Handicap Parking and Carpool Question

[dogcatfud]

Is it lawful for a non-handicapped person to park in a handicap stall if he is transporting a handicapped person in a vehicle with a valid placard (edit: or handicapped licence plates)?

My friend took her grandma to the grocery store and parked in a handicap spot. Some guy started to yell at her. But her grandma was handicapped and the car had handicap license plates.

Does an extended cab compact pickup truck containing two persons qualify for the two seater vehicle exemption in carpool lanes that require three persons? Also, do they qualify for free passage over bridges that require three persons (e.g. Bay Bridge)?

The "jump seats" in the cab are a joke; they are practically useless for most adults and they seem unsafe for children.

[JackTheTripper]

Just for clarifications sake on the first one, does the car have licens plates with the handycapped tag or were you using one of the plastic ones that hangs from the rear view mirror?

[dogcatfud]

Her grandma's car had handicap plates, not the blue placard.

But it really shouldn't matter whether the car had handicapped plates or a rear view mirror placard. Both mean the same thing according to the DMV.

[JackTheTripper]

May be jumping the gun here but:

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Placards or Plates: Evidence of Issuance; Misuse
22511.56. (a) A person using a distinguishing placard issued under Section 22511.55 or 22511.59, or a special license plate issued under Section 5007, for parking as permitted by Section 22511.5 shall, upon request of a peace officer or person authorized to enforce parking laws, ordinances, or regulations, present identification and evidence of the issuance of that placard or plate to that person, or that vehicle if the plate was issued pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 5007.
(b) Failure to present the requested identification and evidence of the issuance of that placard or plate shall be a rebuttable presumption that the placard or plate is being misused and that the associated vehicle has been parked in violation 3 of Section 22507.8, or has exercised a disabled person’s parking privilege pursuant to Section 22511.5.

(c) In addition to any other applicable penalty for the misuse of a placard, the officer or parking enforcement person may confiscate a placard being used for parking purposes that benefit 2 a person other than the person to whom the placard was issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles. A placard lawfully used by a person transporting a disabled person pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 4461 4 may not be confiscated.

(d) In addition to any other applicable penalty for the misuse of a special license plate issued under Section 5007, a peace officer may confiscate the plate being used for parking purposes that benefit a person other than the person to whom the plate was issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

(e) After verification with the Department of Motor Vehicles that the user of the placard or plate is not the registered owner of the placard or plate, the appropriate agency that confiscated the placard or plate shall notify the department of the placard or plate number and the department shall cancel the placard or plate. A placard or plate canceled by the department pursuant to this subdivision may be destroyed by the agency that confiscated the placard or plate.
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Basically if you're driving and you park in a blue zone with a HC placard of any type, the person that the placard belongs to better be with you.

In short, tell whoever is yelling at you (edit: your friend) to fuck off.

[JackTheTripper]

On a side note, my wife broke her ankle once and got a HC thing that was good for a year. She was in a wheelchair for 2 1/2 months, then on crutches for another month. It was still painful for her to walk fairly short distances even 6 months later so we continued to use it. We'd get some nasty looks sometimes when we parked in an HC spot but if we went to the mall and had to park out in the boonies she'd probably be about ready to go home when we hit the front door. (We got real good and precise shopping. i.e. go in, buy, get out. cause she couldn't even walk around the mall and browse.)

Even years later very long walks bothered her. (went to vegas. Know how big those blocks are? wasn't good.)

So if you see someone parking in an HC spot and they "look fine and healthy" (she was 26 at the time) it doesn't mean they are.

[monkeythumpa]

Carpool thing goes to the "intent of the manufacturer". If the truck's manufacturer intents for people to sit in the extended cab, the presence of seatbelts denotes this, then it is not a two seater. But if you have a van which is converted into a cargo van you are a two seater.