Blue spot not so handy

Deepa Bharath

Be it a quick stop at the gas station or a brief trip to the

grocery store, the parking spots marked in blue are taboo to anyone

who does not have a handicapped parking placard, police officials

said.

That’s the message they want to send to citizens through a

one-minute spot that will soon air on Adelphia and Cox’s public

access channels.

“I wouldn’t call it a serious problem, but it’s a regular

problem,” Newport Beach Police Sgt. Steve Shulman said. “Our officers

write citations every day.”

The main purpose of the video is to educate the public, he said.

The public service announcement was produced by the Police Department

on behalf of its traffic division, Shulman said.

“We believe that the people who park in handicapped spots will not

park there if they know they’ll have to pay a hefty fine,” he said.

The state requires that people pay up to $337 for parking in a

handicapped parking spot, blocking a spot or parking in the striped

area that is meant for wheelchair access.

People who believe they have a disability must get handicapped

placards or license plates from the Department of Motor Vehicles,

Shulman said.

“The public also needs to remember that they cannot use other

people’s placards,” he said. “They are issued to people, not cars.”

The new public safety announcement, Shulman said, will be a

constant reminder of how important it is to leave these spaces open

for those who need them the most.