If somebody were to have asked us to make a list of the members of Nevada’s state Senate who we thought would park illegally in a handicapped space, we’d have ranked Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford pretty close to the bottom. He’s a bright, intelligent guy who’s been an advocate for the disabled in his career. (BTW, top of our list of would-be parking violators? Maurice Washington. Definitely.)
So imagine our surprise when KNTV Channel 13 investigative reporter Darcy Spears reported a story Monday in which Horsford was caught in the act: The senator’s white Ford Expedition — bearing Nevada “state senator” license plates — is clearly parked immediately adjacent to a handicapped space, in an area marked clearly by white diagonal stripes as a loading zone for people with disabilities. The vehicle was parked outside a youth football game for more than five hours, according to the mother of a little girl who uses a wheelchair but was unable to find parking at the game.
Let’s do a quick look at what’s wrong here:
1. It’s totally ass to park in or around handicapped spaces without a legitimate permit. We suspect even Horsford agrees with that. (A written statement he issued though the executive director of the Democratic Senate caucus says Horsford “inadvertently” parked in the space, but that he promised not to do it again. We put in a call to get a copy of the statement for ourselves, but didn’t immediately hear back. If, in fact, the statement contains the word “inadvertently,” we’d also have to classify that as “ass,” since the markings are impossible to miss.)
2. But the felony stupidity here is to park in or around a handicapped space with your state Senate license plates on the car! Seriously, who does that? People already think politicians believe they belong to a special, privileged class that doesn’t have to follow the same rules as the rest of us. Why prove it by cramming a hulking SUV into a space reserved for handicapped people to unload their cars? And why broadcast your identity (the owners of those plates are a matter of public record) and risk losing the votes and support of people who are disabled and who advocate for the disabled? If you’re going to use those special plates on your vehicle, you’d damn well better drive (and park) as if you were Miss Manners on her best day!
Now, we know Horsford and we like him. He’s a smart guy, and he doesn’t make a habit of doing things like this. Perhaps the lot was full and he was late, or something. But that cannot excuse what’s not only an act of incivility, but also a crime punishable by a big fine. (Drop off your kids and go find a parking space somewhere else, for God’s sake!)
If we were Horsford, we’d figure out what the fine is for parking illegally in a handicapped space, and donate that amount immediately to a group that advocates for disabled people. And then we’d resolve to park only in authorized spaces from now on. Or at least take the damn “state senator” plates off your car and use regular ones!
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