Handicap parking at Indy without a Handicap sticker ?

[CrewChief]

Ok quick question that maybe someone can help me out on. I was talking to my dad last night and he mentioned that he got our Indy tickets in the mail.

Here is the delimma, my dad will be 78 in April and has had a pacemaker for a few years and a couple bouts with cancer, overall he is in pretty good health for what he has been through but he does have some problems walking any long distances in that he gets winded and his knee acts up that he had surgery on back in the 80's. He has talked to his doctor about getting one of those temporary handicap signs to use for races or other events like that were parking is a premium but the doctor said Pennsylvania law prohibits him from issuing a handicap sign to anyone that is capable of walking over 100 yards without a problem. Well if you only had to walk a couple hundred yards it wouldn't be a big deal, but since we come in just for race day we usually end up parked over in lot 3 which is a pretty good hike to our Penthouse Paddock seats plus the stairs to get up them. Now I am going to try and see if I can get a pass for Lot 2 this year even though since we come in from Dayton race morning it will be a little longer getting in and out. But does anyone know or have a contact at the speedway that if my dad got a letter from his doctor explaining why he can't get a handicap sticker but that a long walk isn't good for him that maybe we could get a letter from the speedway to use the handicap parking ? He's only missed a couple of races due to rain and rescheduling the following week since 1953 and last years because he was having a left over issue from the cancer that has since been resolved, I really want him to get back there this year without it being too taxing.

ps. What bugs me is these 300lbs slobs that other then not being able to stop bending their right arm are fine that get handicap stickers because of their bad knees and older people with legitimate excuse can't. My dad would never even use it at the mall or a store, he just wanted it for things like going to a race.

[RJDS]

My dad needed handicap parking his last several years going to the 500. He also had seats in the Paddock Penthouse. We were able to get a handicap spot in lot 2. I would contact the ticket office, they were very nice in working with my dad. I would we if just a note from the doctor would be enough.

[Littleman]

Might I offer a possible solution if you are not able to get handicapped parking? Why not a wheel chair - a folding one that can be locked up? I am fortunate in that I have a handicap sign that gets placed over the mirror. But where I live, the town that issued it to me has given me no proof that it is mine. I see that some of the tracks are now requiring proof that the handicap signage is for someone that is in the car. I've heard horror stories of the tracks confiscating the signs, and fining those that use them, if they can't prove it's for them. Nice, huh

[Jim Wilke]

I would bet a call to the Indiana State Troopers would clear this up.

I have had a couple of surgeries that required me to be in a full-leg cast for months at a time and had no problem getting a handicapped hang tag.

[Ken-Paul]

Here's current info from IMS's website:

Outside Paid Parking Disabled Procedure – The ticket office will no longer be sending out white placards for disabled patrons in the paid parking lots. This change has been made to develop a system to serve as many disabled customers as possible. This change was also made because we honor all state issued disabled hang tags to the best of our ability regardless of whether or not they have a white placard sent from IMS. All disabled areas in the parking lots will be on a first come first serve basis. The best way to ensure a disabled parking spot on race day is to arrive as early as possible to the lot.

Daily Disabled Parking will be available in the following lots:
Lot 1B
Lot 2
Lot 3 Pavement (although daily parking is not permitted on the pavement otherwise; any Lot 3 Grass auto pass accompanied with a state issued disabled tag will be granted a disabled space in the front of the lot assuming the area isn’t full)

So it appears that the Speedway won't be issuing their own disabled parking permits this year.

If you decide on a Lot 2 pass, it might make sense to order one in advance from IMSTIX.com.

[brickyard1911]

Best bet is to contact the ticket office and get it straight from the horses mouth.

I have a little problem with "volunteers" at the gates or parking areas being the "police" for handicap situations.

