What's up with handicapped parking in WA state?

WARNING: No technical content, though I am technically a little pissed

A few months ago, I was in my scooter riding some my recyclables over to the large bins in my apartment complex. It is easy to scoot right over there, recyclables in the back basket of the scooter, and dump them in there.

The space right next to the bins is a handicapped spot. I know because back before I had the scooter I used to drive the stuff over, and I always loved that I could park there when I dumped the stuff (yes, I do have the proper state-issued disabled parking placard).

Anyway, there was a car parked there, tightly enough that I could not even squeeze myself in to get to the bin, let alone the scooter. Not the end of the world, but I noticed that the person had no disabled parking placard or license plate. Same thing for the car next to them (which was not blocking me, but it was yet another handicapped space being illegally parked in).

I'm generally not one to raise a fuss (I'm still getting used to the whole disability thing), so I turned around and figured I'd try my luck another day.

Time passes, and every time I come home I look over there I see that these folks are still parked there. And it is the same cars. I am starting to get mad.

Did I mention that the two cars who seem to be the reqgular offenders here both have current Microsoft parking permits? Don't even gt me started on how obnoxious I think that is.

Anyway, I finally scoot down to the main office for the complex. I pick up the mail, then mention to the person there that there are people who are parking in the handicapped parking spots every day. Should I complain to them or to the Redmond police directly?

She asks me whether there are signs posted.

I have no earthly idea, so I scoot out there and look. No signs, just the pavement nicely painted with the little wheelchair dude. I scoot back and pass this on.

She explains to me that the law in Washington is such that if there is no sign then the police can neither ticket nor tow. They cannot even give a warning.

Hmmmm.

I checked later, she was right. In RCW 46.61.581:

A parking space or stall for a disabled person shall be indicated by a vertical sign, between thirty-six and eighty-four inches off the ground, with the international symbol of access, whose colors are white on a blue background, described under RCW 70.92.120 and the notice "State disabled parking permit required."

Failure of the person owning or controlling the property where required parking spaces are located to erect and maintain the sign is a class 2 civil infraction under chapter 7.80 RCW for each parking space that should be so designated. The person owning or controlling the property where the required parking spaces are located shall ensure that the parking spaces are not blocked or made inaccessible, and failure to do so is a class 2 civil infraction.

That's all it says -- no sign, then its not a handicapped spot.

So I ask this person at the office whether these spaces are being repurposed, and she assures me they are not. Its just that the signs are expensive.

Double hmmmm.

At this point I start to complain a bit more and point out the fact that there are actually laws about this sort of thing (there are -- RCW 70.92.140, for example).

They sober up quickly enough on that one and finally agree to get a couple of signs (one outside where my apartment is, one next to the recycle bin), leaving the other three "faux handicapped" spaces in their FAUX state, since signs are expensive.

One of those two spaces where the two cars used to park still has a car in it every day. It seems to be one of those same two cars (I guess they are fighting for "their" space). Maybe I should start posting license plates and descriptions. Or maybe I should consider the handicap of their lack of decency as one that entitles them to park there? I hope they are contingent staff and their contracts don't get renewed. Most people at Microsoft are a lot nicer.

I realize that by posting this I may be enabling a whole new crowd of jerks to start taking advantage of this particular loophole, but I hope that people can perhaps be a little better than that. They can rise above their technical right to park in a parking space and see that it is marked on the pavement as a handicapped spot. And at least tey to respect that....

There is currently no HANDICAPPED SYMBOL in Unicode, though it would have loved to have been the sponsor.