If there was ever a good intention gone bad, it has to be the handicapped-parking laws. The Feb. 5 article “Handicapped-parking permits frustrate cops” (Page 1) just begins to illustrate the problems with this program.
This law is so abused that I don’t think many have any respect for the original intention: To make life a little easier for the physically handicapped. I think there are two areas in the law that are causing the most problems:
1. Anyone can get a placard one way or the other. When I first saw a handicapped-parking space, I envisioned a great space for people who have the van that opens up and lowers a wheelchair. But now anyone with the slightest infirmity gets a placard. The law says “unable to walk 200 feet without assistance,” yet people pull up to the handicapped parking at Super Kmart with the placard or plate and head in to the store, which is the size of three football fields, and have no problem getting around. They say they have arthritis or asthma or bad hips or whatever . . . but if so, how do they get around the whole store with no problems? Everyone sees this, and there is no respect for the law. The first correction of this law should be to take away all placards and plates unless the person has the special van and is in a wheelchair.
2. Most people don’t realize that part of the law allows a permit-holder to park for free at any meter. Walk down any street downtown, and you will see 30 to 50 percent of the cars have placards allowing them to park free all day! I’ve never seen a handicapped person get out of one of these cars. This part of the law has to be revoked. Handicapped or not, meter parking is not intended for all-day parking. I’m surprised no city official has griped about the loss of revenue to this scam.
Most placards expire on June 1, 1998. We have until then to figure out where this law has gone bad and to rewrite it to fix the excesses and make it an aid to the handicapped who really need it.
