Handicap Parking

[WadeFillingame]

So I've been noticing a particular Lincoln Navigator parking in the handicap spot at the site I'm on. 

Finally figured out who is driving it.  A guy who's 40+ hour a week job is to do walkover surveys of a site with insane irregular terrain carrying about 20 pounds of gear.  :finger:  WTF!

Seriously, when I had this titanium rod put in my right leg, and was in a wheelchair for 6 weeks and then crutches for however long I didn't even bother with a handicap mirror tag. 

Guy gets the lame ass of the yr award from me.

[teachermat]

One of the most annoying clients I have uses their dead parents handicap tag

[NIZZLE]

Even worse when a fuking 500 plus pound person gets out of the car fat is not handicap.

[forgop]

[quote author=NIZZLE link=topic=36338.msg154389#msg154389 date=1450317272]
Even worse when a fuking 500 plus pound person gets out of the car fat is not handicap.
[/quote]

Obesity is no handicap-it's a "disability" anymore. 

[cmitch]

I have respiratory flare-ups from a chronic condition in which I'm in the middle of such now. Some days I can't walk 20 feet without getting winded. I have good days where I can get around pretty good. My wife has begged me to get a placard from the doctor for those bad days. I refused. One day, as I was getting in the car, I noticed she had one that was acquired from a friend who regularly goes places with her. She insisted I park up front with it and I reassured her I was fine. We went into Sams and I had an attack midway through our trip. I didn't know I would make it back where we had parked but I insisted we walk instead of her picking me up. That's just me. Maybe my pride will kill me but I'll be damned if I park in one and have someone accuse me of being too healthy to need it. Plus, there are many who are in worse shape than I and for me to take up a space they could use makes me even more adamant not to park in one. Unfortunately, handicap zones have become enablers for the lazy as opposed to providing for a real need. The ones that get me the most are those who park in one waiting for the wife as if, somehow, being in the car will keep them from getting a ticket.

[Pole Lock]

Reminds me of chubby, lazy slobs (not even obese) who ride around the grocery store in those electronic rascal carts.  Saw some lady the other day in one checking her blood pressure at those machines that sit by the pharmacist's window.  Her cart was almost full of bottles of Coca Cola and frozen pizza.  A good segment of the population is visibly de-evolving.

[KonkeyDong]

[quote author=forgop link=topic=36338.msg154395#msg154395 date=1450328763]
Obesity is no handicap-it's a "disability" anymore. 
[/quote]
Cause you guys know if that person has thyroid cancer or any of 20 other ailments that make weight loss/regulation impossible.
Worry about yourselves and your family. I'm sure these people are judged enough.

[Jolly_WhiteGiant]

I have tried to be as neutral as possible when it comes to this. My wife is 25 and has to be in a wheelchair sometimes for medical reasons. You wouldn't believe the looks we get when parking in the handicap sometimes just because we are younger and it doesn't look like anything is wrong from the outside. Even sometimes when we have an electric wheelchair in the stores people will make comments like "Aren't you a little young to be in a wheelchair?"

[kingcohiba]

It's not overactive thyroids it's overactive forks!

Someone said that at work the other day and cracked me up lol.

[burnem]

Actually, it's an underactive thyroid that usually causes weight gain.  I know this from the special needs community. 

Before anyone gets wound up...... I was in the military during the war and had two deployments.  What gets me are vets that take advantage of this law. If you have a 50% or higher VA disability, you automatically qualify for a DV license plate and get to park in Handicapped spaces.  When we first moved to Austin, we lived in an apartment while we were house hunting.  Upstairs from us was a guy who had a DV plate and he got a space right by the stairs...... those same stairs he ran up every time I saw him return home.  Don't know what his disability was but it didn't stop him from running up a flight of stairs. 

I am currently an Army civilian working with the Texas National Guard and a SGM I work with got a sleep apnea diagnosis last year.  He took that diagnosis, went to the VA and got a 50% disability and can get a DV plate if he chooses.  The fact that he got that VA disability for a noncombat, treatable condition, is a whole different issue with me and I'll not take the time to address it here.

We have a 16 year that had severe hip dysplasia and qualified for a placard.  We used it until we had surgery and during her recovery (she was in a body cast for 3 months).  She is what I consider to be recovered now (1 year after surgery) and we no longer use the placard though it is still valid in the eyes of the law.

Bottom line for me.......  you never know what someone's physical situation is, so I can't pass judgment against anyone.  I recognize we have a whole segment of society that will take anything they can get, vets included.  If you're in need of the handicapped space, then use it.  If you're not and using one anyway......SHAME ON YOU!!