Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Handicap Parking

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Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 12-04-2005, 02:28 AM:

So I am staying at an Extended Stay hotel. The entrances to the rooms are outside. There is parking all the way around the building, with 3 "walkways" to get to either side. In the front where I need to park are 8 handicap spots. I have only seen 2 cars parked in these spaces. I had to pull in the back, and I parked next to a minivan. On it's sliding passenger side door was a big sticker that said please park at least 8 feet away, because it is a handicap van with a wheelcair lift inside the side door. There are no ramps in the curbs at the back of the hotel.

What would you do? Leave 2 spaces between them and you, or ignore them? The handicap spots in front take up about half of the parking, and like I said the majority of them are always vacant.

Not a big deal, I parked about 50 feet away, but it is one of those WTF questions.

Rick

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 12-04-2005, 03:25 AM:

I'd figure the handicapped person wasn't around and the driver was off duty or something. I'd try to park away if possible, just in case, but I wouldn't worry too much about it if I couldn't. If they need the space, they should be using the one(s) reserved for them.

Handicrapped toilets are a similar situation. A lot of people don't realize the stalls are just wheelchair accessible, they're not reserved. I go straight for them. And I've yet to see anyone in a wheelchair waiting to get in. In fact, I can't say that I've ever SEEN a wheelchair in a public restroom.

I have to wonder about these laws, though. In one truckstop I frequent, they have wheelchair stalls in the upstairs restrooms!

Posted by Christian Volpi (Member # 2370) on 12-04-2005, 09:30 AM:

If they are handicaped then they should park in the handicap zone. We can't park in their spot, so they shouldn't be able to park in ours! Just Kidding.

Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 12-04-2005, 10:27 AM:

The thing I don't get is, the sign on this vans window says please dont park within 8 feet of the side of it. So if they really park in a handicap spot, does this mean they should expect no one to park in the spot next to them? Even if the next spot is a handicap, there isn't 8 feet between the spots. If I park 8 feet away, then I am taking up 2 spaces and I become the asshole [Big Grin]

Tim, I had to meet a salesman at a theater one morning about 15 years ago. They claimed that all of the signage had to have braile on the signs by law. I basically told them BULLSHIT! what will they do, walk around the theater feeling the walls until they find a sign? I don't think so, they would come with someone, or they would ask for help. I also told him in all my years, I never saw a blind person come to see a movie! (no pun intended). I was not making fun of blind people, I was just being a smartass to a salesman trying to take advantage of a situation that in my eyes was unreasonable.

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 12-04-2005, 11:48 AM:

Actually, they're beginning to restripe the handicap parking spaces here to provide wider access. Basically a space about as wide as a pedestrian walkway now has to be on the right side of each handicap parking spot. The feds are being really slow about mandating this change, to minimize the impact on the properties that must provide those spaces.

Same thing goes for the ongoing conversion of all public sidewalks to be wheelchair friendly. All new construction of curbs and all existing curbs at crosswalks must eventually provide ramp areas for wheelchair access. Again, it's going very slowly in the established neighborhoods but with each passing year I see more and more street corners converted over.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-04-2005, 11:49 AM:

I think braille signs are stupid too, but it is required on restroom signs by the ADA. I guess the thinking is, a blind person might be able to find their way to the rest room area just by being directed by someone or being familiar with the building, but often the two restroom doors are side by side so having the braille signs makes it easier to use the correct door.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 12-04-2005, 12:07 PM:

Handicapped parking spots here are extra-wide to accommodate vehicle chairlifts.

There's a new federal courthouse being built in Eugene, a major deal here. During the planning stage, there was a huge public debate over wheelchair access. The main public entrance will sit kind of high due to site requirements, so it isn't going to be easily accessible to wheelchairs. No problem - The GSA proposed an elevator on one side of the building for wheelchair users. That fully complies with ADA guidelines.

Not good enough! It's demeaning to wheelchair users if they can't use the front door! Advocates for the handicapped demanded and got a L-O-N-G gently-sloping switchback ramp in front of the entire building. I mean like 800 feet of sloped ramp or some crazy thing.

On those 98 degree summer days, or when it's cold and raining, what wheelchair user is going to push themself up 800 feet of open-air ramp when they could use the elevator? Duh?

Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 12-04-2005, 01:32 PM:

Not to sound mean or sarcastic, but if a blind person went into the wrong restroom, would it really matter?

My first public restroom experience in China was at a local bar. They only had 1 restroom. I walked in and noticed a girl following me in. There were only 2 stalls, so I hesitated, and she just walked right on into the first stall. Not a big deal. I guess it's just the culture you are raised in.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 12-04-2005, 01:53 PM:

Years ago in Germany I went in to the men's room and my mother into the ladies room. When inside, there was no dividing wall between the two. Apparently there was only one room originally; later the men's room door was cut in alongside the women's when tourists had "an issue." Louis

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 12-04-2005, 02:36 PM:

Somewhere I have the sign to the old GCC corporate screening room (pics are in the gallery); it said "Screening Room"--complete with braille translation underneath! Really! [Smile]

Posted by Richard Shults (Member # 3256) on 12-04-2005, 04:08 PM:

quote: Richard Hamilton
I also told him in all my years, I never saw a blind person come to see a movie! (no pun intended).

