Handicapped parking question

[Charley Gilbert]

What is the name of your state? I live in California and parked at the base of Torrance airport control tower in a marked California Handicapped stall. I was going to have lunch in my car and leave. There were other marked stalls that read FAA parking only. I was approched by three different people saying that I could not park there. I explained that I was in a marked handicapped stall and had my placard displayed. They called the police and I was going to stay and fight but I decided to leave and write to the police department and ask them. This is the email I sent them:

Hello officer Heslep, I am writing to you with a question about handicapped parking at the base of Torrance airport control tower. I am a 43 year old handicapped man with cerebral palsy and I parked at one of the handicapped spots at the base of
the tower today to have lunch and watch the airplanes. I was approached by three
different people that said I could not park there as it is for FAA employees only.
I tried to explain that I was in a California handicapped parking stall clearly
marked that way and I had a legal right to park there. I did have my state of California
placard hanging from my rear view mirror. I saw the other spots were clearly marked
for FAA only but they were not handicapped stalls. It is my understanding that
if I am on public property that I have the right to park in a handicapped stall.
The handicapped stalls do not say anything about for FAA handicapped employees only.
They called the Torrance police and at first I was going to talk to the officer
that would arrive. I decided not to cause a seen and I decided to leave and as
I did I noticed that there is no sign as you go into the area of the tower that
says FAA parking only. The non handicapped stalls say FAA only and I would never
park in those stalls. I want to know if there is a law that prohibits a handicapped
person from parking in a properly marked handicapped stall. I want you to know that
I have been a part of Torrance airport since I was twelve years old. My first job
at twelve was at Collins and Dietriech and I sloloed on my 16th birthday at Torrance
airport. I am a private pilot and would never do anything to hurt the airport. I
would like to be able to park and have lunch without being hassled about parking
in a legal parking stall. I l feel I am correct and have a right to park there.
If they want to mark those spots for handicapped FAA employees only they should
mark them that way. Please let me know any law that may answer my question. Thank
you for your time.
Very Sincerely
Charles Gilbert

[CdwJava]

Having a handicapped placard also does not mean that you can park in otherwise restricted or designated parking such as a space on the White House grounds. You have a right to park in handicapped spaces that are available to the public and not otherwise restricted.

If the spot was clearly marked as being reserved for FAA officials then you had to move. If it was not clearly marked, then their bad. But they can still ask you to leave ... whether they could force the issue would have been another question.

Your contention seems to be that the stall was not marked as being reserved for FAA officials, and that the area in general was not marked as being restricted to FAA officials. If so, then any handicapped cite you might have received could likely have been beaten.

- Carl