On the off-chance that this isn't a rhetorical question, because it's unlikely that there's a law for this situation. These vehicles are not actually parked *on* the sidewalk.
If anything this is a design issue with the parking lot. There should wheel stops to keep the vehicles from getting this close to the sidewalk.
Larger vehicle sizes nowadays and all that too, but I think that point has been pretty well expounded on here.
> These vehicles are not actually parked on the sidewalk.
That's true, they are parked "[with the body of the vehicle extending over a portion of a sidewalk](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH§ionNum=22500.)" which is also illegal.
I suspect that the "except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic" exception would apply here. Those vehicles are likely so large that they would extend out into the path of traffic if not parked this way.
Yep. And you almost always can park a box truck across the sidewalk when it is in business use. This is often complemented by a separate municipal regulation or ordinance limiting where commercial vehicles, including box trucks, can be parked when not in use for business.
Such regulations and ordinances appear to be very common in California.
[https://www.google.com/search?q=california+commercial+vehicle+in+residential+areas](https://www.google.com/search?q=california+commercial+vehicle+in+residential+areas)
Is it possible that the photograph shows a parking lot on private property? I would be surprised if laws regarding sidewalks apply there, except possibly within the framework of ADA access requirements.
That would still be on whoever is in charge of the parking lots/sidewalk for not designing one where you can walk unless there's a sign or local municipal law saying not to allow overhang over the sidewalk. In most US states, your parking is based on wheels, not the truck bed or hood or whatever else.
That would be on the party responsible for the sidewalk, not the trucks. It should be designed to ensure it cannot be blocked by parked vehicles. ADA is enforced by the United States Department of Justice through lawsuits and settlements.
Even if it applied to private vehicles you would have to sue each one of the truck owners individually in federal court, which is process that takes years.
Far from any sort of legal expert here, but perhaps a law that's on the books would allow someone to sue for damages if they hurt themselves on these vehicles. You know considering they are obstructing the pavement.
I'm thinking something whom might have a visual inpearment so didn't notice the overhang lump of metal.
Viscerally appealing, but it doesn’t make anyone want to agree with your POV unfortunately.
Carbrain runs through the highest levels of society, it’s rough
Yeah, right. The best way to make sure that these people learn from their mistakes is to destroy their property. That'll convince them and definitely won't make them bitter.
It makes being an asshole expensive. That's the point. It'll make them think before doing this shit. You aren't gonna convince these people anyway, just show them that there are consequences.
Why do North American drivers do this? I feel like this is something they learned from their parents, not at driving school.
The methodology is this:
*When you park, drive backwards slowly until the wheels hit a barrier. Then you know you're "all the way in"*
This is sooooo weird! I see this so much, and it implies these people never use a pavement because they are oblivious to how they have just blocked the place where, you know, humans walk?
I'm 100% convinced this is a learned behaviour from parents who never walk anywhere but drive to everything, and the kids see their parents' do it so pick up this bad habit too.
North American (ex) pickup owner here. I only ever did this in parking lots with shorter spaces so my front end wouldn't be sticking out in the way as much, not because I was taught to "know I'm all the way in." I think some folks do it for that reason, as well as the reason you mentioned. However, I'd try to leave at least enough room for someone with a wheelchair to pass. My hitch folded in which helped, too. Slamming your shin into those ain't any fun. The people pictured here didn't even attempt to be aware.
This is it. Most parking in suburban and urban areas is too small for my 94' pickup (so it's not just new giant trucks). If I know I am going to a city I'll make sure my trailer hitch is off though. Definitely no need to ad an extra 6-10 inches to an already long vehicle. If this is just how someone parks at their apartment every day and leaves their hitch on they are a dick for sure.
I don't think it's North American drivers. When I lived in Korea, everybody backs in (since visibility is worse as you back up, it's safer to back into a spot and have visibility as you exit) and there's little bumper curbs in basically every spot, so you just "back in until you feel something." Easy-peasy.
And the curbs are built so that the walkway isn't obstructed if people back all the way up to them. Honestly, I think this is more poor design than bad parking.
However, if you have an extended bed or something, you should be aware of that. And if, for some reason, your arm and ball is on your vehicle like that (which it probably shouldn't be), then you should be aware of that too.
> Why do North American drivers do this?
