The one thing that really gets under my skin are the perfectly healthy people who abuse the handicapped spaces. They may have a handicapped sticker for their disabled grandmother, and rightfully so, but that does not entitle them to park there is she is not in the car.
I once asked a police officer about this and he told me that technically they are not breaking the law, because they do have the sticker, so therefore he cannot ticket them for abusing it. However he did admit, that ethically and morally they are definitely in the wrong.
I could get a handicapped sticker but I could use the exercise.
How do you *know* they’re “perfectly healthy”?
I look fine outside but my spine and neck are wrecked.
Without warning, at any time, a nerve could “pinch” and one of my legs will just ‘not work any more’.
But I *look* just fine.
[Well, until you notice me laying on the ground, screaming for somebody to help me up, anyway]
FYI, the one time I’ll never forget was in a Best Buy.
I had crouched down to look at something on a bottom shelf and when I went to stand up, about a third of way up, my left leg said “Like hell you will” and I crashed to the floor.
During a very busy Christams season, with the store packed full of shoppers, not ONE of the 6 “men” who walked right by me [as I was obviously, desprately struggling to stand] even bothered to *ask* if I needed help.
When I get the occasional “dirty look” from other parkers, I silently hope they get to endure just a *week* of what I go through every day of my life.
The pain would wipe that uppity sneer right off their faces.
FYI, the cop was -wrong-.
That tag is registered ONLY to the person to whom it was
-prescribed- and they -can- check the system to see if the driver is the owner of the tag.
If the driver is not and there is no one else with them who *does* own the tag number legally, they will get fined.
[$350-$500, here]
When my mom is with, but not going in to the store, I don't park in a handicap. I can walk fine, and if I take a spot, I might be taking up a spot that someone elses mom might need.
In California you can be fined up to $4200 for illegally using a placard. That includes the “registered owner” for lending it out. It’s easy for police to check too because you have carry you placard identification card/receipt with you just like you would your driver’s license.
Besides the placard ID card there’s a registration # on the placard that I’m sure they can look up just as easily as a driver’s license # to see who it’s registered to.