From the picture it looks like there are Jersey barriers on the left and essentially no left shoulder. There was no way to pull the car off the road if she was bound and determined to stop.
Recently, the Highway Patrol stopped I-71 in Cincinnati during rush hour to let some geese get from the median to the side. I’m screaming, “Pull your 9mm and solve this problem for good!” Geese are known for returning to the same spot for nesting.
The only good goose is a dead goose and even then they aren’t that tasty.
Must be something with Ohio and geese though. We were in Columbus last year and by the river downtown, the entire bank was filled, and I mean filled with goose droppings. You couldn’t hardly find a space for your foot to walk on the entire bank without stepping in goose goo. I couldn’t believe it and the capitol with the Health Department at that. That river must have been filled with ecoli. Poor suckers down stream that try to swim in it or get some in their mouth.
my son hit a deer a couple months ago on his motorcycle, he somehow managed to stay upright. I thank god for his freakishly strong hands. I knew that atheletics were good for him but I never imagined the all ways that they have benefited him. I think he finally saw my point about how dangerous a bike is, no matter how good or responsible you yourself are. he traded it for a car and I m sooooooo happy
I Just had to add this here.
Today I pulled into the local PetCo to get some things for the grandsons critters.
This lady was parked in the Handicap spot next to me. I had just shut off my engine when she started to pull away. She was trying to make a sweeping left turn out of that spot. She never noticed the Handicap sign, post and concrete base all weighing about 200 lbs. She pushed that base and post a good eight feet out into the traffic lane, before backing up a bit…almost hitting my door…swinging out and around the sign. This was a new 2014 Loncoln MKZ…just off the lot it looked. She pulled in front of the store to check the damage, and I felt sorry for her thinking that it was some poor old grandma, using her sons good car to run errands.
She hops out and she’s about 30years old, wearing the most gosh awfull ugly print pants.
I think the colors might have hypnotized her that she didn’t stop when she first hit the pole.
This was no impact and the post got pushed that far. It was like she was trying to be a plow driver slowly keep pushing…maybe it will move itself. I didn’t walk over to look, but when parked that post would have been right in front of her.
And yes I did note that there was no Handicap sticker hanging from the mirror.
Yosemite
“She pushed that base and post a good eight feet out into the traffic lane”
…and, of course, she left the base & sign sitting in the traffic lane for some unsuspecting driver to encounter, and–possibly–to hit.
I would be willing to bet that she was talking on her hand-held cellphone at the time of impact.
Yep, at least she did go into PetCo and tell them. Don’t know about the cel phone, but I’ll bet you’re right.
The cashier told me that she wanted to talk to the manager, but none was there at the moment. Maybe she thought that it was their fault.
I tipped the sign 45 degrees and rolled it like a barrel back over to where it should be.
That bugger was heavy!!!
I just couldn’t believe that she didn’t stop when she heard the grinding of the base on the pavement. And I’m sure that that vibration went thru the car!!!
Yosemite
“I just couldn’t believe that she didn’t stop when she heard the grinding of the base on the pavement. And I’m sure that that vibration went thru the car!”
That’s why I think she must have been highly distracted by something–most likely some inane cellphone conversation.
Maybe that was the Big Guys pumishment for parking in a handicap zone.
I went to a local farm store one day in the winter. There had been a layer of snow that turned to slush and packed snow all over the lot. When I got out of my truck, I saw this poor guy in a wheelchair trying to slug his way thru all this from the back of the lot. I helped push him into the store and noticed on the way that none of the cars in the 8 handicap spots had a sticker.
I was so mad I went to their office and very loudly voiced my opinion. When I walked back out of the store there were two cops writing tickets and they had parked their squads so that some couldn’t leave until they got to them.
JUSTICE!!!
she was obviously handicapped. born without brain or heart
Outstanding, Yosemite!!! I wish everyone were as emphatic about this issue as you are. I also commend the cops who did what they did rather than go search for the drivers. I wish I could shake each one of your hands personally.
