It’s a no win situation. I get yelled at for parking in disabled. Then one time before a water therapy class as the Y, I was yelled at for taking up a “normal” space instead of a reserved disabled spot. The only thing I can figure is that they figure if you have a real disability you won’t have the physical ability slug them!

Sorry, “Sick and Tired” but I don’t buy it. If you can hop out of your car and walk to the store without assistance, you doon’t need to be parking in a handicapped spot, regardless of your diagnosis. The spots are meant for people who physically have a difficult time in walking, not just someone who happens to have an illness or disease that crops up from time to time.

My daughter has CP and is in a wheelchair. We have a ramp in our full size van to accomodate her. It never ceases to amaze me how many “disabled” people go to the movies or the mall when it rains. We can NEVER find an open disabled space during inclement weather, and we have seen countless times of families hopping out of a car with a disabled tag (probably borrowed for the trip) with no physical challenges whatsoever.

In my opinion, the blue disabled tags should be discontinued in favor of only allowing disabled license plates (which we have). It is much harder to borrow a vehicle with a disability plate than it is the blue hang tag. I have no problem with the temporary red tags, which are necessary for short periods of disability for broken legs, etc.

But if it is obvious that you are not having difficulty getting out of your car and walking to your destination, you have no reason to be parking in the spots that we need for my wheelchair-bound daugther.

P.S. If she is not in the van, I DO NOT park in the disabled spaces, despite the fact I could get away with it due to my license plate. It goes back to what I said — a person only has a right to these spaces IF THEY NEED THEM.

I’ve got Gout. It used to put me in so much pain that I could barely walk, yet I still went to work and lived live WITHOUT a handicap tag. Your autoimmune disease may leave you weak or in pain sometimes, I get it, but if you’re not having a spell, park in the general lot and let those in real need use them. I’m going to have to agree with Charles on the license plate comment, if you’re legitimately disabled, get a plate. Do away with the blue tags, it’s too convenient to borrow someones tag and it’s obviously being abused way too much.

Something I find funny is that there are handicapped spots at stores at all. Sure, you get better parking, but you still have to walk around the store, what’s 50 more feet in the parking lot?

The real problem I have is “Mommy Parking” spots. You’re pregnant, so you get a special spot? How pregnant do you have to be, or how young do your kids have to be to use those spots? Why can new fathers not park there? Sex discrimination if you ask me. Last I checked, it was healthy for pregnant women to walk. If you’re having an at-risk pregnancy, you should probably be on bed rest anyway. My ready-to-pop wife certainly had no problems walking in from a non-prego parking spot while the presumably 2-week pregnant women were taking those spots.

I definietely agre about the “mommy spots”. I thought that you were supposed to get the exercise while you were pregnant as part of being healthy.

As for comments about discontinuing disabled hanging tags…I need the tag for when I take my elderly father places. Dad can’t drive, he has no car of his own to license, so we have the hanging tag when he is in my cars. And for the comment about getting around in the store…what is another 50 feet?…Dad heads straight for the motorized shopping scooters, and they are getting hard to find sometimes.

I think the point of the original post is that you cannot judge the extent of one’s disability just by looking at him or her. You cannot dismiss someone’s disability simply because they are able to drive and walk. Similarly, all pregnancies are not created equal, and the amount of walking should be reduced for some women (although my belief is that if you doctor indicates this, you would be eligible for a temporary disable parking pass).

I agree that there are abuses of the system, but that doesn’t mean that everyone who doesn’t “look” disabled, isn’t.

To those who are “not buying” Sick and Tired’s argument, why don’t you look up myasthenia gravis. The more you do, the worse it gets. So someone may look fine walking the short distance from handicapped parking to the store, but if they had to walk farther it would be a severe strain. It does not crop up from “time to time.”

I’m with Lauren, many things are exacerbated with usage… look it up, and talk to a doctor if you don’t believe WebMD.
http://www.webmd.com/brain/understanding-myasthenia-gravis-basics

I don’t buy this either. My mother had ALS, towards the end she couldn’t even move her eyes, she was compleatly paralized. It is rediculous that some jack @$$ with “Pain” should take a spot that a real handicapped person needs. I am sorry but a lot of people have pain, get over it. Try not moving once in a while.

Wow Amber, Sorry about your mother but how dare you say her form of suffering is worse than anothers? Who made you the athority on ranking the severity of disabilities? How about you post a list of disabilities that warrant a handicapped plate? If someone has any kind of disability then they can have the spot, I will walk, I’m not that lazy.

