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.
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