Posted on 08/20/2007 7:41:24 AM PDT by Between the Lines
OPINION, August 20 /Christian Newswire/ -- "Do you know the fine for using someone else's handicapped parking permit is $300?" "That parking spot is saved for the disabled! You should be ashamed of yourself!" Nearly everyone with an invisible illness has been told, "You don't look disabled to me!" One of my friends replied, "Well, you don't look stupid to me." I just bite my lip to try to prevent the tears from forming, broken-hearted that I appear to be deceptive, when I would do anything to give back this parking perk that I use on a rare occasion.
As I circle the parking lot a fourth time on this day I hope for a spot to open up within two-hundred yards of the store, but there is nothing remotely close at this bustling superstore where I need to buy my prescriptions and milk for my toddler. My rheumatoid arthritis is flaring badly, causing extra fluid in my knees to dislocate pieces of loose bones. Every step is painful and unpredictable.
Finally I sigh in resignation and pull into the farthest "blue parking spot." I reach for the placard--the one that has a bold white symbol of a wheelchair--and no, I don't have a wheelchair--yet. So after fifteen years of having this "privilege" at my disposal I still warily scan the area before reluctantly dangling the placard from the rear view mirror. Is there anyone watching, wondering, or waiting, ready to confront me?
I've had scathing notes left on my windshield and many people, empowered by television exposés, have approached me with their opinions. Judgmental expressions and whispers sting just as much. My husband and I adopted a baby and when I would get my child of the car I would avoid eye contact with onlookers because I could hear their whispers of, "She's not disabled! Or--if she is--she has no right to have a child!"
Nearly 1 in 2 Americans (133 million) live with a chronic illness. It could be diabetes, cancer, cystic fibrosis, fibromyalgia or even chronic back pain. Many illnesses make walking long distances impossible because of limited lung capacity, physical pain, or unpredictable numbness in the legs. According to statistics provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, about 96% of these illnesses are invisible. There is no sign of the illness existing, nor the use of an assistive device like a cane or a wheelchair.
I began National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week in 2002, which is held this year Sept 10-16, 2007, after witnessing thousands of people who had frustrations, fears, loneliness, and bitterness, about feeling invalidated. One's illness, age, diagnosis, or level of disease degeneration, doesn't change the emotional pain.
Strangers and loved ones alike doubt the severity of our illness or even the diagnosis. We've heard, "You look so good! You must be feeling better." But we don't feel better. We just bought some fake tan in a bottle and pasted on a smile.
National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week is a time to acknowledge that invisible illness is more prevalent than we'd imagine and everyone--both those who are healthy and ill--can make a difference by encouraging someone with an invisible illness, rather than tearing someone down.
Are those parking spots painted blue because they give so many people the blues? That small area of square footage is a breeding ground for many frustrations as we are forced to defend our illness and character to total strangers. I'd gladly trade in my placard indefinitely for just a week of having my old body back when I could run, sit on the floor, or even hold a fork without tendons popping out of place.
I anticipate the day when a nationally designated system is formed. Texas law states that blue placards are for those who use assistive devices; red permits are for people with a "condition that impairs mobility." In other states, red symbolizes six months of disability and blue is permanent. It's confusing! And for one with invisible illness, the wheelchair symbol discredits both our physical pain and--in the eyes of others--our reputation. Until then, we rely on Invisible Illness Week bumper stickers.
The next time you see a healthy looking man loading groceries into his car--parked in the "blue spot"--don't glare. Stop and offer to help him, or just smile nicely, giving him the benefit of the doubt. Seventy percent of suicides have uncontrollable physical pain as a factor. Your smile may save his life. At the least, it will astonish him, perhaps providing him with genuine encouragement he hasn't felt for months.
It is possible they were doing that but highly unlikely.
My Suburban has the “cripple tags” and I have my placard encased in plexiglass and chain locked to my Goldwing. However is is usually more convenient to leave the Handicap spots to someone else and the motorcycle gets parked on the closest end by the shopping cart area.
And as for the Home Depot remarks by someone else. We that need the tags do shop Home Depot and yes for minor and major items. But if I am loading plywood, dirt etc it is being done by a clerk for a good tip and the kids at home unload it.
In Texas the Blue placard has your initials and the first 4 numbers of your TDL on it. Thats an easy way for a LEO to tell who it belongs to
The placard and form must be in the vehicle that the handicapped person is riding in or driving.The placard identifies ( with the form) the handicapped person not the vehicle.
She didn't want one. She was aware that her condition was deteriorating and didn't think it was worth bothering with.
They have to have some spaces for emergencies.
They have to have some spaces for emergencies.
That's how it works here in Connecticut - the placard belongs to the handicapped person, not the car.
This situation is not helped by the thousands of people who scam the system to get handicapped parking when the truly don’t deserve it.
