Busting able-bodied drivers in handicap spaces

AutoBlog: Busting able-bodied drivers in handicap spaces

Click to watch videoWhile no one on the Autoblog staff requires handicapped parking, we have friends and family who do. Seeing perfectly able-bodied people stroll from their illegally-parked cars into a building is infuriating.

But, fearing road rage reprisal, we don't dare confront these folks. Two reporters for the Detroit Free Press, however, took a video camera into the field and hunted down several offenders. Some illegally parked drivers claimed ignorance until the blue sign and blue paint were pointed out. Some acted offended, others offered lame excuses, and with the help of a parking enforcement officer, at least one was ticketed.

And before you comment, yes, we know some people aren't visibly handicapped yet still need to reduce their walk from car to store. One of the people confronted in the video turned out to be driving her blind husband around. Others, though, admitted their hang-tag belonged to someone else. In Detroit, that'll get you a $500 ticket for fraud instead of just a $100 ticket for parking in a handicapped spot without permission.

The image above is from the video and shows a man illegally using his boss's handicapped parking tag. Turns out, his boss, and owner of the car, is Eugene Applebaum, who is disabled and who has served on the board of a multiple sclerosis group.