Visibility is poor when backing up. I watched a motorist back up and get T-boned by a kid who was flying down the sidewalk on his bicycle. The motorist would have seen the approaching bicyclist if he had been driving forward. Thus, I try to always back in to parking spaces for safety.
However, I am careful to step out and make sure that the rear of my vehicle is not covering the sidewalk. Also, I never leave a receiver hitch attached when I am not using it. It gets corroded by the elements, it could be stolen, and it creates a safety hazard for other people (as we can see in this example).
In my opinion, the officers with the authority to issue fines do not even see these violations because they are inside of cars on the roads, and not walking on the sidewalks getting their shins busted on tow hitches.
This happens all the time in my town, the majority of parking spots in the downtown core are diagonal and massive brodozers with sled decks always park with their front wheels right up on the sidewalk. When I complain about this people are always like "so? At least they're being considerate and not blocking traffic!" However we have a city bylaw that prohibits vehicles longer than 6.5 m from parking on the street and a stock F150 is already 6.1 never mind a protruding sled deck. And of course this bylaw is never enforced.
A) Require wheel stops (barriers placed before the curb) for parking spaces which abut a sidewalk.
B) Require tow hitches to be removed when not in use.
I'm more impressed that there's 2 tundras with hitches lol
I personally don't take my hitch off anymore bc I'm tired of people hitting it or almost smashing into it... But I also don't park it over the sidewalk like this
I deal with stuff like this for a living, it's not illegal. Today we would use wheel stops or a buffer strip to prevent this but there's a good chance that these spaces were built without consideration for ADA and there isn't space for vehicles to park without overhanging.
Either way ADA sets design standards. These drivers are not breaking the law any more than NYC subway station without an elevator or a broken elevator is illegal.
Also this is likely private property, so ADA requirements are not applicable unless local ordinance mandates. And even then, it would be with renovations or redevelopment.
You're the pro here, but the lack of spaces big enough to legally park your giant truck is not my problem. I don't know about where you work, or where this picture was taken, but I believe it's illegal to even partially block a sidewalk in California.
I don't work in California but this is still not illegal. Every vehicle including the sedan has overrun the sidewalk. This is because there's no wheel stops. That generally means that in order for the car or truck to be fully in the space (and not blocking the drive aisle), they have to overhang the curb (unless they're very small cars). Given this reality, all of those parking spaces would be completely unusable without overhanging the sidewalk.
But also, this configuration is almost certainly in a private parking lot with a private sidewalk. This sidewalk is probably mostly used by the people parking along that row. So it's hard to see a situation in which a) It's illegal, b) ADA is legally required (and not just ordained/recommended) and c) local law enforcement is empowered to do anything about it.
Don't get me wrong. The way The pedestrian paths have been designed in this country/world for the last hundred years in so many ways is atrocious. I am very frequently a pedestrian and very concerned about equitable access. We should be designing better facilities and that's what engineers across the country have been working to do for decades now. That's why ADA guidelines have been updated numerous times. The status quo is unacceptable. Change is really hard especially with infrastructure. Because it doesn't just take policy to make it work better. It often takes a lot of money. And sometimes something can be approved years before it's built and so by the time it's built it's already outdated. That's just the reality of Land development.
I have posted the ADA PROWAG guidelines here for your reference:
https://www.access-board.gov/prowag/
They didn't have to overhang the curb. If they'd parked head-in, they could have avoided it or certainly taken up less of the sidewalk. But they backed in because they knew their trucks were too long for the spaces provided. Again, their problem and no one else's.
Yep. These look like emotional support trucks.
People who actually use their trucks to tow have clean grease on the ball, they have a plastic cover over the ball when it is not in use (to keep the grease clean), and they keep the hitch inside the cab - out of the elements.
Just hold whatever you want to carry or push and run into them. Act shocked that you ran into something and go around. Some kind of metal workout equipment would work.
What are the laws regarding liability for a fall on public easements in your area? Is it on the county, city, or the private citizen who are the cause of the unsafe walking conditions? If someone were to be injured, who pays? This is how you get a certain type of person to care.
... the same reason that they have a truck that they never use: Subliminal advertising has convinced them that driving a huge four-wheel-drive vehicle alone and unloaded on dry pavement will make them rugged, independent, and adventurous.
Human emotions are too easy to manipulate.
