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Cop Blocks Handicapped Spot, Rages When He Gets Parked In Until Guy Shows Up In Wheelchair
Cop Blocks Handicapped Spot, Rages When He Gets Parked In Until Guy Shows Up In Wheelchair
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Cop Blocks Handicapped Spot, Rages When He Gets Parked In Until Guy Shows Up In Wheelchair

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Nobody’s above the law, not even the law itself, or so you’d hope. Despite this, cops often act as if the rules don’t apply to them. This has led to significant rifts between portions of society and the police. Look no further than the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

One cop got exactly what was coming to him when he parked in a handicapped spot, only to be confronted by a man in a wheelchair who had blocked his exit. Hanging his head in shame, the cop pleaded for forgiveness, but only after insulting the man’s son. 

More info: Reddit

RELATED:

    Nobody is above the law, as this cop learned the hard way

    Man in wheelchair confronting a car parked in a handicapped spot.

    Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

    After parking in a handicapped spot, a disabled man blocked his exit for a few hours

    Text about a police officer blocking a handicapped spot, affecting a paraplegic driver's wheelchair access.

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    Text describing a police car parked in a handicapped spot at a local mall.

    Text image discussing a movie and restaurant meal experience.

    Police car parked in a handicapped spot surrounded by trees.

    Image credits: Kindel Media / Pexels (not the actual photo)

    When the man’s son went to unlock the car, he was verbally assaulted by the infuriated cop who’d stuck a bunch of parking tickets to the windshield

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    Text about a mall visit, mentioning a handicapped spot and a wheelchair scenario.

    Text describing a confrontation about parking in a handicapped spot.

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    Text describing confrontation over improper handicapped parking by a cop.

    Handicapped parking sign visible through a car window.

    Image credits: razgulyaev_vladimir / Freepik (not the actual photo)

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    The cop was forced to change his tune when the disabled man showed up in a wheelchair

    Text about an altercation involving a police officer parking in a handicapped spot, confronted by a person in a wheelchair.

    Text describing a man apologizing for parking in a handicapped spot outside a pharmacy.

    Text describing an incident involving a cop parking in a handicapped spot and being confronted.

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    Officer in uniform writing notes in a parking lot.

    Image credits: Kindel Media / Pexels (not the actual photo)

    Painfully aware of his mistake, the cop began removing several parking tickets he’d stuck to the disabled man’s windshield

    Text detailing a South Africa incident involving mall security assisting someone's father with parking.

    Text recounting a situation where a cop parked in a handicapped spot and was confronted by a bystander.

    Text about cop explaining withdrawn tickets without follow-up.

    Image credits: hmsdexter

    After much backpedaling and groveling from the lawman, the disabled man and his son let him off with a warning but still shared the story online years later

    OP begins his story by telling the community that his dad is paraplegic but gets around in a specially modified car. One day, they went to watch a movie, but when they got to the mall, they found the handicapped spot occupied by a police car.

    OP’s dad decided to park right behind the offending vehicle in a way that would block it in. The pair went off to see their movie and even had dinner. About 5 hours later, they left the mall, with his dad hanging back to pay for parking while he went on to unlock the car.

    When OP arrived at the car, he was confronted by a furious cop who asked him if the car was his. When OP said yes, the cop went off on him. That’s when OP noticed he’d stuck about 20 parking tickets to the car’s windshield. OP adds that there was no handicapped sign in the car, so this didn’t surprise him.

    Well, OP patiently let the cop finish his tirade as he waited for his dad to show up. When he did, OP says the look on the cop’s face was priceless. The lawman did his best to backpedal, but the damage was done. 

    After some groveling and apologies from the entitled officer, OP and his dad decided they’d let him off with a warning. In an edit to his post, OP mentions that this all happened in South Africa in the late 90s and that his dad was well known to the mall security, which is probably why his car wasn’t towed for blocking the cop.

    Parking violation ticket on a car windshield, highlighting improper use of handicapped spots by an officer.

    The people who enforce the law shouldn’t be above it. In OP’s case, the cop didn’t have a leg to stand on, but what can be done to hold errant cops accountable? We went looking for answers.

    In his article for HuffPost, Matt Kaiser writes that there are three main ways cops face consequences if they abuse their position of authority.  First, they can be prosecuted for a crime. This is difficult and only happens in a rare number of cases.

