Our own worst enemies.....

[Multiple Sports]

Wanted to see what basketball officiating was like in our
" new normal", so I worked an AAU event this weekend in Lancaster Pa. I knew the event was going to be bad with respect to quality of ball, coaches behavior and all those things that makes "AAU" despicable. Mind you I don't mind doing Hoop Group or EYBL games but I saw something today that you may think is funny but I thought was somewhat embarrassing and only hurts the reputation of the majority of us who try to do this the right way.

After the day ended about eight of us all walked out after getting paid. I didn't know any of them but as soon as we got outside, two guys inmediately stopped in the handicap lot to get in their car. A few fans( parents ) made comments about all of us and I kept walking. The comments were uncalled for but for referees parking in a handicap lot just doesn't seem appropriate on our end.

Maybe I'm getting old and grumpy but I think we can do better.

[BillyMac]

Reminds me of the time when a fan asked if my seeing eye dog was lonely sitting in my car in the parking lot.

[BillyMac]

Connecticut: A person who parks illegally in a handicapped space faces a fine of $150 for a first violation and $250 for second and subsequent violations. A motor vehicle illegally parked in a handicapped space for the third or subsequent time may be towed and impounded until any fines are paid.

[ilyazhito]

What's the point of the OP's post? Were two of the officials legally disabled, or did the organizers have the officials park in handicapped spaces as an insult?

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

What's the point of the OP's post?

Point?

I seems that if one is physically able to officiate basketball games, one is probably not disabled enough to legally need a handicapped parking space and would both be taking a parking space away from one who really needed it, and is also probably breaking the law.

Of course, I'm sure that there may be plausible exceptions.

With arthritis and bone spurs in my right ankle, and a torn meniscus in my right knee, often (on a bad day) walking with a noticeable and painful limp, I'm pretty sure that I could get a handicapped parking permit if I really wanted one (which I don't at this point), even though I'm still officiating middle school games (for which I wear an ankle brace and a knee brace).

[SNIPERBBB]

You can get a placard for about anything if you have the right doctors. I've seen people with lifted trucks get handicap tags.