Posted on 01/26/2007 8:10:36 AM PST by SmithL
With tough questions being asked at City Hall over why San Francisco's parking meters aren't generating more revenue, one possible explanation beginning to emerge is the astonishingly high number of handicap placards that have been handed out in the city.
San Francisco has about 23,000 coin-fed parking meters, while city residents hold about 90,000 permanent and temporary handicap parking placards, issued by the state Department of Motor Vehicles, allowing them to park for free, said Judson True, spokesman for the city's Municipal Transportation Agency.
That's about four placards for every meter.
"While the MTA supports the legitimate use of disability placards, there's no doubt that they have an effect on our parking meter revenue," True said.
Tim Hornbeck is the executive director of the Arc of San Francisco, a nonprofit group that helps and advocates for people with disabilities. He agreed that better enforcement of handicap placards by the state DMV perhaps is needed. But so is parking meter enforcement, he said.
"I just walked outside of our building," Hornbeck said. "Out of 27 meters, nine were expired with no tickets, five had disability placards, and one was a city vehicle. Only 12 of those meters were getting revenue."
To obtain a handicap placard, California residents must have certain medical conditions -- such as heart disease, vision problems or impaired walking -- and have them certified by a doctor or other medical professional.
The uproar over a report revealing that the city's meters are capturing an average citywide of just 22 percent of their potential revenue showed no signs of abating Thursday.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
My knee injury was not permanent and I am fine now at 66 but I know people of all ages really need to have close parking spaces so, it angers me to see the cheaters.
The disabled placard may be issued to a passenger in the vehicle. It is not limited to the driver. They should still have to pay for parking like everyone else, IMO.
Notice the real cause of outrage is loss of tax revenue and not the abuse of the system.
"About 20% I would say really deserve them..."
I've done just that and I would concur with your estimates. I have also seen a trend of obese people getting them around here.
When my father was dying, he had a placard. Although he couldn't drive himself, his wife would drive him around, and she found the placard very handy because she could park close to stores/medical offices and it was a much shorter trip for him to get inside. I'm sure that when she dropped him off or came back to pick him up, it would look like she was abusing the privilege. No doubt there are people taking advantage of the system, but you can't always be certain by appearances.
My husband has a handicapped tag for his car, which I use, as I must wear a leg brace for arthritis. Ironically I am more in need of the handicapped tag than he is.
Yes I know. I was just having a little fun. It was a joke. A bad one.
"For example, people with heart disease can't walk long distances."
Perhaps the cause of that is they weren't willing to do any walkin in the first place.
Don't mean to be insensitive but there is abuse of the handicap parking system.
Not surprising. I'd guess that on any given day, half the city's population has difficulty sitting down.
I have seen that trend too. What really gets me is when you see an obese person using a wheel chair or one of those motorized scooters to get around.
I think I knew that. ;9)
That was the first thing that occurred to me.
In at least some states, if you are handicapped you can get a Handicapped card for your car for somebody else to drive you around, whether you're going to the doctor or to a movie.
I'd say liberalism is a pretty severe handicap, and therefore, ALL San Francisco residents should probably have a handicap parking permit!
In my case, it's because they're driven...I'm the primary caregiver for two very old, very immobile parents that seem to have lots of doctor's appointments. Believe you me when I take their placard with me as I escort them back and forth.
As others here have noted however, it's generally an act of extremely good luck when I actually find an open handicapped space though...
Ah gotta git me one!
LOL. Now that is one of the best things I have read in a very long time!
A new law that they recently passed that every business must pay its workers sick leave, cements your comment for me. A small business is going to have to be making some very good money and have a low overhead at work and at home if they are going to scrape over that fence.
I understand this. I have no objections to reserved parking for handicapped individuals. I just don't understand why handicapped individuals should get to park for free in any spot, reserved or otherwise.
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