EV Reserved Parking Spots violators

[CWO4Mann]

Then he cut me off into the curb, got out of the car, and brandished his pocket knife, shouting, "Come on bitch".

I physically got out of my car, and ran

Why not just lock the car doors and call 911 from the safety of a locked vehicle? Or did you leave out some portion where you exited the vehicle before you saw the knife?

Good to know the jerk with the knife had to face the police either way.

I guess it's obvious but he isn't a typical Prius driver. It also goes to show how common hybrids have become when you see them mentioned in random crime stories.

Just to clarify things, the quote about cutting into curb, knife, etc., is from an earlier post to which I had replied. Pulling a knife on someone or for that matter engaging in road rage and threatening behavior is very risky business here where almost 1/2 of the state's adult population legally carries a concealed handgun. Statistically, areas with large numbers of legal carry folks have very low violent crime statistics, just to further clarify.

 

[hill]

The problem here is a definition of terms... What IS a low emissions vehicle really? Our MDX SUV has a ULEV sticker on it, for example...

Alright... here is one for the group. What is wrong with this picture? Look at the signs... Ha.... I should make up some recycleable cards with them saying "You have parked in a low emissions space.... and your vehicle is not low emissions" - then leave them with the car who parked where they shouldn't have.

ULEV? ... BAAH ... The real low emission rating is SULEV. All others? wanabe's.

 

[dhanson865]

The problem here is a definition of terms... What IS a low emissions vehicle really? Our MDX SUV has a ULEV sticker on it, for example...

Alright... here is one for the group. What is wrong with this picture? Look at the signs... Ha.... I should make up some recyclable cards with them saying "You have parked in a low emissions space.... and your vehicle is not low emissions" - then leave them with the car who parked where they shouldn't have.

I'd say anything that the EPA website marks at 6 or above on the EPA Smog Score (Energy and Environment tab and I chose TN as the state but I'll add California numbers in parens). But I could see your point if you wanted to make the minimum score a 7 to exclude the average new car. And as you'll see below just knowing the year, brand, model of car doesn't tell you if it's low emissions.

For example a Nissan Sentra 1.8 Auto in 2003 gets a score of 3 in TN (or 3 or 9 in CA, two choices in engines) but the same car in 2005 gets a 6 in TN (or 3 or 9 in CA, not sure why they offer a worse engine in CA after the emissions laws tightened).

Same goes for a Pontiac Vibe a 2003 is bad (score 3 in TN or CA) and a 2005 is good at 6 in TN (or 7 in CA).

By comparison a 2003 Prius is bad score 3 in TN (but good with score 9 in CA) and a 2005 Prius is good with score 8 in TN (9.5 in CA). Gen I hybrid's still were bad polluters in most of the country. So just reserving the space for hybrids doesn't weed out high emissions vehicles.

A 2012 Prius is good but down to a score of 7 in TN (9 in CA), due to the 1.8L engine instead of the 1.5 on the older Prius.

And of course a Leaf no matter the year or state of purchase is a perfect 10.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=31767&id=32154&id=18608&id=20934" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"EPA Smog Score

The EPA Smog Score represents the amount of health-damaging and smog-forming airborne pollutants the vehicle emits. Scoring ranges from 1 (worst) to 10 (best). This score does not include emissions of greenhouse gases."

 

[lpickup]

This is admittedly not a great picture, but I think it gets the point across:

This picture is from a mall parking lot and sets off an area reserved for valet parking. As you can see, there are several "cones" placed at the outside edge of the spots. Not shown, but there are signs on them that state that they are reserved for valet parking. In this case they are spaced every other spot apart, but if spaced every spot it would definitely get the message across and I think discourage ICE vehicles from parking in EV spots.

Has anything like this been tried to mark off charging station spots?

 

[cpreston]

Yes. I was at Pala Casino in North County San Diego, and they put a parking cone in the middle of each EV spot. Those of us the spots are FOR know what to do. Everyone else gets the hint. Here's my not so good photo of it.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3251693924732&set=a.1804335381673.104139.1038523942&type=1&ref=nf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[lpickup]

Yeah, I've seen cones used before, and yes, I've actually moved one to pull into the charging spot, but I was never quite sure whether the cone was there to be moved by EVs so they could charge or for some other reason. If the cone had a nice sign on it that positively indicated "EV charging only" or something like that it would be more clear.

 

[edatoakrun]

Funny-if-it weren't-so-sad-story.

The only public L2 within 80 miles of me, consists of 2 Blink units, at a recently-constructed private school, which has garnered numerous awards for environmental achievement.