Disregard for the disabled driver is now institutionalized. There’s a new organization out there sucking up tax dollars called LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. They’ve promoted LEED certified building design, one of the elements of which is to provide special parking spaces right in front of business’ doors for low emissions vehicles. The state of NH built a liquor store in Nashua, and in order to obtain LEED certification they put designated LEV parking right in front of the doors, moving the handicap spots to the edge of the parking lot. There was, rightfully and thankfully, a public outcry (picked up by the local papers and new stations) and the state had to change the parking spots, but I’m seeing this arrangement popping up on other new parking lots too. I’d fed up with this bologna.
Sorry, but this disregard for the disabled by the environmentalists galls me. Walking is painful for me, some days worse than others. It angers me to have to painfully limp (yes, I painfully limp) through a parking lot in the rain while some pompous idiot that probably runs marathons gets a special parking spot right in front of the door. All because some nonprofit self-proclaimed protector-of-the-earth agency who accomplishes nothing but to suck up tax dollars has made up a certification requirement.
Where is this BS all going to end?
I do recall recently about a woman who had 25 items in her grocery cart and went through the Express checkout (with a 12 item limit) and when reminded of this by another shopper said: “I’m in a hurry because I’m parked in the Handicap zone”!.
On the program Night Court, a nosy reporter wanted quick information from Bull, the court bailiff. He said he was parked in a handicap zone and Bull replied:" I can arrange it so you can park there legally!".
How about the car with a handicapped sticker for the elderly person who sits in the car while an obviously healthy helper runs in to do the errand?
yes, I used to park in the back of lots, becauseit was quicker to just walk up than to search for and fight traffic for a closer spot.
now that it hurts to walk, I will park closer but still would not park in a handicap spot, even tho I suppose I would be legally entitled if I applied. the elderly and wheelchair bound have greater need of those spots
Doc, thanks for the laugh. I needed it.
A few years ago we had a VP of Academic Affairs, a friend, who used to tease me about having a “reserved spot” next to the door (the handicapped spot). I simply used to tell him he should thank God he did NOT qualify for a “reserved” spot.
Wes, if it hurts to walk you should not feel guilty about getting a permit. When I first got mine, I felt guilty using it. It took a while and a few painful treks across a small parking lot, to realize I should not have felt guilty. It has truly helped me control pain, and I no longer feel guilty using it.
One evening while I was still working at the college a lady came in in a wheelchair. I wobbled out of my office with my cane (it was a “pain day”) to serve her. She said she was unable to find an open handicap spot. I offered to move my car so she could use the one I was in. I meant well, but when she laughed I realized how ridiculous that sounded. Thank God she took it with a sense of humor.
I use to work with a guy who’s wife was in a wheelchair. So he got the plates for HER…
But he parked in the HDCP spot where ever he went…including work.
Here in Indiana if a non-handicapped person parks in a handicapped place, we are permitted to bash the person in the knee caps so that the person has a real reason to park in the handicapped parking place. I think at @WheresRick will verify this.
nah, as long as I can drag my sorry butt fishing and cut the lawn I won t trouble to get one. I did have to get a self propelled mower and forgo some of the better more remote fishing spots but that s ok.
I already feel like a leech on society and am ashamed to show my face outside. I always said, when people asked how I could still work, that I would continue working until I could not walk, then go kill myself, but when it came down to it I could not abandon my family nor could I continue working after I dropped to under 110 pounds and had a bleeding ulcer from the stress of the pain.
now its been a year and a half since I worked for money, I m back up to 135-140 and tho I m still ashamed I don t want to die anymore.
hey, I still have one lung and one or two good discs 
this probably should be on the credentials thread or a private message , but what the heck.
I have learned not to judge others tho. I used to see a bunch of guys on one porch when I came home from work and think that they were leeches on society. now I realize that I have no idea of their struggles and no right to judge them.
now you know why I waste so many perfectly good hours on this site anyway.
lol, I may not be welcome much longer. I have to check my private messages and see. ive seen a few notifications from the boss fly by while I was typing this, but I wanted to finish my sob story before I find out.
wes
still here!
@wesw–You did work and you earned the right to go fishing. You also earned the right to a handicapped pass if you need one.
I know your feeling. Retirement for me was not easy. I loved my work. My wife had the same problem. It felt weird to not go to work, but still have checks coming in. We finally convinced ourselves that part of our salary went into our pensions and investments and we earned our retirement. I still have dreams at night that I am teaching (teaching was my profession) and these are wonderful dreams. I wake up disappointed that these are just dreams.