Several years ago 4 or 5 of us were out at Indianapolis Raceway Park. My father had just come off open heart surgery and he had a legit handicap pass so we were parked right up by the main entry gate in the handicap section. We had stayed in the car as it was sprinkling a little and a black dodge ram pickup pulls in next to us. (I must also say that to get where we were you already had to go through the main gate, with guards checking). Anyway, the truck parks next to us and a security guy runs over and starts getting all over the driver because he doesn't have a handicap sticker in this window. The driver politely points out his wheelchair in the back of his truck and the security guy just say, no handicap sticker, get out. We are sitting in our car thinking the security guy is being a complete a** but we don't get involved. About 15 minutes later, here comes the driver of the ram pickup, in his wheelchair, and he has no legs, not even artificial. At that point I had had enough beer to get out and loudly point out to the security guard what an a** he was and point out the handicap patron. Needless to say the guard got a lot of angry looks from the race fans that were standing near by. He doesn't say a word, just kink of walks away with this head down. Unbelievable!

[Z28]

I see that some of the tracks are now requiring proof that the handicap signage is for someone that is in the car. I've heard horror stories of the tracks confiscating the signs, and fining those that use them, if they can't prove it's for them. Nice, huh

The tracks aren't confiscating and fining people illegally using handicapped placards, that would be the State Police and Secretary of State of Illinois at Chicagoland Speedway. Maybe I wasn't the only one who mentioned to the track that there seemed to be a huge number of handicapped fans, due mostly to the handicapped parking being both so close to the main gate and paved. Chicagoland had a special insert with the tickets announcing that there would be a crackdown by the authorities and they still caught a bunch of fools doing just that. Violating the ADA to get a good parking spot should get the same punishment at the track as it does on the street. It's a once a year hassle to get the proper handicapped identification to be able to use it all the time but that helps ensure the benefit is available to those who truely need it.

[ND500BARB]

Crewchief~
Please call IMS at 317-492-6704
These folks are wonderful! They will work with you. They want to make this easy for your dad. Ask for reserved parking in lot 1......just explain the situation to them.....I would suggest that a short statement from your dad's physician on a prescription pad just stating:" Patient is not able to walk great distances and would benefit from parking assistance."

Ask IMS's fax number and just fax the order to them.

Have a great race......and more power to him!

Barb

[jetdoc]

Ok quick question that maybe someone can help me out on. I was talking to my dad last night and he mentioned that he got our Indy tickets in the mail.

Here is the delimma, my dad will be 78 in April and has had a pacemaker for a few years and a couple bouts with cancer, overall he is in pretty good health for what he has been through but he does have some problems walking any long distances in that he gets winded and his knee acts up that he had surgery on back in the 80's. He has talked to his doctor about getting one of those temporary handicap signs to use for races or other events like that were parking is a premium but the doctor said Pennsylvania law prohibits him from issuing a handicap sign to anyone that is capable of walking over 100 yards without a problem. Well if you only had to walk a couple hundred yards it wouldn't be a big deal, but since we come in just for race day we usually end up parked over in lot 3 which is a pretty good hike to our Penthouse Paddock seats plus the stairs to get up them. Now I am going to try and see if I can get a pass for Lot 2 this year even though since we come in from Dayton race morning it will be a little longer getting in and out. But does anyone know or have a contact at the speedway that if my dad got a letter from his doctor explaining why he can't get a handicap sticker but that a long walk isn't good for him that maybe we could get a letter from the speedway to use the handicap parking ? He's only missed a couple of races due to rain and rescheduling the following week since 1953 and last years because he was having a left over issue from the cancer that has since been resolved, I really want him to get back there this year without it being too taxing.

ps. What bugs me is these 300lbs slobs that other then not being able to stop bending their right arm are fine that get handicap stickers because of their bad knees and older people with legitimate excuse can't. My dad would never even use it at the mall or a store, he just wanted it for things like going to a race.

What I suggest CrewChief is to CHANGE DOCTORS!!!! Any 78 yr. old man who has been through what your father has been through (ie: pacemaker)....his Dr. should give him one AUTOMATICALLY if he asks for one. Whether he chooses to use it all the time is one thing, but for his Dr. to just out and out REFUSE to give him one, citing some STUPID law that PROBABLY doesn't even exist to be honest with you, is IMO, CRIMINAL in and of itself!!! If that were me and that Dr. told ME no if I'd been through what your father has, that Dr. and I would BOTH be going to the hospital and that'd be to get my foot out of his ass!

