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Just because you're able bodied doesn't mean you can't use a handicap parking placard
By adamg on Sat, 10/19/2013 - 10:26am
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Comments
There's not enough
Bad things that that can happen to these sleazes.
Easy fix is to always require
Easy fix is to always require HP plates instead of the not-so-"temporary" placards. If a person has to have HP plates registered to their name it is less likely they will cheat the system.
What about people who don't
What about people who don't own a car, but use handicapped spaces when riding in or driving other people's cars?
No...
With the plates, you can only ride in one car. The placards allow people to get rides with other people. This isn't a good solution.
If they are
Getting a ride from someone else who isn't disabled, why does the non-disabled individual require the same accessibility. Drop the off and park 20 ft from the building vs 5 ft.
I regularly give a friend of
I regularly give a friend of mine with MS rides to the store. Since she doesn't have a placard, I do drop her off and then park. But sometimes, that's hard as well because she can't support herself. If we don't have a 3rd person with us, I have to park somewhere I'm not supposed to and actually get her inside to a seat or scooter before I can leave her. That's why.
"But new apps are now
"But new apps are now allowing for meters to be paid by cellphones, prompting city officials to consider either putting time restrictions on placard use at meters or charging people with placards, McCosh said."
Two problems with that:
1) Free, time-unlimited parking at meters is provided by state law. Boston isn't allowed to change the rules.
2) Some people might not have smartphones, or might have disabilities that prevent them from using them.
One
Would think if you can operate a vehicle you can manage using a phone.
You don't have to be a driver
You don't have to be a driver to be eligible for a parking permit.
How did the Herald get to see
How did the Herald get to see the permit holder's identification information that's hidden by the white sticker?
I wish...
This story would also cover the amount of harassment that many placard users face if their disability isn't obvious. Yes, enforcement is necessary, but it doesn't need to be done at the expense of other people getting harassed.
The story only mentioned some of the disabilities for which someone can get a placard. These are the ones that are listed on the form and can be done with the least documentation. People also have them for other hidden disabilities, and they are constantly harassed by random motorists who see them and insist "you can walk just fine" and by enforcement people who try and tell them their picture on the placard doesn't look like them.
I have never
Seen someone "harassed" for using a place card. Nice try eeka!
You don't work with people who use them
You don't work with people who use them.
given that's the purpose of the placard...
"you can walk just fine"
And since the rule is that it's for people who cannot walk more than 200 feet, if you walk without so much as a limp, you have every right to be challenged.
You don't get a placard because your tummy hurts, or you'd depressed, or your kid has aspergers. And you don't get to use the placard when the person the placard was issued to, isn't in the vehicle. Period.
Frankly, a large number of owners seem to have them because they have trouble walking because they're morbidly obese - a treatable condition.
People with heart disease don't limp
Someone who is blind doesn't limp.
Someone with severe balance issues doesn't limp.
Someone who has lost part of a lung doesn't limp.
You see where I'm going here.
Someone who is blind shouldn
Someone who is blind shouldn't be driving!!!
Question
I see all the handicap mirror placards with a white sleeve covering te lower portion. What is it covering and is that sleeve given with th placard to preserve privacy or something?
ID of the placard holder
About a dozen years ago they started including identifying information and a photo of the placard holder on the tags, which promptly led to problems of identity theft. The fix was to give the holders little sleeves to cover the information up. If challenged by a parking enforcement or police officer, the holder is required to show that it belongs to someone in the car, but otherwise, it's nobody's business.
Put a barcode on the placard
Put a barcode on the placard that can be scanned by the metermaid, or include an RFID chip/transponder. Collect data on where and when these placards show up, and if the usage appears to be abusive (e.g., the same placard is parked for long periods, in the same place, not near the home address), target enforcement. Placards systematically used in vehicles registered to someone other than the placard owner should also invite scrutiny. The barcode will also allow screening for placards reported lost/stolen.
Do not automatically include free parking at meters. Limited dexterity and limited walking range are two separate limitations, and they deserve different accommodations. Note that though limited dexterity is cited as a reason to exempt people from feeding the meter, you can't even get a placard for that disability.
If the alternative is parking at a private lot/garage, the value of a placard can be as high as $100/week, or several thousand dollars per year. Given how rarely enforcement occurs, it's not surprising that they're abused. However, I'd guess that on aggregate, the annoyance/envy factor outweighs the actual lost revenue, so parking enforcement efforts might be better directed elsewhere.
I'd support maintaining free
I'd support maintaining free parking at meters, but removing the exemption from time limits. That would solve most of these problems.