We had a blind guy come to see "The Passion of the Christ." It wouldn't be that big of a deal if you speak Aramaic and Latin, though I doubt this guy did because he had his wife describe the movie to him as it was happening. Thankfully the auditorium of people (only about 20 or so) were pretty understanding because that would be a lose-lose situation if someone complained about it.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 12-04-2005, 05:29 PM:

I fielded a phone call from a do-gooder (on behalf of a large circuit). This person thought that "something should be done" so that the blind could enjoy a movie with their friends. They wanted me to start a discussion on a second audio channel for "description" which I knew had no future, at least in the short term.

With program audio already present, and with the second channel of description it occurred to me that we had reinvented RADIO; which is what I told her. Louis

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 12-04-2005, 06:50 PM:

When I was managing a theatre in Mankato, MN ... there was a blind woman that came every week to see a movie. She walked with one of those "feeling" sticks. All you had to do was tell her what auditorium # she was in and she found it herself ... didn't want or require help from anyone ... not even to carry her popcorn.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 12-04-2005, 10:05 PM:

quote: hhot Ricky!
Not to sound mean or sarcastic, but if a blind person went into the wrong restroom, would it really matter?

Not unless they couldn't find the TP and felt around and "fingered" your face with their un-wiped hands...YUK!

That reminds me of when Helen Keller was at a party and the host asked: "What's the difference between a shower curtain and toilet paper?

Helen replied that she didn't know.

The host replied: "OH! SO you're the one!

I also agree with Mike and with the lady in his post. She ***IS*** really cool!

I get sooo sick and tired with ALL PC people and their spiels!

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 12-05-2005, 01:47 AM:

I have always wondered about those hand capacitance button panels in elevators with braille labels around them.

Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 12-05-2005, 02:28 PM:

I had Lunch the other day in New York at the Museum of Modern Art. [MOMA]

There restroom's are like they have in France. The Men and Women go through the same door and they have floor to ceiling water closets.

They both share a common area to wash and dry hand.

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 12-06-2005, 12:30 AM:

quote: Bob Maar
There restroom's are like they have in France.

French "Squatter" toilet

They should be standardized in ladies' public restrooms in the US, since the tank & bowl type fixtures are used by them in the "squatter" method anyway, creating the most godawful mess.

Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 12-06-2005, 01:25 AM:

quote: Louis Bornwasser
They wanted me to start a discussion on a second audio channel for "description" which I knew had no future, at least in the short term.

We have audio description (supplied on a DTS / MOPIX disc ... along with rear window captioning) in two of our auditoria. If a person has our headset in one of these auditoria, s/he can select from two channels, one with the regular audio (like the standard "listening device" in most theatres ... well most that I've worked at anyway), or the other with the audio description.

Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 12-10-2005, 05:21 PM:

I do have some problems with handicapped parking spaces. In most places I've seen, there are WAY more handicapped spaces than are ever needed. In New York, it's WAY too easy to get a handicapped sticker. A note from a doctor will get you one. I see tons of people at Jones Beach with handicapped stickers who have no problem walking (except laziness.) This, obviously, is not the fault of truly handicapped people, but of others who take advantage of the situation.

I think it's a good idea for theaters to provide audio descriptions, especially if they're already providing headphones for hearing impaired people. I know if I lost my vision, I'd still want to go to the movies. Stating that this is "radio" is disingenuous -- there's virtually no radio drama or comedy to speak of, even on satellite radio.

Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 12-18-2005, 10:16 PM:

William,

A squat to far back on that damn toilet woudl put someone in the hospital... [Frown]

How would that thing work for a gent? And I'm assuming that the photo shows only a 'pisser'? Open air dump... no thanks..

Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 12-18-2005, 10:42 PM:

William,

A squat to far back on that damn toilet would put someone in the hospital... [Frown]

How would that thing work for a gent? And I'm assuming that the photo shows only a 'pisser'? Open air dump... no thanks..

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 12-18-2005, 10:51 PM:

Holy Cow Jason! We all heard you the 1st time! [Razz]

That pic that William posted is the "DELUXE" model that I have yet to see.

Most of the crappers that I've come across in Taiwan and China only have a pipe in the floor to squat over and a short garden-type hose for "flushing".

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 12-19-2005, 04:05 AM:

Phil's right, them's mighty uptown fixtures. Most Paris bar & restaurant bathrooms are thought-provoking.

Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 12-19-2005, 09:33 AM:

Phil, Shit, I thought that hose was for washing your hands and ass after you were done. [Wink]

I'll give you a little advice, IF you ever point that hose over the stall next to you and then flush, have your pants pulled up and zipped. It makes it a hell of a lot easier to outrun a wet Chinese man!!! [Wink]

Rick