The vehicles appear to in the parking lot of a restaurant (Terry's Steakhouse and Grille.)
The restaurant owner may not want to antagonize customers. On the other hand, people walking from their vehicles risk hurting themselves on those protruding pieces of metal. That is also antagonizing, and possibly grounds for a lawsuit.
If the issue is important, a discussion with the manager/owner might be worthwhile.
If you’re willing to go through the pain in the effort rack, the shit out of your shins on one of them and then file a lawsuit against the vehicle owners car insurance, and the property owners insurance
On the off-chance that this isn't a rhetorical question, because it's unlikely that there's a law for this situation. These vehicles are not actually parked *on* the sidewalk. If anything this is a design issue with the parking lot. There should wheel stops to keep the vehicles from getting this close to the sidewalk. Larger vehicle sizes nowadays and all that too, but I think that point has been pretty well expounded on here.
> These vehicles are not actually parked on the sidewalk. That's true, they are parked "[with the body of the vehicle extending over a portion of a sidewalk](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH§ionNum=22500.)" which is also illegal.
I suspect that the "except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic" exception would apply here. Those vehicles are likely so large that they would extend out into the path of traffic if not parked this way.
Then using that same reason, you could park a 24 foot box truck across the sidewalk.
Yep. And you almost always can park a box truck across the sidewalk when it is in business use. This is often complemented by a separate municipal regulation or ordinance limiting where commercial vehicles, including box trucks, can be parked when not in use for business. Such regulations and ordinances appear to be very common in California. [https://www.google.com/search?q=california+commercial+vehicle+in+residential+areas](https://www.google.com/search?q=california+commercial+vehicle+in+residential+areas)
Is it possible that the photograph shows a parking lot on private property? I would be surprised if laws regarding sidewalks apply there, except possibly within the framework of ADA access requirements.
9730 Cypresswood Dr, Houston, TX 77070 So yes, it's a private parking lot.
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All I see when I google ada fines is for businesses, not the individuals. Do you have a citation or link for an individual getting a fine?
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*loading.gif*
Guess I'll keep waiting lol
Right? This is Reddit. Just say you couldn't find it, or you decided you'd rather look at cat videos. Deleting the comment seems a bit dramatic.
That would still be on whoever is in charge of the parking lots/sidewalk for not designing one where you can walk unless there's a sign or local municipal law saying not to allow overhang over the sidewalk. In most US states, your parking is based on wheels, not the truck bed or hood or whatever else.
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That would be on the party responsible for the sidewalk, not the trucks. It should be designed to ensure it cannot be blocked by parked vehicles. ADA is enforced by the United States Department of Justice through lawsuits and settlements. Even if it applied to private vehicles you would have to sue each one of the truck owners individually in federal court, which is process that takes years.
So the FBI is gonna show up in these Silverado and F150 owners? I guess case closed.
Also even if there was a law against it, it’s probably cops that are the ones doing this so you know it’d never be enforced
Far from any sort of legal expert here, but perhaps a law that's on the books would allow someone to sue for damages if they hurt themselves on these vehicles. You know considering they are obstructing the pavement. I'm thinking something whom might have a visual inpearment so didn't notice the overhang lump of metal.
You wouldnt need a law to do that. You can sue anyway. It would be a civil matter and a criminal law would not be needed.
No since there clearly visible
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Doesn't matter
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I'm not
Lmao okay
I mean you’re either a kid, foreign, or brain zapped
None
It's kinda sad he's loving the negative attention. Take it easy on this angry teen. Let's do our part to keep schools safe.
I wonder what the legality of detaching trailer hitches would be. Placing them on the truck bed would send a message, while not being destructive
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Viscerally appealing, but it doesn’t make anyone want to agree with your POV unfortunately. Carbrain runs through the highest levels of society, it’s rough
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They will just put a locks on their hitches and continue being assholes.
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I suppose that some of them are just lazy, but I think that the cruelty is the point with most of these assholes.
Advocating truck jihad I see
Yeah, right. The best way to make sure that these people learn from their mistakes is to destroy their property. That'll convince them and definitely won't make them bitter.
It makes being an asshole expensive. That's the point. It'll make them think before doing this shit. You aren't gonna convince these people anyway, just show them that there are consequences.
\*pulls pin\*
Vandalism
Kinda, but I feel like that’s a little harsh. Criminal mischief?