Pretty much all possible errors in public charger location, in one installation, IMO.

Chargers places so cords only reach one space, L2 spaces right in front of the School opposite the handicapped ones, parking lot locked except during school hours, so all L2 charging must be done during peak grid demand, etc..

Nevertheless, since I actually have a reason to park nearby, I have been in touch with the school, and have been encouraged to use the L2s , more or less for demonstration purposes.

One of the two units has never been operational. No one at Blink can seem to tell me, or (I surmise) the school administration, either, why.

Every time I visited, the one functional L2 was ICED, but I was able to use it twice, once when the School employee parked there was paged to move her “expedition”, and once when another driver happened to return to his, SUV just as I was leaving.

The next time I wanted to try it, I determined I would do so, when my days driving actually required additional range.

Blink”s website indicated one L2 was operational and available.

When I got here , 30 minutes later, the space was NOT ICED! Praise the lord!

Unfortunately, the L2 would not work, even after a 20 minute call to Blink tech.

So, 5 mile detour to the nearest Nissan dealer, and a hour long wait, was required just to ensure a slow 30 mile trip home, and a planned arrival at LBW.

The next, and last time I have tried to use this L2, Blink’s website (following several weeks of “out of service” notices) again indicated 1 unit operational. When I got there, both L2 spaces were coned off, AND neither L2 was operational.

I suppose I should have tried to broach the subject at the school, that they were preventing the use of these spaces by ICEVs, while they were entirely useless to BEVs/PHEVs, but I’d been the messenger of bad news, too many times before.

So, I just drove away...

 

[tailgate1234]

Double violators in downtown Redwood City this evening.

White LEAF serial number 19999, parked at a charging station but not plugged in. C'mon, I expect this from Escalade owners, but a LEAF owner?

Right next to it, a non-plug in Prius parked in a handicapped EV parking space, not plugged in, California 5BSY559.

I will keep posting these as see them.

 

[pchilds]

I handicapped spot is for anyone with a handicap placard, no violation there.

 

[JPWhite]

I handicapped spot is for anyone with a handicap placard, no violation there.

No the handicapped rules were complied with, but the handicapped person did not have a plug-in vehicle so violated the intended purpose of that space. That space requires one to have both handicapped placards and a plug in vehicle plugged in. Being handicapped does not allow that person to ignore other parking laws or rules.

The driver should have parked in a non EV handicapped space which by law there will be some close to the door.

 

[pchilds]

I handicapped spot is for anyone with a handicap placard, no violation there.

No the handicapped rules were complied with, but the handicapped person did not have a plug-in vehicle so violated the intended purpose of that space. That space requires one to have both handicapped placards and a plug in vehicle plugged in. Being handicapped does not allow that person to ignore other parking laws or rules.

The driver should have parked in a non EV handicapped space which by law there will be some close to the door.

You are assuming, that there was another handicap space available, when the person parked. Are you suggesting, that handicapped people be ticketed or towed, for parking in a handicap space with a charging station? Or would you force them to walk from a standard space, because they don't have a EV. It is wasteful to require a charging station in a handicap space, it is more wasteful to not allow the handicapped to park in that space.

 

[walterbays]

I handicapped spot is for anyone with a handicap placard, no violation there.

No the handicapped rules were complied with, but the handicapped person did not have a plug-in vehicle so violated the intended purpose of that space. That space requires one to have both handicapped placards and a plug in vehicle plugged in. Being handicapped does not allow that person to ignore other parking laws or rules.

The driver should have parked in a non EV handicapped space which by law there will be some close to the door.

Around San Diego all ADA accessible EV charging spaces are marked handicap only but are not marked EV charging only. Often those spaces are occupied by ICE vehicles with handicap placards. I've never seen an EV with handicap placard charging, and if such a car did need to charge the driver would have to hope that one of the regular EV spaces was sufficiently accessible because the ADA EV space will probably be occupied by an ICE vehicle.

It made me facetiously think of a business opportunity: low cost EVSE's for ADA use. They'd look very nice, be mounted on a low accessible pedestal, and would be hollow plastic with nothing inside. The J1772 cable would be extra lightweight because there would be no copper inside. And it would never matter since probably nobody has ever nor will ever use an EVSE in an ADA space.

Or, more seriously, I think ADA EV spaces should be reserved only for charging EVs with a handicap placard. No placard, no parking. No EV, no parking.

 

[tailgate1234]

I handicapped spot is for anyone with a handicap placard, no violation there.