I do agree that there are handicapped people that don’t show it, and I agree that there is a lot of abuse to the system as well but I WHOLE HEARTEDLY agree that those stupid prego spots have got to go!
PAHLEEZE!
If you are having a difficult pregnancy and truly should not be walking too far than the doctor should issue a temporary handicap placard (with TEMPORARY being the key word here), other than that there is nothing wrong with pregnant women getting some exercise.
I knew a woman that was an aerobics instructors and taught the classes till they were in her final month.

ORG,

For the most part, I agree with your assessment of the Pregnancy spots. They’re not really necessary and only cause irritation among already hormonal women.

EXCEPT! The one time that I myself actually saw use for them and utilized them myself (I was able to work until the day before I delivered) was in my 8th and 9th month of my first pregnancy when it was cold and ICY outside.

A long walk and a fall in treacherous conditions could be damaging to mother who is unbalanced by her new shape, and more importantly, could harm the baby. (but, of course, I couldn’t always get the spot, because some husband is parked there while waiting to pick up his wife from the door ;-p ).

This ‘discussion’ is falling into the typical wrangle intended by authorities - limit access to anything for people who want something and let them fight among themselves for it.

Please, this is most unbecoming of those of us with visible or invisible disabilities. We know we need more disabled parking spaces in most shopping areas. However, I don’t think I need to justify my disability to someone else who doesn’t know that my entry into a store will often mean I don’t have enough energy to get back to my car after shopping. In fact, I can’t breathe in most stores usually have to stand on the curb while sales people serve me outside. I went into one store, desperate to buy a warm coat, but was asked to leave by security - I was wearing a mask that day for respiratory protection and they didn’t want my face hidden from security cameras.

I was getting kicked out for looking like a potential thief when I was only trying to breathe. After explaining the medical necessity deal and telling them to go to the lot and see my disabled tag on the mirror, they were still insisting I leave. I then politely suggested they call the police if they wanted to evict me - it was cold and I needed to buy (not steal) a coat!

They realized they were in the legal wrong but insisted that if I stayed, security would have to escort me everywhere in the store. I made my ‘escort’ carry my stuff

For me, building access is nearly impossible due to the fact that stores, offices and homes are filled with items made with unbelievably foolish choices in chemical irritants and outright poisons so that the 38 million Americans with compromised respiratory function are forced to live, work and ’shop’ in a more impaired state than is necessary. For many of us, that is how we got into this condition.

You may not see it, but then you don’t have to see it. Let’s fight for more access without attempting to wrest it from one another. Yes, there are frauds out there but you won’t always know who’s who - so notify parking lot security if you think Jack hijacked old Uncle Joe’s tags and is abusing the system. Don’t bug Old Uncle Joe just because you don’t notice his oxygen canister in his cart or think his cane is good enough for him to take a hike around town.

Tags are important because you have to take them into a gas station and show them if you need help pumping gas in the self-serve stations. You need them if your car breaks down and you rent one. It’s just easier all around. Up penalties for abuse of them rather than abuse those using them legitimately. Things are not always as they appear - after all, we want our appearances to be respected in all their guises.

I also know that it is unrealistic for me to shop on high traffic days like major holidays or on Saturdays etc - so I don’t bother. If there is a nearby ‘regular’ spot by an empty disabled spot, I take that one of course.

Most of my choices in the course of a day are about getting through the day. Most are unfairly imposed, just as my disability was unfairly imposed (pesticide poisoning). I try not to make that harder for other disabled people by blaming them for my limited opportunities in this world.

Barbara Rubin

Amen Barbara, Amen!!!

I have chronic leukemia and environmental illness. There are days when I don’t want to stay home but I don’t feel like walking clear across the parking lot. I don’t have a disabled parking sign. Usually I go with my husband or another family member who can let me off at the door. But, as the article pointed out, there are those of us who have unseen disabilities.

Linda,

I am sorry to hear of your illness. You are entitled to a disabled parking tag even if you don’t have a drivers license but depend upon others to take you places. You can get one to use for any car in which you are transported so that, say, if you aren’t well and need to return to the car ahead of the driver (who completes your errands), the car is within an accessible distance for you. Or so you can wait in the car but within reach of a store bathroom should you need it.

Just keep the tag in your purse so it isn’t misused by your drivers or others when you are not ‘along for the ride’.