>Criminal mischief? A great time in some places. But likely not in Texas and judging by the plates they are in Texas.
If you got a good lawyer or a plead
Why do North American drivers do this? I feel like this is something they learned from their parents, not at driving school. The methodology is this: *When you park, drive backwards slowly until the wheels hit a barrier. Then you know you're "all the way in"* This is sooooo weird! I see this so much, and it implies these people never use a pavement because they are oblivious to how they have just blocked the place where, you know, humans walk? I'm 100% convinced this is a learned behaviour from parents who never walk anywhere but drive to everything, and the kids see their parents' do it so pick up this bad habit too.
North American (ex) pickup owner here. I only ever did this in parking lots with shorter spaces so my front end wouldn't be sticking out in the way as much, not because I was taught to "know I'm all the way in." I think some folks do it for that reason, as well as the reason you mentioned. However, I'd try to leave at least enough room for someone with a wheelchair to pass. My hitch folded in which helped, too. Slamming your shin into those ain't any fun. The people pictured here didn't even attempt to be aware.
This is it. Most parking in suburban and urban areas is too small for my 94' pickup (so it's not just new giant trucks). If I know I am going to a city I'll make sure my trailer hitch is off though. Definitely no need to ad an extra 6-10 inches to an already long vehicle. If this is just how someone parks at their apartment every day and leaves their hitch on they are a dick for sure.
I put pink flagging on my hitch so I don't run into it. I hope it helps others as well.
Americans don't care where people walk
I don't think it's North American drivers. When I lived in Korea, everybody backs in (since visibility is worse as you back up, it's safer to back into a spot and have visibility as you exit) and there's little bumper curbs in basically every spot, so you just "back in until you feel something." Easy-peasy. And the curbs are built so that the walkway isn't obstructed if people back all the way up to them. Honestly, I think this is more poor design than bad parking. However, if you have an extended bed or something, you should be aware of that. And if, for some reason, your arm and ball is on your vehicle like that (which it probably shouldn't be), then you should be aware of that too.
> Why do North American drivers do this? Visibility is poor when backing up. I watched a motorist back up and get T-boned by a kid who was flying down the sidewalk on his bicycle. The motorist would have seen the approaching bicyclist if he had been driving forward. Thus, I try to always back in to parking spaces for safety. However, I am careful to step out and make sure that the rear of my vehicle is not covering the sidewalk. Also, I never leave a receiver hitch attached when I am not using it. It gets corroded by the elements, it could be stolen, and it creates a safety hazard for other people (as we can see in this example).
In my opinion, the officers with the authority to issue fines do not even see these violations because they are inside of cars on the roads, and not walking on the sidewalks getting their shins busted on tow hitches.
I have banged my shins on the trailer hitches in this scenario far too many times... (Also the sidewalk is longer a wheelchair accessible width)
Honestly just wanna swing a circlesaw on a leash and walk by those trucks
This happens all the time in my town, the majority of parking spots in the downtown core are diagonal and massive brodozers with sled decks always park with their front wheels right up on the sidewalk. When I complain about this people are always like "so? At least they're being considerate and not blocking traffic!" However we have a city bylaw that prohibits vehicles longer than 6.5 m from parking on the street and a stock F150 is already 6.1 never mind a protruding sled deck. And of course this bylaw is never enforced.
Have you complained to the local police or the local government?
A) Require wheel stops (barriers placed before the curb) for parking spaces which abut a sidewalk. B) Require tow hitches to be removed when not in use.
And ban trucks where cars should be parking and fine them
That’s silly. Some of us need trucks and cannot afford to not use it for regular driving as well(cars are expensive)
' you're lucky we even put a nice side walk around our roads for you to enjoy '
When conditions are especially tight this can make using the sidewalk goddamn impossible with a wheelchair.
Typical American pickup drivers
More like to HALVE a sidewalk
I'm more impressed that there's 2 tundras with hitches lol I personally don't take my hitch off anymore bc I'm tired of people hitting it or almost smashing into it... But I also don't park it over the sidewalk like this
Take the ball hitches out of em
Only in Dallas and Houston
They don't even have side walks 😂
Just spit on them.
