a foreign one is fine. Same in the USA. Might not be the law but they are lenient.

        I have given.up.confronting people.now after rude answers.to why people can park there including a government vehicle outside the chamber of commerce.
        I also questions a policeman who.was stopped.outside the hearlys chemist on the double yellow. He was not on duty but insisted he was allowed to but hid his.badge no.when I tried to.take a.photo.I have a pic of another in a blue space but he said he was on call.

        The attitude is wrong from the top. Make the fee greater it’s £100 at the moment (less than being on a mobile) in the USA it’s $250 or $500.
        Thanks
        Matt

      • Anonymous says:

        Every country has their own laws. Just because you come from a bigger country doesn’t mean the Cayman Island should not decide how to manage the affairs for itself.

        Reasons for disability in the U.S. may not be considered a disability in the Cayman Islands. Eg to obtain a ‘service dog’ you only need to say the dog is your source of comfort and the dog is allowed anywhere once you have a permit and put the proper gear on the dog. This is whether the dog is a fancy teacup companion, Labrador or a pitbull. The same rules would not apply in the Cayman Islands and this is only one example.

        Just know that if you need extra arrangements, that you have to plan in advance.

  13. Anonymous says:

    I encountered a perfectly able woman leaving her car in a handicapped parking lot outside Kirk Market and her response was her car had a handicapped tag on display.. Clearly this was either not her car or she had borrowed the tag, but the amazing thing was she thought using this tag entitled her to park there!.
    However in response to the gentleman who takes photos of cars illegally parked I think he should present both sides of the coin and take photos of all these handicapped spaces in prime position that are nearly always empty. The number of these slots especially at the supermarkets and other large stores, far exceeds the demand,and clearly should be reduced.

  14. Anonymous says:

    huge problem in cayman especially with young men. I also believe those that have handicap parking stickers should only park there when they are carrying the handicap individual.

  15. Anonymous says:

    Across the board disregard for all traffic laws is the norm.

    But there is also the question of whether some drivers have handicapped tags obtained under false pretenses. I see many huge suvs and luxury cars with these tags in Cayman and abroad.

    • Anonymous says:

      not every illness is visible to a naked eye. Unless you walked in their shoes how can you tell? The list of invisible diseases is long. Educate yourself.
      So when you see someone park in a handicap spot and look perfectly healthy as they step out of the car, You wonder, “They’re not disabled, they can walk just fine! They must have that handicap card illegally.” What most don’t stop to think is that perhaps this individual may have an invisible disease. A disease that causes a brief walk across the parking lot to feel like the equivalent of running the length of a football field five times.
      Dysautonomia is one of the invisible diseases. There is even a name for it : “But you look so good.” Yet every organ in their bodies is affected and the quality of life is compared to those with COPD and congestive heart failure. It is estimated that 1 of 100 teens in the USA only has one or another form of it. Google Christina Tournant- does she look ill to you? Yet she could not keep fighting and may be mean comments and assumptions form people like you is what prompted her to take her life.

      • Anonymous says:

        I agree but was the handicap tag for your particular injury or perhaps an elderly member of your family? Also there are too many cases of people watching healthy people park in these spots.

    • Volunteer says:

      So disabled people are only allowed to have small, cheap cars??

      • Anonymous says:

        I have traveled a bit and the people I see Parker with handicapped tags don’t look sick to me. This is my opinion, those vehicles with the chair is what I consider handicapped vehicles. If you can drive a hummer you can walk from a normal parking spot. I have knee issues but don’t have a tag. Can I park in the spot without someone taking a picture? Let’s be real, most people that needs a spot don’t drive.

        George carlin had the best take on this, their not handicapped they are handicappable.

  16. Anonymous says:

    “I think the RCIPS could earn a bit of extra cash by frequent patrols of the Cayman Islands Hospital car park.”… I think the RCIPS could earn a bit of extra cash by frequent patrols full stop. They could drive around town and see all the illegal parkers, they could stop by some stop lights and ticket all the red light runners, they could stop at a roundabout and ticket the people using the wrong lanes, people not using indicators, people using high beams, brake lights not working, lights not working, really dark tint, rocks falling from dump trucks, dirt bikes not licensed…….seems like a cash cow right? But where are the RCIPS? In the office watching youtube….