No the handicapped rules were complied with, but the handicapped person did not have a plug-in vehicle so violated the intended purpose of that space. That space requires one to have both handicapped placards and a plug in vehicle plugged in. Being handicapped does not allow that person to ignore other parking laws or rules.

The driver should have parked in a non EV handicapped space which by law there will be some close to the door.

You are assuming, that there was another handicap space available, when the person parked. Are you suggesting, that handicapped people be ticketed or towed, for parking in a handicap space with a charging station? Or would you force them to walk from a standard space, because they don't have a EV. It is wasteful to require a charging station in a handicap space, it is more wasteful to not allow the handicapped to park in that space.

The parking space had a handicapped sign painted on the pavement with "E-V Only" right in front of it (if I could figure out how to post the picture I took, I would). There are other handicapped spaces in the lot that are not E-V only. By your logic, a person with a handicapped placard could park wherever they want, whenever they want, if no handicapped space was available.

 

[pchilds]

The parking space had a handicapped sign painted on the pavement with "E-V Only" right in front of it (if I could figure out how to post the picture I took, I would). There are other handicapped spaces in the lot that are not E-V only. By your logic, a person with a handicapped placard could park wherever they want, whenever they want, if no handicapped space was available.

Handicapped are allowed to park in metered spaces without paying, for as long as they want and also time limited for as long as they want, plus resident only areas without the sticker. So yes, a person with a handicapped placard can park, virtually wherever they want, whenever they want, if no handicapped space was available.

 

[Randy3]

I handicapped spot is for anyone with a handicap placard, no violation there.

~snip
Or, more seriously, I think ADA EV spaces should be reserved only for charging EVs with a handicap placard. No placard, no parking. No EV, no parking.

My son is disabled, has a placard, and would use an EV/handicapped parking space if one was available. (He has a pacemaker and has to be sure to stay out of the car when it is charging.)

 

[JPWhite]

You are assuming, that there was another handicap space available, when the person parked. Are you suggesting, that handicapped people be ticketed or towed, for parking in a handicap space with a charging station? Or would you force them to walk from a standard space, because they don't have a EV. It is wasteful to require a charging station in a handicap space, it is more wasteful to not allow the handicapped to park in that space.

I am assuming that law provides an adequate number of spaces for disabled people to park. *In addition* some spaces may have an EVSE in them. The total number of disabled spaces will be as prescribed by law at the time the parking lot was built. I assume EVSE disabled spaces are in addition to the minimum disabled spaces set by law.

As for towing a disabled persons car parked in an EV only space, I can't say I don't know the laws in your state. If the law allows for a tow of an ICE in an EV space, then yes the disabled persons car should come under the same provision. Just because you are disabled does not place you above the law that applies to others.

Disabled spaces and ramps are to accommodate disabled persons disabilities, not to make them 'more equal' than everyone else. Disabled people are not royalty and I don't think they want to be treated that way either. Common sense accommodations is all that is required.

 

[mwalsh]

Disable spots with EVSEs are for disabled people DRIVING plug-in electric vehicles. Period.

 

[WetEV]

Disable spots with EVSEs are for disabled people DRIVING plug-in electric vehicles. Period.

I had driven someone to hospital recently, and needed to wait an unknown amount of time before returning them home. I went to the parking lot, with exactly one spot with an EVSE, which marked as handicap parking as well. I called the hospital parking office, let them know I was not disabled and asked if I could please get a recharge there. The answer from the parking office was that the hospital's policy was that parking in that spot was reserved for disabled OR for recharging. I charged, and went back out and moved the car as soon as the charge was complete. If I didn't need a charge to get home, or could have easily gone to a different charging station, I wouldn't have even asked. Stopping for a charge on the way home was possible, but think about it.

Policies might vary, and might change without warning.

Also, if someone is handicapped and parks in a EVSE slot? I'm not going to complain. I spent enough time with a friend in a wheelchair. I know better.

 

[Nubo]

.... The answer from the parking office was that the hospital's policy was that parking in that spot was reserved for disabled OR for recharging....

Which makes sense to me. The subset of people who are both handicapped AND drive an electric car has got to be pretty small. I can't imagine making a regulation that requires that both criteria be satisfied for the spot to be used.

 

[pchilds]

.... The answer from the parking office was that the hospital's policy was that parking in that spot was reserved for disabled OR for recharging....

Which makes sense to me. The subset of people who are both handicapped AND drive an electric car has got to be pretty small. I can't imagine making a regulation that requires that both criteria be satisfied for the spot to be used.

This was the point I was trying to make. The spot would never be used, if both were required.