Without police, citizens left to ask

Regarding the Friday letter, “Self-appointed police out of line”: I also have questioned people about their handicapped parking permit. I have a 90 lb. granddaughter who sits in a car seat. I have to have the space to bring her chair to the side of the van and be able to lift her out into her chair. This week I waited for a man around 30 and his little boy to load their groceries into their car. I watched him run his cart back to the cart return. The little boy was also running around. Yes … he had his parking permit hanging from his rear view mirror.

A couple weeks ago I questioned a man who was loading a large mattress onto the top of his SUV. His wife and kids were with him and his wife was carrying their baby in its car seat. Everyone seemed able to walk just fine. Yes … they had a permit hanging from their rear view mirror. These were both at the Silver Lake Costco. I also shop at the Grocery Outlet. They have only four spaces. If I can’t park in one of them I can’t shop. I have parked toward the back of the lot but if a car has parked next to me when I come out … I may not have the room I need to get her in the van.

I have asked the clerks to call the police when I see someone hop out of their car without any difficulty. They say it doesn’t do any good. The police don’t come. So it is left to us, I guess, to question people. Doctors hand out the permits for a sore toe. There are so many people who really need the spaces for medical reasons but the fat and the lazy have no shame. If law enforcement would make some kind of effort to protect our rights … we wouldn’t have to. I suspect the man at Costco is just as sick as I am of not being able to park where he needs to because of someone who found a way to get a permit they do not need or continue to use a permit after the need is gone. I never park in a disabled space if my granddaughter is not with me. It’s against the law!

Sue McDonald

Everett

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