Resident fight for disabled drivers
Some Methuen residents are planning to hunt down people with illegally park in handicapped parking spaces and report them to police.
By Mary Beth Donovan
Eagle-Triibune Writer
METHUEN – Sid Harris has a message for those people who are illegally parked in handicap parking spaces around town.
“You will be caught, “said Mr. Harris, chairman of the Methuen Commission on Disabilities.
Starting July 1, a few members of the Methuen Disabilities Commission, including Mr. Harris, will be authorized by the police to look for illegally parked cars. The commission members will photograph the cars, write down information like make, color and license plate number, to Methuen Police. They in turn will mail the parking violation tickets to the car owner. The fine for parking illegally in a spot reserved for a handicap driver is $100. Mr. Harris, who has been pushing for the program for two years, said Methuen will be one of only three communities in the state with this program. “I’m really glad we are doing this. It is a big problem, he said, noting Methuen has about half as many handicap parking spaces as it needs.
“People just don’t care. The park illegally once, think it’s convenient and don’t get caught so they keep doing it, “Mr. Harris said.
The citizen parking patrol will roam all over Methuen wherever there are parking spaces. “It won’t be a specific time of the day. I’m out there all the time. So people can get caught morning, noon or night,” he said. Currently, he said, The police are busy with other calls and don’t have the time to write parking tickets. The parking officer was hired to do just that and works set 9 to 5 hours, said Mr. Harris, so chronic violators know they will rarely get caught on nights or weekends.
“Not now,” he said. “we’ll be out there.”
Sid Harris