By David Shaw, Lakewood
Does Lakewood need revenue? There’s an easy way to get it.
In the Target store’s parking lot alone, almost any time of day, the LPD could issue tickets to those who park in the Handicapped zones who have no visible hanging tag (red or blue) or DP license plate. The Safeway parking lot would also be a place to consider cruising.
I’m sure there are also other locations which could be more closely monitored. The flagrant abuse of non-qualified users of handicapped parking spaces is getting worse and worse.
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Linell Jones says
Right On Mr. Shaw, And when I am appointed goddess of everything I would even take it one step further…..I would require a DMV photo on the tag. I am sick of seeing a lone driver with a tag pull into the handicapped spot, jump out of the vehicle and run into the store/post office/theater etc when it is glaringly apparent that the tag actually belongs to someone else. Yes, there are many with “hidden handicaps” who legitimally have a tag and I’m not speaking of them. I’m speaking of those that are using their partners, parents or childrens tags for themselves. I use to drive my mother who had a tag and I would drop her at the door and go park in a non-handicap spot. Even when she drove herself if there was a close non-handicap spot she would park there rather than take a spot that someone else may need (and she had more than most reason to use the spot).
Mark Rutherford says
No, just let them ticket us business owners going to work traveling a couple miles an hour over the speed limit so they can drive and ride the ridiculously expensive police vehicles parked at Starbucks.
Betsy Tainer says
Our, UP aka PC Sheriffs, seem to prefer Forzas.
Kristy J. Kernen says
The pilot program for the Disabled Parking Enforcement Volunteers, trained by the police department in every county of Washington state, was started in Lakewood in 1998. Since Chief Larry Saunders retired, this program has all but disappeared from LPD. YES, this program was & is VERY effective. Lots of revenue was collected and people were deterred from parking illegally in Disabled Parking stalls in Lakewood. Unfortunately, the police department we have now, does not appreciate how valuable volunteers were to the City of Lakewood and now utilize very few volunteers.
Betsy Tainer says
Lucky you live in Lakewood where you have your own police who might/might not take action on your concerns vs University Place where we contract to Pierce county Sheriffs looking for an easy day and don’t bother with traffic or minor infractions and we can lay awake at night listening to the punks racing their rice burners up and down Bridgeport, Grandview and Sunset KNOWING that they will not be pulled over EVER.