Good morning!
There is something very important to bring to awareness in town that I would like to take a moment to respectfully educate on, as a resident in Franklin.
Handicap parking spots, and the aisle stripes next them (which are part of the spots), should never be used "quickly" to drop someone off, pick up an order, or anything in between, if you do not have a valid handicap plate or placard registered in your name.
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| handicap parking |
You may think it's not a big deal because you're "just running in", but clearly by the example I'm providing from yesterday, someone can need a handicap parking spot at any moment. This has happened to me several times in town.
Common places this occurs include, but is not limited to:
- schools
- library
- food establishments with order pick-ups
As an accessibility specialist and educator, I recognize that some people may genuinely not recognize the impact their actions have, so I am sharing this with peace and ask others to do the same. No shame needed, simply education.
Let's each dedicate from here on out: "I will not ever park in a handicap parking spot, or it's stripes, if I do not have a valid handicap plate or placard registered in my name."
Lastly, if you do ever see someone parked in a handicap spot seemingly without a plate/placard, it's best to do the following (per conversation I've had with a Franklin PD Officer):
- double-check for a plate/placard and if the person is present, kindly ask them if they have a placard that is not displayed (honestly, I've forgotten to put mine up before!)
- if no plate/placard is provided/present: call Franklin PD non-emergency (508-528-1212) to report the vehicle and request police to address it. This is the only time/way the law can be enforced. Taking pictures and providing it after the fact does not do anything.
In any situation, yelling at a person does not help. When you fight with someone, you are both in a sympathetic "fight or flight" mode and will just try to protect yourself rather than pause to learn and even apologize.
Thank you so much for taking a moment to read this and for committing to helping make Franklin a more accessible and inclusive space together.
Shared from -> https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17bZkm3KGX/
