Illegal use of HP placard at Wolfeboro Town dock

Skipper of the Sea Que · 05-06-2010, 04:26 PM

One of the Wolfeboro town docks is posted as a Handicapped (HP) dock. This is another example of “feel good” issues that may not have been thoroughly thought out. How can you designate that your boat is entitled to use a handicapped dock? The obvious answer is to use your handicapped placard issued for your car. But wait. According to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (they issued my HP placard) it is illegal to use a MA HP placard on a boat. Not that I expect the MA police or SWAT team to come to Wolfeboro to punish violators.

What about a NH issued HP placard? NH Division of Motor Vehicles answered the question a bit more gently. They say that there is NO provision in the law to allow the use of a NH issued HP placard on a boat. In other words, it is NOT one of the allowable uses of the NH HP placard.

One of our forum members received a $250 violation ticket for docking at the HP dock without proper HP designation. He caught up with the issuing officer and was able to talk him into changing the written citation to a written warning. You can see the ticket by going to this post and clicking on the .pdf attachment in THIS POST. Note that in the remarks section it mentions displaying a placard.

The thread discussing the basic idea of a Handicapped access dock can be found HERE .

Like some other “feel good” legislation (that I won’t mention here) this seems to be an attempt at something well intentioned but is ill conceived. The Wolfeboro HP dock offers nothing I can see to help a handicapped person (other than a short or no wait). No accommodations to make it easier to get on or off the boat, no wheelchair access, no easier way to tie off the boat, no seats for rest after climbing out of your boat, no short walk to rest rooms or anything else. No supplemental oxygen, nothing. I don’t see how it is of benefit to the handicapped. I digress though as this post is not to discuss the rational behind the law but to inform readers that the use of the MA and NH HP placard on your boat is illegal.

05-06-2010, 04:26 PM	#1
Skipper of the Sea Que Deceased Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: 1/2 way between Boston & Providence Posts: 573 Blog Entries: 3 Thanks: 32 Thanked 55 Times in 22 Posts	Illegal use of HP placard at Wolfeboro Town dock One of the Wolfeboro town docks is posted as a Handicapped (HP) dock. This is another example of “feel good” issues that may not have been thoroughly thought out. How can you designate that your boat is entitled to use a handicapped dock? The obvious answer is to use your handicapped placard issued for your car. But wait. According to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (they issued my HP placard) it is illegal to use a MA HP placard on a boat. Not that I expect the MA police or SWAT team to come to Wolfeboro to punish violators. What about a NH issued HP placard? NH Division of Motor Vehicles answered the question a bit more gently. They say that there is NO provision in the law to allow the use of a NH issued HP placard on a boat. In other words, it is NOT one of the allowable uses of the NH HP placard. One of our forum members received a $250 violation ticket for docking at the HP dock without proper HP designation. He caught up with the issuing officer and was able to talk him into changing the written citation to a written warning. You can see the ticket by going to this post and clicking on the .pdf attachment in THIS POST. Note that in the remarks section it mentions displaying a placard. The thread discussing the basic idea of a Handicapped access dock can be found HERE . Like some other “feel good” legislation (that I won’t mention here) this seems to be an attempt at something well intentioned but is ill conceived. The Wolfeboro HP dock offers nothing I can see to help a handicapped person (other than a short or no wait). No accommodations to make it easier to get on or off the boat, no wheelchair access, no easier way to tie off the boat, no seats for rest after climbing out of your boat, no short walk to rest rooms or anything else. No supplemental oxygen, nothing. I don’t see how it is of benefit to the handicapped. I digress though as this post is not to discuss the rational behind the law but to inform readers that the use of the MA and NH HP placard on your boat is illegal. __________________ Amateur HAM Radio What is it? You'll be surprised. When all else fails Ham Radio still works. Shriners Hospitals *providing specialized care for children regardless of ability to pay*. Find out more or refer a patient.

The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Skipper of the Sea Que For This Useful Post:
BroadHopper (05-07-2010), Just Sold (05-07-2010), Rattlesnake Guy (05-06-2010), secondcurve (05-19-2010)