Re: Rude and abusive remarks-To Bill

[Guest guest]

Bill,

Way to Go! Good detective work. I like you, have no use for people who

abuse the " system " .

----- Original Message -----

From: " Bill , Digitec Security " <BILL@...>

< >

Sent: Monday, December 31, 2001 9:44 AM

Subject: Re: [] Rude and abusive remarks

> Sue, This is probably the longest post I have ever written so bear with

me,

> You and Dave have much more patience than I have. When someone threatens

to

> end my life I take it very personal. Your neighbor sounds like a first

class

> jerk. Let me share a very sad situation that we have in California. In

> America, our laws require an appropriate number of " handicapped spaces " in

> all commercial buildings, parking lots, city streets and multifamily

housing

> such as apartments and condominiums. In order to legally park in one of

> these spaces you must apply to the county you live in and once approved

you

> receive a placard that you can hang from your rear view mirror. As long

as

> this placard is hanging from the mirror no policeman will issue a citation

> and no towing company will tow a car. You can even get a temporary placard

> if you are temporarily disabled, (broken leg, foot surgery etc.).

>

> Now for the sad part, many people without placards park in these spaces

> every day and continue to do so until they are issued a citation, about

> $300.00. The worst part of all is that these " handicapped placards " have

> become a very hot item on the black market. Real ones are stolen and sold

> for hundreds of dollars. Counterfeit placards sell for $150.00-$300.00 in

> California. Why? Supply and Demand. We have thousands of lazy dishonest

> citizens in Los Angeles alone. Over the last two years I have had two

> personal experiences with this.

> The first one happened shortly after I returned to live in LA. I found a

gym

> that I liked and began training there. This gym is part of a very large

> fitness chain and this particular club is one of their flagship " high end

> corporate type " facilities. The club is housed in the first 4 floors of a

35

> story building in the San valley with 2 levels of underground

> parking exclusively for the club. The club has eight handicapped spaces

> closest to the private elevator that leads to the gym. During the first

> month I became friendly with a man I met at the club named Tom, during our

> conversations we realized we had a mutual friend Alan. Alan and I went to

> high school together, Alan and Tom are both teachers at the same high

> school. Small world. One evening at the gym Tom mentioned that he was

> meeting Alan and his wife for dinner at a local restaurant and would I

like

> to join them, I agreed. We agreed that Tom would drive his van for

> practicality sake. Tom uses a wheel chair due to a car accident that left

> him paralyzed. We took the elevator down to the parking area where Tom was

> parked in one of the eight handicapped spaces. To my surprise all eight

> spaces were filled. I mentioned to Tom that this was strange because there

> were only about 20 people using the gym that evening and it was a Friday

and

> the beginning of a 3 day holiday weekend. Tom told me that the spots were

> almost always filled day and night and that he suspected something fishy.

He

> told me that he had been keeping a journal for the last several months,

> logging the cars parked in these spaces, make, model and license numbers,

> times etc. He also asked for my help in doing the same. Since I hit the

gym

> at different times of the day I agreed. After two weeks of logging cars

for

> Tom I found a definite pattern with 5 of the cars. Tom and I compared

notes

> and then Tom took his findings to the local police department. Several

weeks

> went by and he heard nothing and then the story hit the local newspaper.

14

> people were arrested by local police along with the County sheriffs dept.

> for numerous counts of vehicle fraud and possessing stolen property etc.

It

> seems that an investigation had been underway for months, now whether

Tom's

> evidence helped much or not we still don't know. What shook out though was

> this, six executives of a financial company located in the building were

> arrested, it seems that they were all parking illegally in the health

clubs

> handicapped spaces with stolen handicapped placards. Four of the buildings

> parking attendants were arrested for trafficking in stolen handicapped

> placards and setting these guys up. The other four arrested were the

alleged

> ring leaders. The most ironic part of all this is that six people, four

men

> and two women with high profile, well paying jobs risked all of it to save

> them selves an extra 40 yards of walking twice a day. The last I heard

three

> had pleaded no contest and were sentenced to fines in the neighborhood of

> $20,000 with no jail time. If I was the judge I would have thrown the book

> at them.

