WASHINGTON — Montgomery County officials have a simple request for aggressive holiday shoppers: Park in regular spaces, not the ones reserved for people with disabilities.
“Just don’t do it,” says Carl Prather, a member of the county Commission on People with Disabilities.
Prather uses a wheelchair to get around, so it’s tough for him to navigate parking lots with several bags. Disabled parking so close to stores is “pleasing” to have available, Prather says.
“It’s even worse when people selfishly park in disabled parking spaces,” says Capt. Tom Didone.
At a recent news conference, Didone said police will issue $250 tickets to those who park in disabled spaces when they’re not supposed to.
“If our trained officers identify someone who’s fraudulently misusing a placard, that carries an even bigger fine,” Didone says.
According to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, those caught committing fraud to get a disabled parking placard will face fines of up to $500.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.