Keith I don't like using placards, Med's or whatever either. But damn bud there are day's as you said that ya need to. And that's the day ya fine the kids using Granddads truck. Happens here all the time. Friends and relatives fly in and use a rig with the placard. And think its so cool to be so special. Well if getting all busted up at work and being put back together with bolts pins, plates and what have ya is special than I don't want it. And it's not just the young people anymore. It seem anyone that is given the opportunity to use a placarded rig will. People are just all about themselves. I call it the sponge Bob syndrome.

 

Let me also point out that I did not make a scene, call any authorities, or confront the people in any way. My helper and I merely observed what happened. What gets me called out for doctor credentials when the original poster is pretty much saying the same thing? The only difference is the guy is huge and likes to eat.(Not you Steve, the guy you posted about.)

 

Keith, I'm not a doctor either, but that guy I see all the time has nothing wrong with him but his weight. He was getting around fine. And if he DOES have some underlying issue, my sympathy with him ended at the sight of snickers, chips, and mountain dews clenched in his mitts.....Obviously the ticker takes a back place to junk food cravings.....

And if his only issue really IS weight (he can walk...I see it....), then the best thing in the World he can do is to a) drop the junk food, and b) purposefully park as far away from the entrance to a Wal-Mart as possible and walk back and forth. Some of the lots are several hundred yards in length.......

Also..I just need to clarify. I'm NOT here to put you placard folks on the defensive......If you have mobility and health issues in which walking long distances WOULD be contraindicated...hey. I'm all for you.

 

OK...Geez....Ask you guys to do a simple research project.........

Snickers bar (271 cal) X4 +1084 calories

Lays potato chips (large 'single serve' bag....larger than the standard 1oz lunchbox size) 300 calories

Mountain Dew (290 cal) X2 = 580 calories

Morning 'snack' total: 1964 calories

(do I need to tell you that these are not GOOD calories?)

 

hard to tell lazy from needy

 

Steve, my friend, I hear ya.

The reason Maryland is #1 in handicap placard issuance, is because of the fraud that's taking place.

I know people that have paid their doctor to give them a 'placard', so that they can park in a wider space, so that their BMW won't get scratched!!!!!

THAT really 'frosts my flakes'!!!!

And I wholeheartedly agree. . . . a few more steps into the store (no matter whether it's a store, a bar, or a fitness center!), will do a person 'good'.

 

In Florida, that's useless for access handicapped parking spaces. You still need the regular blue placard.

One of my co-workers, now in his mid 60s, was in the service in his youth. During a softball game he broke one of his fingers. It healed oddly so that the finger doesn't align quite like it should. It's considered a "partial disability" and to this day he gets a monthly check from the government for his disability. Keep in mind that our business is computer technology and he types most of the day.

I don't see a lot of disability there....

 

It is the same here in La.

You can get a placard to go with the plate free of charge, but have to request it.

 

A Doctor has to prescribe it here

 

You have to get a DMV form signed off here by a Doctor. Still an awfull lot of fraud out there. If you "doctor shop" long enough you'll find one to sign anything. 99% of the time I found a fraudulant use was when son or daughter was using mom or dads placard.

Before I retired, I was like Steve. Non handicapped in a handicap spot was one of my favorites. If I could I would usually wait for the Driver of the car. Then I could issue a regular UTC that would flag the driving record as opposed to a parking ticket that wasn't recorded unless you didn't pay it. If it was an obvious fraudulant use I'd seize the placard.

 

Here in NJ they seem to give a lot out too.

I used to work with a woman (note I didn't say "lady") who used a placard to park by the door to the office every day. From talking to her I learned that the disability was... FAT. Nothing else. 5'1" - 350ish #.

I didn't say it to her face but I would think that condition would warrant parking further from the door, not closer...

Handicap parking violations were our most routinely issued citation. 90% of the time it was people who would illegally use a handicapped space when going to the park to use- you can't make this up- the TENNIS COURTS or the WALKING TRAIL. I would point out the stupidity of doing this, and got some very angry reactions. Mostly BMWs, Audis, and Benz's. It WAS a big deal, because this park had a recreation program for the handicapped and even the 15 handicapped spaces were never enough. People in wheelchairs, etc, really needed them. One time I saw a guy with one leg, who clearly was genuinely handicapped, offering to move his car so the other people could use the space.

Basically, a lot of people here in the US of A are LAZY and FAT and feel ENTITLED and SUPERIOR. Talk about a threat to national security!

 

i have bad knees and problems walking, but i also declined a placard for 25 years.
after my hip finally started giving up the fight in september, i reluctantly accepted a placard from the doctor.
i think i have used it 3 times in the past 6 months.

 

One of the big abuses here is when one of the kids takes Granny to the store, parks in the handicapped spot, and then leaves Granny in the car.

The law here is explicit in that use of a handicapped spot is for ease of access by the placard holder. If the placard holder doesn't exit the vehicle, it's illegal parking.

 

I'm noticing a trend of sorts here; those who honestly deserve and could best use this kind of accommodation would rather not need it, the lazy overly entitled bozos believing its part of their birth right!

Along with my own local PD's increasing enforcement and citing offenders I hope other jurisdictions follow this too. How people can violate something like this, seemingly never bothering their conscious probably is what threatens our country from within these days----well said 732t37!

 

I wanted to let this thread mature a bit more before I posted again. Here in Va, a parking placard is "prescribed" by a licensed medical doctor and issued by DMV. It sounds like most other states have the same or similar laws. Who here has MD behind their name?

Who here questions a person who is taking blood pressure or cardio - related meds, prescribed by a doctor and still drinks and smokes?

There are a ton of disabled VETS on my route and throughout the country that are described by my above question. They are after all costing us money, are they not? Is there a difference? Or, is it more about, "what we can't see we ignore"?

In Virginia, the placard has the expiration date clearly stamped on it. Additionally, each placard is issued with an accompanying ID card. There's a pretty hefty fine for misuse of said parking placards. But who walks around checking for ID cards?