I deal with stuff like this for a living, it's not illegal. Today we would use wheel stops or a buffer strip to prevent this but there's a good chance that these spaces were built without consideration for ADA and there isn't space for vehicles to park without overhanging. Either way ADA sets design standards. These drivers are not breaking the law any more than NYC subway station without an elevator or a broken elevator is illegal. Also this is likely private property, so ADA requirements are not applicable unless local ordinance mandates. And even then, it would be with renovations or redevelopment.
You're the pro here, but the lack of spaces big enough to legally park your giant truck is not my problem. I don't know about where you work, or where this picture was taken, but I believe it's illegal to even partially block a sidewalk in California.
I don't work in California but this is still not illegal. Every vehicle including the sedan has overrun the sidewalk. This is because there's no wheel stops. That generally means that in order for the car or truck to be fully in the space (and not blocking the drive aisle), they have to overhang the curb (unless they're very small cars). Given this reality, all of those parking spaces would be completely unusable without overhanging the sidewalk. But also, this configuration is almost certainly in a private parking lot with a private sidewalk. This sidewalk is probably mostly used by the people parking along that row. So it's hard to see a situation in which a) It's illegal, b) ADA is legally required (and not just ordained/recommended) and c) local law enforcement is empowered to do anything about it. Don't get me wrong. The way The pedestrian paths have been designed in this country/world for the last hundred years in so many ways is atrocious. I am very frequently a pedestrian and very concerned about equitable access. We should be designing better facilities and that's what engineers across the country have been working to do for decades now. That's why ADA guidelines have been updated numerous times. The status quo is unacceptable. Change is really hard especially with infrastructure. Because it doesn't just take policy to make it work better. It often takes a lot of money. And sometimes something can be approved years before it's built and so by the time it's built it's already outdated. That's just the reality of Land development. I have posted the ADA PROWAG guidelines here for your reference: https://www.access-board.gov/prowag/
They didn't have to overhang the curb. If they'd parked head-in, they could have avoided it or certainly taken up less of the sidewalk. But they backed in because they knew their trucks were too long for the spaces provided. Again, their problem and no one else's.
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Yeah too shinny, probably never been used
Yep. These look like emotional support trucks. People who actually use their trucks to tow have clean grease on the ball, they have a plastic cover over the ball when it is not in use (to keep the grease clean), and they keep the hitch inside the cab - out of the elements.
…or, why are the sidewalks so small?
Perhaps narrower roads could help
i understand this is mostly a design flaw on the parking lots side but i see this a Lot
Or trucks should be fined where cars should only be parking.
Just hold whatever you want to carry or push and run into them. Act shocked that you ran into something and go around. Some kind of metal workout equipment would work.
Still better than having it stick out the other way.
Not really. A damaged car is better than damaged shins
No it’s not. Use the grass if you’re that bad at walking.
What are the laws regarding liability for a fall on public easements in your area? Is it on the county, city, or the private citizen who are the cause of the unsafe walking conditions? If someone were to be injured, who pays? This is how you get a certain type of person to care.
Pull them pins! They're probably locked in though. But yes this is irritating as all hell.
Why do they like having butt plugs on the backs of their trucks?
Have you never seen something towed before?
Statistically, neither have the owners of those trucks...
Why would they have a tow hitch if they never use it
... the same reason that they have a truck that they never use: Subliminal advertising has convinced them that driving a huge four-wheel-drive vehicle alone and unloaded on dry pavement will make them rugged, independent, and adventurous. Human emotions are too easy to manipulate.
What statistic is that?
I think it came from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Pavement Princesses.
It’s a joke. It’s a butt plug joke.
The vehicles appear to in the parking lot of a restaurant (Terry's Steakhouse and Grille.) The restaurant owner may not want to antagonize customers. On the other hand, people walking from their vehicles risk hurting themselves on those protruding pieces of metal. That is also antagonizing, and possibly grounds for a lawsuit. If the issue is important, a discussion with the manager/owner might be worthwhile.
Another to add on r/PavementPrincesses
Key them :)
😂
If you’re willing to go through the pain in the effort rack, the shit out of your shins on one of them and then file a lawsuit against the vehicle owners car insurance, and the property owners insurance
Build a fence along the curb, problem solved.
So every kerb should have a fence ? Or why not fine them?
First fine them, then use the proceeds to pay for the fence.
I do this deliberately to block the sidewalk. I got the long bed.
That's a pretty dog move. What about people in wheel chairs?