Morning Sentinel
Police target parking scofflaws at shops
By AMY CALDER
Staff Writer Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel 12/19/2007

WATERVILLE -- Shoppers in a rush who illegally park in handicapped parking spaces beware: If you don't have a handicapped license plate or placard, you'll likely get ticketed.

And the fines aren't cheap.

"Fifty dollars is the minimum," police Chief Joseph Massey said Tuesday. "It could be more; it could be up to $200."

Police are cracking down on violators since receiving angry phone calls from people who are handicapped and say they cannot find parking spaces because people are using them illegally, according to Massey.

He said one man who is handicapped told him he went to a store in Waterville to shop and drove around the lot, unable to find a handicapped spot. The man said he counted 11 vehicles parked illegally in those spaces. He reported the situation to the store manager.

"It's just not fair that they're not able to come out and shop," Massey said.

He said someone also called him from a politician's office saying that office had received a call from someone wanting a national law regarding handicapped parking.

Massey said that it may be a bad time for police to become aggressive on fines and he hates to issue people tickets of $50 or more but on the other hand, handicapped spaces are marked and people should heed the signs. He said he wants to let people know police started checking parking lots Monday night and issued three or four tickets to motorists who did not have proper placards or plates displayed.

"If they don't have that and it's not being displayed, they're going to get a ticket," he said.

Massey said tickets for more than $50 may be issued if violators have received prior fines for parking illegally.

Amy Calder -- 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com

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Reader comments

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fattubbo of Winthrop, ME
Dec 19, 2007 6:11 AM
While the cops are at it, they ought to target those who park illegally in the fire lanes right in front of the stores.report abuse
Ellen04937 of Benton, ME
Dec 19, 2007 6:32 AM
Remember that not everyone who displays a handicapped sticker is going to "look" handicapped. There are folks with respiratory and cardiac problems who look fine but can't tolerate walking distances.report abuse
Kim of Fairfield, ME
Dec 19, 2007 7:52 AM
They also need to target the people who park outside of the marked spaces. The people who park in the striped areas at the end of rows or even beyond that . I saw at least 3 cars at Walmart that were parked at the end of the row beyond the spaces. I had a hell of a time getting out because I couldn't see what was coming. The spaces are marked the way they are for a reason--usually visibility.report abuse
reader of Portland-Boston, ME
Dec 19, 2007 7:54 AM
Maine police do not know how to be aggressive with traffic nor parking space violators.

Local police need to start taking aggressive preemptive strikes on parking violators instead of being passive and waiting for complaints to start coming piling up. Police need to contact local tow truck companies beforehand and have 1-3 tow trucks follow them to areas with illegal parked vehicles. Tag the vehicles with tickets and tow them out like it was a parade of tow trucks hauling vehicles.

Also when a police crusier pulls up behind illegally parked vehicles,many times the driver will be in the vehicle AND WAIT for the officer to get out of the cruiser and be told to move.
Traffic enforcement officers need to pull up to the illegally parked vehicle,write out a ticket,then walk up and give it to the driver.

If Maine police want to continue to be nicey-nice with traffic and parking space violators, they best get used to be walking all over by the violators as well as listening to angry callers.report abuse

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