WATCHDOG: READER REPORT UPDATEOriginally published 10:31 a.m., June 30, 2008
Updated 05:45 p.m., July 3, 2008 
Provided/Carol Gwinn
The municipal service truck that an alert reader spotted parking in a handicapped parking space was a city of Charleston vehicle. Charleston officials confirmed for Watchdog Thursday that the truck belongs to the city. They identified it from the seal on the door, but because the cell-phone photograph is not detailed enough, they could not immediately identify which department. They said they are continuing to investigate. A city spokesperson also said, "The City of Charleston certainly does not condone parking in handicapped spaces by our vehicle fleet. All departments will be getting a memo reminding them to be aware of handicapped parking, that it is not only illegal to park in the spot if you are not eligible, and more importantly, it prevents someone who may need access due to limitations from parking where they need to." Carol Gwinn spotted the truck in the handicapped spot last week and e-mailed the photo to Watchdog. She said one worker remained in the truck, parked directly in front of a handicapped parking sign, while the other went into the Kangaroo station on Meeting Street at 7:45 a.m. Friday, June 27. Watchdog earlier mistakenly described this as a North Charleston city truck. Watchdog apologizes for the error. |
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Comments
This article has 13 comment(s)
Posted by brittany0315 on June 30, 2008 at 10:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
waaah waaah. who cares? there are a lot of bigger things to worry about than who wrongly parks in handicapped spots. I bet carol was a big tattletale as a kid.
Posted by Tammie on June 30, 2008 at 10:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
People like him make it bad for others.
Posted by Girleygirl on June 30, 2008 at 11:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I would like the city to know what's going on too. If I see a city truck and a person sleeping in the vehicle, or parking in a handicap spot I'll take a picture and send it to the city or the newspaper too...after all we are paying for him to fix the roads or work which he/she is not doing....
I would tell too!
Posted by gococks1985 on June 30, 2008 at 11:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
brittany0315 you can say waaaah waaaah all you wish, but if one of your family members or even yourself needed this spot, I'm sure you would be a bit upset. I am glad that there are other people out there looking out for the true handicap people out there.
Posted by ThePhink on June 30, 2008 at 12:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It is not just the handicapped spots either. How about all of the people that park along the fire lanes at grocery stores because they are too good or too lazy to park in a spot and go inside like everyone else. Start hitting them with tickets also. You have to step from in between cars in order to exit the store. People feel they can park wherever they want but a parking spot is not one of them.
Posted by jca on June 30, 2008 at 1:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
so what about fire lane parkers
you see it daily in front of any walmart
Posted by ptmama73 on June 30, 2008 at 2:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I hope she forwarded a picture to North Charleston and that the employee is reprimanded or better yet, barred from driving a government vehicle. Government vehicles are self insured (tax payers cover the cost of any damage); if the driver of this vehicle will park in a handicapped place what other laws will he break which could lead to accidents and claims paid for by the tax payers?
Posted by UberBlitzkrieg on June 30, 2008 at 11:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I do not think this is a North Charleston truck. There maintenance trucks have the large city seal on the door. That is not the city seal.
Posted by Thomas1776 on July 1, 2008 at 2:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Fire the operator of that Public Vehicle. I hope the P&C follows it up.
Posted by brittany0315 on July 1, 2008 at 4:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I do feel bad that people do this and handicapped folks can't get the parking they need-- but that's life. Some people will park illegally. Some people will speed or run red lights. Let's write down all of their license plate numbers and send them to P&C. And make sure we send in our own too. Right now gas is a pretty big problem for everyone-- and if it keeps rising we won't have to worry about who parks in a handicapped spot. We'll all be walking, riding bikes, or using the bus.
Posted by UberBlitzkrieg on July 2, 2008 at 3:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
That looks like a Charleston Public Works truck. The seal looks like it.
Posted by UberBlitzkrieg on July 3, 2008 at 6:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I saw one today. That is a City of Charleston truck. I saw one that said "PARKS" on the bottom of the door.
Posted by Thomas1776 on July 4, 2008 at 10:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Find out who was operating that truck - were they on "our time" ... and fire the operator and reprimand the others riding with him.
There are no excuses at all for this crap.