The double-leg amputee who spotted a Peel Regional Police cruiser parked in a disabled parking spot was contacted by investigators yesterday for a description of the officer.
But Gerard Taylor said it doesn't matter to him who the specific cop was.
Taylor said the incident is indicative of what disabled drivers see in parking lots every day across Canada.
"It's about education," Taylor said. "Everybody makes a little mistake but it's a little mistake compounded three or four times a day."
The Sault Ste. Marie resident snapped a photo of the cruiser last Tuesday at a Tim Hortons' parking lot in Mississauga.
Taylor said the cop was only in the spot for about 90 seconds before he left without even a coffee in hand.
"This issue is more about ideology," he said. "People believing this will only take a minute (so it's okay to park in the spot)."
The only way to ensure incidents like Tuesday's don't happen again is to make substantial changes at the provincial and federal government level, Taylor said. He called municipal bylaws ineffective against stopping the non-disabled from parking in disabled-designated spots.
Under the Mississauga bylaw, parking in a handicapped space without a permit carries a $350 fine.
HIGHWAY TRAFFIC ACT
Taylor called for changes to the Highway Traffic Act and the establishment of a Canadians With Disabilities Act.
Peel police repeated their vow to investigate the incident thoroughly, but it will be at least tomorrow before they can look into the matter.
