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Handicapped Parking Abuse Continues

Two years ago I wrote a lengthy rant about one of my big hot button issues — people who abuse handicapped placards:

Let me just be as blunt as possible — if you use or have ever used a handicapped parking permit that you were not legally entitled to use, then you are a pathetic piece of shit. No two-ways about it.

I stand by that opinion.

The Houston Chronicle reports today that the huge problem persists here in Texas, and that lawmakers are considering new laws to combat the abuse:

Surveys indicate that in downtown areas of cities like Austin, Houston and San Antonio, between 30 percent and 65 percent of vehicles parked at meters or in accessible-parking spots are displaying a disability placard that is being abused or fraudulently used, said Houston parking official Liliana Rambo.

I’ve always suspected that a bunch — if not a majority — of people using handicapped placards were doing so fraudulently. It’s obvious watching most people walk from their cars that they are not the one that needs that reserved spot.

The blue handicapped placard — the one I see hanging on someone’s rear view mirror the most often — is issued for people who cannot walk without an assistive device or must use a wheelchair. But the majority of people I see exiting their car not only do not have an assitive device or wheelchair. Most, in fact, seem to be walking just fine.

Roland Guzman of Helotes, who uses a wheelchair and is a member of the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities, said, “You do find a lot of people that just run into a convenience store, (saying) ‘Well, I was just going to be there for a few minutes.’ … We need to educate everybody.”

If I see a car without a placard or handicapped plates in handicapped spot, I almost always “educate” the drive if I see them. I’m seldom polite about it.

Posted by Robbie Cooper on Friday, March 28th, 2008 | Trackback |

6 Responses to “Handicapped Parking Abuse Continues”

I have a good friend of mine who has handicapped plates b/c their disabled parent lives with them. They don’t park in handicapped spots when their parent isn’t with them.

I truly believe they are in the minority of folks who would do that.

Left by Maggie on March 28th, 2008 at 10:15 am

Oddly enough, you qualify for handicapped parking if you are over age 18 and under 5′0.

Left by Anonymous on March 28th, 2008 at 11:54 am

Funny thing, I have a pet peeve on this as well. When I worked a contract at Sallie Mae in Fishers, IN, I used to watch young girls in high heels with a cell phone stuck to their ear whip into handicapped spaces and prance their lazy butts right on into work! Most places, if one watched, were taken by people who walked just fine and most were overweight women who could use a brisk walk and should have been taking the stairs.

Another thing I see with the “placard people” is the tendency to drive with the placard stuck on their mirror. I know from my late father’s placard, you recieve info with your placard instructing you to remove it from the mirror when driving, as it obstructs your view. People just don’t pay attention. My father had Parkinson’s Disease and a bad heart, so he didn’t have any mobility aids, but he did have to use the electric carts at the grocery store and couldn’t walk very far without shortness of breath. But he always kept the placard in the glove box when he was driving. I just think we have way too many thoughtless and lazy “it’s all about me” people in our society.

Left by HoosierArmyMom on March 28th, 2008 at 10:32 pm

Another thing I see with the “placard people” is the tendency to drive with the placard stuck on their mirror. I know from my late father’s placard, you recieve info with your placard instructing you to remove it from the mirror when driving, as it obstructs your view. People just don’t pay attention. … I just think we have way too many thoughtless and lazy “it’s all about me” people in our society.

I am disabled and require a cane to walk. While I agree with most of what I have read here, I do take exception to the previous comments. I am perfectly aware of the instructions that come with the placard, but I drive with mine hanging most of the time for the sheer reason that if I put it away then I sometimes forget to take it out and hang it when I am parking and am busy trying to arrange all my stuff so that I can carry it on on arm due to my cane. I don’t feel this makes me lazy or thoughtless, I simply don’t want to risk having to make another trip back to my car or possibly get a ticket because I forgot. Getting a ticket would cause me to have to take more time and physical effort to go to the courthouse to prove I have one. Leaving it hanging may not be the best or safest solution but to date it is certainly the only one I have found that works for me.

Left by Blonde on April 8th, 2008 at 7:02 pm

“the majority of people I see exiting their car not only do not have an assitive device or wheelchair. Most, in fact, seem to be walking just fine. It’s obvious watching most people walk from their cars that they are not the one that needs that reserved spot.”

Well, while I agree that perfectly healthy people should not park in handicap parking spaces, I find your presumption of determining who is and who isn’t healthy just by outer appearance egually offensive. My father had a lung disease that robbed him of the ability to run or jump, but he could walk pretty well for about 100 yards or so. Than he had to sit down or he would fall down. If you had seen him (he passed away 4 years ago) walking from his car into a building you would probably have diagnosed him as perfectly fine, and you would have been dead wrong! How would it be if doctors shared your method of examination? Would you like to walk into your doctor’s office and have him say “You walk perfectly fine, so I say there’s nothing wrong with you. So pay me $150 and go home.” Wouldn’t be so great, would it?

Left by cord on April 12th, 2008 at 6:04 pm

Just wanted to add that my stepmother uses my Dad’s placard whenever she goes shopping. She has no shame when taking the last handicapped space even though she can walk better than most people half her age! I’m sure she would say something like, well if all these other people are doing it, then I’m going to get my piece of the pie too. I don’t agree with her in any way. In fact, I would like to report her!! I’m just addressing one mentality of such an act.

Left by Anonymous on April 18th, 2008 at 12:16 am

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