[ND500BARB]

What I suggest CrewChief is to CHANGE DOCTORS!!!! Any 78 yr. old man who has been through what your father has been through (ie: pacemaker)....his Dr. should give him one AUTOMATICALLY if he asks for one. Whether he chooses to use it all the time is one thing, but for his Dr. to just out and out REFUSE to give him one, citing some STUPID law that PROBABLY doesn't even exist to be honest with you, is IMO, CRIMINAL in and of itself!!! If that were me and that Dr. told ME no if I'd been through what your father has, that Dr. and I would BOTH be going to the hospital and that'd be to get my foot out of his ass!

Jetdoc~

Cool your jets! If you didn't notice, it was not his doctor's decision. It seems it is a PA law. Each state regulates these things differently.

[CrewChief]

I agree it is nuts JetDoc but it was his primary care doctor that stated it first so he doubled checked with his heart specialist (not associated at all with the other doctor) and he stated the same thing. Here is the actual law per the PA DMV website. I'm sure there are doctors out there that fudge around from some of the people I have seen using one (assuming it is a legit one) but unfortunetly for him his doctor isn't one. I told him we should write his local congressman but he didn't want to.

Eligibility Requirements
“Reason Codes”
(1) is blind.
(2) does not have full use of an arm or both arms.
(3) cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest.
(4) cannot walk without the use of, or assistance
from, a brace, cane, crutch, another person,
prosthetic device, wheelchair or other assistive
device.
(5) is restricted by lung disease to such an extent
that the person’s forced (respiratory) expiratory
volume for one second, when measured by
spirometry, is less than one liter or the arterial
oxygen tension is less than 60 MM/HG on room
air at rest.
(6) uses portable oxygen.
(7) has a cardiac condition to the extent that the
person’s functional limitations are classified in
severity as Class III or Class IV according to
the standards set by the American Heart
Association.
(8) is severely limited in his or her ability to walk
due to an arthritic, neurological or orthopedic
condition.
(9) is a person in loco parentis of a person
specified in paragraph (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6),
(7) or (8) above.

[CrewChief]

Crewchief~
Please call IMS at 317-492-6704
These folks are wonderful! They will work with you. They want to make this easy for your dad. Ask for reserved parking in lot 1......just explain the situation to them.....I would suggest that a short statement from your dad's physician on a prescription pad just stating:" Patient is not able to walk great distances and would benefit from parking assistance."

Ask IMS's fax number and just fax the order to them.

Have a great race......and more power to him!

Barb

I'm going to give them a call tomorrow, worse case hopefully I can get in lot 2 and that won't be too bad, we'll just get there early and get as close as possible.

[ND500BARB]

Crewchief~

I have had dealings with the nice folks at the Speedway myself regarding parking. I know they will help you and your dad.

I also do agree with you 100% that it is a stupid law but, like someone posted earlier, the most likely reason for that law is because we have all see people with so-called "disabilities" parking in restricted parking but yet they are out running, throwing footballs, walking up and down the steps to get another beer and, in general, abusing the privilege. It is because of those slackers that we all must suffer.

Please call the number I gave you. They will help you.

[aXe]

A couple years back the wife sprained Her ankle at the Fort Worth Stock Yards rodeo, Very bad lighting in that place (Watch out there they dont give a dam about you!!! Cost Us $900 in doctors bills they didnt careat all.) Neither do the TMS people, we were up there for a race that week end,they wanted us to give up our $100 seats and move us to handicaped seating $50 seats!)down near the first turn (our seats were smack dab center of main stands)and not refund any of our ticket purchase price,The wife got pissed and sat in the car the whole race they didnt give a dam, She couldnt have walked from the parking area and up 26 rows with that ankle.That was just another one of the reasons adding up So We just sold our lifetime tickets rights there!
Any way We went to the speedway for the F1 race I the next weekend and I went into the offices and told them the problem and They fixed it so we could park right up close to the stands out side of turn 4 very near our seats,This was inside the track area where the venders park, They went way out of their way to help us out. Very nice people up there We have never had a problem going up there yet. I was told there is a big problem If they let you park in handicap parking with out a legit parking pass for that. The parking they let us use was better than any of the handicap parking any where there any way.
Den