Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in California

Related to timed parking on city streets. In my city some streets have timed parking in the range from 1 or 2 hour zones. Now if someone with a handicapped placard parks in one of these spaces they can park as long as they want, even though the city has specially marked spaces for handicapped people, both on the streets and in local city owned parking garages. In the case of parking garages handicapped people with placards pay half price according to city parking staff. Parking staff refers to the regularly timed spaces as overflow if the marked handicapped spots are full.

If we are equal under the law, how can someone that is handicapped park all day with no restrictions on the time limit, but I get a parking ticket for parking beyond the posted time by the parking enforcement officer in the same exact parking spot? And at this time I have no parking ticket to contest, but am willing to challenge the law.

After reading the California Code it made a note that one of the purposes of the handicapped laws were to get handicapped people out and more active in society, which is admirable and beneficial to those that are handicapped. Then to be active shouldn't they have to move their vehicle as frequently as a non-handicapped person?


Asked on 1/11/10, 6:55 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Robert F. Cohen Law Office of Robert F. Cohen

Persons with disabilities have special needs. They might take longer to accomplish tasks that you and I might take for granted. It is public policy to accommodate persons with disabilities to make sure that they have the full benefits that society offers.

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Answered on 1/17/10, 11:11 am


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