One Man's Annoying/Aggravating/Interesting Access Picture of the Week

I took this picture a few days before Christmas when I went to a local mall to get a haircut. When I left my apartment I thought running to the mall around 1:30 on a Monday would be a relatively "safe" time to find a close and open parking spot. As you can see below, I couldn't have been more wrong. This picture represents what I commonly refer to as "Plan B." Plan B essentially goes into effect when every single handicapped parking spot is taken and I have to resort to alternative parking measures. Usually that involves parking at the very end of a parking aisle where nobody can park me in on the ramp side of my van. Of course, I do so begrudgingly every time because more often than not I'm the guy who needs to park in accessible spots the most, and ergo, I shouldn't have to resort these kinds of shenanigans just to find a serviceable place to park. Executing Plan B also meant that I had quite the hike to the mall entrance. Not the one by the Macy's sign in the foreground mind you, but rather the one in the background of the picture. And in the case that there had been a lot of snow or ice on the ground Plan B would have made way for "Plan Go Home Instead" because it's hardly ever worth the risk of getting stuck in the mess when I'm bombing around town on my own.

Part of the problem not finding a spot on that day was during the holiday shopping rush, when handicapped parking spots are always at a premium both for people who justifiably need them like myself as well as those who take advantage of the quick and close parking through more questionable means (e.g. using someone else's window placard). The other part is what I generalize as "winter difficulties," which includes the buildup of snow and ice around the accessible parking spots, etc. Throw in the people who park illegally in the striped access zones either between the accessible parking spots or on the ends of the aisles because they're dropping someone off, they're "just running in for a few minutes," they "couldn't see the lines," or they just don't care, and parking during the winter time can be really frustrating. I'll piggy back on all that stuff in more detail in another winter related blog post in the near future. At the least, this stop along with the others I made that day made me pretty Scroogy heading into the holiday season.