>

> Incident number 2 is much shorter,

> Although I have mild CMT many of my family members are aware of my

> condition. This past summer during a family camping trip one of my cousins

> asked me why I did not have a handicapped placard. I told them I did not

> need one end of story. Several weeks later this same cousins wife called

me

> and asked me if I would apply for a placard and then give it to her, I

asked

> her why she needed a handicapped placard since as far as I knew she had no

> disability,(unless of course being an idiot counts.) Her reply: " well

parking

> places are so tough to get, you know " . I hung up the phone on her. Funny,

I

> didn't get a Christmas card from them this year, go figure.

> Regards,

> BC

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: Sue Horder-Mason <sue@...>

> < >

> Sent: Friday, December 28, 2001 5:29 PM

> Subject: [] Rude and abusive remarks

>

>

> > I came home on afternoon last summer on a particularly hot and

> uncomfortable day to find that someone had parked right outside my house.

> Now my neighbours know that is my parking space because it's about the

only

> one I can walk safely from with my crutches inside my house.

> > I had to park across the road and further down. I did make it into my

> house but collapsed on the door step and took a few minutes before I could

> breather.

> > Dave was very concerned and he suggested writing a politie note to the

> driver and leaving it infront of his steering wheel because he'd left the

> window open. At first I said no leave but after ten minutes or so of still

> hurting I said go for it.

> > Dave wrote and note and I checked it, it wasn't offensive or abusive in

> anyway it just stated that I was disabled and I needed to park out side my

> house and would he kindly remember this in future. Then he put it on the

> front of this guys car.

> > A few minutes later there was a pounding on our front door and Dave

> answered it, it was the guy to who the car belonged too. His words were

'if

> you stick your f***king hand in my car again I'll break your f***king

neck.

> > Dave who is by nature a lot more placid than me (you'll be pleased to

> know) apologised that he'd upset him and began to explain exactly why he'd

> written it.

> > By this time I'd picked up my crutches and hobbled to the front door to

> give Dave so moral support but the guy turned on me and said I had no

right

> to that parking space (which I didn't) and that I shouldn't play on my

> f***king disablitiles.

> > Well I'm sorry folks but I snapped at this point and said something like

> 'drop dead'. Okay I know I shouldn't have done so but the only reason I'd

> been out that afternoon was because I had a meeting in a neighbouring town

> and was representing my village (the same on this guy lives in) and we

were

> discussing possible ways of reducing crime in the area. I sit on the local

> Parish Council.

> > Anyway if this story isn't long enough to start with I decided to do

> something about it. I got the members out from my County Council and

> explained the situation and bless them I know have a disabled box outside

my

> house.

> > I challenged someone about parking in the disabled/children's parking

> space at a supermarket when neither of them were disabled or had children.

I

> followed them round the store after reporting them and totally hounded

them.

> When we got back they were just loading up and they also told me not to

play

> on my disabilities despite the fact I was sitting in a wheelchair. I took

> their car registration number and put a letter in the local paper about it

> and the paper printed both their reg number and the make and model of the

> car.

> > Maybe I'm a maverick and a potential trouble maker but I have rights and

> the truth be known I would rather not have to shout and to be able to park

> in normal parking spaces. But I can't and those who I catch abusing the

> system I always offer to replace their legs with my wheelchair.

> > Just for a laugh going back to the two women I argued with Dave was

> absolutely terrified because the car I was driving he'd just bought me for

> me and I'd picked it up from the showroom twenty minutes earlier but as

far

> as I was concerned I had insurance so I could afford to shout.

> > Does this story worry you?

> > It sure as hell worries my Dave - LOL

> > Stand up and be counted, fight for your rights but any serious trouble

get

> the police or contact the media - it really does work.

> > Love to all my CMT friends I'm proud to know you

> > Sue X

> > The important thing is never to stop questioning.

> > Website www.horder-mason.freeserve.co.uk

> > Freelance Writer and CMTer

> >

> > " I Thank God for my handicaps, for through them, I have found myself, my

> work, and my God. " - Helen Keller

> >

> >

> >

> >