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHHAA
Oh I don't know, how about the "Fact" that the icon on the handicapped space IS A PERSON IN A WHEELCHAIR!
Or how about the "fact" that handicapped spaces first appeared next to a "cut out" in the curb!
Or the "fact" that the original handicapped spaces were half again as wide as non-handicapped spaces! So that people would have the extra room to get in and out of their wheelchairs!
Or how about that old public service commercial where the disabled vet is struggling, trying to maneuver in and out of his wheelchair while having to park in a normal space, because some lazy bimbo who didn't want to walk a few extra feet parked in the handicapped space.
Do I really need to go on?
I am certain that you can conjure legitimate-sounding explanations for any behavior observed at a handicapped parking spot so why did you bother to prepend this explanation with “Abuses certainly happen”?
It's not Home Depot's fault there are so many - it's the government/Disabilities act (ADA). It specifies that a certain number of parking spots must be "accessible".
For example, if there are between 301 and 400 parking spots in the lot, there must be at least 7 accessible spots and 1 van spot.
Quite frankly, I don't think you would have as much backlash if there were some common sense applied rather than just it being a numbers game. (Of course, it's government, so there is no common sense...)
For example, let's be honest - you don't need as many handicapped spots at Home Depot or Lowe's as you do at Walmart. You just don't. I'm NOT saying that those with handicaps do not go to Home Depot or Lowe's - but I'd have to say not quite as many frequent those places compared to something more general like Walmart. That just on anecdotal observations - I have never, ever, ever seen more than one or two of the blue spots used up at the Lowe's near here. But there at least 8 or 10.
As for getting a placard, I have the opposite problem with my dad. He's been having some trouble walking longer distances, but he refuses to get a placard. I'd love to take him to a baseball game, but we would have to park too far from the stadium for him to walk. If he had a placard, I could see doing it, but I guess pride wins out.
“Simply put, there are too damned many handicapped spots in most parking lots anyway”
Well, there’s something to that. The building I work in has about 20 of them, of which I have probably ever seen maybe 2 in use at one time. And it’s stupid, because some of them are way around the side of the building, far from the doors, and those are good spots that those of us who arive early and don’t have AC in our cars would like to use, since they’re in the shade of the building in the afternoon.
The symbol of the person in a wheelchair is a universally acceptable ‘sign’ of an impaired person. It doesn’t mean it is totally inclusive of what type of disabilities can or should utiilize the parking places.
Thank God you are a healthy person and celebrate your day with that knowledge.
My daughter (only 21) has been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. My sister also has it. I have a herniated disk and arthritis in my cervical spine. That statistic scares the be-jeezel out of me.
Very well said!
You don't just walk into a State tag office and say, "I think I need a handicapped sticker."
You have to ask your doctor to fill out the form that states you cannot walk a certain distance.
It's the doctor's call, not the patient's.
That being said, I have MS, sometimes I can park in a regular space and make it into the store with no problem.
Sometimes I can't...especially on a hot day, as my MS flares in the heat, so I might use a handicapped spot.
Where I live, there are a lot of elderly residents and tourists, so it's not unusual for all the handicapped parking to be filled up.
Only people on crutches should be able to park in handicapped spots.
No you've already shown me that you are just pulling this stuff out of your @$$ and this is strictly your opinion and nothing else. You have absolutely no reference as to legislative intent.
OK maybe for dialysis too. But that's it!
>>>>BTW: I showed him the HC plate, and he pronounced it a fake. Everybody knows that motorcycles cannnot be handicapped!
Know the feeling. I drive a Competition Yellow Mica Pearl tricoat 1993 Honda Del Sol. It was hit by a deer and instead of using OEM replacement parts, I used an after market body kit to put it back together. I just topped 164K miles but it loooks goood. I had both fascia removed from the bottom of my feet, due to plantar fibromatosis, so I am basically walking on bones with no padding other than a bit of skin.On top of that, when they did the surgery they messed up two nerves digging the lump out. Imagine walking on hot coal, all the time.
You should see the nasty looks I get when I use my permit. Then I think of how many hours its going to take to recover from this short trip to radio shack and how many narcotic analgesics and say F’em. I dont use a wheelchair yet and won’t until it is required. If there is a non HC space nearby thats not taken I do try and leave a spot open for the “vans” and such but if none are available within 50’ or so I will jump in the HC spot in a heartbeat. Come walk in my shoes.
1. I would never have the gall to question someone’s use of a handicapped parking space. A healthy looking 30-something guy I know once got a dirty look from an old timer as he pulled into a handicapped spot at the local K-Mart. But the old guy changed his tune when he saw the young man hobble out of his car with crutches and a cast up to his hip. You just never know what someone might be wrestling with.
2. Read carefully. The author never claimed that 1 in 2 Americans needed a handicapped sticker.
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