My daughter attends a wonderful school with outstanding teachers and staff. She looks forward to going to school each morning and adores her teacher. But there is a problem. A big problem. This school has one of the worst parking lots I've ever had to park my 1976 Ford Granada in (two-tone brown paint job if you were wonderin'). One of it's main problems is that it's just not big enough to encompass the teachers, staff, and parents who need to use it in a daily basis. And now, some very cute Bob the Builder type construction workers are currently working on a large project in the playground area and feel the need to steal our valuable parking spaces. On a side note, they did have a variety of different equipment and vehicles - much to the delight of C-dub who's mesmerized by cement trucks and forklifts.

We all agree the parking lot is already a madhouse because of it's layout, but add the construction and overall bad driving of some parents, and you have a freakin' nightmare before and after school. Today, I had the unfortunate opportunity to be at the wrong place but at the right time, and I saw something that irked me to no ends. Most parents understand that if you do not arrive early enough at this place, you will be forced to park on the street. Heaven forbid you have to unleash the three kids and then walk in to pick up your fourth, fifth and six child, but it happens to the best of us and it’s a good lesson learned. However, today showed me that laziness is alive and well in this world and that common sense sometimes takes a back burner.

Unless the laws have changed and nobody bothered to notify DMV, the handicapped/disabled parking places are meant for people who either have an appropriate disabled plate or placard in their window. It's a little right that this person has applied for and received. Most importantly, it's the LAW! You can be fined up to $500 for violating this code and you seriously rack up a bunch of negative ethical Karma points. Some need those points more than others.

To the two ladies who decided to park in the disabled spots today, sans any plate or placard, I don't really give a flying flip how many kids were in your vehicle or how quickly you were planning on leaving, you were in the wrong. Shame on you and the message you were giving your kiddos. Ignorance is no excuse and I just wish I would have had the forethought to at least write down your plate number so that you could have gotten a friendly reminder letter from the local police department. Maybe you did have a placard and just forgot it…too bad cuz I doubt that you did. Just follow the law - not to mention common civility - and we’ll get along famously. And, I won’t let the air out of your tires when you’re not looking.

For those of you anal readers who (like me) enjoy solid facts and conclusions, here's a link to our vehicle code in regards to this area:

California Department of Motor Vehicles

Additional Facts