In our local community a new idea has been put forward by Nino’s Italian Restaurant and Sweet Tomatoes for the parking spaces of their customers. Senior Citizen Parking Only is posted above a number of spaces in front of the restaurants in the Del Mar Village shopping center.
The lighthearted idea is that senior citizens have a more difficult time getting around and while priority should go to handicapped people, seniors should also be given an easier time when accessing their favorite restaurants. So, spaces that are close to the restaurants, but not as close as handicapped spaces are reserved for people who are at least 65 years old.
With 21.0% of people in Boca Raton claiming to be 65 years older and over according to the 2010 US census (14.5% national average), this may be another example of how Boca leads the way in senior citizen lifestyle. Known for inventing the early bird special, the senior citizen parking initiative may easily find traction amongst the community.
Many see it as a reasonable request due to the usual rise of health issues as people age. Or, as one local woman put it, “It’s fair when you think about how much they have given to this country already.”
However, one younger individual claimed it as unnecessary. “I’ve heard that it’s pretty easy to get a handicapped parking sticker. Besides, I know some people who are 65 years old a really healthy.” That same man went on to say, “What if I get sick? Shouldn’t I be able to get a good parking spot if I’m not feeling good? I don’t think it should just be determined by age. Obviously, I don’t take this too seriously. I’m just saying I don’t think it should be a regular thing.”
It’s already become commonplace to have patient parking in front of hospitals or areas for expectant mothers. This is typically a suggestion and not enforceable by law as is the case with the senior citizen parking in front of Nino’s Italian Restaurant. While some may ignore the suggestion, the senior citizen parking spaces usually remain empty while other spaces fill up until the dinner rush. Later at night the entire lot is usually full regardless of who parks in the senior citizen parking signs.
Though the Del Mar Village shopping center and the two restaurants may mean this as a simple gesture toward their patrons, contention has been that the idea should be adopted on a larger scale. Nothing concrete has developed whether there would be different grades for handicapped parking in the future though the idea is seeming to get approval. In the situation of the Del Mar Village, no valet parking is available, which gives a larger incentive to assist senior citizens in their mobility and accessibility to the shopping center. This could be a factor for any legislative efforts as well decisions made by commercial enterprises. Though if shopping centers use the senior citizens only signs or something like that there is no judicial action that can be taken to enforce it nor has Del Mar Village made any mention that they would start checking identification of their customers.
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