    Second, public attention can have some impact, but this isn’t a widespread solution and only a fraction of cases will go viral. 

    Finally, people can sue bad cops, but again, doing so is extremely challenging. Many law firms just won’t take a police misconduct case since police can hide behind a handy little doctrine called “qualified immunity.”

    According to the Equal Justice Initiative website, qualified immunity is a court-created rule that limits victims of police violence and misconduct from holding officers accountable when they violate a person’s constitutional rights. Doesn’t sound very fair, to say the least.

    Perhaps OP and his dad got off lightly, especially considering that it seems the police can get away with whatever they like. 

    How would you have handled the situation if you’d found yourself in OP’s shoes? Let us know your opinion in the comments!

    In the comments, readers shared their own stories of nightmare cops and praised the mall security for not letting the handicapped man’s car be towed

    Reddit conversation about a handicapped parking incident, highlighting accessibility issues.

    Reddit comments discussing if a ticket can be revoked after being issued by a cop.

    Comment discussing police parking in handicapped spaces, questioning absence of disabled parking permit, and security concerns.

    Reddit comments about a handicapped parking sign not being in a window, discussing past enforcement.

    Online discussion about a cop parking in a handicapped spot without a placard.

    Comment criticizing cop for parking in handicapped spot, highlighting lesson learned.

    Comment appreciating confrontation over cop parking in handicapped spot, expressing gratitude.

    Comment discussing police parking in handicapped spots and power abuse.

    Comment by user Sea_Raspberry6969 saying 'This is glorious' with 6 points, posted 2 weeks ago.

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    Ivan Ayliffe

    Ivan Ayliffe

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    After twenty years in advertising, I've decided to try my hand at journalism. I'm lucky enough to be based in Cape Town, South Africa and use every opportunity I get to explore everything it has to offer, both indoors and out. When I'm not reading, writing, or listening to podcasts, I spend my time swimming in the ocean, running mountain trails, and skydiving. While I haven't travelled as much as I'd like, I did live in !ndia, which was an incredible experience. Oh, and I love live music. I hope you enjoy my stories!

    Read less »
    Ivan Ayliffe

    Ivan Ayliffe

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    After twenty years in advertising, I've decided to try my hand at journalism. I'm lucky enough to be based in Cape Town, South Africa and use every opportunity I get to explore everything it has to offer, both indoors and out. When I'm not reading, writing, or listening to podcasts, I spend my time swimming in the ocean, running mountain trails, and skydiving. While I haven't travelled as much as I'd like, I did live in !ndia, which was an incredible experience. Oh, and I love live music. I hope you enjoy my stories!

    Rūta Zumbrickaitė

    Rūta Zumbrickaitė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Hi! Here at Panda's I'm responsible for Photo Editing and all of the things surrounding it. I love finding great, moody or even dramatic photos to fit the story. Besides that, I'm a proud owner of 3 cats with the silliest names and a bazillion plants<3You can find me at a makeup counter with headphones swatching all of the sparkly eyeshadows

    Read less »

    Rūta Zumbrickaitė

    Rūta Zumbrickaitė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Hi! Here at Panda's I'm responsible for Photo Editing and all of the things surrounding it. I love finding great, moody or even dramatic photos to fit the story. Besides that, I'm a proud owner of 3 cats with the silliest names and a bazillion plants<3You can find me at a makeup counter with headphones swatching all of the sparkly eyeshadows

    What do you think ?
    Cora C
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's illegal to not display the disabled sign if you park at a spot for disabled persons in the first place.

    Karl der Große
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't know about South Africa, but I'm pretty sure a cop in any other country would have called the tow truck if they were parked in like this.

    neytjie
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well SA cops in the 90s were really nasty a holes. Car would've been towed and fined. This is bs

    Load More Replies...
    Flo
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    IF this was true, why would you not have a handicap sign in your car. That's.... not a smart move.

    Load More Comments
    Cora C
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's illegal to not display the disabled sign if you park at a spot for disabled persons in the first place.

    Karl der Große
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't know about South Africa, but I'm pretty sure a cop in any other country would have called the tow truck if they were parked in like this.

    neytjie
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well SA cops in the 90s were really nasty a holes. Car would've been towed and fined. This is bs

    Load More Replies...
    Flo
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    IF this was true, why would you not have a handicap sign in your car. That's.... not a smart move.

    Load More Comments
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